About 17; min
Live chat on your website used to mean a simple widget in the corner. In 2026, Intercom and Crisp represent two different takes on what that widget should become. Intercom evolved into a full customer communication platform with AI agents, product tours, and a built-in help center. Crisp positioned itself as the all-in-one messaging platform that gives startups and SMBs Intercom-level features without Intercom-level pricing.
Both tools handle live chat, chatbots, and shared inboxes. The gap between them is pricing structure and how much functionality you get before hitting a paywall.
Quick Pricing Overview
| Plan | Intercom | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 14-day trial only | Free (2 agents, basic chat) |
| Starter | $39/seat/mo (Essential) | $25/mo per workspace (4 agents) |
| Mid | $99/seat/mo (Advanced) | $95/mo per workspace (unlimited) |
| Enterprise | $139/seat/mo (Expert) | $95/mo (same plan, all features) |
Intercom Pricing Breakdown
Intercom’s Essential plan at $39 per seat per month includes shared inbox, basic chatbots, ticketing, and a help center. The Advanced plan at $99 per seat per month adds AI-powered features — Fin AI Agent for automated resolutions, workflows with conditional logic, multilingual support, and SLA rules. The Expert plan at $139 per seat per month includes workload management, custom roles, advanced reporting, and multi-brand support. Intercom also charges separately for Fin AI resolutions — $0.99 per resolution where Fin successfully answers a customer question without human intervention. Proactive messaging (banners, tooltips, product tours) is included in all plans but limited by monthly active users. The pricing adds up quickly: a 10-seat team on Advanced costs $990 per month before AI resolution charges.
Crisp Pricing Breakdown
Crisp’s free plan includes 2 agent seats with live chat, a shared inbox, and mobile apps — genuinely usable for early-stage startups. The Pro plan at $25 per month per workspace includes 4 agent seats, chatbot triggers, audio and video calls, CRM integration, and automated messages. The Unlimited plan at $95 per month per workspace includes unlimited agents, a knowledge base, AI chatbot (MagicReply), campaigns, routing rules, and advanced analytics. There is no per-seat charge on the Unlimited plan — whether you have 5 agents or 50, the price stays $95 per month. This flat pricing model is Crisp’s biggest advantage for growing teams.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Intercom | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Live Chat Widget | All plans | All plans (including free) |
| Shared Inbox | All plans | All plans |
| AI Chatbot | Fin AI ($0.99/resolution) | MagicReply (Unlimited plan, included) |
| Knowledge Base | All plans | Unlimited plan |
| Video/Audio Calls | Not built-in (use integrations) | Built-in (Pro+) |
| CRM | Built-in contact management | Built-in CRM (Pro+) |
| Chatbot Builder | Visual builder (Advanced+) | Visual builder (Pro+) |
| Product Tours | All plans (limited on Essential) | Not available |
| Campaigns / Banners | All plans (MAU-based) | Unlimited plan |
| Ticketing | All plans | Unlimited plan |
| Co-Browsing | Not available | Unlimited plan (MagicBrowse) |
| Status Page | Not available | Built-in (Unlimited plan) |
| Multi-Channel | Email, chat, social, phone | Email, chat, social, WhatsApp |
| API Access | All plans | All plans |
| SSO / SAML | Expert plan | Unlimited plan |
Cost Scenarios
Startup with 2 support agents
Intercom Essential at $39 per seat costs $78 per month for 2 agents with basic chat and help center. Crisp’s free plan covers 2 agents with live chat and mobile apps at zero cost. Even Crisp Pro at $25 per month adds chatbots and video calls while staying under a third of Intercom’s price. Intercom: $78/mo. Crisp: $0-25/mo.
Growing support team (10 agents)
Intercom Advanced at $99 per seat costs $990 per month for 10 agents. Adding Fin AI resolutions at $0.99 each could add $200-500 per month depending on conversation volume. Crisp Unlimited at $95 per month covers all 10 agents — and any future hires — with AI chat and all features included. Intercom: $1,190-1,490/mo. Crisp: $95/mo. Crisp saves over $13,000 annually.
Enterprise (30 agents, advanced workflows)
Intercom Expert at $139 per seat costs $4,170 per month for 30 agents plus AI resolution charges. Crisp Unlimited remains $95 per month regardless of agent count. The gap is massive — but Intercom’s product tours, advanced workflows, and workload management features may justify the premium for complex support operations. Intercom: $4,170+/mo. Crisp: $95/mo.
AI and Automation
Intercom’s Fin AI Agent is among the most capable AI support bots available. Fin learns from your help center content and past conversations, resolving customer questions without human involvement. At $0.99 per successful resolution, Fin can be cost-effective if it handles a significant portion of your support volume — replacing the need for additional human agents. The investment model works best for companies with high conversation volumes where each automated resolution replaces minutes of human agent time.
Crisp’s MagicReply uses AI to suggest responses to agents and can handle basic automated conversations. It’s included in the Unlimited plan without per-resolution charges, making costs fully predictable. MagicReply is less sophisticated than Fin — it works best as an agent assistant rather than a standalone bot. For teams that want AI to help agents respond faster rather than replace them entirely, Crisp’s approach delivers solid value without usage-based billing surprises.
Who Should Pick What
Pick Intercom if:
- Product tours and in-app messaging are core to your user onboarding strategy
- Fin AI’s autonomous resolution capability can meaningfully reduce your support headcount
- Advanced workflow automation with conditional logic drives your support operations
- You need enterprise features like workload management and multi-brand support
Pick Crisp if:
- Flat pricing without per-seat charges is important for your growing team
- Built-in video calls, co-browsing, and status pages reduce your tool count
- You want a free tier that’s actually usable for early-stage customer support
- Predictable costs matter more than advanced AI automation
Crisp wins on value by an extraordinary margin. Its $95 per month Unlimited plan with unlimited agents delivers features that cost $1,000+ per month on Intercom for a 10-person team. Intercom justifies its premium through best-in-class AI resolution (Fin), product tours, and sophisticated workflow automation that Crisp doesn’t match. For enterprise support operations where AI can replace human agents at scale, Intercom’s per-resolution model can actually save money. For everyone else — especially startups and growing teams — Crisp provides 90% of the functionality at 5-10% of the cost.
FAQ
Does Crisp really support unlimited agents for $95/month?
Yes. The Unlimited plan has no per-seat charges. Whether you add 5 or 50 agents, the monthly cost stays at $95 per workspace.
How much does Intercom’s Fin AI cost in practice?
At $0.99 per resolution, a company with 1,000 automated resolutions per month would pay $990 on top of seat costs. The ROI depends on your average cost per human-handled conversation — if each conversation costs $5+ in agent time, Fin is a net positive.
Can Crisp replace Intercom for product tours?
No. Crisp does not offer product tours or in-app onboarding features. If product tours are essential, you’d need Intercom or a separate tool like Appcues or Userflow alongside Crisp.
Which has better mobile SDK?
Both offer mobile SDKs for iOS and Android. Intercom’s mobile SDK is more mature with deeper customization options for in-app messaging. Crisp’s mobile SDK covers chat and push notifications well but has fewer in-app engagement features.
