Intercom vs Crisp
Intercom is customer messaging platform with live chat, bots, help center, and product tours, while Crisp is all-in-one business messaging platform with live chat, chatbot, help desk, and CRM. The biggest difference up front: Crisp is free, while Intercom starts at $39/seat/mo. Intercom is built for saas companies that want unified customer messaging, whereas Crisp targets startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk.
| Feature | Intercom | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| AI Chatbot | ✓ | — |
| CRM | — | ✓ |
| Chatbot | — | ✓ |
| Help Center | ✓ | — |
| Help Desk | — | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Product Tours | ✓ | — |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing: Crisp is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Intercom starts at $39/seat/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Intercom offers AI Chatbot, Help Center and Product Tours that Crisp lacks. Crisp brings CRM, Chatbot and Help Desk that Intercom does not have. Both share Live Chat and Shared Inbox.
Team fit: Intercom is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Crisp is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: Intercom's biggest strengths are: unified platform for chat, bots, help center, and email. ai-powered chatbot (fin) handles routine queries. Crisp's biggest strengths are: generous free tier for basic live chat. much cheaper than intercom.
Watch out for: With Intercom, users commonly note that expensive — pricing starts at $39/seat/mo. With Crisp, the main complaint is that less powerful ai than intercom's fin.
choose Intercom if
- You need a tool built for saas companies that want unified customer messaging
- You specifically need AI Chatbot and Help Center
- You care about ai-powered chatbot (fin) handles routine queries
- Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Intercom is designed for
choose Crisp if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk
- Budget is a hard constraint — Crisp is free, Intercom is not
- You specifically need CRM and Chatbot
- You care about much cheaper than intercom
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Crisp is designed for
frequently asked
What is the difference between Intercom and Crisp?
Intercom is customer messaging platform with live chat, bots, help center, and product tours, while Crisp is all-in-one business messaging platform with live chat, chatbot, help desk, and CRM. The biggest difference up front: Crisp is free, while Intercom starts at $39/seat/mo. Intercom is built for saas companies that want unified customer messaging, whereas Crisp targets startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk.
Should I use Intercom or Crisp?
Crisp is the free option; Intercom charges $39/seat/mo but may offer more polish. Here is how they compare.
When should I choose Intercom over Crisp?
Choose Intercom if You need a tool built for saas companies that want unified customer messaging; You specifically need AI Chatbot and Help Center; You care about ai-powered chatbot (fin) handles routine queries; Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Intercom is designed for.
When should I choose Crisp over Intercom?
Choose Crisp if Your profile matches its sweet spot: startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk; Budget is a hard constraint — Crisp is free, Intercom is not; You specifically need CRM and Chatbot; You care about much cheaper than intercom; Your team size fits the small teams profile Crisp is designed for.
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