14 alternatives to Intercom to boost your support without blowing your budget
Intercom has established itself as a benchmark platform for customer service. With its direct chat, automation tools, integrated knowledge base and advanced ticket management features, it promises a fluid, responsive and personalised customer experience.
But this promise comes at a price.
With billing in euros per agent, costs that add up per module, and increasing complexity as you adopt it, Intercom can quickly become an investment that's hard to justify, especially for SMEs, start-ups or small teams.
Fortunately, there are alternative solutions. More accessible, sometimes free, often simpler tools that offer customer support that is just as effective, if not better, depending on your needs.
📌 In this article, we take a look at the 14 best alternatives to Intercom in 2025: their features, pricing plans, integrations, and what we really think of them. We aim to help you choose the customer support tool that sticks with your team, your issues, and your budget.
What is Intercom?
Intercom is all-in-one customer service software, designed to help businesses communicate better with their customers at every stage of the user journey.
Its promise? To centralise messaging, direct chat, emailing, automation and the knowledge base on a single platform.
Rather than limiting itself to ticket management or live chat, Intercom is banking on a conversational and proactive approach, with :
- intelligent chat powered by AI (in particular via its "Fin" tool) ;
- bots to qualify, respond or redirect;
- real-time or deferred support, depending on the team's preferences;
- advanced integration with CRM, analytics tools, SaaS products and much more;
- a strong ability to personalise messages according to user behaviour.
While the tool is particularly powerful, it is not always suited to all structures. This is precisely what is driving many teams to explore alternatives to Intercom that are more readable, more agile... or simply better calibrated to their needs.
Intercom
Why consider an alternative to Intercom?
A rapidly escalating cost for SMEs
It's one of the most common complaints: Intercom quickly becomes expensive, especially for small organisations.
Between invoicing based on the number of agents, optional modules and adjustments based on the volume of contacts, it's not unusual to pay in excess of several hundred euros per month for full usage.
☝️ Result: an unpredictable pricing plan that's hard for teams on a tight budget to absorb. In the long term, this can slow down adoption... or lead to a search for a better alternative.
Specific needs not covered
Some of Intercom's advanced features may seem oversized or too technical for companies that want to get straight to the point. Conversely, certain key options may be missing, such as :
- fine-grained ticket management
- more accessible automation rules
- or specific integrations.
For a support team that wants to focus on self-service, simple ticket management, or native integration with HubSpot Service, for example, Intercom can quickly show its limitations.
Simpler (and sometimes free) options
The market has developed considerably, with a number of customer service solutions that are lighter, easy to learn and often free in their basic versions.
Tools such as tawk.to, Crisp or Tidio offer effective direct chat, customisable messaging, an integrated knowledge base... and even bots, all without blowing your budget.
And for teams who simply want a responsive support platform, without complexity or extra cost, these alternatives to Intercom are often much more suitable.
Top 14 alternatives to Intercom: our comparison
Summary table of our selection
1 of 11
| Intercom |  Crisp |  Drift |  Help Scout |  Service Hub |  LiveChat |  Olark |  Tidio |  Trengo |  Zendesk |  Zoho Desk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For all companies | For companies with 2 to 250 employees | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies |
| See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about Intercom | Learn more about Crisp | Learn more about Drift | Learn more about Help Scout | Learn more about Service Hub | Learn more about LiveChat | Learn more about Olark | Learn more about Tidio | Learn more about Trengo | Learn more about Zendesk | Learn more about Zoho Desk |
Chatwoot
Chatwoot is an open source Intercom alternative that is particularly appealing to technical teams, start-ups and businesses that want to keep control of their infrastructure. Designed as a unified messaging platform, it centralises customer exchanges from direct chat, email, social networks, WhatsApp and more.
The interface is clear, well-designed and geared towards collaboration between agents. It includes all the key features of a good customer support tool:
- ticket management with automatic assignment by agent ;
- real-time chat, pre-filled responses, macros, internal private messages ;
- integrated knowledge base ;
- fully customisable messaging;
- Open API for bespoke integrations (CRM, automation, product, etc.).
💸 On the budget side, Chatwoot offers a SaaS model from €16.31 per month per agent, with a free 14-day trial, as well as a completely free open source version that you can host yourself. This is a real advantage for businesses that want to cut costs without sacrificing quality.
Robust, accessible and highly customisable, Chatwoot is a better alternative to Intercom for teams looking for high-performance, scalable customer service software without the limitations of a proprietary model.
Crisp
Crisp is a 100% French alternative to Intercom, designed for start-ups, SMEs and marketing teams looking for a simple, elegant and customer experience-focused tool. Highly appreciated for its fast learning curve and modern interface, Crisp combines direct chat, multi-channel messaging, automation and a knowledge base in an all-in-one solution.
One of Crisp's strengths is its ability to centralise conversations from multiple channels (website, e-mail, Messenger, WhatsApp, etc.) into a single collaborative inbox. To this we can add
- customisable chatbots, with no need for a line of code ;
- an integrated ticket management system
- powerful automation scenarios;
- a co-browsing module (shared navigation in real time);
- an integrated knowledge base for self-service;
- and extensive customisation of customer messaging.
💸 In terms of pricing, Crisp remains much more affordable than Intercom, with a pro plan from €45/month (fixed price per team, with no cost per agent), and a free offer available for self-employed entrepreneurs.
Lightweight, visual and very comprehensive for its price, Crisp is a better alternative to Intercom for companies that want a modern support tool, without unnecessary complexity or budget explosion.
Crisp
Customerly
Customerly is an alternative to Intercom designed for small teams who want a simple, all-in-one tool focused on customer relations. Very popular with growing SaaS companies, it combines direct chat, automation, email marketing and ticket management, all in a fluid, intuitive interface.
The aim is to enable support and marketing teams to work hand in hand, without having to use multiple tools. Customerly offers
- real-time chat with bots and conditional messages;
- a clear, integrated ticket management system;
- automated e-mail campaigns (nurturing, onboarding, follow-up);
- a self-access knowledge base for self-service;
- customisable messaging, easy to integrate into your product;
- native integrations with Stripe, Zapier, WordPress, etc.
💸 With a starting plan of €13.74 per month per agent (annual billing), Customerly is one of the most affordable solutions on the market. A free 14-day trial is also available, with no credit card required.
Customerly offers a good compromise for businesses that want a lightweight Intercom alternative that covers both customer support and engagement, without technical complexity or an out-of-control budget.
Drift
Drift (now part of Salesloft) is a premium alternative to Intercom, designed for marketing, sales and support teams who rely on real-time conversation to generate leads and convert.
Its positioning is based on transforming every customer interaction into a sales opportunity, thanks to a clever mix of direct chat, automation, intelligent routing and large-scale personalisation.
Drift offers a proactive, ROI-driven customer support experience, ideal for teams aligned with marketing. Drift's B2B focus includes powerful features such as
- conversational chat driven by AI ;
- automatic lead qualification and routing to the right agent;
- personalised conversational playbooks based on visitor profile;
- advanced integration with HubSpot Service, Salesforce, Marketo, etc. ;
- real-time behaviour tracking and targeted messaging;
- ticket management tools and support automation.
💸 On the budget front, Drift does not display its public rates, so to find out more, you'll need to contact the company's Sales department.
Drift is therefore a better alternative to Intercom for B2B companies in the scale-up phase, who want a sophisticated conversational tool to speed up their sales cycles while optimising their customer support.
Drift
Help Scout
Help Scout is an alternative to Intercom that focuses on simplicity, efficiency and a human approach to customer service. It's a popular tool for start-ups, NGOs and SMEs looking for a lightweight solution that's quick to deploy and doesn't require any extras... but doesn't compromise on quality.
Designed as a collaborative mailbox, Help Scout allows conversations to be managed in the same way as traditional email, while offering all the benefits of ticket management software. Its minimalist interface makes it easy to learn, even for non-technical teams.
Help Scout offers features such as :
- centralised messaging with automatic ticket assignment ;
- direct chat (Beacon) with contextual self-service articles;
- an integrated knowledge base;
- predefined responses, conversation history and internal collaboration;
- integration with over 90 tools, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, etc. ;
- performance, response time and customer satisfaction reports.
💸 Help Scout has a generous free offer with up to 100 contacts per month and its paid plans start at €21.46/month per agent, with a free 15-day trial, and discounts for associations.
Less 'marketing automation', more 'human relations', Help Scout is a better alternative to Intercom for teams who want to offer fast, clear and personalised customer support, without getting bogged down with unnecessary functions.
Help Scout
HelpCrunch
HelpCrunch is an all-in-one Intercom alternative, designed for teams who want to combine customer support, marketing and conversion in a unified interface. Lighter than Intercom, but also more flexible in terms of pricing, it is an ideal solution for ambitious start-ups and SMEs.
HelpCrunch offers a modern, intuitive messaging system that centralises exchanges via direct chat, e-mail or integrated widgets, with numerous customisation and automation options.
Key features include
- customisable real-time chat, with targeted messages based on behaviour ;
- automated e-mail campaigns for onboarding or retention;
- a ticket management tool with agent assignment;
- a native knowledge base for self-service;
- automation (tags, auto-responses, triggers);
- integrations with Zapier, HubSpot Service, Shopify, etc.
💸 HelpCrunch offers a starting plan at €12.30/month per agent, with a free 14-day trial. All with no hidden costs or compulsory additional modules.
Solid, simple to deploy, and designed to deliver a seamless customer experience, HelpCrunch ticks all the boxes for a better alternative to Intercom, especially for teams looking for efficiency, speed... and billing clarity.
HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub is a particularly powerful alternative to Intercom for companies wishing to align customer support, marketing and sales on a single CRM platform. Ideal for teams looking for a centralised view of the customer and fluid management of exchanges at every stage of the lifecycle.
Service Hub focuses on efficiency and automation, while remaining accessible to non-technical teams. It integrates seamlessly with the HubSpot ecosystem (Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, etc.) to deliver a unified experience.
Key features include
- live chat integrated into the CRM, with personalisation by segment ;
- ticket management with prioritisation, pipelines and automation ;
- intelligent knowledge base with reporting ;
- automated routing of conversations according to conditional rules;
- self-service customer portal;
- native integrations with Slack, Gmail, Outlook, Shopify, Zapier, etc. ;
- detailed reports on customer satisfaction, response times and agent workload.
💸 In terms of pricing, HubSpot offers a highly functional free plan, and a paid version from €9/month per agent, which can be upgraded depending on the modules activated.
HubSpot Service is a better alternative to Intercom for businesses that want a robust, scalable solution that is perfectly connected to their customer management system, without duplicating tools or losing efficiency.
Service Hub
LiveChat
LiveChat is a long-established live chat solution for businesses that want to offer fluid, professional customer support in real time. More specialised than Intercom, LiveChat focuses on what it does best: connecting support teams and visitors with responsiveness, personalisation... and performance.
Widely used in the e-commerce, SaaS and services sectors, LiveChat relies on a streamlined interface, an impeccable user experience and well-thought-out tools to improve conversation management.
Key features include
- customisable live chat (visuals, triggers, automated messages) ;
- conversation transfer, file sharing, internal notes ;
- automatic routing of requests by agent, according to availability or skills ;
- real-time visitor tracking;
- integrations with over 200 tools (HubSpot Service, Salesforce, Mailchimp, etc.);
- Open API for customised workflows;
- support analysis tools (response time, satisfaction, resolution).
LiveChat is available from €17.17/month per agent, with a free 14-day trial. No hidden charges, simple, easy-to-read billing.
Solid, fast, and focused on customer support efficiency, LiveChat stands out as a better alternative to Intercom for businesses that want a professional messaging tool, without getting bogged down with unnecessary modules.
LiveChat
Olark
Olark is a simple, transparent alternative to Intercom. Designed primarily for small and medium-sized businesses, Olark offers direct chat that is easy to integrate, easy to use and clearly priced. No complexity, no marketing overlay: just a solid, customisable and effective customer support tool.
Ideal for teams who want to stay in control without drowning in dozens of features.
Here's what Olark has to offer
- real-time chat, with automatic messages and pre-recorded responses ;
- conversation transcription and complete history by customer
- out-of-hours contact forms;
- customer data visible in real time during the chat;
- simple but effective reports (response time, satisfaction, volume);
- chat widget customisation with no need for a line of code;
- integrations with CRM and help desks (HubSpot, Zendesk, Salesforce, etc.).
💸 On the pricing side, Olark offers an entry price of €24.90/month per agent, with no surprises, and a limited free trial to test the tool.
Minimalist, reliable and designed to get straight to the point, Olark is a better alternative to Intercom for companies that want to offer quality customer support, without getting lost in a gas factory.
Olark
tawk.to
tawk.to is without doubt the best free alternative to Intercom for companies that want to set up direct chat without touching their budget. Yes, 100% free, with no limit on agents, messages or volume - a rarity in the customer support market.
This radical positioning makes tawk the ideal choice for VSEs, freelancers and early-stage start-ups who want to offer responsive customer service without adding to their stack.
Despite being free, tawk.to offers a number of solid features:
- real-time chat with automated messages and rapid responses ;
- mobile application to respond anywhere, anytime;
- live visitor tracking and personalised triggers;
- unlimited conversation history ;
- agent-based message allocation;
- integration with WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Zapier, etc.
💸 The business model? tawk.to offers additional paid services (such as recruiting external agents from €0.86/hour) but the software itself remains free for life.
Simple, quick to deploy, and surprisingly comprehensive for a free tool, tawk.to is an ultra-accessible alternative to Intercom for those who want to get started quickly, well... and without spending a single euro a month.
Tidio
Tidio is an alternative to Intercom that combines direct chat, intelligent automation and AI chatbots, all in an accessible, modern interface designed for small teams who want to move fast.
Very popular in e-commerce and services, Tidio makes it possible to manage customer conversations in real time, qualify leads automatically, and offer a fluid customer experience without functional overload.
Tidio offers :
- customisable live chat, with behavioural triggers ;
- no-code chatbots for automatic qualification, redirection and resolution;
- a ticket management system for asynchronous requests;
- marketing automation (reminders, abandoned shopping carts, targeted messages);
- an integrated knowledge base;
- integration with Shopify, WordPress, HubSpot Service, Zapier, Messenger, etc.
💸 Tidio offers paying packages from €24.17/month, depending on the number of features, agents and automated conversations.
Accessible, visual and very quick to set up, Tidio stands out as a better alternative to Intercom for small organisations that want intelligent customer support, without investing hundreds of euros a month.
Tidio
Trengo
Trengo is an alternative to Intercom for unified messaging and team collaboration, ideal for companies that manage several communication channels and want to centralise their customer support in a single, fluid, well-structured tool.
Its great strength: enabling your agents to respond from a shared inbox to messages from all your channels. A true conversation management hub, designed to improve the productivity of support teams.
Trengo's key features include
- collaborative multi-channel inbox ;
- direct chat integrated into the site, with simple automation;
- intelligent routing of messages by agent ;
- predefined responses, internal notes and clear ticket assignment;
- integrated knowledge base for self-service;
- integrations with HubSpot Service, Shopify, Zapier, and others.
💸 When it comes to pricing, Trengo is positioned at the top end of the market, with a starting plan at €299/month. The interface is clear, well thought out and requires no particular technical skills to deploy.
Trengo stands out as a better alternative to Intercom for international or multilingual companies that need to juggle several channels and want to maintain a consistent customer experience, without multiplying the number of tools.
Trengo
Zendesk
Zendesk is probably the best-known alternative to Intercom, and for good reason: it is one of the world leaders in customer service. Designed for companies that want to industrialise their ticket management and offer large-scale omnichannel support, Zendesk stands out for its robustness, rich functionality and ability to adapt to complex teams.
It's a true support management system, tailored for organisations that need structure, advanced reporting and automated workflows.
Key features include
- complete ticket management (SLAs, priorities, automation, rules) ;
- live chat (Zendesk Messaging) with integrated bots;
- highly advanced knowledge base for self-service ;
- personalised customer portal ;
- highly personalised messaging and help centre;
- integrations with over 1,000 apps (including HubSpot, Slack, Salesforce);
- detailed analysis tools (response times, satisfaction, backlog, etc.).
💸 Zendesk offers a starting plan at €19/agent/month, but the bill can rise quickly depending on the modules activated (chat, talk, analytics, etc.). A free trial is available.
This is a better alternative to Intercom for companies with a high volume of support, large teams or multi-level teams. A powerful platform, but one that requires a little more configuration and rigour to set up.
Zendesk
Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is an alternative to Intercom from the Zoho ecosystem, designed for businesses that want a complete, integrated customer support solution focused on productivity. It is an excellent choice for organisations already using Zoho tools (CRM, campaigns, projects) or looking for a coherent suite at a controlled cost.
Zoho Desk stands out for its ability to automate ticket management, track performance in real time, and deliver an omnichannel customer experience, while remaining affordable for SMEs.
Key features :
- intelligent ticket management system, with allocation rules, priorities and escalations ;
- direct chat with customisable widget;
- integrated knowledge base for self-service;
- automated routing based on agent skills;
- advanced reporting tools for day-to-day monitoring of customer service;
- native integrations with other Zoho apps + Zapier, HubSpot, Slack, etc. ;
- customer portal and post-resolution feedback.
💸 In terms of pricing, Zoho Desk offers a free plan for small teams, followed by paying plans from €7/month per agent, with a free trial included.
Reliable, modular, and particularly well suited to teams who want to structure their support without blowing their budget, Zoho Desk stands out as a better alternative to Intercom, especially for those looking for a solution connected to their CRM.
Zoho Desk
Comparison table: focus on the features of alternatives to Intercom
| Software | Type of user | Business needs covered | Key features | Entry price |
| Chatwoot | Tech teams, start-ups | Multi-channel support, hosting control | Direct chat, ticket management, knowledge base, open source, API | Free offer |
| Crisp | SMEs, SaaS, marketing | Real-time customer relations, user engagement | Real-time chat, automated campaigns, knowledge base, co-browsing | Free offer |
| Customerly | Growing start-ups | Integrated support + automated marketing | Direct chat, ticket management, e-mail campaigns, integrated CRM | From €13.74 / month |
| Drift | B2B, sales & marketing | Conversion, lead qualification, conversational sales | AI chatbot, intelligent routing, personalised playbooks, advanced CRM integration | On quotation |
| Help Scout | SMEs, NGOs, human support | Simple customer service, conversational approach | Collaborative mailbox, light chat, knowledge base, reports | Free offer |
| HelpCrunch | Startups, agile SaaS | All-in-one support + marketing | Live chat, email campaigns, knowledge base, automations | From €12.30 / month |
| HubSpot Service | SMEs to large enterprises | Support connected to CRM, customer lifecycle monitoring | Tickets, chat, knowledge base, automations, customer portal, HubSpot CRM integration | Free offer |
| LiveChat | E-commerce, services | Quick responses, live tracking, conversion | Real-time chat, visitor tracking, integrations, automatic routing | From €17.17 / month |
| Olark | SMALL BUSINESSES | Simple, effective customer support | Direct chat, transcripts, offline forms, basic integrations | From €24.90/month |
| tawk.to | Freelancers, VSEs, early-stage companies | Free chat, basic support with no budget constraints | Unlimited chat, mobile app, triggers, paid external agents (optional) | Free |
| Tidio | E-commerce, small teams | Automated support, marketing reminders | AI chat, chatbots, tickets, knowledge base, automated marketing | From €24.17/month |
| Trengo | Multi-channel teams | Message centralisation, collaboration across all channels | Unified inbox (WhatsApp, e-mail, chat), routing, knowledge base | From €299/month |
| Zendesk | Medium and large enterprises | Structured support, complex ticket management | Omnichannel, advanced ticket management, knowledge base, reporting, automation | From €19/month |
| Zoho Desk | Zoho users, SMEs | Support connected to CRM, simple to intermediate workflows | Tickets, chat, knowledge base, automation, Zoho & third-party integrations | Free offer |
How do you choose the right customer support tool for your needs? Our 5 tips
1. Define your priority use cases
Start by identifying what your team really needs:
- Do you manage a high volume of emails? Choose a tool that focuses on ticket management;
- Are you looking to automate the first contact? Choose a solution with a chatbot and intelligent routing;
- Are you using SaaS? Choose a platform that can be integrated with your product and your CRM.
Each company has different needs: a good tool is not necessarily a complete tool, but a tool that is adapted.
2. Assess your medium-term budget
Some tools seem affordable... until you add extra modules, integrations or agents.
Take a close look at :
- the real cost per month and per agent ;
- the impact of a change of scale (10 → 30 agents) ;
- the predictability of expenditure (hidden costs, additional costs, scalability).
💡 Tip: favour clearly priced tools (such as Crisp, Zoho Desk), or with open source versions (Chatwoot) if you have the technical resources.
3. Prioritise the user experience
Feature-rich software is good. Software that your teams want to use is better.
Take a look at :
- the simplicity of the interface ;
- the time it takes to get to grips with it
- the quality of the documentation and customer support.
A good tool is also one that enables your agents to respond quickly, efficiently and without friction.
4. Check the essential integrations
An isolated tool is a tool that slows down. Check that the platform integrates easily with your environment:
- CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, etc.) ;
- e-commerce (Shopify, WooCommerce) ;
- automation / reporting (Zapier, Make, Google Analytics);
- extended support (knowledge base, FAQ, feedback, etc.).
The right integration can save you precious time on a day-to-day basis.
5. Test before you commit
A free trial is more than a bonus: it's essential. It's the best way to see if the tool delivers what it promises... or not.
Involving future users directly in the test validates the functional relevance and ease of adoption.
What alternative to Intercom is there for your team?
Intercom remains a powerful reference, but it is clearly not the only option, nor the most suitable for all contexts. Whether we're talking about budget, simplicity, specific features or product philosophy, there are many solid alternatives today, and they're often much better calibrated.
👉 For a modern customer experience without breaking the bank, think Crisp, HelpCrunch or Tidio.
👉 For structured, scalable support, Zendesk, Zoho Desk or Freshdesk are great values.
👉 To keep control of the technology, Chatwoot (open source) is an excellent choice.
👉 And for those who want unified CRM and support, HubSpot Service Hub ticks all the boxes.
The most important thing? Choose a platform that matches your uses: number of agents, volume of tickets, integrations, level of customisation, etc.
Take the time to test, compare, involve your team... and choose the customer support tool that will enable you to accelerate your growth without slowing down your processes.
Article translated from French