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Software · head to head

Intercom vs LiveChat

Intercom logo

Intercom

Software

The only AI customer service solution you need

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Software

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Intercom has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Intercom pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult; LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • They diverge on capability: Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, LiveChat covers Ticketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Intercom and LiveChat actually diverge.

Attributes where Intercom and LiveChat differ
AttributeIntercomLiveChat
Starting priceFree$20/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded20112002

Identical on both: 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 Intercom

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

Only in LiveChat

  • Ticketing
  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • WordPress
  • Zapier
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Shopify
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Intercom

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

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Intercom
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot 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

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

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

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • SSO

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 chatbots.
Intercom review

Choose LiveChat if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want chat routing.
LiveChat review

Questions people ask

Is Intercom or LiveChat better?
Neither clearly leads. Intercom starts at Free and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Intercom or LiveChat?
Intercom has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Intercom and $20/month for LiveChat.
Does Intercom or LiveChat run on more platforms?
Intercom runs on Web, iOS, Android. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Intercom for free?
Yes. Intercom has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/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 LiveChat is typically brought in for.
What can Intercom do that LiveChat cannot?
Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Chatbots, Help center, Product tours. LiveChat covers Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics, Canned responses. Both handle Live chat, Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify.

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
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
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
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
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