Own it, don't rent it

Live chat without a monthly subscription

Most live chat is billed per agent, every month, forever - and modern AI features often add a per-resolution meter on top. ZChat takes the other path: a one-time license you own, installed on your own server. Here's how the math differs, and an honest look at what you still pay for.

See One-Time Pricing Download Free Evaluation

Per-seat pricing compounds

A monthly per-agent fee multiplies by your team size and repeats every month. Grow the team or add a seasonal agent and the recurring bill grows with it - the cost is tied to headcount, not value delivered.

Usage meters add up

AI answers are increasingly billed per resolution on hosted plans, so a busy month costs more. With ZChat the chatbot is included, and a local model means no AI usage fees at all.

Own it once

A one-time license is a fixed, up-front cost. Agents aren't billable units and there's no monthly line item - you own the software and keep running it, even after update coverage lapses.

Subscription vs one-time license

The shape of the cost, not a quote for any specific competitor.

Cost factor	ZChat (one-time)	Typical SaaS (subscription)
Pricing basis	One-time license from $299	Monthly fee, usually per agent
Cost as the team grows	Flat - agents aren't billable seats	Rises with every added agent
AI / usage fees	None from ZChat (local model = $0 AI)	Often metered per resolution
Year two and beyond	Keep running it; optional update renewal	Subscription continues indefinitely
Your own costs	You host it (server + SQL Server)	Hosting is included in the fee
What you end up with	Software and data you own	Access that ends when you stop paying

Honest math

The break-even is about time and team size

A subscription can be the cheaper option in month one, especially for a tiny team. But because it recurs and scales with agents, a one-time license tends to come out ahead the longer you run and the more people you add. Run the numbers for your own team - agents times monthly rate times the months you expect to operate, against a single license plus your hosting.

One-time license covers

The full product - live chat, operator console, AI chatbot, webhooks, reports - for every agent, with a year of updates included and a source-code option.

You still pay for

Your own hosting (a server and a SQL Server database), and optionally renewing update coverage after year one. No fee to the vendor to keep running.

Is there live chat software without a monthly subscription?

Yes. ZChat is licensed one-time rather than by monthly subscription: you buy a license from $299, install it on your own server, and own it. There are no per-agent seats and no AI usage fees charged by ZChat.

Do I really pay nothing after the one-time license?

You pay nothing more to ZChat to keep running the version you own. You do cover your own hosting - a server and a SQL Server database - and if you want new releases after the first year you can renew update coverage. Those are your costs to control, not a subscription to the vendor.

Why is per-agent subscription pricing expensive over time?

Per-agent pricing multiplies by your team size and never stops, so the total grows every time you add an agent and keeps recurring month after month. A one-time license is a fixed, up-front cost that does not scale with headcount or repeat monthly.

Are there usage or AI fees with ZChat?

No usage or per-resolution AI fees from ZChat. The AI chatbot is included; if you run it on a local Ollama model there are no AI costs at all, and if you use OpenAI or Anthropic you pay that provider directly with your own keys.

One-time pricing

Buy once, no seats, no meter

Domain, 1 production domain$299

Small Business, up to 10 domains$499

Enterprise, unlimited domains and agents$999

All prices one-time. No per-agent seats, no AI usage fees from ZChat. Source code license also available.

Compare Licenses Self-Hosted vs Cloud

Owned customer support software

Deploy live chat on your own terms, not on someone else's pricing model.

ZChat gives you the installable server, web dashboard, website widget, and desktop agent tools in one self-hosted product you buy once and keep. Run it on infrastructure you trust and connect AI only if and how you want it.

Download ZChat See Product Demo

Deployment

Install on Windows or Linux, behind IIS or Nginx, in a VM, or in Docker if that fits your stack.

Commercial model

One-time purchase, perpetual license, and no monthly per-agent bill attached to growth.

AI Flexibility

Use Ollama locally or connect OpenAI and Anthropic with your own provider accounts.