If you’re searching for a free website chatbot, you’re probably trying to improve customer support, capture leads, or automate repetitive questions—without adding more staff or increasing software costs.
Today, a chatbot for website is no longer just a pop-up chat box. The best tools now:
answer customer questions instantly
reduce support tickets
guide visitors to products or services
and operate 24/7 without human intervention
This in-depth guide compares the 11 best free website chatbots based on automation, usability, scalability, and real business value—with a special focus on how modern platforms like AeroChat move beyond basic chat into true AI-powered customer automation.
The best free website chatbot in 2026 is AeroChat because it provides AI-driven automation, ecommerce and order awareness, and omnichannel support—while offering a free plan to get started. Other useful free website chatbots include Tidio, Crisp, Zoho SalesIQ, HubSpot Chat, Collect.chat, JivoChat, BotPenguin, Tawk.to, Drift Free, and Intercom’s basic tiers.
What Is a Website Chatbot?
A website chatbot is an automated messaging system embedded into your site that interacts with visitors in real time. Unlike traditional contact forms or email, a chatbot for website provides instant answers and guides users through questions, purchases, or support requests.
A modern free website chatbot can:
answer FAQs (shipping, pricing, policies)
capture leads and contact details
route queries to the right team
automate order tracking and updates
improve conversions by reducing friction
This makes chatbots essential for ecommerce, SaaS, service businesses, and content-driven websites.
Why Businesses Are Adopting Website Chatbots
Companies choose chatbots because they:
reduce response times from hours to seconds
lower support workload by automating repetitive questions
scale without hiring more agents
improve user experience with instant interaction
If you want the broader automation strategy behind this shift, see customer service automation with AI chatbots.
What Makes a Good Free Website Chatbot?
Not every “free” tool delivers business value. The best platforms provide:
Automation, not just live chat
Custom training with your content
Product or service awareness
Clear escalation to human agents
Scalability for growing traffic
This is where most tools fall short—and where AeroChat stands out.
The 11 Best Free Website Chatbots
1) AeroChat — Best Free Website Chatbot for Automation & Ecommerce
AeroChat is the most advanced free website chatbot for businesses that want real automation instead of basic chat. It’s designed for ecommerce, lead generation, and scalable customer support.
Why AeroChat Is #1
AI-powered automation
AeroChat doesn’t just greet visitors—it answers real questions about products, policies, shipping, and orders. You can see how this works in how ecommerce chatbots answer customer questions automatically.
Free plan to get started
You can deploy a free website chatbot without upfront costs and upgrade only when automation and volume increase.
Built for business workflows
AeroChat supports customer service automation, ticket reduction, and conversion-focused chat—making it more than a simple widget.
Omnichannel expansion
As your business grows, AeroChat can unify website chat with messaging platforms. Learn how this structure works in omnichannel support chatbot strategy.
Best for: Ecommerce stores, service businesses, and teams that want a free chatbot for website with real AI automation.
2) Tidio — Popular Free Chatbot for Websites
Tidio offers a free website chatbot with rule-based automation and live chat.
Pros
Easy to install
Visual chatbot builder
Free plan available
Cons
Limited automation depth
Not ideal for complex workflows
Less effective at large scale
Best for: Small websites testing basic chatbot functionality.
3) Crisp — Free Shared Inbox With Website Chatbot
Crisp provides a free chatbot and team inbox for website communication.
Pros
Clean user interface
Unlimited conversations
Free shared inbox
Cons
Minimal AI automation
More human-chat focused
Best for: Startups needing simple website chat without heavy automation.
4) HubSpot Chat — Free Website Chatbot for Lead Capture
HubSpot’s free chatbot integrates with its CRM and works well for lead routing.
Pros
Strong CRM integration
Free for basic chatbot use
Good for marketing teams
Cons
Limited automation
Not ecommerce-focused
Best for: B2B websites focused on lead generation.
5) Zoho SalesIQ — Free Website Chatbot With Visitor Tracking
Zoho SalesIQ offers a free website chatbot with CRM connectivity.
Pros
Visitor analytics
Free plan available
Good integration within Zoho ecosystem
Cons
Setup can be technical
Automation requires configuration
Best for: Businesses already using Zoho products.
6) Collect.chat — Simple Free Chatbot for Websites
Collect.chat lets you build conversational forms and chat flows.
Pros
Easy to build chat forms
Free version available
Useful for lead capture
Cons
No AI learning
Limited support automation
Best for: Marketing pages and simple form-based interactions.
7) JivoChat — Free Website Chatbot With Multi-Agent Support
JivoChat provides live chat and basic chatbot functions.
Pros
Supports multiple agents
Free tier available
Multi-channel inbox
Cons
No advanced AI
Limited automation
Best for: Teams running manual website support.
8) BotPenguin — Free AI Chatbot for Websites
BotPenguin offers an AI-based chatbot with a limited free plan.
Pros
AI-driven replies
Multi-platform support
Cons
Limited training on business data
Not specialised for ecommerce
Best for: Testing AI chat without business-specific automation.
9) Tawk.to — 100% Free Website Chat (No AI)
Tawk.to is one of the most widely used free website chat tools.
Pros
Completely free
Unlimited agents
Reliable uptime
Cons
No chatbot automation
Human-only support
Best for: Businesses needing only live chat.
10) Drift (Free Tier) — Website Chatbot for Marketing
Drift offers a limited free chatbot version focused on conversational marketing.
Pros
Strong user experience
Lead routing and forms
Cons
Advanced features are paid
Limited automation
Best for: Marketing-focused websites.
11) Intercom (Basic Plan) — Entry-Level Website Chatbot
Intercom offers a free/basic tier for basic chat and limited automation.
Pros
Polished UI
Easy integrations
Cons
Most automation is paid
Not designed for large-scale support
Best for: Early-stage teams exploring chat.
Comparison: Best Website Chatbots Free to use
Platform | Free Plan | AI Automation | Business Workflows | Scalability | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AeroChat (Free) | ✅ | Yes | Yes | High | Best overall |
Tidio | ✅ | Limited | ❌ | Low | Small sites |
Crisp | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Low | Startups |
HubSpot Chat | ✅ | ❌ | Limited | Medium | B2B leads |
Zoho SalesIQ | ✅ | Medium | Medium | Medium | Zoho users |
Collect.chat | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Low | Forms & leads |
JivoChat | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Low | Manual chat |
BotPenguin | ✅ | Medium | ❌ | Low | AI testing |
Tawk.to | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Low | Free live chat |
Drift Free | ✅ | Limited | ❌ | Low | Marketing |
Intercom Basic | Limited | Limited | ❌ | Medium | Entry-level |
How a Free Website Chatbot Improves Performance
A properly implemented website chatbot can:
cut response times to seconds
reduce repetitive support tickets
capture more qualified leads
improve conversion by answering objections instantly
You can see this impact when automation replaces manual support. For a detailed comparison, review AI vs human support for Shopify.
Why AeroChat Is the Best Free Website Chatbot
Most free tools provide only chat.
AeroChat provides automation.
With AeroChat, you can:
deploy a free chatbot for website
train it on your FAQs, policies, and product data
automate order tracking and support queries
scale customer service without hiring
expand into omnichannel when ready
This is why AeroChat is frequently chosen by ecommerce and service businesses that want long-term ROI instead of just a free widget.
Who Should Use a Free Website Chatbot?
Ideal for:
Ecommerce and Shopify stores
Service providers
SaaS companies
Agencies
Content and lead-generation websites
If you’re just starting, you can also explore free AI chatbots for Shopify stores before expanding automation further.
Final Takeaway
A website chatbot is no longer optional—it’s one of the highest-impact tools for improving support, lead capture, and conversion.
If you want:
a free website chatbot that actually automates
faster responses without extra staff
scalable customer interaction
AeroChat is the strongest chatbot for website use in 2026.