Table of Contents
- Key takeaways: the best Crisp alternatives at a glance
- What is Crisp?
- Crisp support suite features and plan limits
- Problems with Crisp that send teams to alternatives
- How the alternatives solve these problems
- How these Crisp alternatives were ranked
- The 7 best Crisp alternatives in 2026
- 1. Tidio: best like-for-like Crisp alternative for small teams
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 2. SiteGPT: best for knowledge-trained AI answers inside Crisp
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 3. Intercom: best for teams that outgrow Crisp
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 4. Zendesk: best for ticketing in larger service teams
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 5. Chatwoot: best open source and self-hosted Crisp alternative
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 6. Tawk: best free Crisp alternative
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- 7. Chatbase: best for an AI agent with a built-in helpdesk
- Key features
- Pros
- Cons
- Pricing
- Rating
- Best for
- Crisp alternatives comparison table
- What a 10-agent inbox costs on Crisp and its alternatives
- The stack: which tool does which job
- How to choose a Crisp alternative
- Crisp alternatives use-case cheat sheet
- Crisp alternatives FAQ
- Basics
- What is the best alternative to Crisp?
- What does the Crisp support suite include?
- Is Crisp free?
- Pricing
- How much does Crisp cost?
- What is the cheapest Crisp alternative?
- Does Crisp charge per agent?
- Comparisons
- Crisp vs Intercom: which is better?
- Crisp vs Zendesk: which is better?
- Chatwoot vs Crisp: what is the difference?
- AI and integrations
- What is the best AI for Crisp?
- Can SiteGPT replace Crisp?
- How does handoff work between SiteGPT and Crisp?
- Compliance
- Which Crisp alternatives support HIPAA?
- Is Crisp based in Europe?
- Sources
Created by
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Created time
Apr 27, 2026 07:37 PM
The best Crisp chat alternative for most small teams in 2026 is Tidio, a live chat and helpdesk tool with a free plan and paid plans from $24.17 a month billed annually.
No tool in this guide is best overall. Each of the seven alternatives to Crisp below has a "best for" label, a price read from the vendor's pricing page, and a G2 rating.
TL;DR
- Tidio is the closest like-for-like swap for Crisp. It has live chat, ticketing, and a free plan. Starter is $24.17 a month billed annually.
- SiteGPT does not replace the Crisp inbox. It is the knowledge-trained answer layer, and it can run inside Crisp from the Growth plan ($129 a month, or $79 a month billed yearly). SiteGPT has no shared inbox for email.
- Intercom fits teams that have outgrown Crisp. Seats start at $29 a month billed annually, and the Fin AI agent costs $0.99 per outcome.
- Zendesk, Chatwoot, and Tawk cover ticketing at scale, self-hosting, and a free inbox. Chatbase is an AI agent with its own helpdesk from $150 a month.
- A 10-agent inbox costs $95 a month on Crisp Essentials. The same team pays $290 on Intercom and $550 on Zendesk before AI usage.
Key takeaways: the best Crisp alternatives at a glance
Tool | Best for | Type | Starting price | G2 rating |
1. Tidio | A like-for-like live chat and helpdesk for small teams | Shared inbox with an AI agent add-on | Free plan. Starter $24.17 a month billed annually | 4.6 (1,962 reviews) |
2. SiteGPT | Knowledge-trained AI answers, inside Crisp or on its own widget | AI chatbot trained on your content. No email inbox | $59 a month, or $39 a month billed yearly | 4.9 (12 reviews) |
3. Intercom | Teams that outgrow Crisp and want a native AI agent | Helpdesk with the Fin AI agent | $29 per seat a month billed annually, plus $0.99 per Fin outcome | 4.5 (3,918 reviews, listed as Fin) |
4. Zendesk | Ticketing for larger service teams | Helpdesk suite | $19 per agent a month paid yearly. Suite Team is $55 | 4.3 (7,090 reviews) |
5. Chatwoot | Open source and self-hosting | Shared inbox with Captain AI | Free for 2 agents. Startups $19 per agent a month | 4.5 (16 reviews) |
6. Tawk | A free shared inbox and chat widget | Live chat with paid add-ons | Free. AI Assist is $29 a month | 4.5 (203 reviews) |
7. Chatbase | An AI agent with a built-in helpdesk | AI agent builder | Free plan. Hobby $40 a month | 4.8 (46 reviews) |
What is Crisp?
Crisp is a shared inbox and live chat helpdesk that bills a flat price per workspace. One workspace collects website chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and other channels in a single team inbox.
Crisp also includes a CRM, a knowledge base, a no-code chatbot builder, and an AI agent named Hugo. The company describes the product as built in France and made in Europe.
Crisp support suite features and plan limits
The Crisp support suite has four plans, and each plan adds features and raises limits. The table below comes from the Crisp pricing page.
Plan | Price per workspace | Seats included | Customer profiles | Included AI credits | Features added on this plan |
Free | $0 | 2 | 100 | None | Website chat widget, shared inbox, mobile apps, contact form |
Mini | $45 a month | 4 | 5,000 | $5, around 90 automated conversations | Shared email inbox, chat triggers, shortcuts, private notes, custom email domain |
Essentials | $95 a month | 10 | 50,000 | $25, around 450 automated conversations | Omnichannel inbox, AI chatbot, workflow builder, knowledge base, analytics, routing rules |
Plus | $295 a month | 20 or more | 200,000 | $75, around 1,350 automated conversations | Ticketing system, white labelling, 100+ integrations, advanced analytics, unlimited task automations |
Crisp does not limit the number of conversations on any plan. Extra agents cost $10 each a month. Every new account gets a 14-day trial of all features with no card required.
Problems with Crisp that send teams to alternatives
The problems with Crisp fall into five groups: AI allowance, plan gating, contact caps, channel limits, and missing features. Each point below comes from Crisp's own pricing page or from reviews on G2.
- The AI allowance is small on the lower plans. The Free plan includes no AI credits. Mini includes $5 of credits, which Crisp sizes at around 90 automated conversations a month. Essentials covers around 450.
- Core features sit on the higher plans. The omnichannel inbox, the AI chatbot, and the knowledge base start on Essentials at $95 a month. Ticketing and white labelling start on Plus at $295 a month. The step from Essentials to Plus is $200 a month, which is 211% more.
- Customer profiles are capped. A workspace holds 100 profiles on Free, 5,000 on Mini, and 50,000 on Essentials. Crisp sells additional contacts as an opt-in extra.
- One account per channel. A workspace connects one Instagram, one Messenger, and one WhatsApp Business account. Email is the exception. Higher limits cost extra.
- Reviewers ask for more features. The top complaint tags on G2 are Missing Features (10 mentions), Limited Features (7), and Lack of Features (5). Recent reviews mention limited trigger-based automation, a basic help center editor, duplicate conversations, and inconsistent answers from the AI agent.
Crisp still rates well. It holds 4.5 out of 5 from 205 reviews on G2, and its flat price is low for a team of ten. The alternatives below fit teams that hit one of these five limits.
How the alternatives solve these problems
Each Crisp problem maps to one type of alternative.
Crisp problem | What solves it | Tools |
Small AI allowance | An AI layer with a larger monthly quota | SiteGPT, Chatbase |
Features gated to $95 and $295 plans | A helpdesk with ticketing on the entry plan | Tidio, Tawk, Zendesk |
Capped customer profiles | A helpdesk that bills by seat or conversation | Intercom, Zendesk, Chatwoot |
One account per channel | A self-hosted inbox with no vendor limits | Chatwoot |
Missing automation and help center depth | A larger helpdesk suite | Intercom, Zendesk |
How these Crisp alternatives were ranked
These Crisp alternatives were ranked on five criteria, in this order.
- Fit as a replacement. Does the tool replace the Crisp shared inbox, or only one part of it?
- Price for a small team. What does the tool cost for 4 and for 10 agents on published prices?
- AI answers. Is an AI agent included, and how is it billed?
- Channels. Does the inbox cover chat, email, and social messaging?
- Third-party reviews. What is the G2 rating, and how many reviews sit behind it?
Tidio is first because it replaces the whole Crisp inbox at a similar price and has a free plan. It also has the largest G2 review base among the small-team tools in this list.
SiteGPT is this site's own product. It is second for a different job. Some teams are unhappy only with the AI answers and want to keep the inbox. SiteGPT answers inside Crisp from your own content. Its limits are listed with the same weight as the others.
The 7 best Crisp alternatives in 2026
1. Tidio: best like-for-like Crisp alternative for small teams
Tidio is a live chat and helpdesk platform for small businesses and online stores. It combines live chat, ticketing, email, and social channels in one inbox, and it adds an AI agent named Lyro. Plans and limits are covered in the Tidio review.
Key features
- Live chat, ticketing, and an email management system
- Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and email integrations
- Lyro AI agent with human handoff and knowledge-based answers
- Flows, a visual builder for sales and FAQ automations
- Native Shopify actions
- Desktop and mobile apps
Pros
- Free plan with 50 billable conversations a month
- Ticketing is included from the Starter plan
- A conversation is billable only when a human agent replies
- The largest G2 review base among the small-team tools here: 1,962 reviews
Cons
- Plans are metered by billable conversations. Crisp does not limit conversations.
- Lyro is priced separately. It starts at $32.50 a month billed annually for 50 AI conversations, which is $0.65 per conversation.
- Removing Tidio branding is an add-on at $16.67 a month.
- The Plus plan starts at $300 a month plus usage.
Pricing
Plan | Price | Included |
Free | $0 | 50 billable conversations, 50 Lyro conversations one time |
Starter | $24.17 a month billed annually | 100 billable conversations, live chat and ticketing |
Growth | From $49.17 a month billed annually | From 250 billable conversations, 10 seats, analytics, macros |
Plus | From $300 a month plus usage | Custom limits, departments, custom branding, OpenAPI |
Premium | Contact sales | From 3,000 Lyro conversations, pay-per-resolution billing |
Lyro AI agent | From $32.50 a month billed annually | From 50 Lyro conversations |
Source: Tidio pricing. Paid plans have a 7-day free trial.
Rating
Tidio holds 4.6 out of 5 from 1,962 reviews on G2.
Best for
Tidio is best for small teams and online stores that want to replace the whole Crisp inbox and start on a free plan. The feature and price math against SiteGPT is in SiteGPT vs Tidio.
2. SiteGPT: best for knowledge-trained AI answers inside Crisp
SiteGPT is an AI chatbot trained on your own content. It is an alternative to the AI part of Crisp. It does not replace the Crisp inbox, and SiteGPT has no shared inbox for email.
SiteGPT works in two ways for a Crisp team. From the Growth plan, the SiteGPT plugin in the Crisp Marketplace answers visitors in the Crisp chatbox first. Your operators take over by replying in the Crisp inbox. The other way is to run the SiteGPT widget on your site and keep another inbox for human conversations. More on the first route is in the guide to the best AI chatbot for Crisp.
Key features
- Trains on 12+ source types: websites, sitemaps, files, YouTube, GitHub, Google Drive, Notion, Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint, Box, and help centers
- Crisp integration from the Growth plan. The chatbot answers first and stops when an operator replies in Crisp
- Hands the conversation back to the chatbot when an operator resolves it in Crisp
- Auto refresh of trained content: monthly on Growth, weekly with a daily scan on Scale
- 95+ languages
- Other chat integrations from Growth: Slack, Messenger, Google Chat, Freshdesk Messaging, and Zoho SalesIQ
Pros
- Flat monthly price with a message quota. Starter includes 4k GPT-4.1-mini messages a month and Growth includes 10k
- Answers come from your own website and documents
- Human agents keep working in the Crisp inbox they already know
- Full control over the widget's look, language, and tone
Cons
- No shared inbox for email, social channels, or tickets. SiteGPT is the answer layer only.
- The Crisp integration needs the Growth plan. Starter has no chat integrations.
- Each Crisp website connects to one SiteGPT chatbot.
- Replies sent from the SiteGPT dashboard do not go to Crisp.
- No free plan. The 7-day free trial requires a credit card.
- The quota is in GPT-4.1-mini messages. GPT-4.1 messages count as ten each.
- Integrations, including Crisp, are not available in a HIPAA workspace.
Pricing
Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly (per month) | Messages a month | Chatbots | Members | Crisp integration |
Starter | $59 | $39 | 4k GPT-4.1-mini | 1 | 1 | No |
Growth | $129 | $79 | 10k GPT-4.1-mini | 2 | 4 | Yes |
Scale | $429 | $259 | 40k GPT-4.1-mini | 3 | 10 | Yes |
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Yes |
A signed DPA and a HIPAA BAA are available on the Enterprise plan only. Source: SiteGPT pricing and the Crisp integration guide.
Rating
SiteGPT holds 4.9 out of 5 from 12 reviews on G2.
Best for
SiteGPT is best for teams that like the Crisp inbox and want stronger AI answers from their own content. It also fits teams that only need a website chatbot with human escalation and no email inbox.
3. Intercom: best for teams that outgrow Crisp
Intercom is a helpdesk with a shared inbox, ticketing, a help center, and a native AI agent named Fin. It is the step up for teams that need deeper automation and reporting than Crisp offers. Fin is covered in the Intercom Fin AI review.
Key features
- Messenger, shared inbox, and ticketing on every plan
- Fin AI agent for service, sales, and ecommerce
- Workflows automation builder and multiple team inboxes from Advanced
- Public help center, with private and multilingual help centers from Advanced
- Unlimited live chat, email, and in-app chats on all plans
- SSO, SLAs, and HIPAA support on Expert
Pros
- The inbox and the AI agent come from one vendor
- You pay for Fin only when a conversation reaches an outcome
- Advanced includes 20 free Lite seats, and Expert includes 50
- The largest review base in this list: 3,918 G2 reviews
Cons
- Pricing is per seat. Ten Essential seats cost $290 a month billed annually, against $95 for Crisp Essentials.
- Fin costs $0.99 per outcome on top of seats. 450 outcomes cost $445.50 a month.
- SMS, WhatsApp, phone, and email campaigns are pay-as-you-go.
- Copilot is an add-on at $29 per agent a month billed annually, or $35 billed monthly.
Pricing
Item | Price | Notes |
Essential | $29 per seat a month, billed annually | Messenger, shared inbox, ticketing, public help center |
Advanced | $85 per seat a month, billed annually | Workflows, multiple inboxes, 20 free Lite seats |
Expert | $132 per seat a month, billed annually | SSO, HIPAA support, SLAs, 50 free Lite seats |
Fin AI agent | $0.99 per outcome | Also sold for other helpdesks with no seats required |
Copilot add-on | $29 per agent a month billed annually, or $35 billed monthly | AI assistant for human agents |
Pro add-on | From $99 a month | AI analysis and quality monitoring |
Source: Intercom pricing.
Rating
G2 lists the product as Fin. It holds 4.5 out of 5 from 3,918 reviews on G2.
Best for
Intercom is best for growing teams that need workflows, SLAs, and a native AI agent, and that accept per-seat pricing. If per-seat pricing is the reason you are leaving Intercom, the Intercom alternatives guide ranks eight competitors by what a 10-agent team pays. A three-way view with HubSpot and Drift is in HubSpot vs Intercom vs Drift.
4. Zendesk: best for ticketing in larger service teams
Zendesk is a helpdesk suite built around ticketing. The Suite plans add messaging, live chat, a knowledge base, telephony, and AI agents. It suits teams that have many agents and formal processes.
Key features
- Email and ticketing system with routing, automations, and triggers
- Messaging and live chat, knowledge base, and telephony from Suite Team
- AI agents on every Suite and Support plan, billed by automated resolution
- Omnichannel routing from Suite Team and skills-based routing from Suite Professional
- Sandbox, approval workflows, and custom agent roles on Suite Enterprise
Pros
- The largest G2 review base of any helpdesk here: 7,090 reviews
- Support Team starts at $19 per agent a month paid yearly
- AI agents are part of every plan
- A startups program gives early-stage companies a 6-month trial for up to 50 agents
Cons
- The $19 Support Team plan covers email and ticketing. Live chat starts on Suite Team at $55.
- Ten Suite Team agents cost $550 a month paid yearly. That is $455 more than Crisp Essentials.
- AI agents are billed per automated resolution on top of seats.
- Copilot is an add-on at $50 per agent a month paid yearly.
Pricing
Plan | Price per agent a month, paid yearly | What it covers |
Support Team | $19 | Email and ticketing, routing, prebuilt dashboards |
Suite Team | $55 | AI agents, knowledge base, messaging and live chat, telephony |
Suite Professional | $115 | Skills-based routing, IVR, admin Copilot, writing tools |
Suite Enterprise | Not listed | Sandbox, approval workflows, custom roles |
Source: Zendesk pricing.
Rating
Zendesk for Customer Service holds 4.3 out of 5 from 7,090 reviews on G2.
Best for
Zendesk is best for service teams with dozens of agents that need ticket routing and telephony in one suite. Lighter options are in the Zendesk chat alternatives guide, and the head-to-head with Intercom is in Zendesk vs Intercom.
5. Chatwoot: best open source and self-hosted Crisp alternative
Chatwoot is an open source customer service platform with a shared inbox, a help center, and an AI teammate named Captain. Teams can use Chatwoot Cloud or host the software on their own servers.
Key features
- Shared inbox for live chat, email, and social channels on paid plans
- Captain AI: an assistant that answers customers, a copilot for agents, reply suggestions, and summaries
- Help center, teams, and automation rules
- Self-hosted plans as well as cloud plans
- Voice channel
Pros
- Free Hacker plan for up to 2 agents and 500 conversations a month
- Paid plans list unlimited conversations under a fair use policy
- Captain AI credits are included with paid plans. Extra credits cost $20 per 1,000
- Self-hosting keeps conversation data on your own servers
Cons
- Pricing is per agent. Ten agents on Startups cost $190 a month, which is double Crisp Essentials.
- The free plan is limited to live chat and keeps data for 30 days.
- Self-hosting needs someone to run and update the server.
- The G2 base is small at 16 reviews.
Pricing
Plan | Price per agent a month | Conversations | Captain AI credits | Data retention |
Hacker | $0, up to 2 agents | 500 a month | Not listed | 30 days |
Startups | $19 | Unlimited, fair use | 300 | 1 year |
Business | $39 | Unlimited, fair use | 500 | 2 years |
Enterprise | $99 | Unlimited, fair use | 800 | 3 years |
Source: Chatwoot pricing. Chatwoot Cloud has a 15-day free trial.
Rating
Chatwoot holds 4.5 out of 5 from 16 reviews on G2.
Best for
Chatwoot is best for technical teams that want an open source inbox they can host themselves.
6. Tawk: best free Crisp alternative
Tawk, styled tawk.to by the vendor, is a free live chat platform with an inbox, a CRM, a knowledge base, and ticketing. The company charges for optional add-ons and keeps the platform free. More options in this price range are in the tawk.to alternatives guide.
Key features
- Chat widget and shared inbox at no cost
- CRM, pipeline, automations, and a knowledge base
- AI Assist: AI agents trained on your knowledge base, with handoff to your team
- Whitelabel add-on for custom domains and branded emails
- Add-ons are billed per property and not per seat
Pros
- The platform is free, with no credit card needed to start
- AI Assist has a free tier for limited volume
- Add-ons can be switched on or off at any time
- 4.5 out of 5 on G2 from 203 reviews
Cons
- The widget shows the vendor's badge unless you pay $29 a month for Whitelabel.
- AI Assist paid plans start at $29 a month.
- Voice Agents and Data Enrichment are on a waitlist.
- A free inbox still needs people to answer every chat that the AI does not handle.
Pricing
Item | Price | Notes |
Tawk platform | $0 | Chat widget, inbox, CRM, knowledge base |
AI Assist | From $29 a month | Free tier for limited volume |
Whitelabel | $29 a month per property | Removes the badge, adds custom domains |
Voice Agents | From $49 a month plus usage | Waitlist |
Data Enrichment | From $59 a month | Waitlist |
Source: tawk.to add-ons.
Rating
Tawk holds 4.5 out of 5 from 203 reviews on G2.
Best for
Tawk is best for teams with no software budget that need a chat widget and an inbox today. Free AI options are compared in the free chatbot for website guide.
7. Chatbase: best for an AI agent with a built-in helpdesk
Chatbase is an AI agent builder that trains on your content and answers on your website and messaging channels. Its Standard plan adds a native Helpdesk, so human agents can work escalated conversations inside Chatbase. Plans and limits are covered in the Chatbase review.
Key features
- AI agents trained on your content, with AI actions
- Native Helpdesk from the Standard plan
- Voice and telephony from the Standard plan
- Integrations listed for Zendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, HubSpot, Slack, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Shopify
- Auto-resync of trained content from Standard
Pros
- Free plan with 50 message credits a month
- Low entry price at $40 a month
- Yearly plans are 20% off
- 4.8 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- The Helpdesk starts on Standard at $150 a month. The $40 Hobby plan does not list it.
- Usage is metered in message credits. Hobby includes 700 a month, and extra credits cost $40 per 1,000.
- Removing "Powered by Chatbase" costs $99 a month.
- Free agents are deleted after 14 days of inactivity.
Pricing
Plan | Monthly price | Message credits | Members | Helpdesk |
Free | $0 | 50 | 1 | No |
Hobby | $40 | 700 | 2 | No |
Standard | $150 | 4,000 | 3 | Yes |
Pro | $500 | 15,000 | 5 | Yes |
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Yes |
Source: Chatbase pricing. Paid plans have a 7-day trial.
Rating
Chatbase holds 4.8 out of 5 from 46 reviews on G2.
Best for
Chatbase is best for teams that want the AI agent and a simple helpdesk from one vendor and can start at $150 a month. Teams that hit its credit limits can read the Chatbase alternative guide.
Crisp alternatives comparison table
This Crisp alternatives comparison table lines up Crisp and all seven tools on the ranking criteria.
Tool | Replaces the Crisp inbox | Pricing model | Entry paid price | AI agent billing | G2 rating |
Crisp | Baseline | Flat per workspace | $45 a month | Credits included in the plan | 4.5 (205) |
Tidio | Yes | Flat, metered by billable conversations | $24.17 a month billed annually | Lyro from $32.50 a month billed annually | 4.6 (1,962) |
No. Answer layer only | Flat with a message quota | $59 a month, or $39 billed yearly | Included in the plan quota | 4.9 (12) | |
Intercom | Yes | Per seat plus usage | $29 per seat a month billed annually | $0.99 per Fin outcome | 4.5 (3,918) |
Zendesk | Yes | Per agent plus usage | $19 per agent a month paid yearly | Per automated resolution | 4.3 (7,090) |
Chatwoot | Yes | Per agent, or self-hosted | $19 per agent a month | Credits included, $20 per 1,000 extra | 4.5 (16) |
Tawk | Yes | Free with add-ons | $0 | AI Assist from $29 a month | 4.5 (203) |
Chatbase | Partly. Helpdesk from Standard | Flat with message credits | $40 a month | Included in plan credits | 4.8 (46) |
What a 10-agent inbox costs on Crisp and its alternatives
A 10-agent inbox costs between $0 and $550 a month on published prices. Crisp is the second cheapest paid option because Essentials includes 10 seats in its flat price.
Tool | Plan priced | Monthly price for 10 agents | Difference against Crisp | 12-month cost |
Tawk | Free platform | $0 | $95 less | $0 |
Tidio | Growth, billed annually, 10 seats | From $49.17 | $45.83 less (48%) | From $590.04 |
Crisp | Essentials, 10 seats included | $95 | Baseline | $1,140 |
Chatwoot | Startups, 10 x $19 | $190 | $95 more (2 times) | $2,280 |
Intercom | Essential, 10 x $29, billed annually | $290 | $195 more (3.1 times) | $3,480 |
Zendesk | Suite Team, 10 x $55, paid yearly | $550 | $455 more (5.8 times) | $6,600 |
The table leaves out AI usage, and that changes the order. Tidio Growth starts at 250 billable conversations, and Lyro is extra. Intercom adds $0.99 for every Fin outcome, so 450 outcomes add $445.50 a month. Crisp Essentials includes credits for around 450 automated conversations.
SiteGPT and Chatbase are not in this table because neither sells a 10-agent shared inbox on its entry plans. Costs for AI chatbots alone are in the AI chatbot pricing comparison.
The stack: which tool does which job
The stack for a Crisp team has four layers, and one tool does not have to cover all of them. SiteGPT is not a helpdesk. It takes the knowledge-trained answer layer and leaves the inbox to Crisp or to another helpdesk.
Layer | Job | Tool |
Human inbox | Agents reply to chat, email, and social messages, assign conversations, and report on them | Crisp, Tidio, Intercom, Zendesk, Chatwoot, or Tawk |
Knowledge-trained answer layer | Answers first from your website, files, and help center, inside the Crisp chatbox or on its own widget | |
Handoff | Moves the conversation to a person | In Crisp, the chatbot stops when an operator replies in the Crisp inbox |
Knowledge source | Holds the content the answer layer trains on | Your website, documents, cloud drives, and help center |
A Crisp team that keeps the inbox and adds SiteGPT pays two bills. For example, Crisp Essentials at $95 a month plus SiteGPT Growth at $129 a month comes to $224 a month. With SiteGPT billed yearly at $79 a month, the total is $174 a month.
The stack has limits. SiteGPT does not read or answer email in a shared inbox. Each Crisp website connects to one chatbot. Integrations are off in a SiteGPT HIPAA workspace, and a BAA is available on the Enterprise plan only. Program details are on the SiteGPT HIPAA page.
How to choose a Crisp alternative
Choose a Crisp alternative by answering four questions: what you want to replace, how you want to pay, how big the team is, and where the data should live.
If you need... | Pick... | Why |
A similar inbox at a lower entry price | Tidio | Free plan, and Starter is $24.17 a month billed annually |
Better AI answers and the same Crisp inbox | The chatbot answers in the Crisp chatbox from your own content | |
Workflows, SLAs, and a native AI agent | Intercom | One vendor for the inbox and Fin |
Ticket routing and telephony for many agents | Zendesk | Suite plans include messaging, voice, and AI agents |
Data on your own servers | Chatwoot | Open source with self-hosted plans |
A free inbox today | Tawk | The platform costs $0 |
An AI agent with a simple helpdesk | Chatbase | Helpdesk is built in from Standard at $150 a month |
Teams that mainly care about escalation quality can read the AI chatbots with human handoff roundup.
Crisp alternatives use-case cheat sheet
This cheat sheet maps ten common situations to one pick each.
Scenario | Best pick | Why |
Shopify store with 2 agents and no budget | Tidio | Free plan and native Shopify actions |
Solo founder who needs a chat widget today | Tawk | Free platform with no credit card |
SaaS team that likes Crisp and wants AI answers from its docs | Runs inside Crisp from the Growth plan | |
Website that needs a chatbot and no email inbox | Starter is $59 a month, or $39 billed yearly | |
Team of 15 that needs workflows and SLAs | Intercom | Advanced adds workflows, and Expert adds SLAs |
Service desk with 50 agents and phone lines | Zendesk | Suite plans include telephony and routing |
Company that must host customer data itself | Chatwoot | Self-hosted plans |
Agency that needs its own branding on the widget | Tawk | Whitelabel is $29 a month per property |
Team that wants AI and a helpdesk from one vendor | Chatbase | Helpdesk from Standard |
Team of 10 on a tight budget that needs an omnichannel inbox | Crisp | Essentials is $95 a month flat with 10 seats |
Crisp alternatives FAQ
Basics
What is the best alternative to Crisp?
Tidio is the closest alternative to Crisp for small teams. It has a similar inbox, a free plan, and a Starter plan at $24.17 a month billed annually. Teams that only want better AI answers can keep Crisp and add SiteGPT.
What does the Crisp support suite include?
The Crisp support suite includes a chat widget, a shared inbox, a CRM, a knowledge base, a chatbot builder, and an AI agent. The ticketing system and white labelling are on the Plus plan at $295 a month.
Is Crisp free?
Yes. Crisp has a free plan with 2 seats, a website chat widget, and a shared inbox. The free plan includes no AI credits and holds 100 customer profiles.
Pricing
How much does Crisp cost?
Crisp costs $45 a month for Mini, $95 a month for Essentials, and $295 a month for Plus. Each price covers one workspace. Extra agents cost $10 each a month.
What is the cheapest Crisp alternative?
Tawk is the cheapest Crisp alternative because the platform is free. Among paid plans, Tidio Starter is the lowest at $24.17 a month billed annually.
Does Crisp charge per agent?
No. Crisp charges a flat price per workspace. Mini includes 4 seats, Essentials includes 10, and Plus includes 20 or more.
Comparisons
Crisp vs Intercom: which is better?
Crisp is cheaper for a small team, and Intercom is deeper. Ten agents cost $95 a month on Crisp Essentials and $290 a month on Intercom Essential billed annually. Intercom adds the Fin AI agent at $0.99 per outcome.
Crisp vs Zendesk: which is better?
Crisp suits small teams that want one flat bill. Zendesk suits larger teams that need ticket routing and telephony. Zendesk Suite Team costs $55 per agent a month paid yearly.
Chatwoot vs Crisp: what is the difference?
Chatwoot is open source and can be self-hosted. Crisp is a hosted product with flat workspace pricing. Chatwoot Cloud bills per agent, from $19 a month.
AI and integrations
What is the best AI for Crisp?
Crisp has its own AI agent, Hugo, with credits included in paid plans. SiteGPT is a third-party option that installs from the Crisp Marketplace and answers from your own content. It needs the SiteGPT Growth plan or above.
Can SiteGPT replace Crisp?
No. SiteGPT has no shared inbox for email, social channels, or tickets. It replaces the AI answers, and human agents keep replying in Crisp or in another inbox.
How does handoff work between SiteGPT and Crisp?
The chatbot answers first in the Crisp chatbox. It stops when an operator replies in the Crisp inbox or when the visitor chooses the escalation option. The chatbot takes the conversation back after an operator resolves it in Crisp.
Compliance
Which Crisp alternatives support HIPAA?
Intercom lists HIPAA support on its Expert plan, and Chatbase lists HIPAA eligibility on Enterprise. SiteGPT offers a HIPAA BAA on its Enterprise plan only, and chat integrations such as Crisp are off in a covered workspace. More vendors are compared in the HIPAA compliant AI chatbot guide.
Is Crisp based in Europe?
Yes. The Crisp website states that the product is built in France and made in Europe. EU buyers comparing vendors can use the GDPR compliant chatbot platforms guide.
Sources
All pages below were opened on 5 October 2026.
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