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Updated 13 Nov 2026 · prices read on vendor pages

10 best Intercom alternatives in 2027

Mehmet ElmicenniReviewed by Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai•Prices checked •How we check

The short answer

The best Intercom alternatives in 2027 are Zendesk (best overall, $19/agent/mo billed yearly), Help Scout (best free plan) and Chatwoot (best open source, MIT). Intercom itself starts at $29/seat/mo billed yearly. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 13 Nov 2026; 7 more are compared below, including 3 with a free plan and 2 open source.

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Best overallSee in table →
Zendesk logo

Zendesk

$19/agent/mo billed yearly

7.8
Best free planSee in table →

Help Scout

$25/user/mo billed yearly · free plan

8.5
Best open sourceSee in table →
Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

Free to self-host · MIT

8.6
10alternatives compared
4with a free plan
3open source
$19/agent/mo billed yearlycheapest paid · Zendesk
$29/seat/mo billed yearlyIntercom starts at
01 · Zekai Price Ledger

Which Intercom alternatives are worth it in 2027?

Worth a look in 2027: Zendesk for per-agent ticketing with AI resolutions, Freshdesk for the lowest paid entry price, Help Scout for small shared inboxes, Front for team-owned email and SMS, and eesel AI for adding an agent to an existing helpdesk. Open-source options are Chatwoot, Zammad and FreeScout. Prices were read on vendor pages on 13 November 2026.

ToolTypeStarting priceFree plan limitBest forCost for your teamChecked
Intercom logo
IntercomThe tool you are replacing
 You are here
$29/seat/mo billed yearlyEssential, $29 per seat billed yearly or $39 billed monthly (new customers see $19 yearly / $29 monthly promos); Advanced $85 yearly / $99 monthly; Expert $132 yearly / $139 monthly; Fin AI Agent from $0.99 per outcome
 No free plan AI-agent-first support with Fin — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Zendesk logo
Zendesk Zekai score 7.8Best overall
$19/agent/mo billed yearlySupport Team, $19 billed yearly or $25 billed monthly; Suite Team $55 yearly or $69 monthly
 No free plan Full-suite ticketing with AI agents — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Freshdesk Zekai score 8.5Cheapest paid
$19/agent/mo billed yearlyGrowth, $19 billed yearly or $23 billed monthly; Pro $55, Enterprise $89 billed yearly
 No free plan Budget helpdesk with bundled AI sessions — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Help Scout Zekai score 8.5Best free plan
 Free plan + paid
$25/user/mo billed yearlyStandard, $25 billed yearly or $30 billed monthly; Plus $54 billed monthly
 Free plan: 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site Small teams wanting a shared inbox — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Front logo
Front Zekai score 7.7
$25/seat/mo (billing basis not stated)Starter, up to 10 seats; Professional $65, Enterprise $105; page offers 'Billed annually, save 24%' toggle without labelling which cycle each figure shows
 No free plan Collaborative inbox for team-based support — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Tidio logo
Tidio Zekai score 6.6
 Free plan + paid
$24.17/mo (monthly-billed price not read)Starter, 100 billable conversations; Growth from $49.17; Lyro AI add-on from $32.50/mo for 50 conversations
 Free plan: 50 billable conversations a month; Lyro AI first 50 conversations free once Small shops adding live chat plus AI — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
HubSpot Service Hub logo
HubSpot Service Hub Zekai score 8.5
 Free
Free plan; paid price not publishedProfessional $100 per seat per month on the monthly toggle; Starter figure ambiguous on page ($10 vs $20), so no price recorded
 Free tools: 2 users, HubSpot branding on live chat, 10 dashboards Support tied to a HubSpot CRM $0 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
eesel AI logo
eesel AI Zekai score 7.5
 Free plan + paid
$299/mo billed monthlyTeammate, 500 credits a month; yearly billing gives two months free
 Free plan: 100 credits for 7 days, no card AI agent layered on your existing helpdesk — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Chatwoot logo
Chatwoot Zekai score 8.6Best open source
 Open source
$19/agent/mo (Cloud) (hosted)Cloud Startups, 300 Captain AI credits; Business $39 per agent with 500 credits; monthly figures only, no annual price shown
 No limit, self-hosted (MIT) Open-source omnichannel support inbox — 13 Nov 2026 Pricing ↗
Zammad logo
Zammad Zekai score 7.5
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (AGPL-3.0) Self-hosted ticketing for IT and support $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗
FreeScout logo
FreeScout Zekai score 7.8
 Open source
Free (self-hosted)
 No limit, self-hosted (AGPL-3.0) Lightweight self-hosted shared inbox $0 14 Nov 2026 Code ↗

Every price was read on the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. The Cost Finder assumes one entry plan per person, so it multiplies by your team size; yearly prices are shown per month, and team or business plans can cost more per seat. "Not checked" means we could not confirm a public price.

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02 · Free plan

Is there a free version of Intercom?

Intercom has no free plan. Its pricing page offers a 14-day cardless free trial, and Fin AI Agent is priced from $0.99 per outcome with no seats required on an existing helpdesk. New customers see promotional discounts on Essential, but the list price is $29 per seat billed yearly.

Source: Intercom pricing page, read 13 Nov 2026.

FreeNone

No free plan on the pricing page

Paid from$29/seat/mo billed yearly

Essential, $29 per seat billed yearly or $39 billed monthly (new customers see $19 yearly / $29 monthly promos); Advanced $85 yearly / $99 monthly; Expert $132 yearly / $139 monthly; Fin AI Agent from $0.99 per outcome

03 · Free alternatives

What are the best free Intercom alternatives?

Help Scout's free plan covers 5 users with 1 inbox and 1 Docs site. Tidio's free plan includes 50 billable conversations a month, and Chatwoot's hosted Hacker plan covers 2 agents and 500 conversations a month. HubSpot's free tools cover 2 users. eesel AI offers 100 credits for 7 days. Intercom and Zendesk list no free plan.

Help Scout

Best free planFree plan + paid
Free plan: 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site
Paid from $25/user/mo billed yearly
vs Intercom →Zekai review
Tidio logo

Tidio

Free plan + paid
Free plan: 50 billable conversations a month; Lyro AI first 50 conversations free once
Paid from $24.17/mo (monthly-billed price not read)
vs Intercom →Zekai review
HubSpot Service Hub logo

HubSpot Service Hub

Free
Free tools: 2 users, HubSpot branding on live chat, 10 dashboards
vs Intercom →Zekai review
eesel AI logo

eesel AI

Free plan + paid
Free plan: 100 credits for 7 days, no card
Paid from $299/mo billed monthly
vs Intercom →Zekai review
04 · Open source

What are the best open-source Intercom alternatives?

Chatwoot is MIT-licensed and runs from Docker Compose. Zammad and FreeScout are both AGPL-3.0; Zammad needs at least 4 GB of RAM with Elasticsearch, while FreeScout is a PHP and MySQL app that its site says runs on shared hosting. Self-hosting removes seat fees but you carry hosting, backups and updates.

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

MIT★ 20k GitHub stars · Jun 2026
To self-host: Run the Docker Compose files from the repo on your own server; the Cloud plans are optional. Captain AI credits are priced on the Cloud plans at $20 per 1,000.
Last release 24 Oct 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
Zammad logo

Zammad

AGPL-3.0★ 6.1k GitHub stars · Nov 2026
To self-host: Docker Compose stack needing at least 4 GB of RAM; it uses Elasticsearch, which requires the host setting vm.max_map_count=262144.
Last release 11 Nov 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
FreeScout logo

FreeScout

AGPL-3.0★ 4.7k GitHub stars · Nov 2026
To self-host: PHP and MySQL application that its site says runs on shared hosting; add modules from its marketplace as needed. Specific PHP versions were not listed on the page.
Last release 7 Nov 2026
Zekai open-source pageSource code ↗Managed hosting slot
05 · Side by side

How does Intercom compare with each alternative?

Intercom Essential is $29 per seat billed yearly plus $0.99 per Fin outcome. Zendesk Support Team and Freshdesk Growth are both $19 per agent billed yearly, Help Scout Standard is $25 billed yearly, and Front Starter is $25. Tidio and eesel AI bill by conversation or credit instead of seats.

01
Zendesk logo

Intercom vs Zendesk

Best overall$19/agent/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20267.8
The differencePrices per agent, not per seat plus outcome: each agent includes 5 automated resolutions a month, then $1.50 each committed or $2.00 pay-as-you-go, against Intercom's flat $0.99 per Fin outcome.
Switch to Zendesk ifyour team is mostly human agents and you want predictable per-agent billing with AI resolutions as a small add-on
Stay with Intercom ifFin outcomes at $0.99 and a Messenger-first inbox suit a chat-led product team better than ticket queues
Pros
  • Achieves high automation rates (up to 80%) with self-improving AI.
  • Unified platform combines all channels (voice, digital) and agent types (AI, human).
Cons
  • Pricing starts at $19/agent/month paid yearly for the basic support plan.
  • As a comprehensive platform, it may be overly complex for small teams with basic needs.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Zendesk · Verdict: Enterprise-Grade AI Service Platform

Visit ZendeskRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
02

Intercom vs Freshdesk

Cheapest paid$19/agent/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20268.5
The differenceGrowth costs $19 per agent billed yearly and includes the first 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions; extra sessions are $49 per 100. Intercom Essential lists $29 billed yearly plus $0.99 per Fin outcome.
Switch to Freshdesk ifyou need a low per-agent price with 500 AI sessions bundled before any usage charges apply
Stay with Intercom ifyou want Fin's per-outcome billing and Intercom's in-product Messenger, tours and outbound posts
Pros
  • Centralizes customer communication across a unified shared inbox
  • Includes ready-to-use AI tools for drafting replies and summarizing threads
Cons
  • Advanced features like Freddy AI Copilot require an extra per-agent monthly fee
  • Additional AI Agent sessions incur separate usage-based charges

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Freshdesk · Verdict: Solid AI Helpdesk Platform

Visit FreshdeskRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
03

Intercom vs Help Scout

Best free planFree plan + paid$25/user/mo billed yearly · checked 13 Nov 20268.5
The differenceHas a permanent free plan for 5 users with 1 inbox, and its Envoy AI add-on charges $0.75 per resolution after a 3-month free trial, versus Fin's $0.99 per outcome.
Switch to Help Scout ifyou are a team of five or fewer and want a free shared inbox with cheaper AI resolutions later
Stay with Intercom ifyou need Fin's multi-channel automation, Procedures and Messenger tours rather than an email-first inbox
Pros
  • Extremely intuitive and easy to learn.
  • AI features directly assist agents with summaries, drafts, and translation.
Cons
  • Advanced features like HIPAA and SSO are exclusive to the expensive Pro plan.
  • The autonomous 'AI Answers' chatbot is a paid add-on ($0.75/resolution).

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Help Scout · Verdict: Intuitive AI Support Hub

Visit Help ScoutRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
04
Front logo

Intercom vs Front

$25/seat/mo (billing basis not stated) · checked 13 Nov 20267.7
The differenceStarter is capped at 10 seats and a single channel type, with Autopilot AI from $0.39 per conversation and Copilot at $20 per seat; Fin charges per outcome instead.
Switch to Front ifyour support runs through shared email and SMS inboxes where several teammates co-own each conversation
Stay with Intercom ifyou want a website Messenger and in-app support rather than a shared-inbox layout
Pros
  • Handles complex, multi-step workflows other AIs can't.
  • Unifies all communication channels and teams in one view.
Cons
  • Core AI features (Copilot, Smart QA) are expensive add-ons or require the top Enterprise plan.
  • Starter plan is limited to a single channel and 10 seats.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Front · Verdict: AI for complex operations

Visit FrontRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
05
Tidio logo

Intercom vs Tidio

Free plan + paid$24.17/mo (monthly-billed price not read) · checked 13 Nov 20266.6
The differenceBills by conversation rather than seat: Starter includes 100 billable conversations at $24.17, and the free plan covers 50 a month, with Lyro AI add-ons from $32.50 a month.
Switch to Tidio ifyou run a small online shop with low chat volume and want a capped monthly bill with no per-seat fee
Stay with Intercom ifyou need ticketing depth, SLAs and role-based seats that scale across a growing support team
Pros
  • Provides a unified helpdesk to streamline customer interactions and improve response times
  • Offers proactive automations that convert, enabling marketing teams to focus on high-value activities
Cons
  • May require significant setup and training for the AI agent to be effective
  • Limited customization options for the chatbot's tone and personality

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of Tidio

Visit TidioRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06
HubSpot Service Hub logo

Intercom vs HubSpot Service Hub

FreeFree plan; paid price not published8.5
The differenceCustomer Agent runs on HubSpot Credits at $0.010 each (Starter includes 500 a month, Professional 3,000), and Professional needs a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee.
Switch to HubSpot Service Hub ifyour contacts, deals and marketing already live in HubSpot and you want tickets on the same CRM record
Stay with Intercom ifyou would rather pay a flat $0.99 per Fin outcome than manage a monthly credit allowance and onboarding fee
Pros
  • Scale support operations with automated AI agents
  • Keep customer data unified inside Smart CRM
Cons
  • Advanced features require paid tier upgrades
  • Migrating existing support tickets takes planning

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of HubSpot Service Hub · Verdict: Reliable Support Hub

Visit HubSpot Service HubRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
07
eesel AI logo

Intercom vs eesel AI

Free plan + paid$299/mo billed monthly · checked 13 Nov 20267.5
The differenceSits on top of an existing helpdesk and charges per credit (1 credit per ticket or chat): Teammate is $299 a month for 500 credits, with extra credits at $0.80 each.
Switch to eesel AI ifyou want to keep your current helpdesk and add an AI agent billed by ticket volume
Stay with Intercom ifyou want helpdesk and AI agent from one vendor with a single per-seat plus outcome bill
Pros
  • Acts as a fully autonomous agent, not just a suggestion tool.
  • Pay-per-task pricing with no platform fees or monthly minimums.
Cons
  • Usage-based pricing can be unpredictable for teams with volatile ticket volumes.
  • Advanced compliance features (HIPAA, BAA) are gated behind the Enterprise plan.

Pros and cons from the Zekai review of eesel AI · Verdict: Autonomous AI Support Agent

Visit eesel AIRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
08
Chatwoot logo

Intercom vs Chatwoot

Best open sourceOpen source$19/agent/mo (Cloud) (hosted) · checked 13 Nov 20268.6
The differenceMIT-licensed code you can run yourself, with a free hosted Hacker plan for 2 agents and 500 conversations a month; Captain AI credits cost $20 per 1,000 on Cloud.
Switch to Chatwoot ifyou want to self-host live chat and email support under a permissive licence and control your data
Stay with Intercom ifyou want Fin's resolution-based AI agent and vendor-run compliance without operating your own servers
Visit ChatwootRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
09
Zammad logo

Intercom vs Zammad

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)7.5
The differenceAGPL-3.0 ticketing system with a Docker Compose install that bundles Elasticsearch search; the repo's tags page shows 2026-11-11 as the latest tag and lists no GitHub releases.
Switch to Zammad ifyou want a self-hosted, ticket-centric helpdesk with full-text search and no per-agent licence fee
Stay with Intercom ifyou want a ready-made live Messenger and a managed AI agent instead of assembling search infrastructure
Visit ZammadRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
10
FreeScout logo

Intercom vs FreeScout

Open sourceFree (self-hosted)7.8
The differenceAGPL-3.0 shared inbox written in PHP/MySQL that runs on shared hosting; its GitHub releases page lists version 1.8.250 as latest, published 2026-11-07.
Switch to FreeScout ifyou want a low-cost, Help Scout-style shared inbox on a cheap PHP host you control
Stay with Intercom ifyou need Fin, Messenger chat and omnichannel automation delivered and maintained by the vendor
Visit FreeScoutRead the Zekai reviewPrice alert
06 · What changed

Why do people leave Intercom?

  • Fin is billed per outcome: $0.99 for a resolution, procedure handoff, disqualification or self-serve routing, and $9.99 for a qualification, with at most one outcome charged per conversation. (source)

  • The pricing page shows Essential at $29 per seat billed yearly and $39 billed monthly, with $19 and $29 promotional prices for new customers only; Advanced is $85 and Expert $132 billed yearly. (source)

08 · FAQ

Questions people ask about Intercom alternatives

What is the best alternative to Intercom in 2027?

Zendesk is the best overall Intercom alternative on this page ($19/agent/mo billed yearly). For no cost, Help Scout has a free plan (Free plan: 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site). To self-host, Chatwoot is open source (MIT).

Is there a free version of Intercom?

No. Intercom has no free plan; paid plans start at $29/seat/mo billed yearly, checked on 13 Nov 2026.

Is there a 100% free alternative to Intercom?

Yes. Chatwoot, Zammad, FreeScout are open source and free to self-host. Help Scout, Tidio, HubSpot Service Hub, eesel AI have a free plan with limits, shown in the table.

What is cheaper than Intercom?

Freshdesk starts at $19/agent/mo billed yearly, against $29/seat/mo billed yearly for Intercom, as listed on each vendor's pricing page on 13 Nov 2026.

How much do Intercom alternatives cost for a team of 5?

If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, at the prices Zekai checked on 13 Nov 2026, the monthly cost is Zendesk $95/mo, Freshdesk $95/mo, Chatwoot $95/mo, against Intercom $145/mo for Intercom. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. The Zekai Cost Finder on this page recalculates for any team size.

Which is better, Zendesk or Intercom?

Prices per agent, not per seat plus outcome: each agent includes 5 automated resolutions a month, then $1.50 each committed or $2.00 pay-as-you-go, against Intercom's flat $0.99 per Fin outcome. Choose Zendesk if your team is mostly human agents and you want predictable per-agent billing with AI resolutions as a small add-on. Stay with Intercom if Fin outcomes at $0.99 and a Messenger-first inbox suit a chat-led product team better than ticket queues.

Why are people leaving Intercom?

The documented reasons are: Fin is billed per outcome: $0.99 for a resolution, procedure handoff, disqualification or self-serve routing, and $9.99 for a qualification, with at most one outcome charged per conversation (23 Sep 2026); The pricing page shows Essential at $29 per seat billed yearly and $39 billed monthly, with $19 and $29 promotional prices for new customers only; Advanced is $85 and Expert $132 billed yearly (13 Nov 2026). Each is sourced in the section above.

09 · Method

How did Zekai check this page?

Zekai independently reviews AI tools. For this page we read each vendor's own pricing and product pages and recorded the starting price, the free-plan limit and the date of the check. Only tools that do the same job as Intercom are listed, and sponsors never change the order or the scores.

Mehmet Elmicenni, founder of Zekai
Mehmet Elmicenni

Founder of Zekai. Reviews the alternatives pages and the price checks behind them.

About the founder · How Zekai scores tools

JSON copyMarkdown copy
1 · Same job onlyEvery alternative does the same task as Intercom; tools for other jobs are left out.
2 · Vendor pages onlyPrices and free limits come from each vendor's own pricing page, never from blogs.
Zekai score0–10, from four published weights: ease 25%, output quality 30%, value 20%, time saved 25%. How we score
3 · Re-checkedA price older than 35 days is re-read or the page falls back to an older version.
Change log

  • Page rebuilt on v6; all prices re-read on vendor pages.

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