There are certain messaging platforms out there, which help for the purpose of communication. One such messaging platform is- Intercom.

It is a US-based organization, which was founded in 2011 by four individuals, namely Eoghan McCabe, Des Traynor, Ciaran Lee and David Barrett.

Now, internet messaging platforms were in practice long before 2011. But these four individuals tried to channelize that notion in the field of marketing, and the result of that venture is-Intercom.

Intercom, no doubt, is one of the most accepted customers messaging software, all over the world. It has some distinctive features to its name, like managing conversation with leads and customers, sending proper messages to right people at the right time, publish quality articles to train the customers with new marketing tricks, and so on. All these make Intercom stand out in the crowd. Right from its creation, it has been holding the supreme position in the customer messaging field.

But with time, some very efficient and responsive messaging platforms are entering the market, and as a result, Intercom is lagging behind. Also, users of Intercom always had an issue with their extra costly plans. That is another reason, why Intercomers are leaving Intercom and switching to different apps.

My purpose of writing this article is basically to guide you guys so that if you are tired with Intercom and want to try something new, I’ll make sure that you choose the best one, out of the intercom alternatives.

So, keep on reading.

Some Effective Intercom Alternatives

01 of 13 Tawk.to

Tawk is quite an old player in this field and one of the best Intercom alternatives, which started its journey back in 2011. This is a London based organization which has been specialising in customer service and real-time messaging, for a long time now. It is among those Intercom alternatives, which gives a tight competition to Intercom in terms of excellence. Tawk provides some affluent features to its customers, like-real time monitoring, customisable widgets, automated triggers etc. Add to that it is available in 27 languages and 1880+ Emojis. Also it is compeletely free. So, when are you signing up?

02 of 13 Crisp.chat

Crisp is one of those intercom alternatives, which has enhanced the features of Intercom, with time. Yes, you heard that right. Intercom might have started it all, but it is Crisp that has given the features of Intercom a new meaning. Along with helping the users in messaging and marketing, It also allows the users to maintain a better relationship with customers by its magic map facility(which helps you to get a count of the exact number of active users)and its magic browse facility(which lets you look at the visitor’s screen). Crisp lets you take a free trial first, and if you are satisfied with their service, then only they charge. The plans start from $25/month. In case you are a fan of modernism, then Crisp is a must try for you.

03 of 13 Boomtrain

Boomtrain is a California based company that describes itself, as “a marketing engine with artificial intelligence at its core”. It is a fact that Bommtrain does not have a simple user interface, but the appealing fact is, its features. Some of its attributes include, marketing automation, onsite recommendation, mobile push etc. But the drawback with Boomtrain is that, it is one of those Intercom alternatives, which is not very affordable. Hence, if you think you have the financial ability to use it, then only you should try it.

04 of 13 Userengage

Userengage is a newbie in this field, which only started its voyage in 2015. But that does not stop it from offering some vibrant features. This New York-based messaging medium offers features like, chat and in-app messaging, marketing automation, email marketing( which is no longer considered as a spam, by the way), customer relationship management, user tracking and what not! Also it has a skilfully designed user interface with a flamboyant look. It charges a minimum of $60/month, which is not very costly compared to Intercom. Therefore,it is one of the best intercom alternatives and hence I don’t see any reason, to not try this one.

05 of 13 Drift

Drift is a Boston based organization that claims itself to be “world’s first and only conversation driven marketing and sales platform.” It is one of those Intercom alternatives, which is having a similar user interface like Intercom. Drift has introduced some moving features like, real-time messaging, Driftbot (which works as your sales assistant), playbook (which lets you arrange more meetings for your sales team), email marketing and so on. In terms of pricing, Drift is not a good option, as it charges $50/agent per month and additional $15 for unlocking new agents. But still, if money is not a problem for you, then you should definitely think of becoming a Drifter.

06 of 13 Chat.io

Chat.io is one of those Intercom alternatives, which is smarter than Intercom any day. It has a proficiently designed user interface and a striking look, which attracts the users instantly. It allows you to chat online with your clients, engage customers with chat ratings and file sharing etc. One added advantage of this software is that, it lets you build features of your choice. Also it is one of the cheapest alternatives to Intercom with a charge as low as $10/month per agent. So, not trying it would be silliness, don’t you think?

07 of 13 Userlike Live Chat

Userlike Live Chat is a, Germany based messaging platform, which provides real-time messaging support. They believe in helping their customers, when they need it the most. It is one of the easiest Intercom alternatives. It offers a browser-based chat system which is customizable, well-organized and insightful. The best feature of Userlike is probably its add-ons. For instance, slack( a bunch of communication tools for one to one messaging), piperdrive(an innovative sales tool that allows you to track all your sales interactions) and so on. Userlike gives you a 14 day free trial benefit followed by plans starting from $29/month. And it is also a free alternative to Intercom which offers free, unlimited chat forever. So, why don’t you try it out today?

08 of 13 LiveAgent

LiveAgent is a Europe based company which started its mission in 2011. As the name suggests, it offers you the service of live chat. But that’s not the end to its offerings. LiveAgent offers some trendy features like, universal inbox, ticketing and automated ticket distribution, time tracking, service level agreement, spam filters and so on.

But in terms of user interface, it is a bit complex in nature and may take some time to get habituated. It allows you a 14-day free trial followed by a charge of minimum $12/month.

Hence, if you prefer a sensitive CRM based messaging service, then trust me, your wait ends here.

09 of 13 Olark

Olark is a live chat platform, with some unique features and instinctive marketing tools. It is one of those cheapest Intercom alternatives which is rich in terms of features, and also stunningly crafted. Its features include a high level of customization benefits, unlimited conversations, real-time chat, automated messages and so forth.

It has a free plan available, making it one of the free Intercom alternatives, but that plan does not include any cool features. Premium plans start from $12/agent/month. Olark is therefore quite a smart choice and definitely deserves a try.

10 of 13 Retainly

Retainly is an enhanced real-time messaging and automated marketing platform. It would satisfy you in terms of creativity and innovation. Retainly helps you to convert leads in clients, by email marketing, push and in-app messaging and other modes of communication. Price wise also it is not very costly. It starts with a free trial followed by a charge of minimum $19/month. If you are a fan of latest technology and innovation, then Retainly is your go-to option. It is one of the cheapest Intercom alternatives.

11 of 13 HelpCrunch

HelpCrunch is a US based company offering real-time messaging, customer service, email marketing and other popular marketing tools. HelpCrunch is a hit among the users for its first-class customer service. Founded in 2014, HelpCrunch is one of the safest and best Intercom alternatives that you can choose, considering its rapid business growth in such a short span of time. Its top features include live chat, email automation, integration with your favorite social media platforms and so on. HelpCrunch’s basic package costs $12/month, and its premium plan costs $21/month. Sometimes you might feel a bit complexity in using HelpCrunch on different platforms like Android, iOS etc, but other than that it is a cool choice, no doubt.

12 of 13 UseResponse

UseResponse is a US-based customer messaging medium. The users enjoy this software because of its fully customizable user interface and customer feedback options. They focus largely on customer service and make sure that they interact regularly with their clients. They help you in communicating via popular channels like FB Messanger, WhatsApp, Viber etc. Some of their clients include biggies like CISCO, IBM, P&G etc. They have a 14-day free trial option and thereafter a monthly charge of $15. You can give it a shot as its straightforward user interface and cool features are definitely worth the money.

13 of 13 Zendesk Chat

Zendesk Chat is one of those Intercom alternatives, which literally believes that a chat is better than thousand emails. With this thought, Zendesk Chat has created a messaging platform which lets you interconnect with your customers through live chats and messages. Its feature list includes, triggers, chat ratings, pre-chat forms etc. Zendesk has a free plan, but it is not that handy. Its premium plans range from $14/month to $59/month.Therefore, you can totally sign up for Zendesk and enjoy the lovely features that it has to offer.

Plus..

Apart from the above mentioned messaging platforms, you should also know about two mediums which are free as well as the easiest ones to set up.

Skype is a known name when it comes to audio and video calls. But did you know that Skype has another version named Skype Web Control, which offers a faster way for website visitors to interact directly with agents, on the business website? Yes. There is a tool which appears as a chat box and is really smooth in its usage. All you have to do is just click on the icon and start typing. So, why go for costly and complicated options, when you already have a simple tool?Yes, Skype Web Control can work as one of the free Intercom alternatives. Try it now.

You might already have the FB messanger app on your phone, but did you know that your very own Facebook has a chat widget for marketing purpose? Well, yes. Messangerify is a chat widget which lets you have real-time chat with your customers and leads. It is a free tool with unlimited chat benefit and a lot of customization options. It basically tries to make your favorite app Facebook as a medium of CRM.

You are probably a Facebook user already, so what is stopping you from becoming a part of Messangerify?

Now, I have almost reached the concluding part.

I know for a lot of users, Intercom still is the one and only option when it comes to live chat. They probably don’t even want to hear about these Intercom Alternatives. But for many beginners or start up owners, Intercom is just too expensive and way out of their reach. For them these Intercom alternatives are definitely going to open new doors.

So, what are you waiting for? Give them a shot and inform me about your experiences through comments.

Till then, keep chatting!