Replace Intercom with Crisp or Help Scout: 80% Less
Intercom is powerful, but at $39/seat/mo (plus $0.99 per AI resolution), costs add up fast for small support teams. Crisp charges a flat $45/mo for up to 4 seats. Help Scout is free for up to 50 contacts/month with unlimited users. Here's how each alternative compares and when Intercom is still worth it.
The Math (3-agent team)
Intercom Essential: $39/seat/mo × 3 = $117/mo + Fin AI resolution costs (~$0.99/resolution).
Crisp Mini: $45/mo flat (includes 4 seats, shared inbox, chat triggers, unlimited history).
Help Scout Free: $0/mo (50 contacts/month, unlimited users, shared inbox, knowledge base).
Savings vs Intercom: $72/mo with Crisp ($864/yr) or $117/mo with Help Scout Free ($1,404/yr).
Exact Pricing Comparison
| Tool | Plan | Monthly Price | Billing Model | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intercom | Essential | $39/seat/mo | Per seat | Fin AI Agent ($0.99/resolution), Messenger, shared inbox, ticketing, help center |
| Crisp | Mini | $45/mo | Flat (4 seats) | Shared email inbox, chat triggers, shortcuts, unlimited history |
| Crisp | Essentials | $95/mo | Flat (10 seats) | Omnichannel inbox, AI chatbot, knowledge base, analytics |
| Help Scout | Free | $0/mo | Flat | 50 contacts/month, unlimited users, shared inbox, knowledge base, Beacon widget |
| Help Scout | Standard | $55/mo | Flat | 100 contacts/month, unlimited users, workflows, custom fields, reporting |
Choose Crisp If...
- You want omnichannel messaging. Crisp supports email, WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, and live chat from one inbox. Crisp Essentials at $95/mo for 10 seats includes all channels — still cheaper than 3 Intercom seats.
- You hate per-seat pricing. Crisp charges per workspace, not per agent. Mini is $45/mo for 4 seats. That flat-rate model means your costs stay predictable as you hire.
- You want a chatbot without AI resolution fees. Crisp Essentials includes an AI chatbot in the flat rate. No per-resolution charges like Intercom's Fin.
Choose Help Scout If...
- You want email-first support. Help Scout feels like email, not a complex support platform. Clean, simple, and personal.
- You have low volume. 50 contacts/month on the Free plan with unlimited users is genuinely generous for early-stage companies.
- You value unlimited users on every plan. Help Scout recently switched to contact-based pricing. Standard at $55/mo gives you unlimited users and 100 contacts/month.
Stay on Intercom If...
- AI-first support is core to your strategy. Intercom's Fin AI Agent is best-in-class. If it handles 50%+ of your conversations, the $0.99/resolution may pay for itself by reducing agent headcount.
- You use product tours and outbound messaging. Neither Crisp nor Help Scout offers product tours. Intercom is a customer engagement platform, not just a help desk.
- You're a SaaS company with complex onboarding. Intercom's Messenger, bots, and product tours create a cohesive in-app experience that alternatives can't match.
Migration Steps
Step 1: Export Intercom Data
Export conversation history, contacts, and help center articles from Intercom using Data Export. Download your custom bot workflows separately — these will need to be rebuilt manually.
Step 2: Set Up Your New Tool
For Crisp: Install the chat widget on your site, configure your shared inbox, import contacts, and set up chat triggers. For Help Scout: Set up your mailbox, import contacts, create your knowledge base (Docs), and install the Beacon widget.
Step 3: Rebuild Help Center Content
Both Crisp (Essentials) and Help Scout include knowledge base features. Manually migrate your Intercom help articles. This is the most time-consuming step but only needs to be done once.
Step 4: Run Parallel for 2 Weeks
Keep Intercom active while you verify the new tool handles your volume. Monitor response times, team adoption, and customer satisfaction before cutting over completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Crisp or Help Scout match Intercom's AI capabilities?
Not at the same depth. Crisp Essentials includes an AI chatbot, and Help Scout has AI Answers, but neither matches Fin's ability to resolve complex queries autonomously. If AI deflection is your primary cost-saving strategy, Intercom may still be cheaper long-term.
What about the 50-contact limit on Help Scout Free?
50 contacts/month means 50 unique customers you communicate with — not 50 conversations. For very early-stage businesses, this is often sufficient. Standard at $55/mo bumps it to 100, and Plus at $83/mo gives you 250.
Is Crisp Mini enough for a real support team?
For teams of 1–4 handling email and live chat, yes. You get a shared inbox, chat triggers, and unlimited message history. If you need omnichannel (WhatsApp, Instagram) or an AI chatbot, step up to Crisp Essentials at $95/mo — still cheaper than 3 Intercom Essential seats at $117/mo.