Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head
Amazon Lex vs Intercom
Amazon Lex
Live Chat & Chatbots
AWS conversational AI service
- From
- $0.00075/per text request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Intercom has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Amazon Lex pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit); Intercom pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult
- They diverge on capability: Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Intercom covers AI-powered inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon Lex and Intercom actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon Lex | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0.00075/per text request | Free |
| Pricing model | usage-based | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, AWS Cloud | Web, iOS, Android |
| Category | Live Chat & Chatbots | SaaS |
| Founded | 2006 | 2011 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Amazon Lex
- Speech recognition
- Natural language understanding
- Voice and text
- Lambda integration
- AWS services
- Lambda
- DynamoDB
- SNS
Only in Intercom
- AI-powered inbox
- Live chat
- Chatbots
- Help center
- Product tours
- Customer data platform
- Automation
- Mobile SDKs
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon Lex
- Building conversational chatbots leveraging Alexa deep learning enginenot Intercom
- Voice and text-based NLU applications requiring automatic speech recognitionnot Intercom
- Custom conversational interfaces integrated into existing applicationsnot Intercom
Intercom
- Customer supportnot Amazon Lex
- Lead generationnot Amazon Lex
- User onboardingnot Amazon Lex
- Product adoptionnot Amazon Lex
- Customer engagementnot Amazon Lex
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Amazon Lex
- Pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit)
- Speech requests cost $0.004 each, text requests $0.00075 each, training costs $0.50 per minute
- Variable costs can accumulate quickly for high-volume applications
Intercom
- Pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult
- API rate limited to 1,000 calls per minute, which may constrain integrations for high-volume data users
- Does not support multiple language versions of knowledge base articles, requiring creation of duplicate articles for each language
Pricing, plan by plan
Amazon Lex
$0.00075/per text requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Amazon Lex review.
Intercom
Free- Essential$29/month
- Fin AI Agent
- Messenger
- Shared inbox
- Advanced$85/month
- Multiple team inboxes
- Workflow automation
- Round robin assignment
- Expert$132/month
- SSO
- HIPAA support
- SLAs
Which should you pick?
Choose Amazon Lex if
- You need speech recognition.
- You work on Web, AWS Cloud.
- You also want natural language understanding.
Choose Intercom if
- You need ai-powered inbox.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want live chat.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon Lex or Intercom better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon Lex starts at $0.00075/per text request and Intercom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon Lex or Intercom?
- Intercom has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $0.00075/per text request for Amazon Lex and Free for Intercom.
- Does Amazon Lex or Intercom run on more platforms?
- Amazon Lex runs on Web, AWS Cloud. Intercom runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Intercom for free?
- Yes. Intercom has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon Lex starts at $0.00075/per text request.
- What is Amazon Lex best used for?
- Amazon Lex is most often used for building conversational chatbots leveraging alexa deep learning engine, voice and text-based nlu applications requiring automatic speech recognition, custom conversational interfaces integrated into existing applications. Of those, building conversational chatbots leveraging alexa deep learning engine and voice and text-based nlu applications requiring automatic speech recognition are not what Intercom is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon Lex do that Intercom cannot?
- Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Natural language understanding, Voice and text, Lambda integration. Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Live chat, Chatbots, Help center.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Intercom: Is there a free tier and what are the limitations?
Intercom offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required and access to all features and add-ons. After trial, Essential plan starts at $29/seat/month. Free Lite seats are available on paid plans: 20 with Advanced, 50 with Expert.
SourceIntercom: Does Intercom support single sign-on (SSO)?
Yes, Intercom supports SAML SSO with identity provider integration, but it is only available on the Expert plan ($132+/seat/month). SSO also works with Intercom's mobile apps on iOS and Android.
SourceIntercom: Can I export my data from Intercom?
Yes. You can export conversations in CSV format via the Data Export feature in Reports, apply filters to refine exports, and use the REST API to programmatically access conversation and customer data.
SourceIntercom: What would a team of 10 cost on Intercom?
Minimum cost would be $290/month for 10 Essential seats at $29/seat/month. Advanced plan costs $850/month for 10 seats. Prices increase with additional add-ons like Fin AI ($0.99 per resolution), SMS, WhatsApp, or email campaigns.
SourceRelated pages
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- Intercom vs Botpress
- Intercom vs Crisp
- Intercom vs Google Dialogflow
- Intercom vs Tidio
- Intercom vs IBM Watson Assistant
- Intercom vs Landbot
- Intercom vs ManyChat
- Intercom vs Bold360
- Intercom vs Gorgias
- Intercom vs HubSpot Live Chat
- Intercom vs Kore.ai
- Intercom vs LiveChat
- Intercom vs Olark
- Intercom vs Rasa
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- Intercom vs Zendesk Answer Bot
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- Intercom vs Mixpanel
- Intercom vs Heap
- Intercom vs Canny
- Intercom vs Drift
- Intercom vs Pendo
- Intercom vs Close
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