Support
Intercom
Customer service helpdesk with a built-in AI agent, Fin
What is Intercom?
Intercom is a customer service helpdesk with a shared inbox, ticketing, Messenger live chat and help centre, plus a built-in AI agent called Fin that answers customers and hands over to staff. Seats are priced per month, and Fin is charged per outcome on top; Fin can also be used with other helpdesks. In 2026 the company behind Intercom renamed itself Fin.
Good for
- Answering routine customer questions automatically before they reach support staff
- Running a shared support inbox and help centre for a small support team
- Adding an AI agent to an existing helpdesk such as Salesforce, HubSpot or Freshdesk
Key features
- Shared inbox, ticketing and Messenger live chat on every plan
- Fin AI Agent on all plans, billed at $0.99 per outcome and at most once per conversation
- Workflow automation builder and round robin assignment on Advanced
- SSO, HIPAA support and SLAs on Expert
- Copilot AI assistant for support staff as an add-on ($35 per teammate/month shown with monthly billing)
- Fin Voice for phone support at $1.99 per voice outcome, via sales
Limitations to know about
- No free plan; a 14-day free trial is offered
- Fin is billed per outcome on top of seat fees, and using Fin with another helpdesk carries a minimum monthly commitment (the page's example is 50 outcomes)
- Multiple team inboxes and workflow automation start on Advanced; SSO and HIPAA support need Expert
Intercom pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $29/seat/mo billed monthly, or $19 billed annually | Messenger live chat, shared inbox and ticketing, pre-built reports, public help center, basic automation |
| Advanced | $99/seat/mo billed monthly, or $85 billed annually | Workflow automation builder, multiple team inboxes, round robin assignment, multilingual help center, 20 free Lite seats |
| Expert | $139/seat/mo billed monthly, or $132 billed annually | SSO and identity management, HIPAA support, SLAs, multibrand Messenger and Help Center, 50 free Lite seats |
| Fin AI Agent | $0.99 per outcome | Available on every plan; also sold on its own for other helpdesks, with a minimum monthly commitment |
Intercom alternatives
Zendesk
Customer service software with ticketing, messaging, voice and AI agents
Freshdesk
Freshworks help desk with ticketing, a knowledge base and Freddy AI
Tidio
Live chat, ticketing and an AI agent (Lyro) for customer service
Chatbase
Builds AI support agents trained on a company's own content
Voiceflow
Platform for building AI customer service agents for chat and voice
Manychat
Automates social DMs and comment replies on Instagram, WhatsApp and more
Head to head: Intercom vs Zendesk
Guides that use Intercom
Frequently asked questions
Is Intercom free?
No, Intercom does not have a free plan. It offers a 14-day free trial, no credit card required; includes all features, Fin and add-ons. Paid plans start at $19/user/mo billed annually.
How much does Intercom cost?
Intercom's cheapest paid plan, Essential, costs $29 a month billed monthly and $19 a month billed annually per user. Fin AI Agent is charged separately at $0.99 per outcome; minimum of 1 full seat. There is also an enterprise plan priced on request. Prices as published on Intercom's pricing page on 23 September 2026.
What is Intercom used for?
Intercom is a customer service helpdesk with a shared inbox, ticketing, Messenger live chat and help centre, plus a built-in AI agent called Fin that answers customers and hands over to staff. People use it for answering routine customer questions automatically before they reach support staff, running a shared support inbox and help centre for a small support team and adding an AI agent to an existing helpdesk such as Salesforce, HubSpot or Freshdesk.
What are the alternatives to Intercom?
Tools that do a similar job include Zendesk, Freshdesk, Tidio, Chatbase and Voiceflow. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes Intercom?
Intercom is made by Fin (the company formerly named Intercom), based in San Francisco, California, US. The company was founded in 2011.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Fin (the company formerly named Intercom)'s own pages, read on the dates shown.
- intercom.com/pricing (seat prices (monthly and annual toggle), Fin per-outcome pricing and definition, plan features, add-ons, trial) read 23 September 2026
- intercom.com/ (product description) read 23 September 2026
- fin.ai/about (founding year, offices, 2026 rename from Intercom to Fin) read 23 September 2026
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fin_(company) (company.hq only (vendor page lists six offices without naming a headquarters)) read 23 September 2026