Userlike

Userlike is a German customer messaging platform that has been steadily building its reputation since launching in 2011. Headquartered in Cologne, the company has grown from a simple live chat widget into a comprehensive omnichannel customer support solution serving thousands of businesses across Europe and beyond. Now operating under the brand Lime Connect, the platform combines live chat, messaging, AI-powered chatbots, and video calls into a single unified inbox that keeps all customer communications organized and accessible.

What makes Userlike particularly compelling for European businesses is its unwavering commitment to data sovereignty. All data is hosted exclusively on German servers, which means customer interactions never leave European jurisdiction. For companies that must comply with GDPR or that simply want to avoid the legal uncertainties surrounding US-based data processing, this native German hosting is a significant advantage over competitors like Intercom and Zendesk Chat, both of which primarily store data in the United States.

Omnichannel Messaging and Unified Inbox

The core of Userlike's value proposition is its unified messaging approach. The platform consolidates conversations from your website live chat, WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, SMS, and email into a single agent dashboard. Support representatives no longer need to juggle multiple browser tabs or separate applications to manage customer inquiries. Every interaction is threaded in one place, complete with customer profile information, conversation history, and internal notes from other team members.

The WhatsApp integration deserves special attention, as it has become one of Userlike's standout features. Businesses can use WhatsApp newsletters and campaigns to proactively reach customers, send order confirmations and shipping updates, and handle inbound support queries -- all while maintaining full GDPR compliance with explicit opt-in management. Given that WhatsApp is the dominant messaging app across most of Europe, this integration addresses a real and growing need for customer communication.

AI Automation and Chatbot Capabilities

Userlike has invested heavily in AI over the past two years, and the results are evident in its Connect AI system. The platform now offers autonomous AI Agents that can handle frontline support by pulling answers from your knowledge base, resolving common queries without human intervention. These AI Agents support GPT-powered natural language understanding, allowing them to interpret customer intent rather than simply matching keywords.

The AI Copilot feature sits alongside human agents, summarizing ongoing conversations, suggesting relevant responses, and surfacing related knowledge base articles in real time. In practice, this reduces average handling time and helps newer agents get up to speed quickly. The system also offers smart routing that uses AI to evaluate conversation content and direct customers to the most appropriate department or agent, reducing the frustrating transfers that plague many support systems.

Live Chat Widget and Customization

The live chat widget is fully customizable and can be styled to match your website's branding. You can configure proactive chat invitations based on visitor behavior -- such as time on page, scroll depth, or specific URL patterns -- to engage potential customers before they leave. Pre-chat and post-chat surveys collect valuable feedback and qualification data. The widget supports multimedia messaging, allowing customers to share screenshots, files, and even their screen during a conversation.

One feature that sets Userlike apart is its operator video call capability. Agents can escalate a text-based conversation to a video call with a single click, which is particularly useful for complex product demonstrations, technical troubleshooting, or high-value sales conversations where face-to-face interaction builds trust. The video calls happen directly within the chat window, so customers do not need to install any additional software.

GDPR Compliance and Data Privacy

Userlike treats GDPR compliance not as a checkbox exercise but as a core product feature. Data processing happens entirely within German data centers, and the company holds ISO 27001 certification for its information security management. The platform provides configurable data retention policies, allowing businesses to set automatic deletion schedules for conversation data. Cookie consent management is built into the chat widget, and explicit opt-in mechanisms ensure that no personal data is collected without customer consent.

For regulated industries such as banking, insurance, and healthcare, Userlike offers enhanced security features including IP-based access restrictions, audit logging, and the ability to mask or redact sensitive information within conversations. The platform also supports single sign-on via SAML, providing centralized access management that aligns with enterprise security requirements.

Analytics, Reporting, and Performance Tracking

The analytics dashboard provides detailed insights into support performance, including first response times, resolution rates, customer satisfaction scores, and agent utilization metrics. Managers can track individual agent performance, identify training needs, and monitor real-time queue status to ensure service level agreements are met. Conversation tagging and custom fields enable teams to categorize and report on specific issue types or customer segments.

While the built-in analytics cover the most important support KPIs, teams with advanced reporting needs may find the options somewhat limited compared to what Zendesk or Freshdesk offer. However, Userlike's API allows data export to external business intelligence tools, and integrations with Google Analytics enable tracking of chat-related conversion events on your website.

Integrations and API Access

Userlike integrates with a wide range of third-party tools including Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Slack, Jira, and numerous other CRM and helpdesk systems. The platform also provides a REST API and webhook system for building custom integrations. Shopify and WooCommerce plugins enable e-commerce teams to view order data directly within the chat window, providing agents with immediate context when handling purchase-related inquiries.

The Zapier integration extends connectivity to thousands of additional applications, making it possible to build automated workflows that connect Userlike with virtually any tool in your existing tech stack. For developers, the JavaScript Widget API offers granular control over chat widget behavior, allowing custom triggers, dynamic configuration, and event-driven integrations.

Pricing and Value Assessment

Userlike offers a free tier that is genuinely useful for small businesses, including one chat widget, one operator seat, and the full messaging feature set. Paid plans start at approximately 90 euros per month for the Team plan, which adds multiple operator seats, channels, and automation features. The Corporate and Flex plans unlock the full AI capabilities, WhatsApp campaigns, and advanced analytics. Compared to Intercom, which can easily run into hundreds of dollars per month for similar functionality, Userlike represents strong value -- especially for European businesses that would otherwise need to invest in separate GDPR compliance measures for US-based tools.

The platform is particularly well-suited for mid-market European businesses that need a robust, privacy-compliant customer messaging solution without the complexity and cost of enterprise-grade systems. Companies in e-commerce, SaaS, financial services, and professional services will find the feature set closely aligned with their support requirements. The combination of German data hosting, omnichannel messaging, and increasingly capable AI automation makes Userlike one of the strongest European alternatives to the dominant US-based customer support platforms.