POWR versus Tawk.to

POWR offers a complete suite of no-code eCommerce solutions with more than 60 apps and plugins, mostly aimed at platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, and Shopify. They have apps for social media tools, form builders, surveys, popups, payment buttons, website media, and of course, live chat.

Their live chat app connects through Facebook Messenger. A Facebook page and Messenger are required for the live chat app to function. Meaning, POWR live chat is not a suitable option for businesses that do not use Facebook or have compliance requirements that conflict with Meta’s policies and reputation.

The POWR website can be difficult to navigate and find all information you need, especially regarding the live chat and its features. The customization tool for the chat widget is easy to use and offers a lot of options. However, most options are only available in the more expensive plans.

Customers of POWR are mostly small businesses. A few of them share their success stories on the POWR.io website.

Tawk.To is different. It offers the full app for free. Yes, there is no bullsh*t, a free chat widget.

Tawk.to is the centipede among the chatwidget providers. They offer many features and add-ons. Their Agent software runs on mobile phones as well ask native desktop applications.

The level of supoort on Tawk.to’s website is excellent, especially considering the app is free. For most questions the Help Center will cover you and you can find extensive documentation and code snippets for developers who want to leverage Tawk.to’s JavaScript API and Webhooks.

Free comes often at the price of performance, although this is not necessarily noticeable when top-notch developers integrate the widget.

The few paid add-ons are Video + Voice Chat for $29 per month and to remove the “Powered by tawk.to” branding. The white label will set you back $19 per month.

Tawk.to also has Chat Agents for hire to man your chat for $1 per hour. You can try this service for 7 days for free.