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Technology · head to head

Pendo vs Smartsupp

Pendo logo

Pendo

Technology

Product analytics and digital adoption platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartsupp logo

Smartsupp

Live Chat

Live chat with advanced visitor tracking and co-browsing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pendo pricing is not publicly available and requires a custom quote; Smartsupp free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history
  • They diverge on capability: Pendo covers Product analytics, Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pendo and Smartsupp actually diverge.

Attributes where Pendo and Smartsupp differ
AttributePendoSmartsupp
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, DesktopWeb, Mobile app, IOS, Android
CategoryTechnologyLive Chat
Founded20132012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Pendo

  • Product analytics
  • In-app messaging
  • User onboarding
  • Feature adoption tracking
  • User feedback
  • NPS surveys
  • Session replay
  • Mobile analytics

Only in Smartsupp

  • Live chat messaging
  • Co-browsing
  • Visitor tracking
  • Heatmaps
  • Shopify
  • API
  • Web support
  • Mobile app support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Pendo

  • User onboardingnot Smartsupp
  • Feature adoptionnot Smartsupp
  • Product analyticsnot Smartsupp
  • User feedback collectionnot Smartsupp
  • Digital adoptionnot Smartsupp

Smartsupp

  • Small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume AI agent starting under $20/monthnot Pendo

Where each one falls short

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

Pendo

  • Pricing is not publicly available and requires a custom quote
  • Free tier limited to 500 monthly active users

Smartsupp

  • Free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history
  • Annual billing required for best pricing (up to 30% savings)
  • Operator limits scale with plan tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Pendo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 500 MAU
    • Core analytics
    • In-app guides

Smartsupp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 operator
    • 25 conversations per month
    • 14-day conversation history
  • Solo$17/month
    • 1 operator
    • Unlimited conversations
    • All channels including email
  • Plus$25/month
    • 3 operators
    • Unlimited conversations
    • Automation workflows
  • Expert$83/month
    • 5+ operators
    • Unlimited conversations
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Pendo if

  • You need product analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Desktop.
  • You also want in-app messaging.
Pendo review

Choose Smartsupp if

  • You need live chat messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
  • You also want co-browsing.
Smartsupp review

Questions people ask

Is Pendo or Smartsupp better?
Neither clearly leads. Pendo starts at Free and Smartsupp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pendo or Smartsupp?
Pendo starts at Free and Smartsupp at Free.
Does Pendo or Smartsupp run on more platforms?
Pendo runs on Web, Mobile, Desktop. Smartsupp runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
Can I use Pendo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Pendo best used for?
Pendo is most often used for user onboarding, feature adoption, product analytics, user feedback collection. Of those, user onboarding and feature adoption are not what Smartsupp is typically brought in for.
What can Pendo do that Smartsupp cannot?
Pendo covers Product analytics, In-app messaging, User onboarding, Feature adoption tracking. Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging, Co-browsing, Visitor tracking, Heatmaps. Both handle Slack, Zapier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pendo: Does Pendo have a free tier?

Yes, Pendo Free supports up to 500 monthly active users and includes core product analytics, in-app guides, Pendo-branded roadmaps, and Pendo-branded NPS surveys.

Source
Smartsupp: How much does Smartsupp cost?

Smartsupp offers a free plan for up to 25 conversations monthly. Paid plans start at $17/month for Solo (annual: $204/year), $25/month for Plus, and $83/month for Expert. Enterprise plans start at $280/month with custom features and annual billing offers up to 30% savings.

Source
Pendo: What is Pendo's core functionality?

Pendo combines product analytics, in-app guides, session replay, NPS surveys, product discovery, roadmaps, and cross-channel orchestration to measure and improve product adoption.

Source
Smartsupp: What is included in Smartsupp's free tier?

Smartsupp's free tier includes 1 operator, up to 25 conversations per month, 14-day conversation history, and basic channel support. All paid plans offer unlimited conversations and advanced features including AI-powered reply assists.

Source
Pendo: What CRM systems does Pendo integrate with?

Pendo offers two-way integrations with Salesforce, mapping Pendo product usage and sentiment data with Salesforce records, and with HubSpot for contact mapping and campaign orchestration.

Source
Smartsupp: What payment options and currencies does Smartsupp support?

Smartsupp accepts monthly or annual billing with annual subscriptions providing up to 30% savings. The platform supports multiple currencies including CZK, EUR, USD, and PLN. A 14-day free trial is available for paid plans with no credit card required initially.

Source
Pendo: What impact does Pendo have on customer retention?

Companies using Pendo for product analytics see on average a 5% reduction in customer churn and report an average 15% increase in net revenue retention.

Source
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