SaaS · head to head
Heap vs Intercom
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Heap no built-in A/B testing or feature flags; requires integration with separate tools for experimentation; 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: Heap covers Autocapture, Intercom covers AI-powered inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Heap and Intercom actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (SaaS).
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 Heap
- Autocapture
- Retroactive analytics
- Session replay
- Funnel analysis
- User segmentation
- Path analysis
- Data science
- Virtual events
Only in Intercom
- AI-powered inbox
- Live chat
- Chatbots
- Help center
- Product tours
- Customer data platform
- Automation
- Mobile SDKs
Both cover
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Segment
- SOC2
- GDPR
- CCPA
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Heap
- User behavior analysisnot Intercom
- Conversion optimizationnot Intercom
- Product adoption
- Customer journey mappingnot Intercom
- A/B testing analysisnot Intercom
Intercom
- Customer supportnot Heap
- Lead generationnot Heap
- User onboardingnot Heap
- Product adoption
- Customer engagementnot Heap
Both are used for product adoption, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Heap
- No built-in A/B testing or feature flags; requires integration with separate tools for experimentation
- Group analytics and advanced features require a sales conversation, not self-serve
- Cloud-only deployment; no self-hosted option for data security or compliance requirements
- Session replay lacks developer debugging tools compared to PostHog
- Pricing for Growth and Pro plans requires direct sales contact; no transparency on how pricing scales
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
Heap
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10,000 monthly sessions
- Basic charts
- 6 months data history
- Growth$null/custom
- Custom session pricing
- Sense AI assistant
- 12 months data history
- Pro$null/custom
- Custom session pricing
- Account analytics
- Engagement matrix
- Premier$null/custom
- Custom session pricing
- Data warehouse integration
- Unlimited projects
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 Heap if
- You need autocapture.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want retroactive analytics.
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 Heap or Intercom better?
- Neither clearly leads. Heap starts at Free and Intercom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Heap or Intercom?
- Heap starts at Free and Intercom at Free.
- Does Heap or Intercom run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Heap for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Heap best used for?
- Heap is most often used for user behavior analysis, conversion optimization, product adoption, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and conversion optimization are not what Intercom is typically brought in for.
- What can Heap do that Intercom cannot?
- Heap covers Autocapture, Retroactive analytics, Session replay, Funnel analysis. Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Live chat, Chatbots, Help center. Both handle Salesforce, HubSpot, Segment, SOC2.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Heap: What does Heap's autocapture feature do?
Heap's autocapture is a single code snippet that automatically captures every click, swipe, tap, pageview, and form fill on your website and apps without requiring manual event setup. Once installed, Heap captures the entire digital experience of every user on every platform with no ongoing engineering maintenance needed.
SourceIntercom: 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.
SourceHeap: What are Heap's pricing plans and how much do they cost?
Heap offers a Free plan for up to 10,000 monthly sessions. Growth, Pro, and Premier plans use custom session-based pricing that requires contacting sales for a quote. Free includes basic charts and 6 months data history. Growth adds the Sense AI assistant. Pro adds account analytics. Premier adds data warehouse integration and dedicated customer success management.
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.
SourceHeap: Does Heap include session replay and A/B testing?
Heap includes integrated session replay showing exactly what users did on your site. However, Heap does not include built-in A/B testing or feature flags. Teams requiring these capabilities must use separate tools or integrate with third-party platforms.
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.
SourceHeap: What integrations does Heap support?
Heap supports over 100 integrations connecting to business tools including marketing platforms, CRMs, and data warehouses. This allows insights to reach relevant teams and ensures data flows to other business systems automatically.
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.
SourceHeap: Does Heap offer self-hosting or is it cloud-only?
Heap is cloud-only and does not offer self-hosted options. Organizations requiring on-premises deployment should consider alternatives like PostHog which supports self-hosting alongside its cloud product.
SourceHeap: What is Sense and how does it help with analytics?
Sense Chat is Heap's AI assistant that enables users to access analytics without extensive technical knowledge. It allows teams to ask questions about user behavior and get answers directly without lengthy onboarding or technical expertise, making insights more accessible to non-technical stakeholders.
Source