LiveChat versus Intercom

LiveChat, originally from Poland, has been in the online customer service software business since 2002, being one the first companies to provide a live chat function to websites.

As one of the largest providers they offer a large number of app integrations and customization possibilties, ranging from CRM to e-commerce and help-desk software.

Their cheapest plan starts at $16 per month for one agent. A lot of features, analytics, and plugins are paid options or only available in their more expensive plans. They don’t offer a free plan. However, a 14 days free trial is available.

LiveChat has a substantial customer base consisting of over 35,000 companies worldwide. Among their customers are titans of industry like Adobe, Atlassian, PayPal, and Unilever.

Intercom has some of the world’s largest tech companies among its clients. As an industry-leading provider of live chat and in-app messaging, they have an impressive amount of features and an unrivaled level of customizability.

Intercom’s conversational support funnel is set up to efficiently filter support requests. Support tickets trickle through from proactive support to self-serve support via their knowledge base, to actual human support. Inbox automation can be set up to quickly prioritize tickets. Team efficiency and customer experience metrics are an integrated part of the platform.

Intercom leaves no matter to chance and knows that live chat needs to connect seamlessly with your existing software stack. For this purpose, an incredible number of integrations and apps in multiple categories can be found and installed through their app store.

Intercom has several pricing schemes depending on your needs. The different solutions target support, engagement, or conversion. The available features in each plan depend on the goals you have set out. Add-ons are available to expand your plan if necessary.

There is a slimmed-down plan for eligible Startups from $78 per month for a monthly subscription. Although their products are polished and user-friendly, Intercom is not suited for all businesses. Even at entry-level the Intercom messenger will set you back a hefty dime. It goes without saying, Intercom specializes in tailored solutions at Enterprise level.

Free trials are available, though it requires entering your credit card information. You will get billed if you don’t cancel your subscription in time. This is a considerable downside and a bit of an archaic practice in our opinion.