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Customer Support · head to head

Intercom vs Scratchpad

Intercom logo

Intercom

Customer Support

The only AI customer service solution you need

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit IntercomFull review
Scratchpad logo

Scratchpad

CRM

Faster workspace over Salesforce for sales reps to update pipeline, take notes and manage deals

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ScratchpadFull review

The short version

  • Scratchpad is a spreadsheet-fast layer on top of Salesforce.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $29/mo and $19/mo.
  • Only Intercom lists AI-powered inbox; only Scratchpad lists spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • Where Intercom falls short: pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Intercom and Scratchpad actually diverge.

Attributes where Intercom and Scratchpad differ
AttributeIntercomScratchpad
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Browser extension
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Intercom, founded for Scratchpad.

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 Scratchpad

  • Spreadsheet pipeline views
  • Call recorder and notetaker
  • AI field updates
  • Deal and account agent
  • Hygiene monitor
  • Notes linked to records
  • Custom prompts
  • Kanban and forecast views

What people use each for

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

Intercom

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

Scratchpad

  • A 60-rep Salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline callnot Intercom
  • A rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty Salesforce recordsnot Intercom
  • A sales manager wanting stale and incomplete pipeline records flagged automatically instead of chased by emailnot Intercom
  • A revenue operations lead trialling AI notetaking that writes back to CRM fields before committing budget, using the free tiernot 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

Scratchpad

  • Scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is
  • AI credits are metered per user per month at 400 on Solo and 800 on Team, which means heavy notetaking use pushes teams towards Enterprise for capacity rather than for features
  • There is no proper native mobile application, so representatives who wanted to update records from a car park between meetings are back in a mobile browser
  • Sync with Salesforce and call processing can lag, and a pipeline view showing yesterday state during a forecast call undermines the exact meeting the tool was bought to improve
  • It creates a second notes surface alongside native Salesforce notes, so organisations end up with deal history split across two places unless they explicitly ban one of them

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

Scratchpad

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Workspace limited to 3 views
    • 10 hours a month of call recording and notetaking
    • AI field updates
  • Solo$19/mo
    • Unlimited views with sheets and notes
    • Call recorder and notetaker
    • AI field updates
  • Team$49/mo
    • Everything in Solo
    • 800 AI credits per user per month
    • Gong integration
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Unlimited AI credits
    • White-glove agent services included
    • Enterprise security and administration

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 Scratchpad if

  • You need spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Browser extension.
  • You also want call recorder and notetaker.
Scratchpad review

Questions people ask

Is Intercom or Scratchpad better?
Neither clearly leads. Intercom starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Intercom or Scratchpad?
Intercom starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free.
Does Intercom or Scratchpad run on more platforms?
Intercom runs on Web, iOS, Android. Scratchpad runs on Web, Browser extension.
Can I use Intercom for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Scratchpad is typically brought in for.
What can Intercom do that Scratchpad cannot?
Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Live chat, Chatbots, Help center. Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views, Call recorder and notetaker, AI field updates, Deal and account agent.

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
Scratchpad: Does Scratchpad work with HubSpot?

No. It is Salesforce-only.

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
Scratchpad: Is the free plan usable in production?

Yes for an individual: full workspace with three views, 10 hours of recording and 100 AI credits a month. Teams outgrow it on views and credits.

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
Scratchpad: Does it replace Salesforce licences?

No. Every user still needs their own Salesforce licence; Scratchpad is an interface on top.

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
Scratchpad: What are AI credits spent on?

Notetaking, summarisation, field update suggestions and agent queries. Enterprise removes the cap.

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