Crisp #1 vs Intercom #2 of 2 on /best/live-chat
Crisp vs Intercom
Side-by-side plans, pricing, and feature gates for Crisp and Intercom, verified . Both are primarily live chat tools.
Plans side by side
Every published plan from each vendor, with the headline monthly anchor price. Some prices scale with subscriber count or seats; full detail lives on each tool's page.
Crisp
- Free
2 agents, unlimited conversations, forever free
Free - Mini
Per-workspace flat $45/mo
$45/mo - Essentials
Omnichannel inbox, AI chatbot, knowledge base
$95/mo - Plus
Best Value
$295/mo
Intercom
- Essential
Messenger, shared inbox, ticketing, help center
$29/mo - Advanced
Workflow automation plus 20 free Lite seats
$85/mo - Expert
SSO, HIPAA, SLAs, multibrand, 50 free Lite seats
$132/mo - Fin AI Agent
Standalone AI agent (no seat fee)
Custom
Limits at the entry paid tier
Compares Mini (Crisp) against Essential (Intercom). Both are the lowest-priced non-free, non-custom plan on each side.
| Limit | Crisp | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Team seats | 4 agents | 1 seat (per-seat pricing) |
When Crisp wins
- SaaS startups and small teams that want chat and email in one tool
- E-commerce stores that want WhatsApp and Instagram DM unified with web chat
- Companies migrating off Intercom for cost reasons
Where Crisp is the wrong fit
- Solo operators (the Free plan already covers them)
- Enterprises with strict procurement and SSO requirements (HIPAA and SAML are not headline features)
- Teams that need deep ticket-form customization
When Intercom wins
- SaaS support teams that need both human chat and high-quality AI deflection
- Enterprises wanting messenger, ticketing, and help center in one tool
- Companies deflecting tier-1 with Fin AI
Where Intercom is the wrong fit
- Small teams who can run on Crisp or Help Scout for far less
- Teams averse to per-AI-outcome pricing
- Cost-conscious buyers who don't need the messenger pedigree
Migrating between these tools 2 guides
Long-form migration guides for this exact pair. Each covers the cost math, what you lose, what you gain, and the pair-specific gotchas that bite during cutover.
Compare across the category
This page is Crisp vs Intercom. To put both side by side with every other live chat tool we track on a single price-only table, see the live chat pricing comparison . Free tiers, entry paid plans, and mid-tier plans for the full live chat cohort.
Common questions
- Is Crisp cheaper than Intercom?
- At the entry tier, Crisp starts at Free versus Intercom at $29/mo. Crisp is cheaper at the entry. Pricing scales differently above that, so check the full plan grid.
- Does Crisp or Intercom have a free plan?
- Only Crisp has a permanent free plan. Intercom only offers a free trial.
- Are Crisp and Intercom in the same category?
- Yes. Both are primarily live chat tools, which is why this is a natural head-to-head comparison.
- Which has more plans, Crisp or Intercom?
- Both Crisp and Intercom ship 4 plans. Tier counts match; the differentiation is in features and pricing structure rather than tier ladder depth.
- Where can I see alternatives to Crisp or Intercom?
- Each tool has a dedicated alternatives page on TierGauge with ranked options and verified pricing: /alternatives/crisp for Crisp and /alternatives/intercom for Intercom. Alternatives are derived from each tool's editor-flagged competitors plus same-category tools we track.
Crisp: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/ · Intercom: https://www.intercom.com/pricing
Last verified . Pricing changes between refreshes; confirm at the vendor before purchasing.