Crisp
Affordable live chat and shared inbox platform with AI chatbot features included, priced per workspace.
Our take
One of the most affordable full-featured live chat and helpdesk platforms, with AI chatbot features included rather than billed per resolution.
Best for
Solo founders and small teams who want live chat, shared inbox, and basic AI chatbot without per-resolution billing.
Pros
- Free plan includes 2 seats and basic chat
- Per-workspace (not per-seat) pricing scales well for small teams
- AI chatbot included in paid plans without separate per-resolution fees
Cons
- AI resolution quality is less sophisticated than Intercom Fin or Zendesk AI
- Smaller integration ecosystem than Zendesk or Intercom
How it compares
Far more predictable and affordable pricing than Intercom or Zendesk, at the cost of less advanced AI resolution capability.
Full review
Crisp is a customer messaging platform combining live chat, a shared inbox, and a knowledge base, with AI features for auto-generating responses, summarizing conversations, and an AI chatbot trained on your help content — positioned as an affordable alternative to Intercom for smaller teams.
Its all-in-one approach bundles live chat, email, and a basic CRM into one tool at a price point well below Intercom's, while still offering AI auto-responses and a chatbot builder. Crisp also includes co-browsing and screen sharing features for more hands-on support scenarios.
Crisp has a usable free tier and paid plans that remain significantly cheaper than Intercom for comparable features. For startups and small teams that want Intercom-like functionality including basic AI chat support without Intercom's pricing, Crisp is one of the most commonly recommended budget alternatives.
Cloudkart Rubric
3.4/5 avg- Actual Utility3/5
- Ease of Use4/5
- Pricing Fairness4/5
- Reliability3/5
- Differentiation3/5