Intercom’s Fin AI is excellent, but the bill has two meters: seats ($29–$132 per seat per month, annual) plus about $0.99 for every AI resolution. As volume grows, many teams look for something more predictable. In 2026 Intercom also rebranded around Fin and agreed to be acquired by Salesforce, which has some customers reviewing their options.
Comparison
| Alternative | Seat price (Nov 2026) | AI pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Help Scout | Free; $25–$75/user | Envoy AI $0.75/resolution | Email-first teams |
| Freshdesk Omni | $29–$119/agent | Copilot add-on + sessions | Chat + tickets on a budget |
| Zendesk | $19–$115/agent | Per resolution + Copilot | Enterprise scale |
| Crisp | Flat workspace pricing | Included tiers | Chat-first small teams |
| Chatwoot | Free self-host; $19–$99/agent | Credits, $20 per 1,000 extra | Open source |
| Gorgias | From $10/mo | Per resolution | Shopify stores |
| Helpin | Free self-host; cloud from $79/mo | AI agents included | SaaS teams wanting support + CRM |
How to compare properly
Intercom’s cost = seats + (AI resolutions × $0.99) + add-ons. Work out your monthly AI resolutions, then compare total cost, not seat price. Our chatbot ROI calculator does the maths.
Picks
- Most like Intercom, for less: Chatwoot (open-source live chat and inbox) or Crisp.
- Simplest: Help Scout.
- Full helpdesk: Freshdesk or Zendesk.
- Own your data: self-hosted Chatwoot or Helpin. See open-source Intercom-style tools.
FAQ
Is there a free Intercom alternative? Chatwoot’s Community Edition and Helpin are free to self-host. Help Scout and Freshdesk have limited free plans.
Does Intercom charge when Fin fails? Intercom’s published model charges only for successful resolutions, not for escalations to a human.
Munaza
Founder & Editor, SupportPricing
Munaza runs a digital marketing agency that manages social media and SEO for client brands across multiple platforms. Her work puts her inside SaaS tools every day: she sets up help centers, writes product content and compares software for clients before they buy. She started SupportPricing because customer service software pricing kept changing faster than anyone could track. Every price on this site comes from the vendor’s own pricing page and carries the date she checked it.