Best Customer Messaging Platforms Shortlist
Here are the top 10 customer messaging platforms I’d like to highlight out of the 20 I cover in this article:
Customer messaging platforms help businesses communicate with prospects and customers through multiple messaging channels, such as live chat widgets, emails, or social media platforms. In today’s business environment, these platforms are essential to companies who want to deliver exceptional customer experiences as they help support and customer success teams solve tickets in a timely manner.
Read my review to discover the best customer messaging platforms you can use today. My review includes descriptions of the top-rated solutions currently available, as well as screen grabs so you can examine their interface. I’ve also included a comparison chart so you can quickly determine which tool would be the right fit for your company.
How I Selected the Best Customer Messaging Platforms
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best customer messaging platforms for this list? To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of customer messaging platforms with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of customer experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
If you have general questions about how customer messaging platforms work, or how to pick the best option for your organization, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions section below. Or, you can skip directly to my detailed software summaries, if that's what you need the most.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best customer messaging platforms for this article:
Multi-channel communication
The main advantage of using a customer messaging platform is that it enables you to manage all your incoming messages without having to juggle multiple tools. I selected solutions that enable you to control your communications in a single interface.
Message Prioritization
Having the ability to manage your messages in a single interface is nice, but it’s even better when it’s combined with a prioritization feature so your support agents can quickly solve urgent inquiries. I looked for platforms that allow you to segment your customer conversations based on various criteria.
Automation
Being able to automate repetitive tasks enables your support team to take on more customer inquiries. I chose tools that help your agents speed up their work with automated workflows.
Software integrations
Customer messaging platforms should integrate with most, if not all, your communication tools. I picked solutions that offer native integrations with popular social media platforms, such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram, and email clients such as MailChimp or Klaviyo.
Pricing
There are dozens of customer messaging solutions out there, each with its own pricing structure. I selected tools that offer a wide variety of features so you get a nice return on your investment.
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Overviews of the 20 Best Customer Messaging Platforms
Here’s a brief description of each customer messaging platform that showcases each system’s best use case, noteworthy features, and pros & cons. I’ve also included screenshots to give you a snapshot of their user interface too.
Zoho SalesIQ
Best customer messaging platform for designing your own chat system
Zoho SalesIQ is a powerful live chat software that can help businesses to better understand their audience, capture and manage leads, and engage with potential customers in a personalized and meaningful way.
Why I Picked Zoho SalesIQ: Zoho SalesIQ is a powerful live chat software that helps businesses engage with website visitors and convert them into leads. One of the key features that makes SalesIQ great is its ability to provide businesses with valuable insights into their website visitors' behavior. This includes information on how visitors arrived on the site, which pages they visited, and how long they stayed.
SalesIQ also provides businesses with a range of customization options, allowing them to tailor the live chat experience to their specific needs and branding. This includes customizing chat windows, automated messages, and even the look and feel of the chat widget itself.
Zoho SalesIQ Standout Features & Integrations
Features include A/B testing, audience targeting, chat, analytics, API, contact management, CRM integration, customer management, dashboard, data export/data import, data visualization, email integration, external integrations, lead scoring, marketing automation, multi-app, multi-site, multi-user, notifications scheduling, third-party plugins/add-ons, call tracking, click-to-dial, landing pages, real-time alerts, self-service portal, ticket management, social media integration, call integration, knowledge base, and support forums.
Integrations include all other Zoho apps (CRM, Desk, Analytics, Sites, etc.) as well as Salesforce, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, GetResponse, Google Tag Manager, Unbounce, GoDaddy, WordPress, Wix, Weebly, Joomla, Drupal, Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, and other options.
Pros
- Powerful live chat features and functionality
- Real-time visitor monitoring
- Customizable chat widgets and automated messages
Cons
- Time needed for setup and configuration process
- Somewhat outdated UI
HubSpot
Best customer messaging platform for customer satisfaction assessment
HubSpot is a customer messaging platform that enables companies to assess customer satisfaction with feedback surveys so they can improve their performance.
Why I picked HubSpot: HubSpot helps your support agents connect with prospects and customers via email, live chat, instant messaging tools, and social media platforms. The solution creates a universal inbox for all your teams, so your agents can easily mark conversations and escalate them to other departments.
HubSpot enables you to route or assign conversations to specific teams or individuals. You can also create filters to automatically move specific types of customer inquiries to different departments, so your team can answer all conversations in a timely manner. You can also ask your customers to rate your team’s responses, so you can assess their satisfaction levels.
HubSpot Standout Features and Integrations
Features include automated workflows, canned responses, follow-up notifications, conversation records, ticket prioritization, and a universal inbox.
Integrations include Aircall, Facebook Messenger, Google Meet, Gmail, Instagram, Mailchimp, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, WordPress, Zoom, and others.
Pros
- Comprehensive knowledge base
- Canned response templates
- Visual builder for automated conversations
Cons
- You can’t open lists directly, so you have to download, modify, and upload each one
- Feedback surveys could be more flexible
Zendesk
Best customer messaging platform for ticket organization
Zendesk is a popular customer messaging platform that helps support agents prioritize conversations based on various criteria.
Why I picked Zendesk: Zendesk integrates with all your communication channels and enables your agents to configure their dashboards so they can stay on top of incoming messages with ease. The software enables your team members to track new messages with a predefined “top-of-the-bucket” prioritization, but it also allows them to create custom views based on your business needs.
Zendesk makes it easy for your support agents to create tickets that include files or links, escalate tickets to teammates or other departments, and speed up their response times with custom triggers and automation features.
Zendesk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include group messaging, real-time notifications, automated responses, a drag-and-drop automation builder, and conversation prioritization.
Integrations include Aircall, Dialpad, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, RingCentral, Slack, Telegram, Twitter, and others.
Pros
- Straightforward interface
- Good no-code customization options
- Amazing reporting features
Cons
- Automated incoming emails might be marked as spam even if they’re from renowned senders
- Pictures in tickets can sometimes take longer to load
Crisp
Best customer messaging platform for efficient team collaboration
Crisp is a customer messaging platform that makes it easy for team members to collaborate and provide the best solutions for their customers.
Why I picked Crisp: Crisp enables you to manage all your messages from a central location. The software creates profiles for your customers, so you can easily track their purchase history or previous interactions when they start a conversation.
Crisp enables your support specialists to tag each other in conversations in order to collaborate and provide the best answers for your customers. In addition, the platform also allows you to create automated chat flows that rely on custom triggers to activate.
Crisp Standout Features and Integrations
Features include conversation routing, chatbots, data centralization, a universal inbox, team activity reports, automation, and ticketing.
Integrations include Cloudflare, Facebook Messenger, Joomla, Mailchimp, Prestashop, Segment, Telegram, Webflow, WhatsApp, and others.
Pros
- Doubles as a flexible support software
- Simple onboarding
- Good personalization options
Cons
- Limited contact management features
- Reporting could be more granular on certain metrics
MessageBird
Best customer messaging platform for international companies that use direct calls
MessageBird is a customer messaging platform that allows international businesses to increase user engagement through direct communication.
Why I picked MessageBird: MessageBird is a great tool for international companies that need to interact with their customers via phone calls, text messaging, or instant messaging apps. The software partners with telecom service providers from all over the world to provide virtual, localized numbers you can use to engage your customers.
MessageBird keeps track of your customers across multiple channels and centralizes all your communications in a single thread so no information falls through the cracks. The solution also pulls data from third-party solutions like Shopify or Salesforce to enrich your data, so you can create 360 customer profiles.
MessageBird Standout Features and Integrations
Features include SMS campaigns, a visual campaign builder, a multi-channel shared inbox, feedback collection, and automation.
Integrations include Facebook Messenger, Google My Business, Instagram, Slack, Telegram, Twitter, WeChat, Whatsapp, Viber, and others.
Pros
- Enables you to create self-service flows
- Helps you automate your FAQs
- Chatbots help you personalize your customer service
Cons
- The interface could be simpler
- Sending links to customers can be complicated
Drift Conversation Cloud
Best customer messaging platform for conversational marketing
Drift is a customer messaging platform that helps businesses drive user engagement with meaningful conversations.
Why I picked Drift Conversation Cloud: Drift enables your customer success specialists to understand your leads. The solution tracks the activity of your prospects, so your team members can recommend specific actions or answer questions to facilitate conversions.
Drift’s notification system helps you stay on top of all conversations, regardless of the communication channel. Your team can personalize the chat based on the user’s activity or shopping history, so it increases the customer experience you offer.
Drift Conversation Cloud Standout Features and Integrations
Features include conversational chatbots, a self-service portal, lead tracking, customer profiles, ticketing, and analytics.
Integrations include 6Sense, Clearbit, Databox, Drip, Front, Google Meet, HubSpot, Marketo, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, and others.
Pros
- Makes it easy to create automated chat flows
- Proactive support team
- Helps you qualify leads for your sales team
Cons
- Navigation menu can be confusing at times
- Can be expensive for startups or small businesses
Intercom Messenger
Best customer messaging platform for chat widgets
Intercom Messenger is a customer messaging software that helps businesses reduce the number of tickets they create with a live chat tool.
Why I picked Intercom Messenger: Intercom Messenger enables website visitors to find their own answers with a live chat widget. The software helps you automate your responses to frequently asked questions, so your agents can focus on more difficult inquiries.
Intercom Messenger also enables your support team to offer live chat support, so they can quickly solve inquiries before the visitor or customer leaves your website. This can be helpful for many online businesses, as it can help your team remove conversion obstacles before they become problematic.
Intercom Messenger Standout Features and Integrations
Features include chatbots, self-service portal creation, a drag-and-drop automated workflow builder, a customer satisfaction assessment, ticketing, and a mobile app compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Integrations include Google Analytics, Jira, Microsoft Outlook, Instagram, Segment, Slack, Stripe, Whatsapp, WordPress, Zoho Desk, and others.
Pros
- Powerful live chat widget
- Makes it easy to create knowledge bases
- Comprehensive training library
Cons
- Users without technical knowledge can find it difficult to set up and personalize the solution’s advanced features
- Pricing models could be easier to understand
Messagely
Best customer messaging platform for targeted messaging
Messagely is a customer messaging platform that helps businesses increase their conversions with targeted messaging.
Why I picked Messagely: Messagely allows you to send highly relevant messages to prospects and customers. The tool enables you to build dynamic drip campaigns based on user behavior so you can send the right messages at the right time and move your leads through the customer journey.
Messagely’s shared team inbox allows your team members to support one another and collaborate to solve customer tickets. The chat window shows you the prospect’s latest activity on your website and their past interactions so you can provide them with highly personalized answers.
Messagely Standout Features and Integrations
Features include live chat, chatbots, push notifications, a shared inbox, a help desk, a knowledge base, and targeted messaging.
Integrations include Google Analytics, HubSpot, Microsoft Outlook, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, Stripe, Zapier, Zoom, and others.
Pros
- Good lead-tracking functionality
- Ticketing system is helpful
- Detailed customer profiles
Cons
- Reporting feature could be more granular on specific metrics
- Several chatbot triggers have confusing names
Gorgias
Best customer messaging platform for ecommerce
Gorgias is a customer messaging platform that’s designed to help ecommerce businesses increase their conversions with improved communications.
Why I picked Gorgias: Gorgias helps you improve the shopping experience you offer on your ecommerce website. The software offers ecommerce-specific features, allowing you to perform specific actions without leaving the chat window. So instead of creating a ticket and pushing it to another department, your agents can simply update an order’s shipping address or cancel an order on the spot.
Gorgias also helps international ecommerce stores to answer customer questions 24/7. The platform’s chatbots can help you automate your FAQs, so your website visitors can instantly get answers to questions regarding shipping, available sizes, and more.
Gorgias Standout Features and Integrations
Features include one inbox, chatbots, helpdesk, customer profiles, task automation, chat messaging, and push notifications.
Integrations include Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Judge.me, JustCall, Klaviyo, Magento, NetSuite, Shopify, Twitter, and others.
Pros
- Deep Shopify integration
- Straightforward design
- Autoreplies answer FAQs in seconds
Cons
- Training library could be more extensive
- Limited reporting
Front
Best customer messaging platform for collaborative chats
Front is a customer messaging platform that enables support teams to communicate and collaborate in order to solve customer tickets.
Why I picked Front: Front helps your team members work together without forwarding conversations or reassigning tickets. The software allows you to tag other users when you want a second opinion, and you can have a conversation with your teammates without leaving the chat window.
Front is great at helping small customer support or service teams handle more tickets without affecting the user experience. The tool’s collaborative email functionality enables support agents to consult with product owners or other specialists to find answers to complicated customer inquiries so they can solve tickets without delays.
Front Standout Features and Integrations
Features include omnichannel communication, shared inbox, collaborative email, automated workflows, reply templates, and reporting.
Integrations include Asana, CallHippo, ClickUp, Dialpad, Google Drive, Instagram, Jira, Microsoft Outlook 365, Slack, and others.
Pros
- Does an excellent job of creating conversation threads, so you can always catch up on old conversations
- Search functionality helps you find conversations with keywords
- Can act as an internal messaging service
Cons
- The mobile app doesn’t access your calendar, so you have to switch to a calendar app and consult it if you need to schedule meetings
- Imported tables don’t keep their coloring and formatting, so you have to reorganize them on import
The Best Customer Messaging Platforms Comparison Chart
Here’s a comparison chart that summarizes basic details about each of my top customer messaging platform selections. You can view pricing details and the availability of free trials or demos side-by-side to help you find the best platform for your budget.
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Zoho SalesIQ Best customer messaging platform for designing your own chat system | 15-day free trial available | From $7/operator/month | Visit Website |
2 | HubSpot Best customer messaging platform for customer satisfaction assessment | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $45/month | Visit Website |
3 | Zendesk Best customer messaging platform for ticket organization | 14-day free trial | From $19/user/month (billed annually) | Visit Website |
4 | Crisp Best customer messaging platform for efficient team collaboration | 14-day free trial | From $25/month (4 users) | Visit Website |
5 | MessageBird Best customer messaging platform for international companies that use direct calls | Freemium version available | From $30/user/month | Visit Website |
6 | Drift Conversation Cloud Best customer messaging platform for conversational marketing | Free trial available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
7 | Intercom Messenger Best customer messaging platform for chat widgets | 14-day free trial | From $74/month | Visit Website |
8 | Messagely Best customer messaging platform for targeted messaging | 14-day free trial | From $29/user/month | Visit Website |
9 | Gorgias Best customer messaging platform for ecommerce | 7-day free trial | From $10/month | Visit Website |
10 | Front Best customer messaging platform for collaborative chats | 7-day free trial + free demo | From $19/user/month (billed annually) | Visit Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make the best customer messaging platforms list:
- Sinch
Best customer messaging platform for mobile communication
- Gladly
Best customer messaging platform for personalized shopping experiences
- Twilio MessagingX
Best customer messaging platform for SMS campaigns
- Freshchat
Best customer messaging platform for multilingual support
- Viber
Best customer messaging platform for file sharing
- User.com
Best customer messaging platform for growing teams
- LiveAgent
Best customer messaging platform for social media customer service
- Help Scout
Best customer messaging platform for in-app communication
- Tidio
Best customer messaging platform for small businesses
- Salesforce Service Cloud
Best customer messaging platform for enterprises
Customer Messaging Platforms: Frequently Asked Questions
How do customer messaging platforms work?
How else can I improve my customer experience?
What is omnichannel messaging?
Provide great service with customer messaging platforms
Customer messaging platforms help you provide great customer service by bringing all your communications together and shortening your response times. And the impact of great service can be huge for your company. As Barry McCarthy, CEO of Deluxe, said:
“When considering how your business approaches customer service, remember that customers won’t simply compare you with other businesses within your industry. The bar for customer service is set by the best — not just the best of your direct competitors. Never forget you can find success with a barely competitive product, coupled with outstanding customer experience.”
If you want to discover new ways of improving your customer service, I recommend checking out the following resources too:
- Follow the Yellow Click Road: The Digital Customer Journey
- Examples of Customer Service Goals for Your CX Teams
- Voice of Customer Analytics: Are You Listening?
- Best Customer Communications Management Software
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