Cheaper Intercom Alternative 2026 — AI Chat + 50 Channels for €14/mo

Intercom is a powerful customer service platform. If you want something simpler and more affordable with AI chat and 50+ channels, here is how Boei compares.

$14/mo with AI vs $74/seat/mo
No per-resolution AI fees
50+ channels included
Try Boei Free See Full Comparison

Trusted by 10,000+ Businesses Worldwide

10,000+

Businesses trust Boei

5.0

Rating on Capterra

50+

Channels included

$14/mo

With AI chatbot

Why People Look for Intercom Alternatives

More Predictable Pricing

Intercom charges per seat ($74/mo each) plus per AI resolution ($0.99 each). Your monthly bill grows fast as your team and AI usage scale

Simpler Setup

Intercom often needs dedicated onboarding and weeks of configuration. Many small teams want something that works in minutes, not months

All Channels Included

WhatsApp, SMS, phone, and social channels cost extra with Intercom or need higher plans. With Boei, every channel is included from day one

What Intercom Does Well

Intercom is genuinely excellent at enterprise customer service. Their Fin AI Agent handles complex multi-step support workflows. Their help center is one of the best in the industry.

If you have a large support team, Intercom delivers. Custom bots with branching logic, SLA management, and deep CRM integrations are all built in.

Their reporting and analytics suite is mature too. You can track resolution times, customer satisfaction, and agent performance across every interaction. For companies with 50+ support agents, that level of detail matters.

Intercom has been around since 2011. They have a proven track record with enterprise customers like Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft.

Where Intercom Falls Short for Small Teams

For teams under 20 people, Intercom's per-seat pricing means costs grow with every hire. A 5-person team pays $370/month just for seats, before add-ons.

The Fin AI Agent charges $0.99 per resolution. That can add hundreds to your monthly bill at scale.

Many features small teams need are locked behind higher tiers. WhatsApp, SMS, and phone channels need higher-tier plans or separate add-ons.

The setup process assumes you have someone dedicated to configure workflows. Most small businesses don't have that luxury.

Sometimes you just need a chat widget with AI and a few contact channels. For that, Intercom is overkill.

Boei vs Intercom at a Glance

Boei dashboard screenshot

Boei

50+ channels, AI chatbot, and contact forms in one widget.

Intercom dashboard screenshot

Intercom

AI-first customer service platform with Fin AI agent and shared inbox.

Side-by-Side

Boei vs Intercom Feature Comparison

A detailed look at what each platform offers

Feature Boei Intercom
Starting price $8/mo (+ $6 AI add-on) $74/seat/mo
AI chatbot $6/mo add-on (2,000 msgs) Fin AI ($0.99/resolution)
Per-conversation fee None $0.99/resolution
Live chat agents $6/mo per agent $74/mo per seat
Total channels 50+ 6 (chat, email, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, social)
WhatsApp Yes + AI auto-replies Higher plans only
Contact forms Included Via custom bots
Setup time 5 minutes Days to weeks
Auto-train on website ✓ Yes Manual knowledge base
Branding removal Included All plans
Integrations Direct HubSpot & Mailchimp + webhooks 200+ native integrations
GDPR / EU servers Yes (Amsterdam) US-based (EU option on Enterprise)
Free trial 7 days 14 days

Bottom line: Intercom is built for large support teams with complex needs. Boei is built for businesses that want AI chat and multiple channels running in minutes, at a fraction of the cost.

Real Cost Comparison

Here is what you would actually pay per month, including all fees:

ScenarioBoeiIntercom
1 agent, 100 AI conversations$20/mo ($8 base + $6 AI + $6 agent)$74/mo + $99 AI = $173/mo
3 agents, 1,000 AI conversations$32/mo ($8 base + $6 AI + $18 agents)$222/mo + $990 AI = $1,212/mo
5 agents, 3,000 AI conversations$44/mo ($8 base + $6 AI + $30 agents)$370/mo + $2,970 AI = $3,340/mo

Intercom pricing based on Essential plan ($74/seat/mo) + Fin AI ($0.99/resolution). Boei pricing: $8/mo base + $6/mo AI add-on + $6/mo per agent. Prices as of early 2026.

Key Advantages

Where Boei Stands Out vs Intercom

💰

Predictable, Affordable Pricing

$8/month for the widget, $6/month for AI, $6/month per live chat agent. You always know what you will pay. No per-resolution charges, no surprise bills.

⚡

5-Minute Setup

Copy one code snippet, paste it on your site, and you are live. Boei's AI auto-trains on your website content. No manual knowledge base needed.

🌐

50+ Channels in One Widget

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, phone, email, contact forms, and 45+ more channels. All included, no add-ons. Boei's AI works natively on WhatsApp too — not just your website — and all conversations land in one shared inbox.

🇪🇺

EU-Hosted and GDPR-Ready

Boei runs on servers in Amsterdam. Full GDPR compliance without needing to negotiate an enterprise contract.

Who Should Choose What

Choose Intercom if...

You have 50+ support agents, need enterprise SLAs, want a mature help center with complex bot workflows, and have budget for per-seat and per-resolution pricing

Choose Boei if...

You want AI chat and 50+ channels starting at $14/month with AI. You need to be live in minutes. And you want clear, predictable pricing

Consider both if...

You are a mid-size company that might outgrow Boei's simplicity but finds Intercom overkill right now. Start with Boei, switch later if needed

Migration Guide

Switching from Intercom to Boei

1

Export your help center content

Intercom lets you export articles as CSV. Boei's AI trains on your website directly, so make sure your content is live on your site for the AI to learn from

2

Run both tools side by side

Install Boei alongside Intercom for a week. Compare response quality and lead capture before fully switching. Most businesses complete the full switch in a single day

3

Redirect your channels

Point your WhatsApp, social media, and other channels to Boei. This takes minutes per channel since Boei supports 50+ out of the box

What Customers Say About Switching

David K.

David K.

CEO Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

What do you like best about Boei? I'm giving 10 points. Why? This app is super easy. You can configure your chat widget in 5 minutes, add a JS script to your "header" in your theme and wooollaaa done. Nothing hard. We have been using Boei mainly for small corporate websites. It really solves our need to have a small chat widget which does not add up 150Kb and XXXXX JS scripts. It's really lightweight and it does not affect your website speed.
Seif Ahmed

Seif Ahmed

@seif588

I have been using Boei for over a year. It is very simple yet effective to implement it. Support is great - Ruben is always responsive and helpful. The product has also added new features which I have not yet needed but good to know Ruben is always working hard to add value to users of Boei. I am sure there are other similar solutions but for the price, support and features (and future updates), this is a great value.
Neu

Neu

@siddharthaneu

Ruben has been consistent with Boei and made a lot of improvements! All the best brother!
Irfan

Irfan

@mak_web_media

I have been using BOEI for over a year and absolutely amazed with the growth and new features. I recommend BOEI to anyone who is looking to increase website engagement with multiple communication channels.
Peter C

Peter C

@peter_c1

Great founder Ruben , responds personally to emails, and always looking to improve Boei.
Andrew Lee

Andrew Lee

@fromlife89

It's a great tool especially for managing multiple websites and agencies.
Grzegorz G.

Grzegorz G.

I have a quick chat on each page, so it simplifies the way my clients can get in touch with me. It was very easy to implement and they continue to improve this software and are open to feedback. An easy way to add a communication widget to the website. I like best that it supports Messenger and Whatsaap, phone, email and live chat and it is easy to translate for multilingual pages. I can't think about real drowbacks. The [SENSITIVE CONTENT] reply all the support questions quickly and effectively, they are open to feedback. I had no issues at all with this software. Maybe if they could add some protection against spammers if you use the contact form and in some future add a chatbot, that would be fantastic.
Joshua G.

Joshua G.

I was looking for a chat app to easily communicate with my customers. I didn't want to install anything overly complex and I just wanted something that worked within minutes. After briefly using Boei, I knew it was right for me. It's super lightweight and easy to use, plus it has all the chat bots that you might need! Highly recommend to anyone looking for something simple. I wish there was a better UI or more design options.
Ronald D.

Ronald D.

Director Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

What do you like best about Boei? Simple, easy to use and implement with little technical support What do you dislike about Boei? Logo deisgns can be improved and some customization of logos of different widgets What problems is Boei solving and how is that benefiting you? On multiple sites, users require different feedback channels. This allows simple customization
Fahd T.

Fahd T.

Founder Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

What do you like best about Boei? The best part is the simplicity of the product and ease of use. What do you dislike about Boei? The weak part is the lack of depth for advanced users. What problems is Boei solving and how is that benefiting you? Helps capture visitors using different communication channels under one platform.
David S.

David S.

CEO/Founder Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

What do you like best about Boei? It's extremely easy to gather different communication channels under one UI, simplifying the contact process for users, which is essential because it allows us to meet our clients via their preferred method (and not the one we impose on them) What do you dislike about Boei? I wish they had more design options to make it less standard amongst different websites. Another thing that could be better is the speed at which new integrations are added; it could be faster. What problems is Boei solving and how is that benefiting you? Some users prefer contact forms, other live chats, other Instagram/facebook DmS, ETC. Boei allows us to display all these channels in a simplified and unified manner.
Vance W.

Vance W.

We have been using Boei for many clients over the past year and the impact on the page speed is negligible and helps convert website visitors to warm leads. Ease of deployment, lightweight code, and overall flexibility and functionality. The form component isn't exactly flexible and extensive enough for most uses so we often have to use another form solution.
Julien V.

Julien V.

Développeur d'e-commerce Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

What do you like best about Boei? Lightweight, opens instantly, lot of features (whatsapp, messenger, contact form, links) What do you dislike about Boei? Not including a built-in chat app, more design customizations could be good What problems is Boei solving and how is that benefiting you? Allowing website visitors to contact us through their preferred channel (whatsapp, phone call, etc)
Grant

Grant

I'm a tech noob, but Boei was super easy to install on my site. I've added several options for contacting me through different channels, links to questionnaires / contact forms, and links to my socials... It's so much more than just a chat button, which is awesome!
Hansie

Hansie

Works great, nice variation of apps
David K.

David K.

CEO Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

What do you like best about Boei? I'm giving 10 points. Why? This app is super easy. You can configure your chat widget in 5 minutes, add a JS script to your "header" in your theme and wooollaaa done. Nothing hard. We have been using Boei mainly for small corporate websites. It really solves our need to have a small chat widget which does not add up 150Kb and XXXXX JS scripts. It's really lightweight and it does not affect your website speed.
Seif Ahmed

Seif Ahmed

@seif588

I have been using Boei for over a year. It is very simple yet effective to implement it. Support is great - Ruben is always responsive and helpful. The product has also added new features which I have not yet needed but good to know Ruben is always working hard to add value to users of Boei. I am sure there are other similar solutions but for the price, support and features (and future updates), this is a great value.
Neu

Neu

@siddharthaneu

Ruben has been consistent with Boei and made a lot of improvements! All the best brother!
Irfan

Irfan

@mak_web_media

I have been using BOEI for over a year and absolutely amazed with the growth and new features. I recommend BOEI to anyone who is looking to increase website engagement with multiple communication channels.
Peter C

Peter C

@peter_c1

Great founder Ruben , responds personally to emails, and always looking to improve Boei.
Chandra Kusuma

Chandra Kusuma

The greatest chat widget for websites I have ever tried. It's quite light and not reduce the site loading speed. Quite easy to install on any type of sites/CMS platform. The features and integrations is continuously developed. The support Ruben and his team provide is the best. Easily number one pick.
Pepe

Pepe

This is a great way to chat with visitors on their favorite channels. I really like this because it's simple to implement. It's also easy to find new integrations because there are many channels to choose from (Line, WhatsApp, Email, Contact form, etc.). Ruben, the founder, is also a great guy, always listening to users requests and feedbacks.
Arjun E.

Arjun E.

Boei is very easy to customize and install on my platforms. Sub-accounts have not yet arrived, and it's very important for my clients' use.
José Manuel D.

José Manuel D.

Very easy to install and use. A lot of options of contact. User doesn´t have an option to close or make it dissappear from a site (if they dont want or need to contact(
Cristian Trappolini

Cristian Trappolini

I want to leave this review because I want to tell you 2 important things: one is that those who don't speak English well often find themselves having to live with Google Translate as their best friend, and the other is that BOEI is fantastic, simple and intuitive even for those who don't speak English well. I am really enthusiastic about the ease of use from the first time, which I rarely find in a similar app. Personally I recommend it to everyone!
Daniel Gyger

Daniel Gyger

A must for simplicity and efficiency. To test it is to approve it, in any case we can only recommend it.
Nitesh Manav

Nitesh Manav

It's a light-weight, easy to set-up and use. It increases conversions by talking to visitors on their favorite channels. Above this, it's also cookie-free and GDPR proof which makes it more light-weight and secure.
Renaat Sioncke

Renaat Sioncke

Boei.helps is an easy-to-use app to connect a support/help icon to your website. I just set up four websites with different social media links, all in no time. Boei helps to customize and speed up my website building work-flow.
Fran Tully

Fran Tully

Very happy to give 5 Stars for this plugin. Over 70% of my business enquiries are coming from Smartphone users based on my Google Analytics. Boei allows those users to contact me on their preferred social Channel with one click. I also can follow up on that channel later or over time with the conversion thread preserved. It's a pop up with a GIF that looks great on my site. And it gives the prospective client the opportunity to fill out a standard contact form as well. I am implementing it on all my sites now, and I am very happy to recommend. I would try the free version first so you are sure. Thanks Fran
Proinsias M.

Proinsias M.

It was very easy to configure and setup on my website. The only issue I had to deal with was to decide what channels not to include in the pop up on the website. I need to be clear what are the essential channels to include for each site that I design. Very happy to give Top Marks to this Plugin. Most of my business enquiries are coming from Smartphone users based on my Analytics. Boei allows those users in particular contact me on the preferred social Channel with one click. I also can follow up on that channel later or over time with the conversion thread preserved. Its a pop up and also give the prospective client the opportunity to fill out a standard contact form as well. I am implementing it on all my sites now and I am very happy to recommend. I need to make sure I am not including channel options that are not relevant, so I need to be sure of my target audience to avoid clutter when the pop up is activated.
Gavin S.

Gavin S.

It makes it easier for website visitors to engage with me on the channel of their choice. Installing Boei was simple, took less than 5 minutes, and I was up and running. What I liked is that you can install it on Wordpress, HTML, and even on other page builders. You can use it with WhatsApp, Telegram, Live chat, Facebook messenger, or any combination of them at once so that visitors can pick the channel they're most comfortable with. None at the moment, everything is working as it should be.
Sara Hall

Sara Hall

How is this possible? I have been searching for a service like boei, without success for over a year. What magic is this? Isn't set up supposed to be supremely complicated, involving a coding degree, extensive technical knowledge and possibly a miracle? Boei just works. It works so well I was suspicious of it for nearly a whole week, sending endless texts and emails to myself in utter disbelief, when it failed to keel over! Set up is straight forward, easy and takes minutes. Seriously, I cannot recommend Boei enough.
Mike Foston

Mike Foston

Just about as easy as it gets. It uses all the ways you already have to connect to you, lets your customers choose how they want to connect, and doesn't give you another place to check for messages. Has plenty of configuration options, and support has been very responsive, and willing to listen to ideas to make improvements. Really pleased with how it looks on my sites as well. Bit of a bargain!
Lukáš H.

Lukáš H.

Ease of use and the number of possible integrations. Honestly I can't say there is anything I didn't like when using Boei.
Bikram K. S.

Bikram K. S.

Boei has been a time saver for me. I was looking for a way to integrate various social media chat options into my website so that my customers can contact me using the platform of their choice. I tried 3-4 other platforms but nothing came closer to the experience I finally got from Boei. Its WhatsApp and Google Map integration bought me over. I just wish it has support for Frase assistant and Gist assistant. Ease of use, and painless integration of various chat platforms. lacking integration with Frase and Gist and some of the labels are confusing.
Chandra Kusuma

Chandra Kusuma

The greatest chat widget for websites I have ever tried. It's quite light and not reduce the site loading speed. Quite easy to install on any type of sites/CMS platform. The features and integrations is continuously developed. The support Ruben and his team provide is the best. Easily number one pick.
Pepe

Pepe

This is a great way to chat with visitors on their favorite channels. I really like this because it's simple to implement. It's also easy to find new integrations because there are many channels to choose from (Line, WhatsApp, Email, Contact form, etc.). Ruben, the founder, is also a great guy, always listening to users requests and feedbacks.
Arjun E.

Arjun E.

Boei is very easy to customize and install on my platforms. Sub-accounts have not yet arrived, and it's very important for my clients' use.
José Manuel D.

José Manuel D.

Very easy to install and use. A lot of options of contact. User doesn´t have an option to close or make it dissappear from a site (if they dont want or need to contact(

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boei really cheaper than Intercom?

Yes. Boei starts at $8/month for the widget, plus $6/month for the AI chatbot add-on. Live chat agents are $6/month each. A 5-person team on Intercom Essential pays $370/month for seats alone, plus $0.99 per AI resolution. At 1,000 conversations/month, Intercom costs roughly $1,360 vs Boei's $32/month for one agent with AI.

Can Boei handle complex support workflows like Intercom?

Boei is built for simplicity, not complex enterprise workflows. If you need custom bot flows with branching logic, SLA management, or deep CRM integrations, Intercom is the better choice. Boei focuses on AI-powered answers and omnichannel contact.

How hard is it to switch from Intercom to Boei?

Most businesses switch in under a day. Install Boei with one code snippet, and the AI auto-trains on your website. You can run both tools at the same time during the transition.

What can Intercom do that Boei can't?

Intercom offers enterprise ticketing, custom bot builders with branching logic, advanced reporting dashboards, SLA management, and a mature help center. Boei keeps things simple on purpose: AI chat, 50+ channels, and lead capture.

Does Boei have a help center like Intercom?

Boei does not include a standalone help center. Instead, its AI chatbot learns from your website content and answers questions directly. For a dedicated knowledge base, you would use a separate tool.

Does Boei integrate with my CRM?

Boei integrates with popular tools via webhooks and direct integrations (HubSpot, Mailchimp), including CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce. Intercom has deeper native CRM integrations, but Boei covers the most common use cases.

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