Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box for WordPress Plugin Directory
By Jeff Starr
Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box is a WordPress app, with a 4.9 average rating from 215 reviews, as of July 9, 2026.
Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box is a WordPress Plugin Directory app by Jeff Starr. With a rating of 4.9★ from 215 reviews.
AppRanks data: Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box ranks #0 in Ajax on WordPress Plugin Directory, placing it in the top 1% of that category.
AppRanks verdict
Generated from live marketplace data — refreshed daily
Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box is a category-leading WordPress app with a growing review traction. It is listed in the Ajax category on WordPress Plugin Directory, which AppRanks treats as the canonical taxonomy node for ranking and competitor comparison. 215 reviews put it in the early-traction tier — useful for early-stage stores willing to be on the leading edge. Early-traction review counts are sensitive to single launch periods or feature events, so a 30-day re-check before bigger commitments often resolves whether the trend is sustained. Paid-only pricing means evaluating fit on the marketplace listing or via the developer's documentation before installing. AppRanks tracks rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position daily — the figures on this page reflect the most recent scrape from the canonical WordPress Plugin Directory listing.
Pros
- +High average rating (4.9★) signals consistent merchant satisfaction
- +Published by Jeff Starr — established developer track record
Cons
- −No declared third-party integrations on the listing — verify compatibility with your existing tools before installing
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How Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box works
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⭐ Lightweight and fast, persistent chat solution!
⭐ Fully self-hosted: No 3rd-party account required 🙂
Simple Ajax Chat makes it easy for your visitors to chat with each other on your website. Simply add a shortcode to any post or page and done! Instant chat forum anywhere. The chat form is fully customizable with many options, so you can create the perfect chat box for your visitors.
👉 Check out a Live Demo of Simple Ajax Chat at WP-Mix »
👉 Pro version supports unlimited chat forms!
Simple Ajax Chat is fully self-hosted with NO 3rd-party service required. Many (if not all) of the other free chat plugins require registration and monthly service from a 3rd-party provider. With Simple Ajax Chat, there is no 3rd-party: WordPress is all that’s required. Own your chats!
Difference between SAC free and SAC Pro
The main difference between SAC free and SAC Pro? Easy:
SAC free supports 1 chat form
SAC Pro supports unlimited chat forms
Pro can do everything free can do and SO much more. Customize each chat form with unique features. SAC Pro is an all new plugin written with smarter, faster code and all the latest techniques. Get SAC Pro »
SAC Features
The simplest possible persistent chat
Fully self-hosted: No 3rd-party account required
Ajax goodness loads new chats without page refresh
Smart chat processing optimizes for performance
Works with all browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
Works with all mobile devices (iPhone, Android, etc.)
Display easily via shortcode or template tag
Display chat box in multiple locations
Regularly updated & “future proof”
Supports custom CSS styles
Strong anti-spam security
Clean HTML markup
More Features
Plug-&-play: no configuration required
Built-in control panel to edit and delete chats
Define your own list of banned words and phrases
Display chat messages in ascending or descending order
Display custom content before/after the chat form
Option to play sound alert for chat messages
Option to restrict chat to logged-in users
Option to restore default plugin settings
Option to enable browser notifications
Export all chat messages via CSV file
Supports emoticons and emojis 🙂
Customize Everything
Limit maximum number of chat messages
Limit maximum length of each chat message
Advanced customization via filter hooks
Option to use textarea for larger input field
Option to use logged-in username as the chat name
Option to enable/disable URL field for chat names
Load JavaScript only when chat box is displayed
Customize the update interval for Ajax requests
Customize the fade-in colors for new chats
Customize the fade-duration for new chats
Plus much more!
👉 That’s a LOT of features, but the Pro version has WAY more. Compare features (free vs. pro) »
Exclusive Pro Features
Enable Google reCaptcha (invisible) for all chat forms
Choose from six form styles, or use custom styles
Advanced chat management tools and user statistics
Mute any user so they are not allowed to chat
Ban any non-admin users from any chat session
Enable customizable emoji picker for any chat form
Display user avatars next to chat messages
Display the user role next to chat messages
Define your own Bang (!bang) shortcuts
Email notifications for new chat messages
Limit number of users for any chat form
Create private chat boxes between users
Banned phrases in text messages and user names
Fine-grain control over allowed chat content
Built with vanilla JavaScript (jQuery not required)
Optionally display inline images in chat messages
Automatically clear chat messages and send email alert
Display a “current online users” widget for any form
Displays a max-character counter for messages
Display a role-based chat box on the WP Dashboard
Choose from six sound alerts for new chat messages
Option to include your own CSS and JavaScript
👉 Learn more and get SAC Pro »
Privacy
This plugin collects voluntary user chat data (i.e., Name, Chat Message, and optional URL field). It also gives the administrator the option to collect or not collect user IP information. Aside from those two things, this plugin does not collect or store any user data. This plugin uses a few cookies for the chat functionality. It does not connect to any third-party locations. Minimal impact on privacy.
Translations
This plugin supports translation into any language »
Developer
Simple Ajax Chat is developed and maintained by Jeff Starr, 15-year WordPress developer and book author.
Support development
I develop and maintain this free plugin with love for the WordPress community. To show support, you can make a donation or purchase one of my books:
The Tao of WordPress
Digging into WordPress
.htaccess made easy
WordPress Themes In Depth
Wizard’s SQL Recipes for WordPress
And/or purchase one of my premium WordPress plugins:
BBQ Pro – Blazing fast WordPress firewall
Blackhole Pro – Automatically block bad bots
Banhammer Pro – Monitor traffic and ban the bad guys
GA Google Analytics Pro – Connect WordPress to Google Analytics
Head Meta Pro – Ultimate Meta Tags for WordPress
REST Pro Tools – Awesome tools for managing the WP REST API
Simple Ajax Chat Pro – Unlimited chat rooms
USP Pro – Unlimited front-end forms
Links, tweets and likes also appreciated. Thank you! 🙂
Category rankings
As of Jul 9, 2026- Ajax#0of 78Top 1%
- Chat box#0of 2Top 1%
- Forum#0of 16Top 1%
- Instant message#0of 1Top 1%
- Chat#21of 532Top 4%
See 90-day rank history for each category
Track daily rank changes, category shifts, and position volatility.
Keyword rankings
Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box ranks for 9 keywords across WordPress Plugin Directory. Here are the top 3:
- 1.chat botRank #10
- Rank #50
- Rank #350
Competitors & alternatives
Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Boxdoesn't have curated competitor matchups yet. Other tracked ajax apps on WordPress:
Where Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box stands in the Ajax category
Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box ranks #0 of 78 apps in the Ajax category, placing it in the top 1% of the listing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box?
Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box is an app for WordPress. It currently holds a 4.9-star rating from 215 merchant reviews, and AppRanks has been tracking its public marketplace data on a daily refresh cycle. It is listed under the Ajax category on AppRanks, where you can see its current category position, review-velocity trend, and how it compares against the top alternatives in the same space. Developed by Jeff Starr.
Who uses Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box?
Currently around 2,000 active stores have installed Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box. Its review base of 215 suggests adoption is concentrated in growth-stage and mid-market stores. It is part of the Ajax category on WordPress.