Knock vs. Website Chats

Looking for a website chat alternative that actually converts? You’re in the right place. Knock doesn’t just replace traditional website chats—it outperforms them.

Why Look for Website Chat Alternatives?

  • Your reps can’t be available 24/7 – To keep a lead engaged, sales reps need to respond within seconds—but that’s impossible to scale. If no one replies instantly, the lead moves on.
  • SDRs waste time on low-quality chats – Website chats start anonymously, so SDRs have to engage with every visitor - relevant or not. There’s no way to filter out low-quality leads before a rep gets involved.
  • Chatbots make things worse – To save SDR time, many companies turn to chatbots—but 93% of B2B buyers drop off when forced into an automated conversation. Buyers want real, meaningful engagement with a human, not scripted responses or AI-driven interactions.
  • Leads ghost you the moment they leave – Once a visitor closes the tab, the chat disappears. SDRs are left chasing cold leads through outbound emails—which take more effort and rarely convert.
Criteria
Website Chat
Knock
Response Speed
Requires an immediate response from the rep.
SDRs don't need to reply immediately. Leads get notified when the SDR replies - and in their preferred messaging app
Frictionless Engagement
Requires email entry to reveal lead info.
No forms, no emails, no friction. Knock auto-detects contact info and routes it to the right rep.
Lead Qualification
The first message in chat is anonymous. The SDR must reply to all chats.
Filters out unqualified leads before engaging with an SDR.
Re-engagement Capabilities
Once the lead leaves the website, the chat closes, moving the funnel to email outreach.
Sales can continue chats even after the lead leaves the website.
Multi-Channel Continuity
Restricted to website-only engagement.
Supports Slack, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, iMessage, and more!
Asynchronous vs. Real-time Chat
Real-time only. If the website session expires, the chat closes.
Leads can return anytime and pick up the conversation in their favorite messaging app.
Ease of Use
Often intrusive pop-ups disrupt browsing. Mobile issues and lack of advanced features like file sharing and voice messages.
Seamless, mobile-friendly experience using familiar messaging apps.
Integration with Sales Tools
Basic CRM integration
Leads can return to chat directly from their CRM, which is already deeply integrated with sales & marketing tools
Routing & SDR Workload Management
Routing is based on session data like country, time, and device since the lead remains anonymous.
Automated lead assignment based on ICP, intent, region, CRM data, or rep availability—before the chat even starts.
Lead Enrichment & Data Collection
Minimal or no automatic lead enrichment.
Captures visitor intent, UTM parameters, contact, and company info—without requiring manual input.
Follow-up Efficiency
Follow-ups occur via email, leading to longer cycles and lower reply rates.
Sales can follow up directly in chat, without losing conversation history.Reply rates exceed 83%, making it the most engaging way to connect.
Monitoring
View Chats from the Chat Management interface tool.
Managers can monitor all chats directly from their Slack.
Account-Based Engagement
Most chats start anonymously, making prioritization difficult before lead identification.
Identifies and prioritizes high-value accounts, ensuring they reach the right rep.
Onboarding for Sales
Requires onboarding and training for each rep to learn the chat interface. Sales reps must work within a separate tool.
No training needed, as setup takes 10-20 minutes.Reps manage everything within Slack, automatically synced to CRM.
Collaboration Between Team Members
One-to-one chat between the lead and the assigned sales rep.
Multiple team members can collaborate in a shared conversation. Any Slack workspace member can jump in.
Set-Up & Maintenance
2 weeks to 2 months Setup. Including bot workflow setup, team training on the new platform, and ongoing maintenance.
Takes just 2 hours to set up. No training required. Runs within Slack and CRM = zero maintenance.
Enterprise-Grade Security
Complies with GDPR, CCPA, and enterprise security standards.
Complies with GDPR, CCPA, and enterprise security standards.