5 Intercom alternatives, recommended by… an Intercom competitor (yes, really!)

Looking for Intercom alternatives because your wallet is crying? We get it—and we’re here to help, even though we’re technically one of your options.

We know Intercom is polished, powerful, and everywhere. But sometimes “powerful” feels more like “overwhelming,” and “polished” feels more like “expensive.” Sometimes you need something that does the job without the premium price tag or complexity that makes your team need a PhD to send a simple customer reply.

We’ll admit it: this won’t be the most objective list out there. We know our own support software inside and out, so naturally it’s the one we recommend with confidence.

But we’ve talked to enough teams to know one size never fits all. Maybe you need something simpler than Intercom’s enterprise-focused approach, or perhaps you’re looking for better value without sacrificing features.

Intercom just isn’t your perfect match (and hey, ThriveDesk might not be either), and that’s okay. We hope you’ll give ThriveDesk a try after reading — if it’s not the one, we’ll gladly point you to other great options below.

Simply the best (dun dun dunnn, better than all the rest): 5 Intercom alternatives for 2025 

To save you from endless tabs, we pulled all the key data into one spreadsheet that helps you find Intercom alternatives and competitors on data points like pricing, documentation, and customer support. The data is accurate as of Sep 20, 2025.

We’ll walk you through some of the strongest alternatives in the market, including ourselves, of course. Whether you’re a lean eCommerce shop or a growing SaaS team, there’s an option out there that won’t drain your budget or sanity.

1. ThriveDesk (hi 👋)

In 2021 we were customers of Intercom. We paid the bills, tried to get help, and realized something. If you are on a lower plan, you barely exist to them. The software grew harder to use, and the costs never stopped growing.

So we started ThriveDesk. Our goal was to create support software that small businesses can trust. A tool that combines helpdesk, chat en directo, chatbot, and centro de ayuda in one place. It is modern, lightning fast, and backed by support that treats you like a person, not a ticket number.

We know choosing support software is tough, but ThriveDesk was designed to be the kind of tool you don’t have to wrestle with. It’s simple where it should be, powerful where it matters, and always transparent about what you’re paying for.

👍 Pros

• Lightning-fast and modern UI: ThriveDesk is built with speed in mind. The interface loads quickly, looks clean, and stays clutter-free, so your team can focus on helping customers instead of wrestling with menus and settings. New teammates can jump in and feel at home within minutes.

• All-in-one toolkit: No need to juggle multiple tools. ThriveDesk brings helpdesk, live chat, chatbot, and knowledge base into one seamless platform. Everything connects, so you can handle tickets, chat in real time, publish self-serve articles, and automate responses without switching tabs.
• Smooth Notion-like editor + AI: Writing documentation doesn’t have to be painful. Our knowledge base editor feels smooth and intuitive, just like Notion. AI helps with suggestions, summaries, and edits, so your team can publish articles that are clear, polished, and helpful in less time.
• Transparent pricing, stellar support: What you see is what you pay. There are no hidden fees, add-on charges, or extra costs for features you actually need. Plus, our own support team is here for you at no extra charge — responsive, human, and ready to help.
• No pushy upsells: We only recommend extras if you truly need them.
• Smart apps without coding: With our Smart Apps, you can pull data from any system — CRM, payment processor, or shipping tool — directly into your tickets. No developers required, no custom coding, just a few clicks to connect the dots.
• Purpose-built for SMBs and eCommerce: Tailored features for lean, fast-moving teams.
• Neo, our AI support agent: Neo is more than a chatbot. It’s an AI agent built to actually solve customer problems, not just deflect them. It can answer complex queries, guide customers through solutions, and even capture leads for your business while your team is offline.

👎 Cons

• Growing ecosystem: Our integrations are expanding quickly, but we don’t have every app on the market (yet).
• No iOS app (yet): Our Android app is live, but iOS is still in development.

Precios de ThriveDesk

ThriveDesk uses straightforward pricing based solely on the number of inboxes per month. Here’s a pricing snapshot:

• Básico: $29/mes
• Estándar: $69/month
• Unlimited: $129/month

💛 Friendly tip: Many tools look affordable at first but get expensive once you add extra fees for agents, overages, or “premium” support. ThriveDesk is the only provider on this list that gives you unlimited agents on Unlimited plan and never charges extra for support. 

One final thing…

We think you’ll like knowing there are real humans behind this product. We’re a nimble team, part remote and part in-office, working side by side to build mighty things. We love doing team activities and regular outings, because building great software is easier when you actually enjoy the people you work with.

2. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is one of the most recognizable names in customer support software. Founded in 2010 by Freshworks, it’s built to cover everything from ticketing to automation, and it’s especially popular with startups and mid-sized businesses looking for a Zendesk-style platform at a friendlier price point

👍 Pros

• Generous free plan: Unlike most competitors, Freshdesk offers a genuinely useful free plan for up to 2 agents that includes ticketing, knowledge base, and basic reports.
• Traditional ticketing approach: If Intercom’s conversation-first approach feels too casual, Freshdesk’s ticket-based system provides the structure many support teams prefer.
• Extensive customization options: From custom objects to advanced routing, Freshdesk lets you tailor the platform to match your specific workflow needs.
• Multi-product ecosystem: Being part of Freshworks means easy integration with their CRM, marketing automation, and IT service management tools.

👎 Cons

• Complexity creeps in: The platform can feel overwhelming as you scale, with layers of settings buried in menus.
• Limited modern communication channels: Works great for email and basic chat, but lacks seamless integration with modern messaging platforms compared to Intercom.
• Multi-tiered pricing system: What starts as simple per-agent pricing quickly stacks when you add Freshchat, Freshcaller, or Omnichannel—each sold separately.
• AI costs extra: Freddy AI adds $29/agent/month to your bill.

Precios de Freshdesk

Here’s where things get… interesting. Freshdesk uses per-agent pricing, but it’s not as straightforward as it appears on the surface.

• Free: $0 for up to 2 agents
• Growth: $15/agent/month
• Pro: $49/agent/month
• Empresa: $79/agent/month

Want live chat? That’s Freshchat (separate pricing). Need phone support? Hello Freshcaller (another bill). Omnichannel features? Fresh Omnichannel (yet another subscription).

What starts as $15/month per agent can quickly become $15 (Freshdesk) + $15 (Freshchat) + $29 (Freshcaller) = $59/agent just for basic multi-channel support. 

Add AI features at $29/agent/month, and you’re looking at enterprise-level costs without the unified experience.

🎬 Fun Fact: The “Broken TV” Spark

Freshdesk exists because founder Girish Mathrubootham got terrible customer service for a broken TV. He vented about it in a Hacker News comment, which sparked conversations about building better support software. 

A few months later, he quit his job at Zoho and started Freshdesk from his house in Chennai. Sometimes the best products come from genuinely frustrated customers!

3. Zendesk

The granddaddy of customer support software, Zendesk has been around since 2007. It quickly became the “enterprise default” for large companies that needed robust ticketing, reporting, and integrations. If Intercom is the sleek new car, Zendesk is the heavy-duty truck — not flashy, but it can carry a lot.

👍 Pros

• Enterprise-ready: Rock-solid infrastructure with 99.9% uptime SLA and enterprise security features that big companies actually trust.
• Massive app ecosystem: Works with just about every CRM, marketing tool, and analytics platform.
• Informes avanzados: Deep analytics and customizable dashboards that make data nerds happy.
• Multichannel mastery: Email, chat, phone, social media, and SMS all in one platform without feeling bolted-on.

👎 Cons

• Curva de aprendizaje pronunciada: Zendesk’s interface can feel clunky and overwhelming for new users.
• Expensive quickly: Basic plans look reasonable until you add phone support, advanced AI, or premium features.
• Over-engineered for small teams: If you just need simple customer support, Zendesk might be overkill.

Precios de Zendesk

Zendesk Suite plans (includes everything):

• Team: $55/agent/month
• Growth: $89/agent/month
• Professional: $115/agent/month
• Empresa: $169/agent/month

The Costco effect: That $55/month base price is just the starting point. Add AI features, premium integrations, or advanced analytics, and you’re quickly looking at $100+ per agent. It’s like ordering a car where the engine, wheels, and seats are all optional extras.

🪑 Fun Fact: The Danish Disruption

Zendesk was famously started in a loft in Copenhagen by three Danish guys with secondhand furniture from IKEA. The company went from zero to IPO in just 7 years, proving that sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to get really annoyed with existing solutions first.

4. Help Scout

Help Scout has always focused on simplicity and human connections over feature bloat. They take pride in being simple, approachable, and built to feel like regular email. If Zendesk is the Costco, Help Scout is the perfectly crafted chef’s knife—it doesn’t try to do everything, but what it does, it nails.

However, their recent shift to contact-based pricing has caught some customers off guard, and the platform can feel limiting if you need advanced automation or built-in phone support.

👍 Pros

• Email-first approach: Feels like Gmail but designed for customer support—no learning curve for email-savvy teams.
• Detección de colisiones: Shows when teammates are already helping a customer—prevents duplicate responses.
• Customer-centric features: Every interaction shows customer history and context, making support more personal.
• Docs knowledge base: Built-in KB with clean design that customers actually enjoy using.

👎 Cons

• Limited automation: Advanced workflows and AI tools are missing.
• Not built for scale: Works best for small to mid-sized teams; enterprises may struggle.
• Reporting gaps: Functional, but less detailed than platforms like Zendesk or Intercom.

Ayuda para la búsqueda de precios

Help Scout charges by contacts, not seats:

• Estándar: $50/month (up to 100 contacts)
• Más: $150/month (up to 500 contacts)
• Pro: $400/month (up to 2,000 contacts)

This works well for seasonal businesses but gets pricey if you serve thousands of unique customers.

☕ Fun Fact: The Boston Tea Party Connection

Help Scout was founded in Boston by a guy who got frustrated with clunky help desk software while running his web design business. The “tea party” connection? They’ve always rebelled against overcomplicated customer support tools, choosing simplicity over feature creep.

5. Gorgias

Think of it as the Shopify store owner’s helpdesk sidekick – it pulls in your order data, customer details, and even lets you refund or modify orders without leaving the helpdesk. Perfect if you’re answering “Where’s my package?” all day. The tradeoff? Gorgias lives for eCommerce and a real Intercom alternative but feels out of place for SaaS or B2B support.

All this power doesn’t come cheap (more on that in a bit), and some of Gorgias’s coolest tricks only unlock on higher-tier plans. Now, let’s break down the highs and lows:

👍 Pros

• Ecommerce-first design: Built specifically for online stores with native integrations that let agents edit orders, issue refunds, and manage subscriptions directly from tickets.
• Shopify integration depth: The most seamless Shopify helpdesk integration available, pulling customer data, order history, and product info automatically.
• No per-agent fees: Unlike many helpdesks, Gorgias doesn’t charge per seat on its main plans. In fact, aside from the smallest plan (3 users), all others let you have up to 500 users at no extra cost.

👎 Cons

• Ecommerce-only focus: If you’re not selling products online, Gorgias isn’t for you—the entire platform assumes you’re running an online store.
• Confusing pricing model: Ticket-based pricing with separate charges for voice, SMS, and AI automation makes budgeting difficult as you scale.
• Limited customization outside ecommerce: Great for stores, but lacks flexibility for other business models or custom workflows.
• Paywalls on some features: Be prepared to pay more for certain capabilities. For example, fancy add-ons like phone support (voice integration) or SMS are not included in standard plans – they cost extra per ticket.

Precios del Gorgias

Gorgias uses ticket-based pricing that gets complicated fast:

Base plans:

• Starter: 50 tickets/month at $10/month
• Básico: 300 tickets/month at $60/month
• Pro: 2,000 tickets/month at $360/month
• Advanced: 6,000 tickets/month at $900/month

What looks like $60/month can balloon to $200+ once you add phone support, text messaging, and AI features. The ticket-based model means unpredictable costs during busy seasons like Black Friday.

🌐 Fun Fact: From Chrome Extension to Helpdesk

Gorgias wasn’t always a full-blown helpdesk – it actually started life in 2015 as a Chrome extension for Gmail. The original tool helped customer support reps send faster templated email replies. After getting accepted into Y Combinator, the founders (two French entrepreneurs) realized that the real opportunity was in overhauling eCommerce customer support software, which led to the Gorgias we know today.

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We made it to the end, friends!
Here is the comparison spreadsheet once again: if you need to see it, just click on it ↓

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Why don’t you to give this Intercom alternative a try?

Join thousands of businesses that already trust their customer support to ThriveDesk.

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