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Intercom alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Intercom: seat fees plus per-resolution AI charges are hard to forecast, and expensive for small teams once add-ons stack up. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Intercom, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Help Scout currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Crisp logoCrispFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android +34 of 462.6
  1. Crisp logo

    1. CrispTop pick

    Best for: Startups and small teams that want Intercom-style chat support at a lower cost

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Intercom

    Similar chat-first inbox priced per workspace rather than per seat.

    Pros

    • Per-workspace pricing with seats included
    • Free plan for basic website chat
    • Native apps on every major platform

    Cons

    • Lighter ticketing and reporting than full help desks
    • AI usage is limited by included credits
    • Advanced features need the higher plans
    Visit Crisp Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Crisp a good Intercom alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, free forever
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting paid price
    $45/month per workspace
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days, no card required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    10,000 companies
    Checked Oct 25, 2026crisp.chat(opens source in a new tab)

The best Intercom alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Help Scout logo

Best Intercom alternative for most people

Help Scout

Calmer, cheaper help desk with a free plan and simple AI resolution pricing.

Chatwoot logo

Best Intercom alternative for a free option

Chatwoot

Open-source, self-hostable alternative to the Messenger and shared inbox.

Crisp logo

Best Intercom alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Crisp

Similar chat-first inbox priced per workspace rather than per seat.

Chatwoot logo

Best Intercom alternative for open source

Chatwoot

Open-source, self-hostable alternative to the Messenger and shared inbox.

Chatwoot logo

Best Intercom alternative for self-hosting

Chatwoot

Open-source, self-hostable alternative to the Messenger and shared inbox.

Tidio logo

Best Intercom alternative for Mac

Tidio

Cheaper chat widget and AI bot for small online businesses.

Crisp logo

Best Intercom alternative for Windows

Crisp

Similar chat-first inbox priced per workspace rather than per seat.

Crisp logo

Best Intercom alternative for Linux

Crisp

Similar chat-first inbox priced per workspace rather than per seat.

Zendesk logo

Best Intercom alternative for iPhone and Android

Zendesk

Deeper ticketing and routing for large, multi-channel support teams.

Plain logo

Best Intercom alternative for working in the browser

Plain

Modern B2B support tool built for API-first and Slack-heavy teams.

Intercom alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Intercom?

Help Scout ranks first right now. Calmer, cheaper help desk with a free plan and simple AI resolution pricing. Zendesk and Crisp follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Intercom?

Yes. Help Scout (free plan + paid), Crisp (free plan + paid), Chatwoot (open source) and Tidio (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Intercom?

Yes: Chatwoot. Chatwoot can also be self-hosted.

Which Intercom alternatives work on Linux?

Crisp runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Intercom?

The complaints we hear most: seat fees plus per-resolution AI charges are hard to forecast; expensive for small teams once add-ons stack up; less suited to email-heavy, traditional ticket queues.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Intercom, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.