GhostChat by The Chat Widget – 6.7KB live chat widget. Privacy-first, zero tracking, zero cookies. 20-35x smaller than competitors.
GhostChat is a lightweight, privacy-focused live chat widget for WordPress. Reply from Gmail, the mobile PWA, or the dashboard — your choice.
Why GhostChat?
- ~10KB widget – 20-35x smaller than tawk.to, Crisp, Tidio, LiveChat
- Zero tracking, zero cookies – No cookie banners needed
- 15-30ms latency – Edge-powered global delivery
- Gmail threading – Reply from your inbox, conversations stay in sync
- WooCommerce auto-integration – Page context on all plans, cart context on Pro & Business
- Real-time messaging – Instant customer replies
- CRM Lite – Built-in contacts, conversation history, and notes
- Team support – Invite agents, assign conversations (Business plan)
- Webhooks – Integrate with your stack (Business plan)
- Canned responses – Save time with pre-written replies
- Mobile PWA dashboard – Reply from your phone like WhatsApp
- GDPR-friendly – No cookies, no tracking, no consent banner needed
- Easy setup – Takes 30 seconds to configure
How it works:
- Sign up free at GhostChat
- Create a site and get your Site ID
- Enter your Site ID in the plugin settings
- The chat widget appears on your site automatically
Pricing:
- Free (forever): 1 site, 30-day history, unlimited canned responses, no credit card required
- Pro ($9/mo): 3 sites, 1-year history, hide branding, visitor context, page journey
- Business ($25/mo): 10 sites, unlimited history, webhooks, team (up to 5 agents), auto-translate, priority support
Perfect for:
- Small businesses
- Freelancers
- E-commerce stores
- Support teams
- Anyone who values privacy and performance
WooCommerce Integration:
Running a WooCommerce store? The plugin auto-detects WooCommerce and sends your agents real-time context — zero configuration required. Your agents see:
- Page type, product name, cart items, total, and item count — Pro & Business
- Custom data via
GhostChat.setContext() — Pro & Business
- Updates in real-time on AJAX cart changes
Privacy Policy
GhostChat does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data from your WordPress site. The plugin only:
- Stores your Site ID in your WordPress database (wp_options table)
- Loads the chat widget script from api.ghostchat.dev
- When WooCommerce is active, sends page context and cart data (page type, product name, items, total, count) on Pro and Business plans, and custom setContext() data on Pro and Business plans
- Does not set any cookies
- Does not track visitors
- Does not send any data to third parties besides the GhostChat service
Chat conversations are handled by GhostChat service. Please review GhostChat’s privacy policy at https://ghostchat.dev/privacy for details on how chat data is handled.
Support
Need help? We’re here for you:
- Email: jacob@ghostchat.dev
- WordPress Setup Guide: https://ghostchat.dev/chat-widget-for-wordpress
- Dashboard: https://app.ghostchat.dev
- Website: https://ghostchat.dev
About GhostChat
GhostChat is a privacy-first live chat platform that prioritizes page speed and visitor privacy. We believe live chat shouldn’t slow down your site or compromise your visitors’ privacy.
Learn more at ghostchat.dev
FAQ
Do I need an account?
Yes, sign up free at app.ghostchat.dev/signup to get a Site ID. It takes less than a minute and no credit card is required.
Is it really free?
Yes! The Free plan is free forever — 1 site, 30-day message history, unlimited canned responses. No credit card required. Paid plans start at $9/month.
Does it slow down my site?
No! At ~10KB, GhostChat is 20-35x smaller than competitors like tawk.to (~200KB), Crisp (~85KB), Tidio (~65KB), or LiveChat (~120KB). 15-30ms edge-powered latency means zero impact on page speed or Lighthouse scores.
Does it track visitors?
No. GhostChat uses zero tracking and zero cookies. Visitor sessions are anonymous. No cookie banners needed.
Is it GDPR-friendly?
Yes. GhostChat uses zero cookies and zero tracking. No consent banner needed. Chat conversations are stored on our servers — review our privacy policy at ghostchat.dev/privacy for full details.
Can I customize the widget?
Yes! Customize colors, position, and welcome messages in your dashboard at app.ghostchat.dev.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes! The dashboard is a mobile-first PWA. Install it on your phone and reply to customers like WhatsApp.
Can I use it on multiple sites?
Yes! Free includes 1 site. Pro ($9/mo) includes up to 3 sites. Business ($25/mo) includes up to 10 sites.
How do I get support?
Email us at jacob@ghostchat.dev or visit ghostchat.dev/chat-widget-for-wordpress for the complete setup guide.
Can I paste the entire script tag?
Yes! Our plugin has smart paste detection. You can paste the entire script tag and we’ll automatically extract just the Site ID.
Where do I find my Site ID?
Log into app.ghostchat.dev/sites, find your site, and click the “Copy” button. You can paste the entire script or just the ID.
Does it work with WooCommerce?
Yes! The plugin auto-detects WooCommerce and sends your agents real-time context — zero configuration required. Page type, product name, cart items, total, and item count are available on Pro ($9/mo) and Business ($25/mo). Custom data via setContext() requires Pro or Business.
Can I send custom data to agents?
Yes! Use the GhostChat.setContext() JavaScript API to send any key-value data (up to 10 keys, 4KB total). Your agents see it in real-time in the conversation header. Available on Pro and Business plans.
ChangeLog
1.1.1
- Updated copy: “Reply from Gmail” replaces “lives in your Gmail”
- Signup URL updated to app.ghostchat.dev/signup
- Free plan now shows unlimited canned responses (up to 50)
- setContext() now listed as Pro & Business (was Business only)
- GDPR wording updated to “GDPR-friendly” throughout
1.1.0
- Updated pricing: Business $25/mo, Pro 1-year history
- Added auto-translate to Business plan description
- Improved cart fragment reading with polling fallback for themes where jQuery events don’t fire
1.0.9
- WooCommerce auto-integration: page context (page type, product name) on all plans, cart context (items, total, count) on Pro & Business, custom setContext() on Business
- Zero configuration required — auto-detects WooCommerce and works out of the box
- Updates context in real-time on AJAX cart changes
1.0.8
- Updated pricing to reflect current 3-tier plans (Free/Pro/Business)
- Fixed version mismatch between header and constant
- Updated branding references to GhostChat
1.0.7
- Plugin renamed to GhostChat per WordPress.org guidelines
- Improved code structure with singleton pattern
- Added comprehensive internationalization (i18n) support
- All strings now translatable with ‘ghostchat’ text domain
- Added proper settings link in plugin actions
- Enhanced accessibility with ARIA labels
- Improved security with capability checks
- Added proper uninstall cleanup
- Better WordPress coding standards compliance
- Updated tested up to WordPress 6.9
1.0.6
- Fixed WordPress.org plugin checker errors
- Corrected text domain to match slug
- Added proper input sanitization callback
- Updated tested up to WordPress 6.9
- Reduced tags to 5 (WordPress.org requirement)
1.0.5
- Added chat bubble icon to header for better branding
- Fixed script enqueuing to use WordPress standards
- Added input sanitization for security
- WordPress 6.9 compatibility verified
1.0.4
- Added professional branding with gradient header
- Added footer with helpful links
- Improved user interface
1.0.3
- Added smart paste detection – auto-extracts Site ID from script tag
- Improved user experience with real-time feedback
- Better validation and error messages
1.0.2
- Added step-by-step setup instructions
- Better guidance for first-time users
- Improved documentation
1.0.1
- Updated branding from GhostChat to GhostChat
- Updated widget URL to api.ghostchat.dev
- Updated dashboard URL to app.ghostchat.dev
- Improved admin UI with better status messages
1.0.0
- Initial release
- Privacy-first live chat widget
- ~10KB lightweight script
- Zero tracking, zero cookies
- Real-time messaging
- Mobile PWA dashboard
