Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Intercom vs Keap

Intercom logo

Intercom

Customer Support

The only AI customer service solution you need

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit IntercomFull review
Keap logo

Keap

CRM

CRM and marketing automation for small business

From
$29/month
Free plan
No
Visit KeapFull review

The short version

  • Keap is a CRM and marketing automation platform.
  • Intercom has a free plan, then $29/mo; Keap starts at $29/mo.
  • Only Intercom lists AI-powered inbox; only Keap lists contact management.
  • Where Intercom falls short: pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult.
  • Where Keap falls short: the entry price is $299 a month and includes only 2 user licences, with each additional user at $39 a month.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Intercom and Keap actually diverge.

Attributes where Intercom and Keap differ
AttributeIntercomKeap
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20112000

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Intercom.

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 Intercom

  • AI-powered inbox
  • Live chat
  • Chatbots
  • Help center
  • Product tours
  • Customer data platform
  • Automation
  • Mobile SDKs

Only in Keap

  • Contact management
  • Pipeline management
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Sales automation
  • Reporting
  • Zapier
  • Google Ads

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Stripe
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Intercom

  • Customer supportnot Keap
  • Lead generationnot Keap
  • User onboardingnot Keap
  • Product adoptionnot Keap
  • Customer engagementnot Keap

Keap

  • Contact management and CRMnot Intercom
  • Marketing automationnot Intercom
  • Sales pipeline managementnot Intercom

Where each one falls short

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

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

Keap

  • The entry price is $299 a month and includes only 2 user licences, with each additional user at $39 a month
  • Price varies with contact count, and the bands are only visible by entering a number into a calculator on the page
  • Implementation services are described as required rather than optional
  • Text marketing beyond the included 500 messages is a separate add on running from $24 to $279 a month

Pricing, plan by plan

Intercom

Free
  • Essential$29/mo
    • Fin AI Agent
    • Messenger
    • Shared inbox
  • Advanced$85/mo
    • Multiple team inboxes
    • Workflow automation
    • Round robin assignment
  • Expert$132/mo
    • SSO
    • HIPAA support
    • SLAs

Keap

$29/month
  • Lite$29/mo
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
  • Standard$59/mo
    • Everything in Lite
    • Sales automation
    • Pipeline management
  • Professional$149/mo
    • Everything in Standard
    • Advanced automation
    • AI features

Which should you pick?

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.
Intercom review

Choose Keap if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want pipeline management.
Keap review

Questions people ask

Is Intercom or Keap better?
Neither clearly leads. Intercom starts at Free and Keap at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Intercom or Keap?
Intercom has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Intercom and $29/month for Keap.
Does Intercom or Keap run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Intercom for free?
Yes. Intercom has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Keap starts at $29/month.
What is Intercom best used for?
Intercom is most often used for customer support, lead generation, user onboarding, product adoption. Of those, customer support and lead generation are not what Keap is typically brought in for.
What can Intercom do that Keap cannot?
Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Live chat, Chatbots, Help center. Keap covers Contact management, Pipeline management, Email marketing, Marketing automation. Both handle Slack, Stripe, GDPR.

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.

Source
Keap: How much does Keap cost?

Keap costs $299/month billed at $2,988/year for the main plan, which includes 2 user licenses. Additional users cost $39/month each.

Source
Intercom: 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.

Source
Keap: What text messaging fees does Keap charge?

Text marketing tiers range from $24 to $279/month with included message allotments. Overages are $0.015 per message and $0.01 per minute for voice.

Source
Intercom: 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.

Source
Keap: Is implementation included in Keap pricing?

Implementation services are required at additional cost. Package pricing is available through Keap sales.

Source
Intercom: 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.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Intercom

More on Keap

Keep looking

Other head to heads