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Crisp vs Playvox

Crisp logo

Crisp

Live Chat

Customer messaging platform for startups and SMBs

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Playvox logo

Playvox

Customer Support

Contact centre quality management, coaching and workforce management, now sold by NiCE

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Crisp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crisp free tier limited to 2 seats and 100 customer profiles; Playvox niCE acquired Playvox in 2023 and also sells CXone above it, so at renewal you are negotiating with a vendor that has a commercial incentive to move you to the more expensive tier rather than invest in the one you bought.
  • They diverge on capability: Crisp covers Live chat, Playvox covers Quality management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crisp and Playvox actually diverge.

Attributes where Crisp and Playvox differ
AttributeCrispPlayvox
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded2015Unknown

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 Crisp

  • Live chat
  • Shared inbox
  • Chatbots
  • Knowledge base
  • Video calls
  • CRM
  • Slack
  • WordPress

Only in Playvox

  • Quality management
  • Agent coaching
  • Workforce management
  • Performance management
  • Agent motivation
  • Helpdesk connectors
  • Interaction analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Crisp

  • Customer service and support automationnot Playvox
  • Chat and omnichannel messagingnot Playvox
  • Chatbot and AI conversation managementnot Playvox
  • Customer profile and ticket managementnot Playvox
  • Team collaboration on customer communicationnot Playvox

Playvox

  • A 200-agent support team on Zendesk that wants structured call and ticket scoring without moving to a full contact centre platformnot Crisp
  • A CX operations group running chat, email and voice queues that needs one forecasting model across all three rather than a voice-only rota toolnot Crisp
  • A BPO that must evidence quality scores per client and needs calibration workflows to prove reviewers score consistentlynot Crisp
  • A support organisation with high first-year attrition that wants coaching assignments tied directly to the criteria an agent failednot Crisp

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Crisp

  • Free tier limited to 2 seats and 100 customer profiles
  • Additional agents cost $10/month per seat beyond included seats
  • Customer profile limits increase with each tier; 5,000 (Mini) to 200,000 (Plus)
  • Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales

Playvox

  • NiCE acquired Playvox in 2023 and also sells CXone above it, so at renewal you are negotiating with a vendor that has a commercial incentive to move you to the more expensive tier rather than invest in the one you bought.
  • Playvox WFM carries a minimum agent commitment reported around 35 seats, so a team of 20 either pays for agents it does not have or cannot buy the module at all.
  • The suite is modular and priced modularly, so the quality, performance, coaching, WFM and analytics pieces each carry a line item and the advertised mid-market saving disappears once you licence three or four of them.
  • Forecasting was built around digital and omnichannel volume, and teams with complex voice requirements such as skills-based routing with heavy shrinkage rules routinely find the scheduling engine less precise than dedicated voice WFM tools.
  • Because it sits on top of another vendor helpdesk rather than owning the interaction data, scoring depends on connector fidelity, and when a source platform changes its API or its recording retention the scorecards go stale before anyone notices.

Pricing, plan by plan

Crisp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 seats
    • Website chat widget
    • Shared inbox
  • Mini$45/month
    • 4 seats
    • ~$5 AI credits (around 90 automated conversations)
    • Shared email inbox
  • Essentials$95/month
    • 10 seats
    • ~$25 AI credits (around 450 automated conversations)
    • Omnichannel inbox
  • Plus$295/month
    • 20+ seats
    • ~$75 AI credits (around 1,350 automated conversations)
    • Unlimited task automations

Playvox

On request
  • Playvox by NiCE Workforce Engagement Management$undefined/year
    • Quality management and scorecards
    • Coaching workflows
    • Performance dashboards

Which should you pick?

Choose Crisp if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want shared inbox.
Crisp review

Choose Playvox if

  • You need quality management.
  • You also want agent coaching.
Playvox review

Questions people ask

Is Crisp or Playvox better?
Neither clearly leads. Crisp starts at Free and Playvox at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crisp or Playvox?
Crisp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Crisp and On request for Playvox.
Does Crisp or Playvox run on more platforms?
Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Playvox runs on Web.
Can I use Crisp for free?
Yes. Crisp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Playvox starts at On request.
What is Crisp best used for?
Crisp is most often used for customer service and support automation, chat and omnichannel messaging, chatbot and ai conversation management, customer profile and ticket management. Of those, customer service and support automation and chat and omnichannel messaging are not what Playvox is typically brought in for.
What can Crisp do that Playvox cannot?
Crisp covers Live chat, Shared inbox, Chatbots, Knowledge base. Playvox covers Quality management, Agent coaching, Workforce management, Performance management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Crisp: How much does Crisp cost?

Crisp offers a free plan ($0/month for 2 seats), Mini ($45/month for 4 seats), Essentials ($95/month for 10 seats), Plus ($295/month for 20+ seats), and Enterprise (custom pricing).

Source
Playvox: Is Playvox still sold as its own product?

Yes, as Playvox by NiCE. It is a distinct SKU beneath NiCE CXone, not a discontinued brand, but it is sold by NiCE sales rather than an independent company.

Crisp: Is there a free version of Crisp?

Yes, Crisp Free includes 2 seats, website chat widget, shared inbox, and mobile/desktop apps with a 100 customer profile limit and no AI credits.

Source
Playvox: Do I need NiCE CXone to use it?

No. Playvox connects to Zendesk, Salesforce, Freshdesk, Genesys and others. Running it against a competitor platform is supported, though it is not where the vendor makes the most money.

Crisp: What are AI credits in Crisp?

AI credits power automated conversations. Mini plan includes ~$5 credits (90 conversations), Essentials includes ~$25 credits (450 conversations), Plus includes ~$75 credits (1,350 conversations).

Source
Playvox: What does it actually cost?

Nothing is published. Full-suite list pricing reported by buyers sits around 70 to 120 US dollars per agent per month, with WFM alone around 30 to 60, before volume discounting.

Crisp: Does Crisp charge per additional agent?

Yes, additional agents beyond included seats cost $10/month per person. Free plan includes 2 seats; additional seats available on paid plans.

Source
Playvox: Can a 15-agent team buy it?

Not realistically for WFM, which carries a minimum seat commitment. Quality management alone is more accessible but still sold on an annual quoted contract.

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