By respond.io

respond.io

What it does

respond.io brings website live chat and other supported customer messaging channels into a shared conversation workspace. A visitor starts a chat, the team sees it in an Inbox, and a person or configured routing step takes ownership of the reply. It is broader than a standalone site-chat bubble, so the fit depends on which channels the business actually uses.

Category
Live Chat
Last updated
Oct 21, 2026
respond.io · Editorial illustration
Conceptual paper-and-clay illustration of website messages entering a shared inbox and being assigned to a team folder.

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Find your fit

Who it is for

It is aimed at B2C teams that handle a meaningful volume of pre-purchase or booking questions across more than one channel. A team using only occasional website chat should compare the cost and setup of this broader platform with its actual conversation workload.

A sales or support team can use Team Inboxes to coordinate handoffs, but managers need to set access carefully. An agent restricted to contacts assigned only to that user cannot view a Team Inbox, so test what each role can see before relying on a shared queue.

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The work it supports

Core capabilities

The Website Chat Widget is installed by placing its script on the site. It lets visitors start live chat and can present links to other connected messaging channels. Check the widget on desktop and phone and confirm which domains and channels are configured before publishing it to customers.

An optional pre-chat form can ask a visitor for information before the conversation begins. Keep the form short and test what happens to the captured details when an agent opens the chat.

The Inbox brings conversations from connected channels into one working view. A teammate can reply, see the contact’s history and assign ownership. This helps prevent separate website, messaging and email teams from treating the same customer as unrelated conversations.

Team Inbox visibility follows access settings. Owners and Managers can view all Team Inboxes, while an agent restricted to own assigned contacts cannot view them. Make a small role-by-role access check before using a team queue for sensitive conversations.

A Contact can be assigned manually to a user from the Inbox, or by a Workflow where the chosen plan allows it. Replying to an unassigned Contact assigns that Contact to the responding agent. Define who owns a conversation after a first reply and after a handoff.

Workflow assignment can distribute incoming Contacts round-robin among users. This is useful for teams with regular inbound volume, but it belongs to the plan tier that includes Workflows; verify operating hours, fallback and user availability before relying on automated routing.

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Understand the offer

Pricing and getting started

The public plan lineup is Starter, Growth, Advanced and custom Enterprise, with monthly and yearly USD displays. Compare a quote or checkout view using the chosen billing term, team seats, channel needs and Monthly Active Contact tier rather than one headline number.

Starter includes AI Prompts and AI Assist. AI Agents, Workflows and Broadcasts are listed for Growth and above. A buyer who needs automatic routing or AI replies should verify that distinction before starting on Starter.

A Monthly Active Contact is a person the business talks to by call or chat during the billing month. The pricing page says exceeding the selected tier can lead to on-demand additional-contact billing without stopping operations, so estimate an ordinary month and a seasonal peak.

Connected WhatsApp Business API use has separate WhatsApp charges and monthly fee invoices. Add likely channel fees to subscription and seat costs when comparing total spend; a website-chat-only setup and a WhatsApp-heavy setup may have different economics.

AI features consume credits. Paid plans include an allocation, but on-demand credits can add charges beyond it until a hard cap pauses AI features. Check current credit allocation, enabled AI tools and on-demand settings alongside the plan comparison.

The site advertises a seven-day trial without a credit card. Use it to validate the real inbox and widget workflow, while checking the trial’s feature and channel limits before making a paid commitment.

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Look a little closer

Before you choose

Before rolling out, connect one representative channel and install the website widget on a test page. Send a fictional inquiry, confirm it arrives in the intended Inbox, assign it to the right teammate and check the reply from the visitor’s side.

Model costs with your real contact volume: a normal month, a peak month, the users who need access, and any WhatsApp or AI activity. The subscription tier, channel fees and usage allowances are separate checks.

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8 distinct sources behind this profile. Research observed Oct 21, 2026. Features and offers can change.
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