Intercom
In-app messaging plus chatbot plus helpdesk. Premium pricing common in venture-funded SaaS.
What is Intercom?
Intercom is customer relationship management software — a system of record for every interaction your business has with prospects and customers.
In-app messaging plus chatbot plus helpdesk. Premium pricing common in venture-funded SaaS.
What to look for in crm
The questions you should ask before committing to Intercom or any alternative.
- Pipeline UX: how fast is it to log a call and move a deal?
- Marketing automation depth (lead scoring, drip campaigns, attribution)
- Mobile usability for field sales
- Native calling, email, and chat (vs needing 3 add-on integrations)
- Pricing structure: per-user vs contact-based
- API and Zapier coverage for your data flows
Intercom cost at scale
Modelled monthly cost as you grow. Estimates only — final pricing varies on plan discounts, volume tiers, and any negotiated enterprise SKU. Sales seats is the axis we vary.
Forex assumed at ₹85/USD. Actual cost includes 2–3.5% forex markup unless paying with a low-fx card.
Intercom is great for
B2B sales-led companies once you cross ~50 active opportunities, and any business where marketing and sales need a shared view of the customer.
Probably not ideal if
Pure transactional ecommerce (an OMS + email platform usually beats a CRM) or single-founder businesses with <20 customers.
Alternatives to Intercom
Other tools in the crm category we cover.
Pipedrive
Sales-focused CRM with strong pipeline UX. Lighter than Salesforce, more focused than HubSpot.
HubSpot
Inbound marketing + CRM platform with a generous free tier.
Salesforce
Enterprise CRM and customer-360 platform.
Zendesk
Customer support platform — ticketing, live chat, knowledge base. Enterprise default for support teams.
Help Scout
Email-first customer support — feels like Gmail, scales with your team. Lighter than Zendesk.
Zoho
All-in-one suite of business apps — CRM, mail, books, projects, and more.
Intercom head-to-head
See all Intercom alternatives →Side-by-side comparisons with the obvious alternatives.
Track Intercom in your stack
Add Intercom to your free MatchYourSaaS tracker — we email you 30/7/1 days before every renewal, with the cheaper alternative ready to compare.
Add to trackerFAQ
›What does Intercom cost?
Entry plan starts around $39 per user per month. Annual plans typically discount 15-20%. Intercom bills in USD; Indian businesses incur ~3.5% forex markup unless paying with a forex-friendly card (see below).
›Who is Intercom a good fit for?
B2B sales-led companies once you cross ~50 active opportunities, and any business where marketing and sales need a shared view of the customer.
›Who should NOT use Intercom?
Pure transactional ecommerce (an OMS + email platform usually beats a CRM) or single-founder businesses with <20 customers.
›Are there cheaper alternatives to Intercom?
Yes — popular crm alternatives include Pipedrive, HubSpot, Salesforce. Compare them side-by-side via the head-to-head comparisons we maintain.
Pay for Intercom with the right card
Picking Intercom is half the decision. The other half is the card you swipe — at $39/mo the right pick recovers 1.5–4% in forex savings + rewards compared to a default retail card.
EXPRESS
Amex Hilton Honors
No-fx US card — pay USD with USD, zero markup; 3% rewards on crm spend
IDFC FIRST Wow
0% forex markup vs 3.5% on retail Indian cards
ICICI MMT Signature
1.5% rewards on crm spend