What is Intercom?
Intercom is a customer communication platform that helps businesses connect with their customers in a simple, efficient way. It offers tools like live chat, automated messaging, and AI-powered support to make customer interactions faster and more personalized. Businesses use Intercom to answer questions, solve problems, and keep customers happy, all while building strong, lasting relationships.
What is ControlHippo?
ControlHippo is a platform designed to make managing customer interactions easier for businesses. It combines tools like live chat, automated messaging, and customer analytics into one system. This helps businesses respond quickly to customers, improve their support, and understand customer needs better. By simplifying communication across different channels.
Why is ControlHippo the Best Alternative to Intercom?
ControlHippo is the best alternative to Intercom because it offers an affordable pricing structure, making it ideal for small to medium-sized businesses. Unlike Intercom, ControlHippo provides a free plan with essential features like chatbots and contact management. The platform also includes powerful tools like shared inboxes, automation, and analytics at a lower cost. Lastly, its user-friendly interface and customer-focused approach make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to optimize customer communication without the high price tag.
Intercom vs. ControlHippo: Feature-wise Comparison
The below table compares key features of Intercom vs. ControlHippo, highlighting why ControlHippo is the best Intercom alternative.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score |   4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Ease of use | 4.4/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Value for money (pricing details below) | 4/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Design quality | 4/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Features | • Customizable Bots • Automated Answers • Outbound Messaging • Live Chat • AI Agent | • Omnichannel Shared Inbox • AI Chat Assistant • AI Chatbot Assistant • WhatsApp Shared Inbox • AI Chatbot Builder • WhatsApp Business API |
| Head to head Comparison | • Offers advanced automation features for scaling. • Great for larger businesses and teams. • Expensive pricing for small businesses. | • Cost-effective with easy-to-use features. • Perfect for small to medium-sized businesses. • Supports multiple channels in one platform. |
| Pricing range | Pricing starts at $39/month, with custom plans for larger businesses and needs. 14-day free trial available. | Free plan “Basic” for small teams with a chatbot and several limited features. The bronze plan starts at $20/user per month with a chatbot, additional AI features, and advanced reporting tools. |
| Try for Free |
Features That Make ControlHippo #1 AI Customer Service Platform
From powerful automation tools to AI-powered knowledge base, ControlHippo offers a range of features designed to improve customer service. Here are some of the key features that make ControlHippo stand out.
Easily Share Media with WABA Media Share Functionality
While ControlHippo offers easy media sharing through WhatsApp, Intercom lacks similar direct integrations for rich media.
- Share images, videos, and files easily through WhatsApp Business API.
- Enrich customer chats by sharing multimedia like images and videos.
- Improve support and engagement by sending rich media in conversations.
Simplify Your Store with Shopify Integration
ControlHippo's Shopify integration helps store owners manage orders, while Intercom's integration options are limited in comparison
- Connect your Shopify store with WhatsApp for smoother communication.
- Send promotions and order updates directly through WhatsApp.
- Boost sales and customer support by managing everything through Shopify.
Create Support Tickets Automatically with Zoho Desk Integration
ControlHippo automatically converts chats into Zoho Desk tickets, whereas Intercom’s ticketing system is more manual and less streamlined.
- Automatically turn WhatsApp messages into support tickets in Zoho Desk.
- Convert customer queries into tickets for better tracking and response.
- Manage and organize support requests easily within Zoho Desk.
Efficiently Reach Customers with Bulk Messaging
ControlHippo allows bulk messaging to a wider audience, making it easier to promote, unlike Intercom, which has more restrictions.
- Send messages to many customers at once for promotions or updates.
- Use bulk messaging to connect with more customers quickly and efficiently.
- Promote offers, new products, and updates using bulk messaging.
Download and Review Chats with Chat Transcripts Download
With ControlHippo, you can easily download chat transcripts for analysis. Intercom lacks this simple access to transcripts.
- Download chat transcripts for keeping records or reviewing support interactions.
- Save chat transcripts for analysis, customer service improvements, or audits.
- Easily access chat transcripts for future reference or compliance checks.
Best Intercom Alternatives
Discover the top Intercom alternatives with detailed insights into key features and ideal use cases. Ease of use ratings are carefully aggregated from trusted platforms like Capterra.
1. ControlHippo
ControlHippo is an AI-powered customer service platform for managing messaging, support, and automation.
ControlHippo offers a robust set of features for businesses to manage customer communication across multiple channels. It integrates seamlessly with tools like WhatsApp, Shopify, and Zoho Desk.
The platform focuses on providing AI-powered automation, efficient ticketing systems, and real-time analytics, making it a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking streamlined customer service without the high cost.
Main Features
- Omnichannel Messaging: Manage all customer messages across channels like WhatsApp, email, and social media. This ensures seamless communication without switching between platforms.
- Automation Tools: Automate responses, workflows, and task assignments to save time and improve efficiency, reducing manual work for your team.
- AI Chat Assistant: Uses AI to instantly respond to customer inquiries, improving customer satisfaction and handling routine questions automatically.
- CRM Integration: Easily integrate with popular CRM systems like Zoho Desk, centralizing customer data and interactions for improved service and sales.
- Analytics & Reporting: Generate detailed reports to analyze team performance, track customer interactions, and get actionable insights for improvement.
Advance Features
- WABA Media Share: Share multimedia content, such as images, videos, and files, effortlessly via WhatsApp Business API to enrich customer interactions and provide richer support.
- Zoho Desk Ticketing: Automatically convert customer inquiries into support tickets, simplifying your ticketing process and ensuring that no issue is missed.
- Shopify Integration: Integrate seamlessly with Shopify to manage customer orders and communications, providing a more connected experience for your e-commerce business.
Pricing
- Basic: Free for up to 3 users.
- Bronze: $20/user/month.
- Silver: $28/user/month.
- Affordable pricing for small and medium-sized businesses.
- Easy-to-use interface and powerful automation features.
- Seamless integration with popular tools like Zoho Desk and Shopify.
- Limited third-party integrations compared to larger platforms.
- Not as feature-rich for larger enterprise-level businesses.
2. Kustomer
Kustomer is a customer service platform focused on managing conversations with omnichannel support.
Kustomer helps businesses deliver personalized customer service by centralizing all interactions in one platform. It offers robust tools for tracking customer inquiries, managing tickets, and providing real-time support across multiple channels.
With its integration capabilities, businesses can provide an efficient customer experience through automated workflows and reporting. Kustomer’s solution is ideal for scaling customer service operations with minimal manual intervention.
Main Features
- Omnichannel Support: Manage customer interactions across multiple channels like chat, email, and social media, ensuring no customer inquiry is left unanswered.
- Automated Workflows: Set up automation for ticket routing, customer queries, and follow-ups, making your customer service more efficient and faster.
- Customer Timeline: View every detail of customer interactions and history in a single timeline, helping teams resolve issues faster and provide personalized support.
- AI-Powered Assistance: Leverage AI-powered bots to automate responses, helping you handle simple queries while focusing on more complex customer issues.
- Customizable Dashboards: Personalize your dashboard to suit your team’s needs, giving them real-time insights into performance metrics, ticket status, and customer issues.
Pricing
- Custom pricing based on business size and requirements.
- Highly customizable interface and features.
- Integrates well with many third-party tools.
- Strong automation capabilities to improve service efficiency.
- Pricing can be high for small businesses.
3. Zendesk
Zendesk is a leading customer service and engagement platform known for its ticketing system.
Zendesk is a popular customer service software that provides a comprehensive suite of tools to simplify customer interactions. It supports multi-channel communication, including email, chat, and social media, and offers robust features for ticket management, automation, and reporting.
The platform is widely recognized for its ease of use, scalability, and integration capabilities, making it a preferred choice for businesses of all sizes.
Main Features
- Ticket Management: Track, manage, and resolve customer support tickets in an organized way, improving team efficiency and ensuring issues are addressed promptly.
- Multi-Channel Support: Communicate with customers across email, chat, social media, and other channels, all from one centralized platform.
- Knowledge Base: Create a self-service portal for customers to find solutions to common issues without needing to contact support.
- Automation and Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks, ticket routing, and customer queries, reducing response times and improving productivity.
- Analytics and Reporting: Generate actionable insights into team performance, customer satisfaction, and trends with detailed analytics and reports.
Pricing
- Suite Team: $49/user/month.
- Suite Growth: $79/user/month.
- Suite Professional: $99/user/month.
- Scalable solution for businesses of all sizes.
- Excellent multi-channel communication support.
- Integrates with a wide variety of third-party tools.
- Can be expensive for small businesses.
- Initial setup may require a learning curve.
4. HelpCrunch
HelpCrunch is a customer service and marketing platform designed for live chat and email support.
HelpCrunch provides a unified customer service platform combining live chat, email marketing, and automation tools. It focuses on offering seamless communication between businesses and customers, improving engagement through in-app messaging and email campaigns.
HelpCrunch is well-suited for companies looking for a combination of customer service and marketing tools within a single platform, making it easy to manage support and customer interactions.
Main Features
- Live Chat: Provide real-time customer support with a user-friendly live chat feature, ensuring quick responses to customer inquiries.
- Email Campaigns: Automate email marketing campaigns to engage and retain customers, keeping them informed and connected with your brand.
- Knowledge Base: Offer customers self-help solutions via a built-in knowledge base, reducing the number of repetitive inquiries.
- Targeted Messages: Send personalized messages to users based on their behavior and preferences, boosting engagement and conversions.
- Multichannel Communication: Integrate chat, email, and in-app messaging to provide a consistent and efficient customer experience.
Pricing
- Basic: $15/user/month.
- Pro: $25/user/month.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing.
- Combines live chat with email marketing automation.
- Easy-to-use interface for both customer support and marketing.
- Great for small to mid-sized businesses.
- Limited integration options compared to larger platforms.
- Some advanced features are missing in lower-tier plans.
5. Crisp
Crisp is a simple messaging platform with live chat, email, and support automation.
Crisp is a user-friendly customer support tool designed to offer seamless messaging across channels. With Crisp, businesses can interact with customers through live chat, email, and even chatbots.
It’s a versatile platform that combines customer support and engagement in one tool, providing a rich feature set including a shared inbox, knowledge base, and team collaboration. Crisp is perfect for businesses looking for a straightforward communication solution.
Main Features
- Real-time Chat: Engage with customers in real-time, offering instant support and personalized assistance.
- Email Support: Handle customer emails, create tickets, and respond efficiently, all within the same platform.
- Knowledge Base: Provide customers with self-help solutions through a knowledge base, saving time for both customers and support agents.
- Chatbots: Automate responses and improve efficiency with chatbots that handle basic customer queries automatically.
- Multi-Channel Support: Manage all your customer interactions in one place, including messages from email, chat, and social media.
Pricing
- Free: Free plan with basic features.
- Pro: $25/user/month.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing.
- Affordable pricing for small businesses.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Offers integrations with various third-party apps.
- Limited advanced features for large teams.
- Less flexibility with customization.
6. Help Scout
Help Scout offers a robust customer support platform with ticketing and live chat.
Help Scout is a comprehensive customer support tool designed to improve team collaboration and customer communication. It focuses on providing a seamless experience with its shared inbox, live chat, and ticketing system.
The platform is ideal for businesses that want to simplify their customer service operations and enrich team productivity through collaboration features and reporting tools.
Main Features
- Shared Inbox: Collaborate with your team to resolve customer queries quickly, keeping everyone on the same page.
- Live Chat: Provide real-time customer support with an integrated live chat feature, helping you instantly address customer needs.
- Ticketing System: Track and manage customer inquiries, ensuring that no issues are left unresolved.
- Customer Management: Centralize customer information, interactions, and notes for easy access by your support team.
- Reports & Analytics: Track support team performance and customer satisfaction through detailed reports.
Pricing
- Standard Plan: $25/month per user
- Plus Plan: $40/month per user
- Pro Plan: $65/month per user
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing based on requirements
- Simple and intuitive interface.
- Great for small to medium-sized teams.
- Excellent collaboration features for team-based support.
- Lacks some advanced automation features.
- Limited customization in lower-tier plans.
7. Tidio
Tidio is a customer service and marketing platform that combines live chat, chatbot, and email support.
Tidio is an all-in-one customer service tool that focuses on simplifying communication through live chat and automation. It combines live chat, chatbot support, and email marketing in one platform.
Tidio is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses looking to provide fast customer support with minimal manual effort. With an easy-to-use interface and powerful integrations, Tidio helps businesses engage customers and improve service efficiency.
Main Features
- Chat Support: Engage with customers in real-time, offering immediate answers and support to enrich customer satisfaction.
- Chatbots: Use automated chatbots to handle common customer inquiries, allowing your team to focus on more complex issues.
- Email Integration: Manage customer emails from within the same platform, simplifying all communication in one place.
- Automation Workflows: Set up triggers and workflows to automatically respond to customer queries, reducing response times.
- Customer Insights: Track and analyze customer interactions, allowing you to identify pain points and optimize your service.
Pricing
- Free: Includes chat and chatbot features.
- Basic: $19/month.
- Pro: $39/month.
- Affordable and easy to use for small businesses.
- There is a good selection of integrations.
- It offers both live chat and automated chatbots on one platform.
- Some limitations with the free plan.
- Basic reporting and analytics compared to other platforms.
8. Drift
Drift is a conversational marketing and sales platform focused on live chat, bots, and automated customer engagement.
Drift is a conversational marketing and sales platform designed to drive customer engagement and conversion. It provides live chat, chatbots, and a suite of automation tools to engage with customers at every stage of their journey.
Drift’s focus is on using AI to facilitate real-time conversations with customers, allowing businesses to build stronger relationships and increase sales. The platform is especially beneficial for sales teams looking to accelerate lead conversion.
Main Features
- Live Chat: Provide instant support with live chat, making it easy to address customer needs and queries in real-time.
- Conversational Bots: Automate initial customer interactions and qualification processes with Drift’s AI-powered chatbots.
- Meeting Scheduling: Schedule meetings directly from the chat, eliminating back-and-forth communication and reducing friction.
- Sales Playbooks: Customize chat workflows and responses based on customer segments, improving conversion rates.
- Customer Segmentation: Segment customers based on behavior and needs, allowing for more targeted and effective communication.
Pricing
- Contact the company for a customized quote based on your needs.
- Powerful for sales and lead generation.
- Excellent automation features for handling complex workflows.
- Highly customizable chatbots.
- Pricing can be expensive for smaller teams.
- Some features may require a learning curve.
9. Customerly
Customerly is a customer service platform designed for live chat, email, and user feedback management.
Customerly focuses on improving customer engagement through live chat, email communication, and feedback collection. It provides tools to manage customer support requests, automate responses, and gather valuable feedback for continuous improvement.
Customerly is perfect for businesses aiming to create a seamless customer experience, simplify support processes, and improve user satisfaction through insightful customer feedback and easy-to-use communication tools.
Main Features
- Real-time Chat: Instantly engage with customers through live chat to resolve issues quickly and improve support efficiency.
- Email Communication: Manage all customer emails in one platform, allowing you to respond efficiently and track conversations.
- User Feedback: Collect feedback from customers to gauge satisfaction, resolve issues, and improve service quality.
- Automated Responses: Automate common responses and workflow tasks, reducing the workload on your support team.
- Analytics and Reports: Track key performance indicators like response time, customer satisfaction, and issue resolution.
Pricing
- Basic: $15/month for 1 agent.
- Growth: $25/month for 3 agents.
- Premium: $65/month for 10 agents.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Great for managing both live chat and email communications.
- Collects actionable customer feedback for business improvement.
- Limited integrations compared to other platforms.
- Advanced features are locked behind higher-tier plans.
10. Olark
Olark is a live chat platform designed to help businesses engage customers in real-time.
Olark is a simple and powerful live chat tool that enables businesses to connect with customers instantly. It is designed to provide real-time support, track customer interactions, and integrate seamlessly with other customer management tools.
Olark allows businesses to improve customer satisfaction by offering quick, efficient responses to inquiries, making it an ideal solution for small and medium-sized businesses.
Main Features
- Chat Support: Engage with visitors in real-time, providing instant assistance and answering questions to enrich the customer experience.
- Chat Transcripts: Access detailed chat transcripts for all customer interactions, helping you keep track of past conversations.
- Automated Messages: Set up automated messages to initiate conversations and answer common questions when agents are unavailable.
- Visitor Insights: Gain insights into visitor behavior and customer data to better understand your audience and tailor your support.
- Customizable Chat Widget: Customize the look and feel of the chat widget to match your brand's style and improve user experience.
Pricing
- Starter: $19/month for 1 agent.
- Team: $49/month for 3 agents.
- Pro: $99/month for 5 agents.
- User-friendly interface and easy setup.
- Integrates with popular CRMs and support tools.
- Affordable pricing for small businesses.
- Lacks advanced automation features.
- Limited reporting and analytics features.
11. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a cloud-based helpdesk software that simplifies customer support with automation.
Zoho Desk is a powerful helpdesk platform that helps businesses manage customer inquiries, automate workflows, and improve support efficiency. It supports multi-channel communication, including email, phone, and social media, all from a centralized system.
Zoho Desk also offers advanced reporting tools and integrations with popular apps like Zoho CRM, making it a great solution for businesses looking to improve customer service and drive higher satisfaction.
Main Features
- Multi-Channel Support: Manage customer interactions via email, phone, social media, and more from a single platform.
- Ticket Management: Organize and prioritize customer support tickets, ensuring timely responses and issue resolution.
- Automation: Set up automated workflows for ticket routing, responses, and escalations to save time and improve efficiency.
- Knowledge Base: Provide a self-service portal where customers can access FAQs and solutions without needing to contact support.
- Reporting & Analytics: Track team performance, customer satisfaction, and other key metrics with detailed reports.
Pricing
- Free: For up to 3 agents.
- Standard: $14/agent/month.
- Professional: $23/agent/month.
- Enterprise: $40/agent/month.
- Comprehensive support for multiple communication channels.
- Excellent automation and ticket management features.
- Seamless integration with Zoho CRM and other tools.
- Interfaces feel cluttered for new users.
- Some advanced features are available only on higher plans.
12. LiveAgent
LiveAgent is a customer service software that focuses on ticket management and multi-channel support.
LiveAgent is a robust customer support platform designed to provide businesses with tools for ticket management, live chat, and email support. It also includes advanced automation features, reporting, and integrations with third-party tools.
The platform is ideal for businesses seeking to optimize their customer service processes, reduce response times, and track interactions across multiple communication channels.
Main Features
- Ticketing System: Track and manage customer support tickets, ensuring efficient resolution and customer satisfaction.
- Real-time Messaging: Provide real-time support to customers, enabling instant communication and faster issue resolution.
- Call Center Support: Handle customer phone calls and integrate with your support system for a more comprehensive service experience.
- Automation Rules: Automate repetitive tasks, including ticket assignment, response triggers, and follow-up emails to improve service efficiency.
- Knowledge Base: Create and manage a self-service knowledge base, empowering customers to find answers on their own.
Pricing
- Ticket: $15/agent/month.
- Ticket+: $29/agent/month.
- All-Inclusive: $39/agent/month.
- Excellent ticketing and multi-channel communication features.
- Easy to set up and use for small businesses.
- Affordable pricing with great value.
- Limited customization in lower-tier plans.
- May be too basic for large enterprises.
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We got amazing help from the ControlHippo team. They're really quick to respond, know a lot, and do everything they can to help with our questions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, ControlHippo provides multi-channel chat support, allowing businesses to manage customer conversations across multiple platforms from a unified inbox. It enables agents to handle messages from various channels, ensuring seamless communication without switching between different applications.
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Yes, ControlHippo supports integrations with popular CRM and ticketing systems, enabling businesses to streamline customer interactions, access conversation history, and manage support tickets efficiently. This helps maintain a centralized customer database while improving support workflows.
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Yes, ControlHippo offers AI-powered automation features that allow businesses to set up workflow automation. From assigning tickets to routing conversations based on priority and intent, ControlHippo’s AI-driven capabilities enhance operational efficiency and reduce manual efforts.
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Yes, ControlHippo optimizes response times by offering AI-powered smart replies, automated message routing, and real-time agent collaboration. These features ensure that customer inquiries are addressed promptly, leading to improved service efficiency and customer satisfaction.
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ControlHippo provides built-in customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys that can be sent automatically after interactions. It collects customer feedback, analyzes satisfaction levels, and generates actionable insights to help businesses improve their support quality and agent performance.