Comparison
IMCore vs LiveChat: the self-hosted alternative
LiveChat is the category-defining SaaS for website chat: a mature chat widget, agent app and a huge integration marketplace, billed per seat and delivered purely from the cloud; IMCore is a self-hosted IM engine plus live chat — data on your own servers, a free Basic edition, buyout licensing, and built-in AI support with no separate AI bill. The fork in the road: out-of-the-box cloud convenience versus control over data and cost.
Capabilities & cost at a glance
| IMCore | LiveChat | |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Self-hosted: single Go binary or Docker Compose | SaaS only, no self-hosted option |
| Data storage | Your own database and object storage; can run fully air-gapped | Hosted by LiveChat in the vendor cloud |
| Cost model | Free Basic edition; commercial editions yearly or one-time buyout | Per-seat monthly subscription (tiered plans) |
| AI support | Built-in RAG + function calling, bring your own model, no extra AI bill | Some AI in plans; ChatBot is a separate subscription |
| Product scope | IM engine plus support: groups, community, live rooms | Website live chat at the center (widget + agent app) |
| Client customization | Web/React + Flutter UIKit, customizable at source level | Managed components + API/SDK integration |
| Xinchuang (domestic stack) | Runs on domestic CPUs and OSes | Not applicable |
LiveChat is the veteran live-chat SaaS (per-seat monthly tiers) with a polished chat widget, agent app and a large marketplace — cloud delivered only.
Compiled from public materials of both products (as of 2026-10); verify features and pricing on their official site.
When to choose LiveChat
If you want the most polished website chat widget and agent experience, depend on its large integration marketplace (CRM, e-commerce, marketing), and want zero ops, a pure SaaS like LiveChat is the effortless path.
When to choose IMCore
When conversation data must stay on your own infrastructure (compliance, go-to-market, government), per-seat plus AI add-on costs climb with scale, or you need IM/community/live-room capability beyond a support widget — self-hosting with buyout licensing pays off.
Try the IMCore live demo →FAQ
Is there a free edition, for either product?
LiveChat offers a time-limited trial, then per-seat monthly billing; IMCore’s Basic edition is free to run on your own server for as long as you like, with yearly or buyout commercial editions. Validate on Basic first, upgrade when it fits.
How do AI support costs differ?
LiveChat’s ChatBot is a separately subscribed product on top of seat fees; IMCore’s AI support (RAG knowledge base + tool calls) is built into the edition — you pay only your own model/API usage, with no extra platform fee.
What about history when switching from LiveChat?
The usual path: run both in parallel with new conversations on IMCore’s web widget; whether to migrate history depends on retention and compliance — bring your volume and we will scope it.
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