Should I use Crisp or Intercom?

Use Crisp if you want a free tier and flat, predictable per-workspace pricing for a small support team; use Intercom if you want Fin's proven AI resolution and can budget for usage-based AI cost on top of seats.

Is Crisp cheaper than Intercom?

Yes for most team sizes — Crisp charges a flat per-workspace fee (for example $95/month for 10 seats on Essentials) versus Intercom's $29/seat/month, which totals $290/month for the same headcount before Fin's usage fee.

Can Crisp replace Intercom?

For a shared inbox, live chat, and basic AI automation, yes, but Crisp's data doesn't show SSO or HIPAA support, or named enterprise customers at Intercom's scale.

Does Intercom have a free tier?

No — every Intercom plan starts at $29/seat/month for Essential; Crisp offers a free plan covering 2 seats and unlimited conversations.

Which AI agent handles more support volume, Crisp or Intercom?

Intercom's Fin AI Agent has documented scale with named customers like Anthropic, Clay, and Rocket Money; Crisp's no-code AI agent workflows have no equivalent scale evidence in the data, though both meter AI usage by credits or per-outcome fees.

Crisp vs Intercom (2026)

By Noahlast updated September 14, 2026

Verdict: Choose Crisp if you want a genuinely free tier and flat, predictable per-workspace pricing for a small support team. Choose Intercom if you want Fin, an AI agent already proven at scale by named customers like Anthropic, and can budget for usage-based AI cost layered on top of seats. The deciding factor is pricing model: Crisp's flat per-workspace fee is easier to budget for a growing team, while Intercom has no free tier and adds a $0.99-per-resolved-conversation fee on top of per-seat pricing.

Crisp

An all-in-one customer support platform combining a shared inbox, live chat widget, AI agents, and a knowledge base for support and sales teams, with a genuinely free plan for 2 seats and paid workspace plans from $45/month.

Pricing: Free tier · paid from $45/mo
License: Freemium
Best for: small support and sales teams that want a shared omnichannel inbox, live chat, and no-code AI automation billed as a flat per-workspace rate instead of per-agent

Details crisp.chat

Intercom

An AI-powered customer service platform combining a shared inbox with the Fin AI Agent, priced from $29/seat/month plus $0.99 per AI-resolved conversation.

Pricing: From $29/mo
License: Paid
Best for: growing support teams that want an AI agent embedded directly in the inbox to resolve routine conversations, and can budget for usage-based AI costs on top of per-seat fees

4.5/5 on Capterra (1,135 reviews)

Details intercom.com

Choose Crisp if…

You want a genuinely free tier — 2 seats and unlimited conversations, with no time limit
You want flat, predictable per-workspace pricing instead of per-seat fees plus a separate usage charge
Your team is under 20 agents and price-sensitive; Crisp's flat tiers can undercut per-seat pricing at that scale
You want native desktop apps for Windows and macOS in addition to web and mobile
You want white labeling and unlimited task automation without a per-resolved-conversation AI fee

Choose Intercom if…

You want Fin AI Agent, an AI agent already proven at scale by named customers including Anthropic, Clay, and Rocket Money
You can budget for usage-based AI cost ($0.99 per resolved conversation) layered on top of per-seat pricing
You need SSO and HIPAA support, available at Intercom's Expert tier
You want to run AI resolution on top of an existing helpdesk, like Salesforce, without a full platform migration
You weight a much larger third-party review base — 1,135 Capterra reviews versus Crisp's 148

Crisp vs Intercom: feature comparison

Feature	Crisp	Intercom
Starting price	Yesfree (2 seats)	Nofrom $29/seat/mo (Essential), no free tier
Free tier	Yes2 seats, unlimited conversations, no time limit	No
Platforms	Yesweb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS	Partialweb, iOS, Android (no desktop app)
License	Partialfreemium	Nopaid only
Pricing model	Yesflat per-workspace rate covering a fixed seat count	Noper-seat pricing plus a separate per-resolution AI fee
AI agent for autonomous resolution	Yesno-code AI agent workflows, metered credits included on paid tiers	YesFin AI Agent, billed separately at $0.99 per resolved conversation
AI cost predictability	PartialAI credits are metered but bundled into a flat plan price	Nothe $0.99-per-outcome fee scales with ticket volume on top of seat price
Entry paid tier	Yes$45/mo flat (Mini, 4 seats)	Yes$29/seat/mo (Essential)
Top-tier seat allowance	YesPlus at $295/mo for 20+ seats	YesExpert at $132/seat/mo, includes 50 free Lite seats
SSO / HIPAA support	Unknown	Yesat Expert tier ($132/seat/mo)
White labeling	Yesincluded at Plus ($295/mo)	Unknown
Named enterprise customers cited	Unknown	YesAnthropic, Clay, Rocket Money
External rating (Capterra)	Yes4.6/5 from 148 reviews	Yes4.5/5 from 1,135 reviews
External rating (Product Hunt)	Yes4.8/5 from 32 reviews	Unknown

Crisp vs Intercom pricing: which costs less?

Crisp costs less for small-to-mid-size teams, since it charges a flat per-workspace fee rather than per seat plus usage.

At 10 agents, Crisp's Essentials plan is $95/month flat, versus Intercom Essential at $29/seat/month, which comes to $290/month for the same headcount before Fin's $0.99-per-resolved-conversation fee is added. Intercom has no free tier at all, while Crisp's Free plan covers 2 seats and unlimited conversations indefinitely at no cost.

Which has a free tier, Crisp or Intercom?

Crisp has a free tier — 2 seats and unlimited conversations with no time limit — while Intercom has no free plan; every tier starts at $29/seat/month.

Which AI agent is easier to budget for, Crisp or Intercom?

Crisp is easier to budget for, since its AI credits are bundled into a flat monthly plan price, while Intercom's Fin AI Agent bills $0.99 per resolved conversation separately from seats, so cost scales with support volume.

Crisp includes a set dollar amount of AI credits at each paid tier (roughly $5 at Mini, $25 at Essentials, $75 at Plus), which caps the predictable portion of the bill even though heavy AI usage can still add cost beyond that allowance. Intercom's Fin fee has no equivalent cap; the more conversations Fin resolves, the higher the bill climbs, which the data flags as the most common budgeting complaint from Intercom customers.

Which has more third-party reviews, Crisp or Intercom?

Intercom has far more reviews — 1,135 on Capterra versus Crisp's 148 — though Crisp's average score is slightly higher (4.6/5 versus 4.5/5).

Strengths and weaknesses

Crisp

Pros

The Free plan supports 2 seats and unlimited conversations with no time limit, not just a trial.
Flat per-workspace pricing can be cheaper than per-seat competitors once a team has more than a couple of agents.
Consolidates chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and SMS into one inbox.
A no-code builder for AI agent workflows, with 4.6/5 on Capterra (148 reviews) and 4.8/5 on Product Hunt (32 reviews).

Cons

White labeling, unlimited task automation, and 100+ integrations require the $295/month Plus plan.
AI automation is metered by credits on every paid tier, so heavy usage adds cost beyond the base subscription.
Workspace seat caps (4 on Mini, 10 on Essentials) mean growing teams hit forced upgrades.

Intercom

Pros

Fin AI Agent resolves routine support conversations autonomously, reducing human-agent load.
Omnichannel inbox unifies email, chat, phone, WhatsApp, and social messages in one queue.
Copilot drafts replies and surfaces knowledge-base articles directly inside the agent's inbox view.
Fin can run standalone on top of an existing helpdesk like Salesforce, without a full Intercom migration.

Cons

Fin's $0.99-per-outcome fee is billed separately from seats and scales with ticket volume, making monthly costs hard to predict.
SSO and HIPAA support are gated behind the $132/seat/month Expert tier.
No permanently free tier; every plan is per-seat from $29/month plus usage-based AI cost.
Combined seat-plus-usage pricing runs more expensive than flat-fee competitors like Zendesk or Freshdesk at high support volume.

Which fits your use case?

Use case	Pick	Why
Small support team that wants free or flat, predictable pricing	Crisp	Crisp's Free plan covers 2 seats indefinitely, and paid tiers are flat per-workspace rather than per-seat plus usage.
Growing support team that wants a proven AI agent handling resolution at scale	Intercom	Fin AI Agent is used by named customers including Anthropic, Clay, and Rocket Money; Crisp's AI agent has no equivalent scale evidence in the data.
Team of around 10 agents comparing total monthly cost	Crisp	Crisp Essentials is $95/month flat for 10 seats versus Intercom Essential at $29/seat/month, or $290/month for the same headcount.
Regulated business needing HIPAA support and SSO	Intercom	Intercom's Expert tier includes SSO and HIPAA support; Crisp's data doesn't mention either.
Team that wants to bolt an AI agent onto an existing helpdesk like Salesforce	Intercom	Intercom's Fin can run standalone on top of an existing helpdesk for the same per-outcome fee; Crisp's AI agent isn't described as running outside its own inbox.

Neither a match?

Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.

4 alternatives to Crisp 6 alternatives to Intercom

Popular comparisons

Crisp vs Intercom: migration FAQ

Should I use Crisp or Intercom?: Use Crisp if you want a free tier and flat, predictable per-workspace pricing for a small support team; use Intercom if you want Fin's proven AI resolution and can budget for usage-based AI cost on top of seats.
Is Crisp cheaper than Intercom?: Yes for most team sizes — Crisp charges a flat per-workspace fee (for example $95/month for 10 seats on Essentials) versus Intercom's $29/seat/month, which totals $290/month for the same headcount before Fin's usage fee.
Can Crisp replace Intercom?: For a shared inbox, live chat, and basic AI automation, yes, but Crisp's data doesn't show SSO or HIPAA support, or named enterprise customers at Intercom's scale.
Does Intercom have a free tier?: No — every Intercom plan starts at $29/seat/month for Essential; Crisp offers a free plan covering 2 seats and unlimited conversations.
Which AI agent handles more support volume, Crisp or Intercom?: Intercom's Fin AI Agent has documented scale with named customers like Anthropic, Clay, and Rocket Money; Crisp's no-code AI agent workflows have no equivalent scale evidence in the data, though both meter AI usage by credits or per-outcome fees.