Is there even a such thing? I've come across so many live chat software programs that honestly, I'm just overwhelmed at this point. Are paid live chat software programs better than the free ones?

its all about personal prefrences.

I like Livezilla but when they brought out version 4 then abolished free version and refusede to support anyone with free version 3.

Mibew Messenger is also good as a free chat

currently we use the WHMCS live chat and like it as it does what is needed , but you will find people that dont like it.

i could recommend OCC . They are pretty cheap and good in quality.

A paid software would have its own benefits and you get more features compared to a free one. For Livechat Liveperson is quite good.
For having a paid software you must know your needs of they are not being met by the free version.
In livechat there are various things like the no. of operators you want that determine the cost.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I know a paid live chat software program would probably be better than a free one, but I think I am going to start with a free one first, see what I like/dislike about it, then use that to help me narrow down the selection of a paid software program.

We have years of good experience with 'LivePerson', There are many good features of it like extracting transcript, response time etc. You can also store templates and short-cut keys for regular type of communication, this saves a lot of time.

The one with the right people behind the keyboard

Personally I've tried Livezilla and Olark. To be frank, I love livezilla's desktop software more. :S Got tired signing on and off from emails just to get in to Olark. Lark has been decent, just not worth the price I'd say.

Agreed. You can ask the same question over many forums for tons of members to chime in on but it all boils down to two main things. Does it do what you need and is the price something you can afford.

Some chat apps are great when you can integrate with Google Talk , like Zopim , etc.

For me, I loved LiveChatInc live chat. It's sleek, has tons of features, has apps for the desktop, mac, iPhone/iPad, android, windows phone, web interface. So no matter what device you are with, you always have a means to connect to it. I would however very much like to see an integration with WHMCS.

I'm very surprised to see no mention of Crafty Syntax Live Help. I've used it ever since I started in this industry and it's never failed to serve me for the required purposes.

It's free and allows for an unlimited number of operators, has customizable open source code, typing preview, transcripts, preset messages and site tracking abilities too.

It's free so you should at to your list of chat software to try. Available via cPanel auto install too.

I have been using StarDevelop Live Help since 2006. It is much more affordable compared to the competitors now a days who are trying to charge per agent. Ridiculous if you ask me.

its a pity they dont do direct monthly plans, but if you have WHMCS then you can get the stardevelop live help for $8 a month allowing unlimited agents

I've used a bunch of different livechat platforms. The one I enjoyed most is of course the most costly one, Kayako. I also enjoyed livechatinc and zopim (Little less than livechatinc I believe) however if cost is your primary concern Stardevelop's WHMCS chat is probably the best for your buck.