Intercom is a leading customer communications platform with great features like live chat support, AI chatbots for seamless automation, help desk software, email marketing, and so on.
But does the company offer a comprehensive package for your customer support team’s needs?
Certainly not.
There are certain limitations that make brands look for Intercom alternatives. For example, while the company has excellent sales and marketing solutions, its customer service products are not up to the mark.
Keeping all the shortcomings of Intercom in mind, we have created this blog. Here, you can read a compiled list of the best 11 alternatives to Intercom that will offer more value and functionality to your customer support processes.
A Glimpse of the 11 Best Intercom Alternatives
| PRODUCT NAME | BEST FOR |
|---|---|
| ProProfs | Automated live chat, knowledge base, and help desk |
| Zendesk | AI support, help center, and ticketing |
| Tawk.to | Live chat, ticketing, and knowledge base |
| Vision Helpdesk | Multichannel support, help desk, and service desk |
| Tidio | Live chat, AI chatbot, and email marketing |
| Freshworks | IT service management, and live chat |
| HelpCrunch | Email marketing, live chat, knowledge base |
| Pure Chat | Live chat |
| Olark | Live chat, CRM |
| ClickDesk | Live chat, help desk |
| Zoho | Ticketing, self-service, automation |
What is Intercom?
Intercom is a customer communications software that offers a range of features to help you connect with customers throughout their journey. Whether you want to engage visitors, support your customers, or collect feedback, Intercom has a solution.
With Intercom, you can create personalized and automated messages, provide live chat and self-service options, and gather customer feedback and insights. You can also use Intercom to convert more visitors into customers, increase customer loyalty, and grow your revenue.
Intercom can be customized to suit different industries and business sizes, with different pricing plans and integrations. However, their pricing policies lack transparency. Read about that in the next section in details.
4 Compelling Reasons to Look for Intercom Alternatives
Intercom comes with several limitations that can hurt your business. Some of the most common reasons businesses look for an alternative to Intercom are-
#1 Lack of Clarity in Pricing
Intercom is one of the most expensive tools in the market, and its pricing is based on your usage and number of contacts. Here are some reasons why the pricing lacks transparency –
- Except the starting plan, the other packages require scheduling a demo first, so you can’t know how much Intercom will cost for your company until you subscribe.
- The pricing depends on many factors, such as the number of users, contacts, features, and add-ons you need.
- If you want to use ‘Fin,’ their new AI chatbot, you have to pay based on the number of resolutions it provides.
- The company doesn’t specify how many messages you can send with each plan or how many integrations you can use.
#2 Lack of Flexibility
Although designed for SaaS businesses, Intercom does not cater to all types of SaaS businesses. If you have a different business model, target market, or customer journey, you may find Intercom to be less flexible for your needs. You may end up with features that are not useful or appropriate for your business.
#3 Poor Support & User Experience
Intercom’s support team has a reputation for being slow and unresponsive. Many users on sites like G2 and Capterra have reported facing bugs, glitches, and downtime while using the software.
Moreover, their cluttered and confusing user interface can make it hard for your customers and prospects to find what they need or want.
#4 Limited Functionalities
Intercom does have a chatbot feature, but it is not very flexible. It also does not offer advanced analytics or reporting, which can help you improve customer engagement. Intercom’s knowledge base system is not very user-friendly or searchable. The articles are mainly accessible through the Messenger, which can be intrusive for some customers.
Top 11 Intercom Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
After multiple rounds of research and analysis, we have selected the best eleven alternatives that you should choose instead of Intercom. Check the full list below –
1. ProProfs
Best For: Automated live chat, knowledge base & help desk.
ProProfs offers a suite of customer support tools, such as a help desk, live chat, knowledge base, survey maker, CRM, online training maker, popup creation tool, and more. These products can help you generate more leads, manage customer interactions, automate workflows, measure business performance, etc.
With ProProfs, you can engage with your website visitors in real time, create self-help resources, collect customer insights, and more. You can also integrate these tools with third-party platforms offering email marketing, social media integration, business analytics, and other functionalities.
What makes ProProfs the best for automated live chat, knowledge base, and help desk?
With ProProfs, you can create chatbots that answer common user questions, share knowledge base articles that offer self-service, and manage help desk tickets through a shared inbox. It helps you save time, money, and resources while improving customer satisfaction.
What’s so unique about ProProfs?
ProProfs offers a forever-free live chat plan for single operators. This plan packs all the features of live chat software and their AI chatbot. There are no limitations, hidden month-end charges, or additional expenses, making it an excellent opportunity for startups and small businesses to scale their customer support.
Key Features
- Manage all your email conversations in one place using shared inboxes.
- Support customers in real time using live chat and AI chatbots.
- Create and publish FAQs, guides, manuals, and other self-help resources.
- Manage your customer relationships and interactions using CRM software.
- Connect your support tools with other apps like WordPress, Shopify, Mailchimp, etc.
How does the software work?
ProProfs offers a complete customer support package that integrates various tools to help you serve your customers better. You can manage your customer requests from multiple channels in one place using help desk software.
You can chat with customers in real time using live chat. It also lets you create self-help articles, FAQs, guides, and manuals that your customers can access anytime.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Deliver consistent and seamless support experience across multiple channels. | The software tends to be slow sometimes. |
| Reduce support costs, and increase efficiency by automating repetitive tasks. | You may have to deal with some limitations on your data storage, bandwidth, etc. |
How has ProProfs evolved over time?
- Integration of ProProfs Chat with Android & iOS devices using SDK file.
- Improved user interface and user experience of the software
- Enhanced the security and reliability of the software
- Expanded the integrations and APIs with other apps
- AI support added to the chatbot
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying ProProfs
ProProfs offers a complete suite of customer support tools catering to your support needs. If you are on a tight budget, and looking for a live chat software solution or a knowledge base system, choosing ProProfs will be a great option. The company’s customer support tools are scalable and adaptable, i.e., they can grow with your business.
Reasons to Buy ProProfs
- Easy to set up and use, and does not require any technical expertise or installation
- Affordable and flexible, with a forever-free plan and multiple paid plans for each tool
- Secure and reliable, ensuring your data privacy
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with all web-based and mobile platforms.
Pricing: Free-forever plan available for live chat. Paid plans start from $19.99/operator/month (billed annually). Visit ProProfs.com for other pricing-related details.
Reviews
- Capterra: 4.8/5
2. Zendesk
Best For: AI support, help center & ticketing.
Zendesk is a leading customer service software provider that helps you deliver better support experiences to customers. With Zendesk, you can track, prioritize, and solve customer requests via email, phone, chat, social media, and more.
You can create and manage self-service content, connect with customers via phone calls and social messaging apps, customize your support platform, and build personalized customer experiences.
What makes Zendesk the best for AI support, help center, and ticketing?
Zendesk harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to give your agents useful information, suggestions, and smart ideas. It automates tasks, making everything run smoothly and saving time. It also lets you reply quickly to customers through any communication channel to ensure they have an awesome experience with your company.
What’s so unique about Zendesk?
One of the unique features of Zendesk’s customer support tools is its unified omnichannel experience. It lets you manage all your customer interactions from a single interface, no matter which channel you use. You can switch between channels without losing context or history.
Key Features
- Provide self-service options with a knowledge base and chatbots.
- Make and receive phone calls with a browser-based call center.
- Customize your support platform with apps and integrations.
- Analyze your support performance with reports and dashboards.
- Leverage AI to enhance agent productivity and customer satisfaction.
How does the software work?
Zendesk creates a ticket for every customer interaction and assigns it to the right agent. Your agent can see the customer’s profile, history, and preferences and get AI-powered suggestions. Zendesk tracks and measures your support performance and provides you with custom reports and dashboards.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Complete customer service solution with ticketing, chat, email, phone, social media, and self-service help center. | You willl miss essential features like multi-language support, or contextual workspaces in the starting plan. |
| You can increase your agent efficiency and productivity with AI and automation. | Limitations in reporting and analytics may cause difficulties in accessing certain data. |
How has Zendesk evolved over time?
- Launched a revamped CRM platform for personalized customer experiences
- Managing online communities is easy now with Gather, a community forum software
- Delivers complete omnichannel customer service with The Zendesk Suite, which includes Zendesk Support, Guide, Chat, and Talk
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Zendesk
If you are looking for customer support software that can help you provide omnichannel, automated, and AI-powered support to your customers, then Zendesk is an excellent option.
Zendesk can help you improve your customer experience, agent productivity, and support performance. It can also adapt to your business needs and scale with your growth. However, if you are on a tight budget or prefer a simpler solution, Zendesk may not be the best fit for you.
Reasons to Buy Zendesk
- AI-powered tools enhance self-service, agent productivity, and customer satisfaction.
- Benefit from a leading and trusted customer service software that has thousands of customers worldwide.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with all web-based applications and operating systems.
Pricing: Paid plans start from $19/month (billed annually).
Reviews
- G2: 4.3/5
- Capterra: 4.4/5
3. Tawk.to
Best For: Live chat, ticketing, and knowledge base solutions for your website.
Tawk.to is a free and easy-to-use platform that lets you monitor and chat with site visitors on your website. You can respond to support tickets, organize contacts, and create a help center to enable self-service.
You can also add video and voice add-ons to enhance your communication with customers. Tawk.to is compatible with multiple languages and has a powerful JavaScript API for further customization.
What makes “Tawk.to” the best for live chat, ticketing, and knowledge base?
Tawk.to offers a comprehensive suite of support tools that lets you access all your customer interactions in one place, see their entire journey across your website, and respond with context and speed. You can also collaborate with your team members, tag and assign conversations, and use knowledge-base articles to empower customers.
What’s so unique about Tawk.to?
Tawk.to is free forever, with no ads or spam. Unlike other platforms that charge you per agent or per feature, the company gives you unlimited agents, unlimited chats, unlimited contacts, and unlimited features. You only require paying if you hire their chat agents or virtual assistants.
Key Features
- Customize and embed a live chat widget on your website.
- Manage customer queries via email with a ticketing system.
- Use a knowledge base to create and share helpful articles with your customers and team.
- Communicate internally with your team members within the dashboard using team chat.
- Control the functionality and appearance of your chat widget with a JavaScript API.
How does the software work?
Tawk.to customer support tools can be integrated with each other to provide a complete customer support package. You can add a small JavaScript snippet to your website to enable the live chat widget.
Chat with visitors, respond to tickets, create knowledge base articles, manage contacts, etc., with a dashboard. Also, integrate Tawk.to with other platforms such as Shopify, WordPress, Mailchimp, etc.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| It’s free and easy to set up and use. | It may require some technical skills or assistance to use the JavaScript API or some integrations. |
| It allows you to customize and control your chat widget and dashboard. | It may not have some advanced features or analytics that other platforms offer. |
How has Tawk.to evolved over time?
- Added ticketing, knowledge base, chat pages, team chat, JavaScript API, and more features over the years.
- Became one of the most popular and highly rated customer support platforms.
- Constantly updates and improves its platform based on user feedback and requests.
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Tawk.to
If you are looking for a free alternative to Intercom, consider getting Tawk.to. It is an easy-to-use and feature-rich platform that can help you communicate with your customers effectively. It is also a great option if you want to customize and control your chat widget and dashboard according to your preferences.
Reasons to Buy Tawk.to
- A shareable knowledge base can assist your customers and team in finding answers to common questions.
- It has a forever free plan, which can be suitable for businesses on a tight budget.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS & Android platforms.
Pricing: A free-forever plan is available for all Tawk.to products. Hire Tawk.to chat agents for $1/hour and virtual assistants for $7/hour.
Reviews
- G2: 4.5/5
- Capterra: 4.6/5
Also Read: 10 Best Tawk.to Live Chat Alternatives & Similar Software
4. Vision Helpdesk
Best For: Multichannel support, help desk & service desk.
Vision Helpdesk is another alternative to Intercom that helps you manage your IT support operations. It includes help desk software, satellite help desk software, service desk software, and live chat software.
You can centralize customer conversations using email, web portal, phone, chat, social media, etc. The company also offers ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) and ITSM (Information Technology Service Management)-compliant features like CMDB (Configuration Management Database), asset management, incident management, and more.
What makes Vision Helpdesk the best for multichannel support, help desk, and service desk?
With Vision Helpdesk, you can handle customer queries from one platform, automate workflows, track time, gamify your help desk, etc. You can also manage your IT resources efficiently with features like service catalog, change management, release management, and more.
What’s so unique about Vision Helpdesk?
Vision Helpdesk offers true multi-company support. It means you can manage multiple companies from one place without compromising on data privacy or security. This makes Vision Helpdesk ideal if you want to provide consistent and personalized customer support for multiple products, services, or markets.
Key Features
- Manage all your customer conversations from one platform with multichannel ticket management.
- Create separate portals, staff, and end users for each company or brand with satellite help desk software.
- Manage your IT resources and support efficiently with ITIL/ITSM-compliant service desk software.
- Engage your website visitors and convert them into customers with live chat software.
- Get your project tasks done in a simplified manner with a task management feature.
How does the software work?
With Vision Helpdesk, you can manage all your tickets from different channels. You can use the satellite help desk software to manage multiple companies or brands from one place or the service desk software to manage IT resources and support. You can also operate the live chat software to engage with your website visitors and deliver prompt customer service.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Enhance IT performance by following ITIL/ITSM best practices | It may not integrate with some third-party applications. |
| Save costs by using one platform for multiple companies or brands. | It may have some limitations in customization or branding options. |
How has Vision Helpdesk evolved over time?
- Started as a web-based help desk software in 2007
- Added satellite help desk software for multi-company support a few years later
- Added service desk software for ITIL/ITSM compliance to boost IT performance
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Vision Helpdesk
If you are looking for a cheap Intercom alternative that offers multi-channel ticket management, multi-company support, ITIL/ITSM-compliant service desk, and live chat software, you should buy Vision Helpdesk. It is a reliable, secure, and affordable solution that can help you improve your customer satisfaction, productivity, and sales.
Reasons to Buy Vision Helpdesk
- Enable self-service by offering your customers a knowledge base, downloads, suggestions, and FAQs.
- Unique satellite help desk feature for managing support across multiple companies, brands, or products from a single staff portal.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with all browsers. Runs on Android and iOS devices. Supports Windows, Linux, and Mac operating systems.
Pricing: Paid plans start from $12/agent/month (billed annually).
Reviews
- Capterra: 4.7/5
5. Tidio
Best For: Live chat, AI chatbot & email marketing.
Tidio is a comprehensive customer service platform that helps you connect with your site visitors, automate support processes, and increase conversions.
Tidio is easy to set up, customize, and integrate with your favorite tools, such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Shopify, WordPress, and more. You can also access it from any device.
What makes Tidio the best for live chat, AI chatbots, and email marketing?
Tidio combines the power of live chat and AI chatbots in one platform to offer a seamless customer experience across different channels. You can use Tidio to engage your visitors with proactive messages, answer their questions with smart chatbots, and follow up with them via email campaigns.
What’s so unique about Tidio?
Tidio leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance your customer service. You can create AI chatbots that understand natural language, handle complex queries, and learn from customer feedback. Using it, you can analyze your customer data and segment your audience based on their interests, behavior, and needs.
Key Features
- Customize your live chat widgets, send offline messages, see typing indicators, and share files.
- Create smart AI chatbots with natural language processing (NLP), templates, and drag-and-drop editor.
- Automate email marketing campaigns, design email templates, test different versions, and measure results.
- Track your visitors in real time, view their details, and access their contact history.
- Integrate Tidio with Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Shopify, WordPress, etc.
How does the software work?
Adding a live chat widget to your website lets you communicate with visitors in real-time. Tidio enables you to deploy AI-powered chatbots to answer common questions, collect leads, book appointments, etc. Additionally, you can use Tidio to send email campaigns to your contacts based on their actions or events on your website.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Grow your business by reaching more customers on different platforms and devices. | Some features like analytics and visitors’ info are unavailable on the free plan. |
| Save time and resources by automating repetitive tasks and workflows with chatbots. | Some users may experience technical issues or bugs occasionally. |
How has Tidio evolved over time?
- Added AI feature to improve chatbot performance and customer segmentation
- Mobile and desktop apps allow users to access Tidio from any device
- Instagram integration to enable users to chat with their Instagram followers
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Tidio
If you are looking for a customer service platform that offers live chat, chatbots, email marketing, AI, integrations, and more in one place, Tidio is an excellent option. Tidio can help you improve customer service, increase conversions, and grow your business.
Reasons to Buy Tidio
- You can engage your visitors with proactive messages, answer their questions with smart chatbots, and follow up with them via email campaigns.
- The software offers real-time tracking and analytics to analyze visitors’ behavior, preferences, and feedback.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with all browsers. Has a mobile app for iOS and Android devices and a desktop app for Windows and Mac computers.
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start from $25/seat/month (billed annually).
Reviews
- G2: 4.7/5
Also Read: Top 11 Tidio Live Chat Alternatives & Competitors
6. Freshworks
Best For: IT service management and live chat.
Freshworks is a platform of cloud-based customer support solutions that help you create unique customer experiences and grow your business. The company has helpdesk software, CRM software, a chatbot builder, call center software, etc.
These software solutions deliver fast and personalized support to your customers across multiple channels. You can automate workflows, collaborate with your team, and get insights from analytics and reports.
What makes Freshworks the best for IT service management and live chat?
With Freshworks, you can get started in minutes without requiring coding or technical skills. Using its powerful APIs and integration support, you can customize and integrate its software with your existing tools and systems. Using live chat, you can resolve customer queries and issues faster.
What’s so unique about Freshworks?
Freshworks is a customer service and support solution that offers a 360-degree view of every customer. You can see each customer’s conversations, tickets, activities, and feedback in one place. This helps you understand their needs, preferences, and behavior better. You can also use AI-powered agent assist tools to provide faster and smarter resolutions.
Key Features
- Manage conversations and tickets from multiple channels in one inbox.
- Automate repetitive tasks and workflows with bots, triggers, and scenarios.
- Engage with website visitors and product users using live chat, AI chatbots, and campaigns.
- Align your sales and marketing teams with an all-in-one CRM software.
- Track and measure your team’s performance with dashboards, reports, and surveys.
How does the software work?
Freshworks customer support tools can be integrated to have a complete customer support package. You can use Freshdesk to manage your helpdesk tickets, Freshchat to chat with your customers, Freshcaller to make and receive calls, Freshsales to manage your leads and deals, and so on.
You can also connect Freshworks with popular apps like Slack, Gmail, Zapier, Shopify, Mailchimp, etc.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Reduce costs and complexity with a cloud-based solution that scales with your business. | Some users may experience learning curves or usability issues. |
| Boost sales and revenue with cross-selling and upselling opportunities. | Some features may only be available for some regions or languages. |
How Freshworks has evolved over time?
- Started as Freshdesk, a helpdesk software
- Added more products to its portfolio, such as CRM software, chat software, chatbot builder, etc.
- Acquired several companies to strengthen its offerings, such as an AI-powered self-service, customer success analytics, and IT automation companies.
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Freshworks:
If you are looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-use, and affordable customer service and support solution to grow your business, you should buy Freshworks. Freshworks offers a free plan for most of its products. You can also choose from different plans that suit your needs and budget.
Reasons to Buy Freshworks
- A 360-degree view of every customer helps you deliver personalized and consistent support across multiple channels.
- Automation support enables you to streamline your workflows, saving time and resources.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with web, iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac platforms.
Pricing: Free plan available for limited users. Paid plans start from $15/month (billed annually).
Reviews
- Capterra: 4.5/5
Also Read: 11 Best Freshchat Alternatives & Competitors Worth Considering
7. HelpCrunch
Best For: Email marketing, live chat, and knowledge base.
HelpCrunch is another alternative to Intercom that combines live chat, email, chatbot, and knowledge base features. It helps you deliver exceptional customer support across multiple channels, generate more leads, and automate marketing campaigns.
You can install a multichannel chat widget on your website or mobile app, create a self-service knowledge hub, set up chatbot scenarios, manage emails and messages from various sources, etc.
What makes HelpCrunch the best for email marketing, live chat, and knowledge base?
HelpCrunch enables real-time help via live chat, offers superb self-service 24×7 with a knowledge base, converts visitors with automated greetings, and puts your marketing on autopilot with email sequences and newsletters.
You can also access detailed user profiles, integrate with other apps, and enjoy best-in-class support from the HelpCrunch team.
What’s so unique about HelpCrunch?
HelpCrunch has a flexible pricing model that lets you pay only for what you use. You can choose from different plans based on your needs. Unlike other tools that charge per agent or per seat, HelpCrunch allows you to have unlimited agents and chats for a fixed price. This way, you can save money and scale your business without hassle.
Key Features
- Provide real-time help to customers via live chat with powerful white-labeling options.
- Create helpful chatbot scenarios in a visual zero-code builder to automate the routine.
- Send one-off newsletters or set up email sequences to increase conversions at every stage of the funnel.
- Manage chats, emails, and messages from Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and Viber in an intuitive shared inbox.
- Launch a full-fledged help center in no time with a WYSIWYG editor and SEO optimization.
How does the software work?
You can install the chat widget on your website or mobile app with a few lines of code. HelpCruch lets you import your contacts from other sources or collect them via the widget. You can also customize the widget appearance, create chatbot scenarios, set up email campaigns, launch a knowledge base, and more.
Finally, start communicating with your customers via the shared inbox, monitor their behavior, and optimize your strategy accordingly.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Provide multichannel customer support in one dashboard. | No phone support or video chat options. |
| Offer superb self-service 24x7 with a knowledge base. | Some features may not be available in some regions or languages. |
How HelpCrunch has evolved over time?
- Added email marketing features for seamless newsletter campaigns
- Multichannel chat widget support added
- Mobile app integration support added via SDK
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying HelpCrunch?
HelpCrunch is not just a customer support tool but also a lead generation and email marketing tool. It helps you provide exceptional customer support across multiple channels, generate more leads and conversions, and automate marketing campaigns. It also has a flexible pricing model that lets you pay only for what you use.
Reasons to Buy HelpCrunch
- Provide real-time help to your customers via live chat, email, messengers, social media platforms, etc.
- You can access detailed user profiles, integrate with other apps, and track insightful customer support metrics.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with web, iOS, and Android platforms.
Pricing: Paid plans start from $12/member/month (billed annually).
Reviews
- Capterra: 4.8/5
8. Pure Chat
Best For: Live chat
Pure Chat is a live chat software that lets you connect with your website visitors in real-time. You can customize your chat widget to match your brand, set up canned responses and chat triggers, and manage multiple chats from a powerful dashboard. Pure Chat also offers native iOS and Android apps, so you can chat with your customers on the go.
What makes Pure Chat the best for live chat?
Pure Chat lets you scale your customer service without breaking the bank. You can integrate it with popular tools like Google Analytics, Zapier, HubSpot, etc., to track your chat performance and automate your workflows. It also has a built-in chatbot feature that can be automated to answer common questions and collect leads.
What’s so unique about Pure Chat?
Pure Chat has a text-to-chat feature that enables you to text your customers from your chat dashboard. This way, you can reach out to your customers on their preferred channel and increase your response rate. You can also send files and images through the chat box, making sharing product information and troubleshooting issues easier.
Key Features
- Customize your chat widget with colors, images, logos, and languages.
- Set up canned responses and chat triggers to save time and engage visitors.
- Manage multiple chats from a single dashboard with user roles and permissions.
- Use chatbots to answer common questions and collect visitor information.
- Text your customers from your chat dashboard with a text-to-chat feature.
How does the software work?
You can use Pure Chat by copying and pasting a code snippet into your website’s HTML to start chatting with your visitors. You can also use the WordPress plugin to add Pure Chat to your website.
Access your chat dashboard from any browser or device, or use the mobile apps to chat with customers on the go. The dashboard lets you view chat transcripts, reports, analytics, etc.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Generate more leads and capture visitor information with chatbots. | No advanced features like co-browsing or screen sharing. |
| Increase sales and conversions by engaging with visitors in real-time. | No multilingual support or translation feature. |
How has Pure Chat evolved over time?
- Added integrations with Google Analytics, Zapier, HubSpot, Infusionsoft, etc.
- Introduced mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.
- Added text-to-chat feature to text customers from the chat dashboard
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Pure Chat?
If you’re looking for a simple and affordable Intercom live chat alternative that can help you increase sales, conversions, leads, and customer satisfaction, then Pure Chat might be a good option for you.
However, if you need more advanced features like video or voice chat, co-browsing, screen sharing, multilingual support, or translation, then choose other alternatives.
Reasons to Buy Pure Chat
- A customizable chat widget lets you match your brand and website design.
- Native iOS and Android apps help you deliver support on the go.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with any website that supports HTML code. It also has a WordPress plugin. Works on any browser or device, including iOS and Android.
Pricing: Paid plans start from $39/month (billed annually).
Reviews
- Capterra: 4.6/5
Also Read: Top 10 Alternatives to Pure Chat
9. Olark
Best For: Live chat & CRM.
Olark helps you connect with your customers in real-time. You can customize your chat widget, send triggered messages, store chat transcripts, and integrate with your favorite tools.
Olark also has a customer data platform that lets you organize and access customer information, such as structured notes, page views, and CRM records. You can also use Olark’s API to send chat data to applications like Google Analytics, Slack, or Zendesk.
What makes Olark the best for live chat and CRM?
Olark works with different CRM systems. You can store and access customer data and chat transcripts in Olark or your CRM and send chat data to other tools. You can also use the software’s features to target, engage, qualify, convert, retain, and grow your leads and customers.
What’s so unique about Olark?
One unique feature of Olark is its powerful chat commands and controls. You can use shortcuts to perform everyday actions, such as transferring chats, tagging conversations, or sending canned responses. You can also use commands to access advanced functions, such as blocking visitors, hiding your status, or setting your availability.
Key Features
- Change your chat widget’s color, size, position, language, and text to match your brand and website.
- Allow visitors to leave a message when your operators are offline to follow up via email later.
- Save the full text of every conversation to a searchable database or your CRM system.
- Get real-time dashboards and email reports on chat metrics and customer feedback.
- Add Olark events to your Google Analytics account for a richer view of your conversion funnel.
How does the software work?
After signing up for Olark and copying a code to your website, you can customize your chat widget and settings from your dashboard.
You can use your browser or the Olark app to chat with your visitors. The software lets you see who is on your website and send them triggered messages. With chat commands and shortcuts, you can manage your chats.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| User-friendly and intuitive interface with a mobile app for on-the-go support ticket management. | No native mobile app for agents. |
| Complete customer service solution with ticketing, automation, chat, email, phone, social media, and self-service help center. | You may face some technical glitches and bugs occasionally. |
How has Olark evolved over time?
- Enabled chat ratings to allow customers to rate their chat experience and leave feedback.
- Image and GIF support are added to attract visitors’ attention.
- Targeted cha enabled sending chat invitations to specific segments of visitors based on their location, device, referral source, or other criteria.
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Olark
Olark can be a good option if you are looking for simple, reliable, and affordable live chat software. However, you should go for other options for more advanced features like video or voice chat, chatbot or automation, co-browsing or screen sharing, or more design options for your chat widget.
Reasons to Buy Olark
- You can store and access customer data and chat transcripts in Olark or your CRM system.
- Enjoy friendly and helpful customer support from Olark’s team to navigate issues faster.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with any website that supports JavaScript. Does not have a native mobile app for agents.
Pricing: Paid plans start from $29/seat/month.
Reviews
- Capterra: 4.5/5
Also Read: Comparing the Top 10 Olark Alternatives
10. ClickDesk
Best For: Live chat & help desk.
ClickDesk is a powerful customer service tool that combines live chat, voice chat, email, and help desk in one platform. It enables you to engage customers via their preferred channel to provide instant and personalized support.
The tool is cloud-based, so you don’t need to install any software. You can integrate ClickDesk with your CRM, helpdesk, eCommerce, and analytics tools to streamline workflows and get more customer insights.
What makes ClickDesk the best for live chat and help desk?
ClickDesk is a powerful customer service tool that combines live chat and help desk in one platform. It lets you chat with your website visitors in real-time, answer their questions, solve their problems, and convert them into customers. You can also manage your support tickets, emails, and offline messages from the same dashboard.
What’s so unique about ClickDesk?
One of the unique features of ClickDesk is its keystroke preview, which lets you see what visitors type before they send it over. This enables you to understand your visitors better, anticipate their questions, and close more sales.
Key Features
- Chat with web visitors in real-time and provide them with personalized support.
- Make browser-based voice and video calls to build trust with your customers.
- Manage tickets and emails with helpdesk software and streamline communication.
- Chat in multiple languages with the translation feature in the chat window.
- Use the keystroke preview feature to see what visitors type before they send it over.
How does the software work?
ClickDesk works by adding a simple code snippet to your website. This enables the chat widget to appear on your web pages and allows you to interact with your visitors.
You can also use the webchat panel or mobile app to access your dashboard and manage your chats and tickets. You can also use ClickDesk’s API to customize the software according to your needs.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Easy to set up and use, as you don’t need to download or install any software. | No native integrations with some popular apps, such as Slack, Mailchimp, HubSpot, etc. |
| Offer support via live chat, voice chat, email, etc., to your customers. | Limited customization options for the chat widget. |
How ClickDesk has evolved over time?
- Integration support is added with popular apps such as WordPress, Shopify, Salesforce, Zendesk, MailChimp, etc.
- Added features such as video chat, helpdesk, social toolbar, etc.
- Cloud backups in remote locations to ensure high performance, reliability, and security
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying ClickDesk:
If you are looking for a simple and affordable customer support tool that offers multiple communication channels, automatic translation, and keystroke preview features, then ClickDesk might be a good option.
However, look for other Intercom alternatives for features like chatbots, automation, screen sharing, co-browsing, or native integration support.
Reasons to Buy ClickDesk
- With instant and personalized support, you can deliver prompt customer support to website visitors.
- ClickDesk has a unique feature of voice and video chats that can bring conversations to life.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, etc. Works on mobile devices on the Android platform.
Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start from $14.99/month (billed annually).
Reviews
- G2: 3.8/5
- Capterra: 3.5/5
11. Zoho
Best For: Ticketing, self-service, and automation.
Zoho offers a comprehensive suite of software options designed to streamline business processes and enhance productivity. With user-friendly interfaces and cloud-based accessibility, you can efficiently manage tasks and collaborate seamlessly for optimal efficiency.
The software can be personalized to meet your business needs. You can also connect it with many popular third-party app extensions and use native apps for mobile devices.
What makes Zoho the best for ticketing, self-service, and automation?
Zoho lets you create and assign tickets to your agents based on various criteria, such as priority, category, SLA, etc. You can also automate repetitive tasks, such as sending notifications, updating statuses, or escalating issues.
Zoho also enables you to build a self-service portal where your customers can find answers to their questions, submit requests, or rate your service.
What’s so unique about Zoho?
One unique feature of Zoho is its blended conversation feature that combines human-driven and bot-powered conversational service. You can seamlessly switch between live agents and chatbots based on the context and complexity of the customer query. You can also use natural language processing (NLP) and sentiment analysis to deliver personalized responses.
Key Features
- Manage customer service tickets from multiple channels.
- Provide contextual support, sentiment analysis, predictive intelligence, and more with AI.
- Measure customer satisfaction, agent performance, and service quality with built-in analytics.
- Automate workflows and tasks with custom rules and macros.
- Communicate with your team and other departments with collaboration features.
How does the software work?
Zoho connects you with your customers on multiple channels and helps you manage their service requests. You can create and assign tickets, use macros and triggers, view ticket details, and compose replies.
You can also offer self-service options or leverage artificial intelligence for contextual support and sentiment analysis. You can also track and improve customer service performance with reports, feedback, and ratings.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Affordable pricing plans that suit different business sizes and needs. | May experience some bugs or glitches occasionally. |
| Easy to set up and use with a user-friendly interface and a shallow learning curve. | Lacks some advanced features that other customer service software offer. |
How Zoho has evolved over time?
- Added features like social media integration, live chat widget, telephony integration, etc.
- Introduced Zia (Zoho’s AI assistant) for sentiment analysis, anomaly detection, etc.
- Added features like blended conversation, voice bot, video chat, etc.
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying Zoho
Zoho integrates well with its own tools as well as other third-party extensions. It offers features that can help you manage customer service tickets, provide self-service options, automate workflows, use artificial intelligence, and measure customer satisfaction. It is a good option for customer support if you are looking for simple, affordable, and scalable software.
Reasons to Buy Zoho
- Zoho provides excellent customer support and resources, such as tutorials, webinars, forums, etc.
- Leverage artificial intelligence to provide contextual support and analyze customer emotions.
Platforms Compatibility: Compatible with web browsers, Android devices, and iOS devices.
Pricing: Help desk pricing starts from $18/agent/month (billed annually). Visit Zoho.com for pricing information about other products.
Reviews
- G2: 4.4/5
- Capterra: 4.5/5
5 Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Intercom Alternative
There are plenty of Intercom alternatives in the market, but not all of them will suit your business needs. When selecting the best tool for your customer support team, you need to keep these five points in mind –
#1 Hassle-Free Setup Process
A hassle-free setup process is crucial because it lets you to quickly start providing support once the software is enabled on your website. Complex software requires technical skills and extensive training. Simplifying the setup ensures a smooth transition to providing efficient support without unnecessary complications.
#2 AI-Chatbot Support
Intercom is mostly advertised for its ability to help users build a conversational chatbot for all purposes. So when you start your journey to replace Intercom, ensure that its competitor offers the availability of AI chatbots.
Here are some benefits of having AI chatbots as part of your customer support solution:
- They can work seamlessly with your human agents and escalate complex issues to them when needed.
- AI bots can improve customer satisfaction by reducing wait times and frustration.
- They learn from their interactions and improve their performance over time.
Also Read: Best AI Chatbots Comparison
#3 Proactive Customer Service
| “Shifting from reactive to proactive conversations is a game-changer, delivering nearly effortless experiences, reducing cost and increasing customer lifetime value.” – John Quaglietta, Senior Director Analyst, Gartner. |
Proactive customer service means reaching out to your customers before they contact you, anticipating their needs and problems, and offering solutions and assistance. This can help you build customer trust, loyalty, and retention and differentiate yourself from your competitors.
When choosing an Intercom alternative, ensure you are able to-
- Send personalized messages and notifications to customers based on their behavior and preferences.
- Offer proactive live chat support and initiate conversations with website visitors.
- Monitor customer feedback and reviews and respond to them promptly and professionally.
Also Read: What is Proactive Customer Service and How to Implement It
#4 Budget Restraints
Intercom’s pricing is not transparent. It can be problematic for your business to find a customer support solution that meets your needs and expectations without breaking the bank. You also want to avoid hidden fees and charges that can add up over time.
ProProfs can be an excellent example of how every customer support product should have individual pricing. This makes it easier to calculate how the products you need compare to your budget.
#5 Check Feedback & Reviews Online
Finally, you must check the feedback and reviews of other users. This helps you avoid any potential pitfalls or drawbacks that they may have encountered.
Here are some ways to check feedback and reviews online:
- Visit the company’s official website for testimonials and case studies.
- Browse online forums and communities.
- Read online reviews and ratings from trusted platforms like Capterra, G2, Trustpilot, etc.
Revamp Your Customer Support With the Best Intercom Alternatives
In today’s competitive market, reliable customer support is crucial for business success. While Intercom stands tall as one of the most renowned customer support software solutions, it’s not the best.
There are many Intercom alternatives that offer better functionality, customization, and pricing. Each one of the 11 alternatives you read about above has special features that can make your customer support experience exceptional.
Make sure that the customer support platform you choose caters to your business’s unique requirements. If you want to get the most out of your customer support platform, you should give ProProfs a try.
It has some of the best software to customize, automate, and integrate your support channels with other apps. You can use ProProfs Chat, ProProfs Help Desk, ProProfs Knowledge Base, or BIGContacts CRM to create a comprehensive customer support solution that will keep customers coming back for more!
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