Intercom vs Chatbase
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Intercom has the lower starting price: about $39 a month, against $40 for Chatbase.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Shared omnichannel inbox
- Fin AI agent
- Copilot for human agents
- Help center builder
- Workflow automation
- Training on websites and files
- Embeddable chat widget
- Custom actions
- Human handoff inbox
- Conversation analytics
| Feature | Intercom | Chatbase |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Customer service help desk with messaging, tickets and a built-in AI agent | Build an AI support agent trained on your own content in minutes |
| Category | Customer support | Customer support |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Freemium |
| Starting price | $39/mo | $40/mo |
| Free plan | No, 14-day trial | Yes |
| Made by | Fin (Salesforce) | Chatbase |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Intercom has the lower starting price: about $39 a month, against $40 for Chatbase.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Essential
$39/mo
- Per seat
- Fin AI Agent at $0.99/outcome
- Shared inbox and ticketing
- Public help center
Advanced
$99/mo
- Per seat
- Workflows automation builder
- Multiple team inboxes
- 20 free Lite seats
Expert
$139/mo
- Per seat
- SSO and identity management
- HIPAA support and SLAs
- 50 free Lite seats
4 plans
Hobby
$40/mo
- 700 message credits per month
- 2 members
- Advanced models, basic integrations
Basic
$150/mo
- 4,000 message credits per month
- 3 members
- Voice and API access
Business
$500/mo
- 15,000 message credits per month
- 5 members
- Advanced analytics
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Custom limits
- Enterprise support
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Intercom
- Polished messenger and inbox
- AI built into every plan
- Good in-app messaging tools
- Seat and AI costs add up
- Pricing pages change often
- Advanced reporting needs top tiers
Chatbase
- Very fast to set up
- Free plan to try
- Choice of AI models
- Credit use per reply varies
- Basic help desk features
- Inactive free agents get deleted
Which one should you choose?
Choose Intercom if you want:
- Polished messenger and inbox
- AI built into every plan
- Good in-app messaging tools
Watch out: seat and ai costs add up.
Choose Chatbase if you want:
- Very fast to set up
- Free plan to try
- Choice of AI models
Watch out: credit use per reply varies.
Intercom vs Chatbase FAQ
What is the difference between Intercom and Chatbase?
Intercom: Customer service help desk with messaging, tickets and a built-in AI agent. Chatbase: Build an AI support agent trained on your own content in minutes. Both are customer support tools.
Is Intercom or Chatbase cheaper?
Intercom has the lower starting price: about $39 a month, against $40 for Chatbase.
Do Intercom and Chatbase have free plans?
Intercom: No, 14-day trial. Chatbase: Yes.
Who makes Intercom?
Intercom is made by Fin (Salesforce), based in United States.
Who makes Chatbase?
Chatbase is made by Chatbase, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Intercom or Chatbase?
Choose Intercom if you value polished messenger and inbox and ai built into every plan. Choose Chatbase if you value very fast to set up and free plan to try.