Top pick: Chatwoot. Switching saves about $348 USD a year.
$348 USDa year
≈$496.14 CAD (converted from USD)
Every pick below has a free version.
2 alternatives
The editor’s first choice for most people switching.
Best for open-source live chat and a shared inbox
Free to self-host under the MIT license. Chatwoot Cloud has a Hacker plan for 2 agents and 500 conversations a month. Free version: Self-hosting is free. Chatwoot Cloud Hacker is $0 for 2 agents and 500 conversations a month.
Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Best for building AI chatbots with human handoff
The MIT-licensed code can be self-hosted with Docker or Kubernetes. Tiledesk Cloud has no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Free version: Self-hosting is free. Tiledesk Cloud has no free plan, only a 14-day trial; Pro is EUR 149 a month.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
How each alternative covers what people use Intercom for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | Chatwoot | Tiledesk |
|---|---|---|
| Conversations | ||
| Live chat messenger | Yes | YesNote 1Web widget with human handoff |
| Shared inbox and ticketing | YesNote 2Email, chat and social channels in one inbox | PartialNote 3Agent inbox for live conversations |
| AI | ||
| AI agent for customer answers | NoNote 4Captain AI is part of paid Chatwoot plans | YesNote 5No-code AI agent builder that can run on open models |
| Self-service | ||
| Help center articles | Yes | NoNote 6A knowledge base feeds AI agents but there is no public help center |
| Automation | ||
| Workflows and routing rules | YesNote 7Automation rules | PartialNote 8Bot flows and routing; fewer ticket rules |
| Outbound | ||
| In-app messages and campaigns | PartialNote 9Campaigns for proactive messages; no product tours | No |
| Parity score | 75% | 50% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: In-app messages and campaigns. See all feature gaps
Switching saves about $348 USD / ≈$496 CAD (estimated from the USD price) a year. Prices checked ; ≈ means converted from USD.
Based on Essential, per seat. Price source. USD to CAD at 1.4257 as of Oct 7, 2026.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Intercom is a product of Intercom, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Intercom: Web, iOS, Android.