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Live chat is now the de facto standard for student support and engagement in higher education. It’s not only the most efficient support channel, but it’s also how students overwhelmingly want to connect with their schools.

Many vendors have entered the live chat market to meet this need in higher education. While this gives a lot of choice, it also makes it difficult to identify the best live chat for higher education. In this article, we’ll look at the best live chat for higher education, digging into their pros and cons and analyzing the below factors. We’ve listed the best live chat software for higher education in alphabetical order.

  • Key product features
  • Ease of use
  • Security
  • Customer support
  • Pricing

Best Live Chat Software for Higher Education

Comm100 Logo
www.comm100.com
Headquartered
Vancouver, Canada
Founded
2009
Customers: UBC, Thompson Rivers University, McMaster University, The Open University
Best for
Medium to large institutions looking for a fully integrated, all-in-one live chat solution

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Key Product Features
  • Proactive chat invitations
  • Canned messages
  • Pre-/Post-chat survey
  • Co-browsing
  • Visitor segmentation and advanced routing
  • Audio and video chat
  • Website real-time visitor tracking
  • Detailed reporting (by agent, dept., campaign, visitor segment)
  • Multi-language auto-translation
  • Multiple and dynamic campaigns
  • Single sign-on
  • Knowledge base
  • AI Chatbot integration
  • Taskbot integration
  • Integrated platform with email, ticketing, social media & SMS.
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Ease of Use

Comm100 has a strong focus on usability with one of the highest Capterra ease of use scores among the live chat solutions we’re looking at, at 4.7 out of 5. Positive Capterra reviews note the user-friendly interface. Implementation and agent onboarding are reported to usually take an hour or less. While the visitor chat window can be fully customized, the agent console has only one theme.

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Security
  • Data level: TLS/SSL encryption; Data obfuscation, Comm100 is one of the only vendors that does not store any payment information.
  • Application level: Complex agent password policy enforcement; CAPTCHA verification.
  • Compliances: ISO 27001; PCI DSS; SOC 2 Type II; TRUSTe® Privacy Certified; HIPAA; GDPR; PIPEDA compliant.
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Customer Support

Comm100 has one of the highest overall Capterra scores for customer service among these solutions, at 4.7 out of 5. Comm100 offers 24/7 live chat support, as well as phone support, SMS and WhatsApp support during business hours. Users report quick response times, reliable support, and a willingness to work with customers to meet their needs. On-premise customers tend to have a longer wait for technical support.

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Pricing

Comm100 offers a 15-day free trial, alongside three various pricing packages depending on team size and needs:

  • Live Chat Startup: $31/agent per month when paid annually
  • Live Chat Plus: $55/agent per month when paid annually
  • Live Chat Ultra: Quote-based pricing
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Pros
  • Easy implementation (including on-premise deployment) and an intuitive user interface.
  • Highly secure platform with the most security and privacy compliances including SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.
  • Robust integrations including Salesforce and Dynamics365, and detailed reporting.
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Cons
  • Smaller company compared to other vendors.
  • Lack of customization options for agent console.
  • Its offering is heavily weighted towards live chat compared to other channels.
Mainstay Logo
www.mainstay.com
Headquartered
Boston, United States
Founded
2014 as AdmitHub. Rebranded as Mainstay in 2021
Customers: Hillsborough Community College, Georgia State University, West Texas A&M, North Carolina State University
Best for
Colleges looking to engage students and employees at scale

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Key Product Features
  • Student Management
  • Transcripts/Chat History
  • Activity Dashboard
  • Polls/Voting
  • API available
  • Multi-Language
  • Chatbot integration
  • Proactive Chat
  • Self Service Portal
  • Customizable Branding
  • Multi-channel Communication
  • Third Party Integrations
  • Reporting & Statistics
  • Alerts/Notifications
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Ease of Use

Mainstay has a strong Capterra ease of use score at 4.9 out of 5, although with only 10 reviews and 2 of them verified, Mainstay’s scores should be approached with some reservation. Reviews note ease in developing message campaigns and ease of implementation and training, although at time of writing only 2 reviews have been left in the past 2 years.

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Security

Mainstay does not publish their security standards or compliances, stating only that “Mainstay takes data security very seriously” and that they take “commercially reasonable technical, physical, and administrative security measures.”

  • Compliances: U.S.-EU Privacy Shield; Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield.
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Customer Support

Mainstay has the highest Capterra Customer Service score of the solutions we’re looking at, although only 3 of the 10 reviews mention customer service directly. An engagement platform Support Center is offered, but not available with the least expensive plan. Priority Support is only available with custom pricing aimed at large organizations.

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Pricing

Mainstay offers 3 plans that include progressively more features for scale and outreach. Pricing details are limited, but include:

  • Start: Starting at $6,000 with $2,500 in onboarding fees.
  • Grow: Starting at $10,000 with $5000 in onboarding fees.
  • Scale: Custom pricing and custom onboarding fees.

Add-ons

  • Core Playbooks: $5000/each
  • Specialized Playbooks: $2500/each
  • Bot Training: $500/month
  • Managed Services and Script Writing: starting at $1500
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Pros
  • A focus on scalability and automation for large organizations.
  • Availability of a variety of managed services – at a cost.
  • At higher price tiers, Mainstay offers full proactive engagement solutions, including two-way text messaging.
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Cons
  • Only supported channels are live chat, SMS, and Facebook Messenger.
  • Limited out-of-the-box integrations may require custom development to sync data between Mainstay and other applications.
  • Significant entry costs mean that Mainstay won’t be accessible to smaller institutions that lack the resources of larger counterparts.
OCELOT Logo
www.ocelotbot.com
Headquartered
Boulder, United States
Founded
2003
Customers: Bakersfield College, SUNY Empire State College, CSU Long Beach, Florida State College
Best for
US-based higher education institutions seeking to increase student engagement

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Key Product Features
  • AI chatbots
  • Two-way texting
  • Platform analytics
  • Third-party integrations
  • Flexible API
  • Support for multiple languages
  • Proactive chat
  • Customizable branding
  • Transfers / routing
  • Screen sharing
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Ease of Use

Ease of use for Ocelot is rated among the highest of these live chat solutions on Capterra, at 4.7 out of 5. Reviews cite ease of implementation and use but note that it can difficult switching between, chatbot, video platform, and live chat.

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Security

Ocelot does not publish their security standards, stating only that “OCELOT is committed to respecting the privacy of the users of this website and the security of their personal information.”

  • Compliances: SOC 2 Security Compliance, WCAG AA 2.1, California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA), Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
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Customer Support

Little information is available regarding support on Ocelot’s website, although third-party site Sourceforge.net claims that Ocelot offers support via “business hours, 24/7 live support, and online.” Ocelot does manage a high 4.9 out of 5 in Customer Service on Capterra, with reviews citing positive customer service interactions.

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Pricing

Pricing for Ocelot is quote-based and available upon request.

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Pros
  • Easy implementation with support from Client Success Managers.
  • Pre-recorded video content for some aspects of the US college student aid journey.
  • Frequent updates that improve on the integrations that are available from Ocelot.
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Cons
  • No true omnichannel, with only chat and SMS available.
  • Limited metrics are cited as a growth area in Capterra reviews.
  • Low security standards, with only SOC2 available.
Olark Logo
www.olark.com
Headquartered
Ann Arbor, United States
Founded
2009
Customers: Northeastern, Montana State University, Ithaca College, Harvard Business School
Best for
Support teams looking for a simpler live chat solution

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Key Product Features
  • Proactive chat invitations
  • Co-browsing (add-on)
  • Auto-translation (add-on)
  • Basic reporting
  • Canned messages
  • Searchable chat transcripts
  • Customizable chat window
  • Agent availability
  • Group agents by team
  • Chat tagging
  • Automated reports sent by email
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Ease of Use

Olark is among the highest ranking of these solutions in usability, at 4.7 out of 5 on Capterra. Positive reviews focus on the fast-learning curve and clean user interface. Criticisms include a lack of deep integrations and features outside of basic chat.

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Security
  • Data level: AES encryption
  • Application level: Ability to set agent data restrictions
  • Compliances: U.S.-EU Privacy Shield; Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield
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Customer Support

Olark has a high overall customer service score, at 4.6 out of 5 in Capterra reviews. 24/7 live chat and email support is offered, but no phone support. Positive reviews note the distributed support team across the world, providing responsive support.

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Pricing

Olark offers a single pricing plan with a 35% discount for a 2-year commitment. While no free plan is offered, a free 14-day trial is available.

  • Billed monthly: $29/agent per month
  • Billed bi-yearly: $18.85/agent per month
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Pros
  • One of the simplest live chat platforms for setup and use.
  • Supports several major integrations including Mailchimp, Salesforce, SugarCRM.
  • Includes many customization options for both visitors and agents.
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Cons
  • Several of the platforms best features are only available as monthly add-ons.
  • Does not include social integrations out of the box.
  • Some integrations and integration support are only available from the Olark Pro plan.
Zendesk logo
www.zendesk.com
Headquartered
San Francisco, United States
Founded
2007
Customers: Beloit College, University of Louisville, USC Annenberg
Best for
Teams looking for a robust help desk solution

Top 10 Live Chat Software Review - Product Scope icon
Key Product Features
  • Proactive chat invitations
  • Pre-/Post-chat survey
  • Website visitor tracking
  • Canned messages
  • Routing rules
  • Detailed reporting
  • Offline forms
  • Customizable chat window and button
  • Chatbots
  • Agent availability
  • Timeline (Jump back to different points of conversation history)
  • Agent permissions
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Ease of Use

Zendesk has the lowest ease of use score among these solutions at 4.3 out of 5 on Capterra. Positives reviews note easy deployment and usability. Criticisms from reviews mention awkwardness in the interface and limited analytics capabilities.

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Security
  • Data level: TLS/SSL encryption; IP restrictions
  • Application level: Advanced password policy; 2-factor authentication
  • Compliances: PCI DSS; ISO 27001:27018; SOC 2 Type II; Skyhigh Enterprise-Ready; Cloud Security Alliance (CSA); TRUSTe® Privacy; U.S.-EU Privacy Shield; U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor; HIPAA; SAS-70 Type II compliant
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Customer Support

Zendesk has the lowest customer support score among these live chat solutions, at 4.3 out of 5 on Capterra. Zendesk offers live chat and email, but no phone support, and only provides support 5 days a week on non-Enterprise plans. Complaints note slow response times or difficulty escalating issues to the correct team.

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Pricing

Zendesk offers a 14-day trial of the Team plan but no longer offers their free Lite option. Their Zendesk for Service plans includes five pricing options that include progressively more features, storage, and support.

  • Suite Team $49/agent per month
  • Suite Growth $79/agent per month
  • Suite Professional $99/agent per month
  • Suite Enterprise $150/agent per month
  • Customized Enterprise-plans $215/agent per month
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Pros
  • Zendesk Marketplace features a wide variety of application integrations, themes, and support solutions.
  • Integrates with other Zendesk solutions for a comprehensive support ecosystem.
  • Provides robust agent and visitor management capabilities.
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Cons
  • Limited personalization options and accessibility, including adding logos and changing font sizes.
  • Top security and compliance features are only available with the most expensive plan options.
  • Agent activity dashboards require upgrading to costly Professional and Enterprise plans.

Want to learn more about Comm100?

Now you’ve reviewed the best live chat for higher education, it’s time to take the next step. If you’re interested in finding out how Comm100 Live Chat can help your school improve student engagement and support, fill out the form below to book a demo.

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