Here are affordable omnichannel messaging tools that work well for small businesses, with what they cover, starter pricing (as of Sep 14, 2025), and quick pros/cons so you can pick by need.

Note: prices and plan details change often — the figures below are taken from vendor sites (linked) as of Sep 14, 2025. I’ve called out the most important pricing/feature items with citations.

1. HubSpot (Free tools + Service Hub starter)

• Channels: live chat, shared inbox/email, basic tickets, CRM, chatbots; integrates with Sales/Marketing Hubs.
• Starter price: free tier available; paid Service Hub Starter often starts around $9–$20/user/month (promotional/plan variations exist). (blog.hubspot.com)
• Best for: businesses that want a free CRM-centered shared inbox + website chat and plan to scale into marketing/sales tools.
• Pros: powerful free tier, unified CRM, easy upgrade path. Cons: advanced omnichannel features require higher-priced tiers.

2. Tawk.to

• Channels: website live chat + ticketing + knowledge base (with paid add-ons for AI or human agents).
• Price: core product is free forever; optional add-ons (AI, remove branding, human agents) are paid. (tawk.to)
• Best for: smallest budgets that need unlimited agents/chats and simple website messaging.
• Pros: zero cost, unlimited agents; Cons: limited built-in omnichannel beyond web chat (you’ll need integrations for SMS/WhatsApp).

3. Freshdesk / Freshdesk Omni (Freshworks)

• Channels: web chat, email, SMS, phone, messaging channels in a unified helpdesk.
• Starter Omnichannel (Growth Omni) pricing: Freshdesk Omni packages from about $29/agent/month (annual billing) for basic omnichannel; higher tiers add more advanced features. (freshworks.com)
• Best for: small teams needing a full helpdesk + omnichannel ticketing with bots/AI.
• Pros: good omnichannel feature set and automation; Cons: per-agent pricing can scale up as team grows.

4. LiveAgent

• Channels: live chat, email/ticketing, phone/call center, social messages — unified inbox.
• Price: small-business plan around $9–$15 per agent/month (promos vary); mid plans ~$24–$29. (liveagent.com)
• Best for: teams wanting affordable all-in-one helpdesk + chat + telephony in one product.
• Pros: inexpensive entry plan, many features; Cons: UI and some integrations can feel less modern.

5. Tidio

• Channels: website chat, chatbots, email/chat automation; some integration with Messenger/WhatsApp via add-ons.
• Price: plans commonly start in the $24+/month range depending on conversation quotas; has free tier with limits. (tidio.com)
• Best for: ecommerce and small businesses that want easy chat + bot automation at low cost.
• Pros: user-friendly, strong chatbots; Cons: WhatsApp/advanced channels usually via paid add-ons.

6. Gist

• Channels: website chat/messenger, email marketing, help desk, knowledge base, bots — marketed as an all-in-one growth + messaging stack.
• Price: flat plans (examples: Professional ~$29/mo and an “All-in-One” plan around $99/month — Gist advertises an all-in-one team plan). (getgist.com)
• Best for: small teams that want to replace multiple tools (chat + email + automation) with one fixed-price product.
• Pros: predictable flat pricing for many features; Cons: might be overkill if you only need a single channel.

7. Heymarket

• Channels: SMS/MMS, email, shared inboxes (focus on business texting + campaigns).
• Price: per-user plans commonly start around $19/user/month (Standard); Plus/Pro tiers ~$39–$59/user/mo; message fees/bundles apply. (heymarket.com)
• Best for: businesses that rely on SMS/texting as a primary customer channel (appointments, reminders, sales).
• Pros: SMS-focused features (templates, campaigns); Cons: per-user + per-message costs can add up.

8. ManyChat

• Channels: Facebook/Instagram Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS via integrations; strong automation/chatbot builder for social messaging.
• Price: ManyChat has free tier and conversation-based pricing for WhatsApp (vendor fees + WhatsApp conversation fees apply). Good for low-cost automated social messaging; WhatsApp messaging costs per conversation vary by region. (support.manychat.com)
• Best for: businesses focused on social/WhatsApp marketing & automated flows.
• Pros: excellent chatbot building for social channels; Cons: WhatsApp costs and template rules add complexity.

9. Twilio (Conversations / Flex / Programmable)

• Channels: SMS, WhatsApp (Business API), chat, voice — developer-first omnichannel building blocks.
• Price: pay-as-you-go; SMS/WhatsApp per-message prices start at a few cents; Twilio Flex has per-user/hour or named user pricing (Flex: $1/active user hour or $150/named user/mo). (twilio.com)
• Best for: businesses with developer resources that need a custom omnichannel experience.
• Pros: ultimate flexibility and lots of channels; Cons: requires development — not turnkey.

How to choose (quick checklist)

• If you want zero cost and only website chat: start with tawk.to. (tawk.to)
• If you want free CRM + upgrade path into marketing & sales: HubSpot free tools → Service Hub Starter. (blog.hubspot.com)
• If you want a low-effort helpdesk with built-in omnichannel support: Freshdesk Omni or LiveAgent are strong, affordable candidates. (freshworks.com)
• If SMS is critical: Heymarket is built for business texting; compare per-message bundles. (heymarket.com)
• If social/WhatsApp bots and broadcasts are central: ManyChat or Tidio (with WhatsApp add-ons) are good choices. (help.manychat.com)
• If you need a custom flow across many channels and have dev help: Twilio or MessageBird (not listed above) are programmable options. (twilio.com)

Next steps (practical)

• Pick 2–3 candidates that match your core channel needs (web chat, SMS, WhatsApp, email).
• Sign up for free tiers/trials and test: message routing, shared inbox experience, automation/bot setup, reporting, and cost per message or per agent. (All vendors above offer trials/free tiers or demos.)
• Track actual agent/headcount and message volume for one month to estimate real monthly cost (agent seats + messaging fees).

If you tell me which channels you need (e.g., web chat + SMS + WhatsApp), how many agents, and whether you prefer no-code vs. developer approach, I’ll narrow this list to 2 best fits and give a realistic monthly cost estimate (with links to the exact plan pages).