Simple Ajax Chat – Add a Fast, Secure Chat Box vs ZenCommunity

⭐ 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! 🙂

The All-in-One WordPress Community Plugin for Groups, Social Feeds, Real-Time Chat, and Support ZenCommunity is the first WordPress community plugin that unifies groups, posts, support ticketing, and live chat into one native powerhouse. Build social, Facebook-style communities with real-time chat and posts, convert community posts into tracked support tickets, and offer instant live help — all inside your WordPress site. 👉 ZenCommunity Site 👉 Unlock Premium Features 👉 Join Our Official Community Core Features at a Glance Community Tool User-friendly UX Unlimited groups/spaces User profiles Activity feeds Member controls Feeds Comments & reactions Real-time chat Notifications Privacy controls Mentions Hashtags Polls and surveys (Coming soon) Leaderboard (Coming soon) Bookmarks Branding options Welcome message Custom slugs Search Member directory File uploads GIF Emoji Media storage Role manager User approval Email summaries Dark & light mode Support Ticketing [PRO] Convert feed to tickets Ticket status tracking Ticket assignment Ticket stages (ongoing, solved, etc.) Ticket notifications Auto replies (Coming soon) Live Chat [PRO] Customizable website live chat widget (Cross domain also supported) Multi-session handling Instant visitor support Real-time notifications File sharing 24/7 support system ZenCommunity isn’t just another community plugin. It’s the first WordPress solution that combines the three strongest engagement systems — Community, Real-Time Chat, and Support Tickets — together in one place. Most WordPress websites use 3–5 different tools to achieve what ZenCommunity does alone. That creates scattered conversations, missed messages, and poor user experience. ZenCommunity removes that problem completely. By keeping community posts, chats, and support inside one system, your users stay connected, engaged, and supported without ever leaving your site. Below are the core sections that show how ZenCommunity stands out. Community Features — Your Full Social System Inside WordPress ZenCommunity gives you everything needed to build a full, social-style community inside WordPress — no third-party platforms, no separate plugins. Advanced Community Groups Build public or private groups with full admin control. Groups can be used for LMS classes, client spaces, internal teams, membership circles, or interest-based communities. Each group has its own feed, members, and settings. Facebook-Style Posting & Engagement Your members can publish posts, attach media, use @mentions, comment, reply, react, and follow discussions. The interface feels familiar, simple, and fast — encouraging users to talk and stay active. Real-Time Community Chat ZenCommunity includes built-in chat inside groups. Members can start private one-to-one chats or chat as a group with typing indicators, read status, file sharing, and notifications. Conversations stay active without page reloads. User Profiles & Activity Tracking Each user gets a profile with activity, groups, posts, and engagement. This makes your community feel more personal and interactive. Community Growth Features Hashtags, polls, surveys, leaderboards, bookmarks, and email summaries help keep engagement high. Members always have a reason to come back. Admin Control & Community Safety Moderators can manage posts, approve members, customize branding, set privacy rules, and control roles. You decide how open or private each group should be. Support Ticketing — Full Helpdesk Inside Your Community ZenCommunity includes a complete support ticketing system connected directly to your community and chats. Convert Posts Into Support Tickets If a user posts a question that needs deeper help, convert it into a ticket with one click — no platform switching. Clear Ticket Assignments Assign each ticket to a responsible team member so the right person handles the issue. This reduces confusion and improves response time. Status Tracking Each ticket has clear stages (new, ongoing, solved, etc.) so both sides can follow progress. Your support team stays organized, and users always know what’s happening. Personal Support Chat on Each Ticket Tickets include an instant one-to-one chat. Users don’t need email or external help desks — everything is live and inside your site. Smart Notifications Both users and team members get notifications when ticket updates happen. Nothing gets lost. Auto Replies Helpful for off-hours, acknowledgment messages, or routing requests. Live Chat — Instant Help That Converts Visitors ZenCommunity includes a built-in real-time live chat widget for your entire site. Customizable Widget Add your supporter’s name, photo, availability status, and greeting message. This makes your support feel personal and trustworthy. Instant Visitor Support Visitors can start chatting immediately. Control visitor login or anonymous chat. Multi-Session Handling Support agents can handle multiple conversations at once without losing track. Real-Time Notifications & File Sharing Send and receive files instantly, get notified when new messages arrive, and keep the conversation going smoothly. 24/7 Support System The widget stays active at all times, so users always have access to help. Who ZenCommunity Helps ZenCommunity fits a wide range of websites and business types: LMS websites (students + instructors) Membership sites Local groups & communities Agencies SaaS companies E-commerce stores Service providers Creators & educators Internal teams & organizations 🔥 Deep Academy LMS Integration ZenCommunity connects directly with Academy LMS to automate all your course activities inside your community — without any extra work from the admin. When this integration is enabled, key Academy LMS events automatically create posts in your ZenCommunity groups. This means your learners stay updated, active, and informed without any manual posting. What Automatically Gets Shared ZenCommunity can post updates in your community when any of the following events happen inside Academy LMS: Course Enrolled Course Complete Course Announcements User Question Question Answer Lesson Update Quiz Start Quiz End This makes ZenCommunity the perfect LMS community plugin. Extended LMS Integrations ZenCommunity now supports multiple popular WordPress LMS plugins, making it easy to add community, discussion, chat, and support features to your learning website. Tutor LMS Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with Tutor LMS to bring key course activities directly into your community groups, helping learners stay informed and engaged inside WordPress. This integration turns Tutor LMS course progress into visible community updates, encouraging discussion around learning milestones. Tutor LMS Events Shared in ZenCommunity When Tutor LMS integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Topic Complete Course Complete Quiz Start Quiz End Each event appears inside the selected community group, allowing students and instructors to interact around real course progress in real time. LearnPress Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with LearnPress to connect course activity, learner questions, and progress updates directly with your community groups. This integration helps LearnPress users turn learning actions into shared discussions, keeping students active and connected inside WordPress. LearnPress Events Shared in ZenCommunity When LearnPress integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Lesson Completion User Question Question Answer Quiz Start Quiz End These updates appear inside the selected community groups, allowing learners and instructors to interact around real learning progress in one place. MasterStudy LMS Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with MasterStudy LMS to connect course progress, learner questions, and completion updates directly with your community groups. This integration helps MasterStudy-based learning sites turn course activity into shared discussions, keeping learners engaged inside WordPress. MasterStudy LMS Events Shared in ZenCommunity When MasterStudy LMS integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Lesson Completion User Question Question Answer Quiz End These updates appear inside the selected community groups, allowing students and instructors to interact around real learning progress in one place. Lifter LMS Integration with ZenCommunity ZenCommunity integrates with Lifter LMS to bring course activity, learner questions, and progress updates directly into your community groups. This integration helps Lifter LMS websites keep students engaged through shared discussions and real-time updates inside WordPress. Lifter LMS Events Shared in ZenCommunity When Lifter LMS integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Lesson Completion User Question Question Answer Quiz End These updates appear inside the selected community groups, allowing learners and instructors to interact around real course progress in one central place. LearnDash Integration with ZenCommunity LearnDash integrates with ZenCommunity to connect course activity directly with your community groups, helping learners stay active and engaged inside WordPress. This integration turns LearnDash progress into shared community updates, encouraging discussion, motivation, and peer interaction around learning milestones. LearnDash Events Shared in ZenCommunity When LearnDash integration is enabled, the following course activities are automatically posted in ZenCommunity group feeds: Course Enrollment Course Complete Topic Complete Quiz End Each event appears inside the selected community group, allowing students and instructors to interact around real course progress in real time. This makes ZenCommunity a strong companion for LearnDash-based learning sites that want to combine structured courses with active community engagement. ⚡ Performance & Reliability ZenCommunity is built for speed: No external tools No outside servers No extra apps Everything loads inside WordPress Real-time updates with lightweight scripts The plugin is optimized for both small sites and enterprise-level communities. 🛠 Admin Tools Site admins get: A single dashboard for groups, posts, tickets, and chats Role-based permissions Community moderation controls Branding settings Full visibility into engagement and support activity