Software · head to head
Gladly vs Intercom
The short version
- Only Intercom has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Gladly no pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no per agent cost, per conversation rate, minimum commitment or feature tiers; 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: Gladly covers Lifelong conversation, Intercom covers AI-powered inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Gladly and Intercom actually diverge.
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Gladly
- Lifelong conversation
- Omnichannel support
- Customer timeline
- Task management
- Knowledge base
- IVR
- Magento
- Kustomer
Only in Intercom
- AI-powered inbox
- Live chat
- Chatbots
- Help center
- Product tours
- Customer data platform
- Automation
- Mobile SDKs
Both cover
- Shopify
- Salesforce
- Stripe
- SOC2
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Gladly
- Customer service built around a single customer record rather than ticketsnot Intercom
- Handling support conversations across voice, messaging and emailnot Intercom
Intercom
- Customer supportnot Gladly
- Lead generationnot Gladly
- User onboardingnot Gladly
- Product adoptionnot Gladly
- Customer engagementnot Gladly
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Gladly
- No pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no per agent cost, per conversation rate, minimum commitment or feature tiers
- The pricing page presents outcome statistics in place of any cost information
- Every route to a figure goes through a demo or sales conversation
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
Gladly
$180/month- Hero$180/month
- All channels
- Customer timeline
- Knowledge base
- Superhero$210/month
- Everything in Hero
- Custom reporting
- Advanced rules
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 Gladly if
- You need lifelong conversation.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want omnichannel support.
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 Gladly or Intercom better?
- Neither clearly leads. Gladly starts at $180/month and Intercom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Gladly or Intercom?
- Intercom has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $180/month for Gladly and Free for Intercom.
- Does Gladly or Intercom run on more platforms?
- Gladly runs on Web, Ios, Android. 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. Gladly starts at $180/month.
- What is Gladly best used for?
- Gladly is most often used for customer service built around a single customer record rather than tickets, handling support conversations across voice, messaging and email. Of those, customer service built around a single customer record rather than tickets and handling support conversations across voice, messaging and email are not what Intercom is typically brought in for.
- What can Gladly do that Intercom cannot?
- Gladly covers Lifelong conversation, Omnichannel support, Customer timeline, Task management. Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Live chat, Chatbots, Help center. Both handle Shopify, Salesforce, Stripe, SOC2.
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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