The HubSpot chat alternative without the CRM attached
HubSpot's chat widget is free, but it comes with the whole HubSpot ecosystem. Ruby Relay is one script tag, answered in Slack, no CRM required.
The honest scoping first: this page is about HubSpot's live chat widget, not HubSpot the CRM. If your business runs on HubSpot's CRM, keep it, and its chat may serve you fine. But plenty of teams adopted HubSpot only for the free chat box, and pay for it in other ways: HubSpot's tracking script loads on every page of your site, replies live in the Conversations inbox (one more place to watch), and the widget carries HubSpot branding on the free tier.
| Ruby Relay | HubSpot chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you reply | In Slack, as threads | HubSpot's Conversations inbox |
| What loads on your site | One widget script | HubSpot tracking script plus widget |
| Slack's role | The primary surface | A bolt-on notification integration |
| Cost | $19/mo flat | Free, inside a suite built to upsell |
| Best for | Teams that just want chat | Teams already living in HubSpot CRM |
When HubSpot chat is the right call
If your team spends the day in HubSpot anyway (deals, tickets, sequences), its chat is right there and the price is right. Stay put.
This page is for everyone else: teams who signed up for a CRM suite to get a chat box, and would rather have the chat without the ecosystem. One script tag, a 3-click Slack connect, and the widget is yours. Read how Slack live chat works, check the flat pricing, or see all our comparisons.
Get the chat without the CRM
One script tag, answered in Slack.
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