Intercom vs LiveAgent
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. LiveAgent has the lower starting price: about $19 a month, against $39 for Intercom.
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
- Omnichannel inbox
- AI chatbot
- AI answer assistant
- AI autoresponder
- Knowledge base
- Call center
| Feature | Intercom | LiveAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Customer service help desk with messaging, tickets and a built-in AI agent | Help desk with live chat, phone and AI agents in one inbox |
| Category | Customer support | Customer support |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starting price | $39/mo | $19/mo |
| Free plan | No, 14-day trial | No, 30-day trial |
| Made by | Fin (Salesforce) | LiveAgent |
| Based in | United States | Slovakia |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
LiveAgent has the lower starting price: about $19 a month, against $39 for Intercom.
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
Starter
$19/mo
- Per agent
- Up to 5 agents
- Email, live chat and forms
- 1 AI agent
Team
$35/mo
- Per agent
- Up to 15 agents
- Social channels and calls
- 5 AI agents
Business
$59/mo
- Per agent
- 50 AI agents
- AI MCP server
- Branding removal
Enterprise
$3,999/mo flat
- 80 agents included
- Unlimited AI agents
- Dedicated account manager
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
LiveAgent
- 30-day trial without a credit card
- AI included on every plan
- Free migration from other help desks
- Social and phone channels need higher plans
- AI provider costs are billed separately
- Per-agent pricing grows with team size
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 LiveAgent if you want:
- 30-day trial without a credit card
- AI included on every plan
- Free migration from other help desks
Watch out: social and phone channels need higher plans.
Intercom vs LiveAgent FAQ
What is the difference between Intercom and LiveAgent?
Intercom: Customer service help desk with messaging, tickets and a built-in AI agent. LiveAgent: Help desk with live chat, phone and AI agents in one inbox. Both are customer support tools.
Is Intercom or LiveAgent cheaper?
LiveAgent has the lower starting price: about $19 a month, against $39 for Intercom.
Do Intercom and LiveAgent have free plans?
Intercom: No, 14-day trial. LiveAgent: No, 30-day trial.
Who makes Intercom?
Intercom is made by Fin (Salesforce), based in United States.
Who makes LiveAgent?
LiveAgent is made by LiveAgent, based in Slovakia.
Which should I choose, Intercom or LiveAgent?
Choose Intercom if you value polished messenger and inbox and ai built into every plan. Choose LiveAgent if you value 30-day trial without a credit card and ai included on every plan.