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Freshchat

By freshchat

Communication & Messaging / Notification Management

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Freshchat Review - In-Depth Analysis

Freshchat plugin enables seamless chat integration on your website. Engage visitors to boost sales and gather feedback.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.73/10

User Rating

2.9/5 (based on 9+ reviews)

Active Installations

1,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Freshchat plugin allows you to communicate with all your WordPress site visitors and users to enhance sales, gather feedback, and provide support. It is a modern messaging software that sales and customer engagement teams will appreciate.

This plugin is not just a typical bot; it serves as your new sales sidekick. You can engage proactively with important visitors through contextual and timely messages. The bot can capture leads, validate and qualify responses, and auto-upload them into your CRM. You can customize bot messages to set the right expectations.

With Freshchat, you gain all the context needed to sell smarter. The events timeline, user information, and social profiles help you understand who you are talking to and what they are doing. You can also integrate information from external tools like CRM or order management systems for enhanced context.

Additionally, Freshchat helps reduce churn and increase user adoption. You can communicate with users before they disengage by setting up in-app campaigns to onboard and educate new users, or to retain and re-engage lapsing customers. Announcements, feedback collection, and sharing product best practices can all be done effectively within the product.

Comparing to Alternatives

Freshchat is a live chat plugin with several alternatives available that offer similar functionalities for WordPress users.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple integration with Freshchat service
Works well for users who manage to set it up correctly
Lightweight widget implementation
Supports asynchronous loading for better performance

Weaknesses

Plugin is reported as out of date by users
JavaScript errors reported and unresolved
Setup instructions can be unclear or insufficient
Known medium severity security vulnerability without a fix

User Sentiment Analysis

User reviews for Freshchat are mixed with a significant portion of negative feedback, reflected in a low average rating and a high share of 1-2 star reviews.

Positive highlights

"Works great" - James Whayman
"Very good plugin, just pay attention to quotation marks" - titonja
"WORKS GREAT!" - atlantichealthcareproducts
"Works first time" - James Whayman

Common complaints

Plugin does not work as expected or fails to set up
Persistent JavaScript errors remain unresolved
Plugin is severely out of date despite claims of integration

Weaknesses

Unresolved technical issues causing errors
Outdated plugin lacking recent updates
Security vulnerability with no known fix

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who are familiar with Freshchat's platform and can handle manual setup nuances may find this plugin useful for integrating live chat on their WordPress site.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a fully supported, regularly updated, and error-free live chat plugin should consider alternatives due to unresolved bugs, outdated code, and security concerns with Freshchat.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers basic live chat integration with Freshchat's service, allowing users to add a chat widget to their site.

Final Verdict

Freshchat offers a basic live chat integration for WordPress but suffers from significant issues including unresolved JavaScript errors, outdated code, and a known security vulnerability without a fix. User feedback is mixed, with many reporting setup difficulties and plugin malfunctions.

Given these concerns and the availability of several well-maintained alternatives, users should carefully consider their needs and possibly explore other live chat plugins that provide better support, regular updates, and stronger security assurances.