25 Best Intercom Alternatives to Consider in 2026

Intercom excels at providing conversational support for product-led SaaS companies; however, unpredictable usage-based pricing, limited voice capabilities, and add-on costs prompt teams to explore alternatives. This guide evaluates vetted competitors of Intercom, with BlueHub highlighted as the Editor’s Choice for teams of 20-100 agents.

Intercom pioneered conversational support and remains the go-to choice for many B2B SaaS companies prioritizing in-app messaging and proactive customer engagement. Its Messenger widget feels native in web applications, Fin AI Agent delivers autonomous resolution, and product tours help onboard users without creating support tickets.

However, several pain points consistently drive teams to evaluate better Intercom alternatives:

• Usage-based unpredictability
• No native voice support
• Resolution-based AI pricing
• Limited for contact centers
• Expensive at scale

This guide compares alternatives across omnichannel depth, native WFM/QA, multilingual AI, pricing transparency, and total cost to operate. We’ve included options for every segment, from affordable email-first helpdesks to enterprise CCaaS platforms, with BlueHub leading for mid-market teams that need everything in one subscription.

Between 2015 and 2026, customer support platforms evolved from chat-first helpdesks to comprehensive omnichannel solutions. Intercom defined the modern conversational support category in 2011, but the market has since consolidated around unified platforms that bundle voice, WFM, QA, and multilingual AI natively.

The old model looked like this: Purchase Intercom for in-app messaging and chat. Integrate Twilio or a separate contact center for voice. Add a third-party WFM tool for scheduling. Use spreadsheets or a separate QA platform for quality monitoring. Manage translation through plugins. Stitch together reports from 3-5 different dashboards.

This worked when support was primarily chat and email in a single language. It breaks down when managing thousands of customer interactions across multiple channels, including voice, email, SMS, WhatsApp, and social media, in various languages.

Modern Intercom competitors like BlueHub, Genesys Cloud CX, and NICE CXone bundle these capabilities natively. This resulted in fewer vendor relationships, improved data flow between systems, cleaner customer profiles, and more predictable monthly costs.

Three forces drove this consolidation: 

1. Channel expansion (chat, SMS, WhatsApp, social media, voice all need unified queues)
2. AI maturity (modern AI can transcribe calls, translate conversations, suggest replies, and resolve tickets, but only with unified context)
3. CFO scrutiny (finance teams demand predictable TCO, not surprise usage spikes).

When evaluating alternatives to Intercom, prioritize native omnichannel, integrated WFM and QA, multilingual AI with guardrails, pricing transparency, and security basics in base plans.

Intercom revolutionized customer communication by making support conversational rather than transactional. Its strengths remain compelling: The Messenger widget integrates seamlessly into products. Proactive messaging prevents support tickets through in-app guidance. Product tours onboard users without human intervention. Fin AI Agent handles resolution autonomously at scale.

However, five factors consistently drive teams to explore Intercom chat alternatives:

1. Unpredictable costs: Usage-based pricing for Fin AI ($0.99/resolution), messaging channels (SMS, WhatsApp, and email campaigns), and phone support result in monthly bills that swing 30-50%. Teams report difficulty budgeting when a single marketing campaign or product launch can triple support volume overnight.
2. No voice capability: Intercom doesn’t handle phone calls natively. Teams requiring voice must integrate with Twilio, Five9, or another telephony provider, resulting in fragmented workflows and duplicate customer data entry.
3. Not built for contact centers: Intercom alternatives offer essential features missing from Intercom: workforce management for scheduling and forecasting, quality assurance for monitoring and coaching, skills-based routing for complex queries, and call transcription for compliance and training.
4. Limited for high-volume operations: Intercom excels for product-led SaaS with moderate support volume. It’s less suitable for 100-agent contact centers handling thousands of daily interactions across multiple channels and languages.
5. Add-on accumulation: Base plans start at $29/seat, but effective costs range from $120 to $175/agent after adding Copilot Unlimited ($35/agent), Proactive Support Plus ($99/month), and usage-based channel fees.

If these considerations apply to you, the top Intercom alternatives listed below address these gaps in different ways.

We assessed each intercom competitor using publicly available documentation, demo videos, pricing pages, and verified user reviews.

• Features Assessment: We checked each alternative to Intercom against our must-have checklist. Platforms were categorized as Meets (native, documented, and available for 20-100 agents), Partial (requiring add-ons or higher tiers), or Not Evident (no public documentation).
• Who Uses It: We identified user segments from case studies, public logos, and review filters. Where unclear, we noted TBD based on positioning.
• Pricing: All pricing data comes from vendor websites as of October 2025. Where pricing isn’t public, we noted “Contact sales” and the stated model.
• Pros and Cons: Strengths and weaknesses tie directly to our checklist and rubric, avoiding superlatives in favor of evidence-based observations.

Must-Have Capability Checklist and Advanced Features

• Omnichannel: Email, chat, voice, SMS, social, bots
• WFM & QA: Native scheduling, forecasting, quality review
• Analytics & Dashboards: Real-time, SLA tracking, custom reports
• Knowledge Base & Self-Service: Internal/external KBs, AI search, multilingual
• Multilingual AI (Voice + Text): Translation, transcription, sentiment analysis, guardrails
• APIs, Integrations & Compliance: REST API, customer relationship management (CRM)/e-commerce, data residency, ISO/GDPR
• Pricing Clarity: Transparent, seat-based, or usage tiers, bundled features
• AI Tools: Voicebot, suggested replies, auto routing/summarization

Scoring Rubric

Criterion	Weight	What We Looked For
Fit for 20-100 agents	High	No 200-seat minimums; features accessible in mid-tier plans
Omnichannel depth (incl. voice)	High	Native voice, not bolted-on; unified queue for all channels
WFM/QA native	High	Scheduling and quality tools included, not third-party required
Multilingual AI (voice+text)	High	Real-time translation; KB-grounded chatbot and voicebot
Time-to-value	Medium	Setup complexity; onboarding support; pre-built templates
Total cost to run	High	Transparent pricing; bundled features; predictable monthly bill
Security & control	Medium	MFA, audit logs, data location in base or mid-tier plans

Find the right fit fast. We’ve ranked 25 Intercom alternatives by channels, AI, voice, and price so you can shortlist in minutes.

1. BlueHub (by BlueTweak) — Editor’s Choice

BlueHub is the top Intercom alternative for 20–100 agent teams that need unified omnichannel support, native voice, and multilingual AI, without add-on sprawl or usage-based surprises. Built on 20+ years of BPO operations, it offers predictable, per-seat pricing and a comprehensive CX OS (tickets, voice, chat, bots, WFM, analytics, and KB) in one stack.

Features

• Unified omnichannel ticketing: Email, chat, voice, social, SMS with a single history and queueing model
• AI-powered service: Voicebot, chatbot, suggested replies, ticket summaries, sentiment/routing
• Multilingual & translation: On-the-fly translation across voice and text; documented multi-language coverage
• Workforce & quality management: Forecasting, scheduling, adherence, scoring/coaching
• Knowledge & self-service: Knowledge base for agents and customer help center
• Analytics & SLA tracking: Real-time dashboards and custom reports
• Enterprise-grade security: Role-based permissions, MFA, audit logs; ISO certification in progress

Who Uses It

BlueHub serves BPO providers running multi-client operations, as well as e-commerce, aero, travel, and tech companies with 20-100 agent teams.

Pricing

• €65/agent/month all-in (ticketing, omnichannel, AI features, WFM, QA, analytics, APIs)

Pros

• All-in-one simplicity: No separate subscriptions for WFM, QA, or voice
• Predictable pricing: Seat-based model avoids usage swings
• Multilingual AI at core: Real-time translation across 50+ languages for voice and text
• BPO-native architecture: Manages multiple brands/clients from one instance
• Native voice included: Voicebot with NLU, KB-grounded answers, seamless agent handoff
• Fast implementation: Most teams go live in 2-4 weeks with hands-on support

Cons

• More miniature marketplace than Intercom’s extensive integration ecosystem
• Brand awareness is lower than established players
• No free tier; requires demo and sales conversation

Book a BlueHub demo to see unified omnichannel, native WFM/QA, and predictable AI costs in action.

2. Zendesk

Zendesk offers mature ticketing, an extensive marketplace (with over 1,500 integrations), and comprehensive feature coverage. It’s an Intercom alternative for teams prioritizing ecosystem depth over conversational UX.

Features

• Omnichannel: Email, chat, voice (Talk via Twilio), social, messaging
• AI: Answer Bot, workflow automation, intent detection
• Voice: Zendesk Talk with call routing and recording
• Marketplace: 1,500+ pre-built integrations
• Analytics: Explore with customizable dashboards

Who Uses It

SMBs to enterprises across e-commerce, SaaS, retail, and financial services.

Pricing

• Suite Team: $55/agent/month (10-agent maximum)
• Suite Growth: $89/agent/month
• Suite Professional: $115/agent/month
• Suite Enterprise: $150+/agent/month
• Voice, Advanced AI, WFM ($25/agent/month), QA ($35/agent/month) cost extra

Pros

• Mature ecosystem with an extensive app marketplace
• Familiar UI for many teams
• Strong integration library
• Enterprise-grade compliance options

Cons

• Voice is partner-dependent (Twilio), not native
• WFM and advanced AI are gated behind enterprise tiers
• TCO climbs quickly with add-ons
• No native voicebot—text-based Answer Bot only

3. Freshdesk

Freshdesk offers affordable ticketing with a clean user experience. It’s a strong, cheaper alternative to Intercom for SMBs prioritizing simplicity over conversational features.

Features

• Omnichannel: Email, chat, phone, social media
• AI: Freddy AI Copilot (drafts, summaries), Freddy AI Agent (autonomous)
• Automation: Routing, SLA management, workflows
• Knowledge Base: Customer-facing help center

Who Uses It

Startups to enterprises; strong in e-commerce, education, healthcare, and SaaS.

Pricing

• Free: Up to 10 agents, basic ticketing
• Growth: $15/agent/month
• Pro: $49/agent/month
• Enterprise: $79/agent/month
• Freddy AI Copilot: +$29/agent/month
• Freddy AI Agent: $100 per 1,000 sessions (usage-based)

Pros

• Affordable entry point ($15/agent)
• Intuitive interface, clean modern UI
• Quick setup (1-2 weeks operational)
• Gamification boosts agent morale

Cons

• AI gets expensive at scale
• Voice requires a separate Freshcaller product
• No native WFM
• Per-session AI billing creates cost unpredictability

4. Help Scout

Help Scout offers email-centric support with a Gmail-like user experience. Recently shifted to a contact-based pricing model (unlimited users), making it a more affordable alternative to Intercom for collaborative teams.

Features

• Shared Inbox: Email-first interface
• Live Chat (Beacon): Embeddable widget
• Knowledge Base (Docs): Customer-facing articles
• AI Features: Built-in drafts, summaries, tone adjustment
• Phone & SMS: Make/receive calls and texts

Who Uses It

Small businesses, startups, B-corps; strong in e-commerce, education, and services.

Pricing

• Free: 50 contacts/month, 2 mailboxes
• Standard: $25/month for 100 contacts (unlimited users)
• Plus: $70/month for 200 contacts
• Pro: $100/month for 300 contacts
• Pricing scales with a 3-month average of contacts helped

Pros

• Unlimited users on all paid plans
• Contact-based pricing smooths seasonal fluctuations
• Built-in AI with no extra fees
• Great for cross-functional collaboration

Cons

• Unpredictable for growing teams (one campaign doubles bill)
• Limited voice capabilities
• AI is limited to Help Scout content only
• Expensive integrations are locked in the Plus plan

5. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk appeals to teams using the Zoho ecosystem (CRM, Books, Projects). Offers robust features at competitive prices as an alternative to Intercom.

Features

• Omnichannel: Email, phone, live chat, social, instant messaging
• Zia AI: Sentiment analysis, reply suggestions, predictive assignment
• Automation: Workflows, macros, SLA management
• Knowledge Base: Internal and customer-facing
• Community Forums: Build customer communities

Who Uses It

SMBs to enterprises; strong in tech, retail, healthcare, and financial services.

Pricing

• Free: 3 agents, basic ticketing
• Express: €9/agent/month (5-agent minimum)
• Standard: €20/agent/month (unlimited agents)
• Professional: €35/agent/month (10 departments)
• Enterprise: €50/agent/month (50 departments)

Pros

• Aggressive pricing (most affordable full-featured)
• Zoho ecosystem integration
• Robust automation rivals 3x-priced platforms
• Generous free tier (3 agents)

Cons

• Dated UI feels cluttered
• Steep learning curve, weeks of setup
• Limited third-party integrations
• AI is limited to Professional and above

6. HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub extends the HubSpot CRM ecosystem into customer support, ideal for teams already using HubSpot for marketing or sales who want unified customer data across all touchpoints.

Features

• Shared Inbox & Ticketing: Email-based support with ticket management and team collaboration
• Knowledge Base: Customer-facing help center with search and article management
• Live Chat: Website chat widget with chatbot builder
• Customer Portal: Self-service area where customers track tickets and access resources
• Automation: Workflows, ticket routing, SLA management
• Breeze AI (Enterprise): AI-powered agent assist, summaries, and content generation
• Reporting: Standard dashboards with custom report builder
• HubSpot CRM Integration: Native connection to contacts, deals, and companies across all HubSpot hubs

Who Uses It

SMBs to mid-market companies already in the HubSpot ecosystem; strong adoption in SaaS, professional services, and B2B companies prioritizing unified customer platforms.

Pricing

• Free: Basic ticketing, shared inbox, live chat (limited)
• Starter: $15/seat/month (2-seat minimum)
• Professional: $90/seat/month + $1,500 onboarding fee
• Enterprise: $150/seat/month + $3,500 onboarding (10-seat minimum)

Pros

• Support, sales, and marketing data in one CRM
• No extra cost for robust contact management
• If you’re on HubSpot, setup is straightforward
• Workflow builder rivals platforms at 2x the price
• Enterprise tier gets AI features without per-resolution fees

Cons

• Professional and Enterprise tiers cost more than standalone helpdesks
• Features lag competitors if not using the broader HubSpot ecosystem
• Lacks workforce management or quality assurance tools
• Requires a 10-seat minimum and an annual commitment for the top tier
• $1,500-$3,500 implementation charges on top of subscription

7. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is the enterprise CRM giant’s service platform, offering unmatched customization for Fortune 500 companies with complex requirements and existing Salesforce investments.

Features

• Omnichannel: Email, chat, phone (via integration), SMS, social messaging, video
• Case Management: Advanced workflows, escalation rules, entitlements, SLAs
• Einstein AI: Predictive case routing, reply recommendations, knowledge suggestions, sentiment analysis
• Knowledge Base: Robust article management with AI-powered search
• Field Service: Schedule and dispatch field technicians (Lightning add-on)
• AppExchange: 7,000+ pre-built integrations and apps
• Industry Clouds: Pre-configured customer service solutions for healthcare, financial services, retail, and manufacturing
• Customization: Unlimited custom objects, fields, workflows via Apex code

Who Uses It

Fortune 500 enterprises in financial services, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing; companies with dedicated Salesforce admin teams and existing Salesforce ecosystem investments.

Pricing

• Starter Suite: $25/user/month (10-user maximum, basic features only)
• Professional: $80/user/month
• Enterprise: $165/user/month
• Unlimited: $330/user/month

Pricing excludes implementation costs ($50K-$200K+), Einstein AI features (additional license), and specialized clouds.

Pros

• Build exactly what you need with Apex, Lightning components, and custom objects
• Native integration with Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud
• Security, compliance, and governance built for regulated industries
• Pre-built processes for healthcare, banking, insurance, and retail
• 7,000+ AppExchange apps extend functionality

Cons

• Among the most costly options ($80-$330/user + implementation)
• Requires 3-6 months and $50K-$200K in consulting fees
• Feature depth and complexity wasted on teams under 50 support agents
• Need dedicated admins who know the platform
• Customizations require ongoing developer resources

8. LiveAgent

LiveAgent combines helpdesk ticketing with native phone support, offering unlimited calling at flat monthly rates—a rarity among Intercom alternatives in this price range.

Features

• Omnichannel Ticketing: Email, chat, phone, social media, contact forms
• Native Phone System: Built-in calling with IVR, call routing, recording, unlimited inbound calls
• Live Chat: Website chat widget with proactive invitations and canned responses
• Knowledge Base: Internal and customer-facing help articles
• Automation: Ticket rules, SLA management, time-based triggers
• Reporting: Standard dashboards tracking response times, ticket volumes, and agent performance
• Mobile Apps: iOS and Android for agents on the go
• Integrations: 200+ pre-built connectors, including Shopify, WordPress, Mailchimp

Who Uses It

E-commerce, SaaS, and SMBs needing voice support without per-minute charges; customers include Huawei, BMW, USC, and mid-sized retail brands.

Pricing

• Small: $15/agent/month (1 phone number, 1 email, basic features)
• Medium: $35/agent/month (3 phone numbers, 10 emails, automation)
• Large: $59/agent/month (5 phone numbers, unlimited emails, departments)
• Enterprise: $85/agent/month (unlimited phone numbers, advanced reporting, API)

All plans include unlimited calling; billed annually with a 10% discount

Pros

• Built-in calling without a separate telephony provider
• No per-minute charges like Zendesk Talk or RingCentral
• $15-$85/agent is competitive, especially with phone included
• Most teams are operational within 1 week
• Strong option if phone support is the primary channel

Cons

• No chatbot, voicebot, or advanced automation features
• UI feels older compared to Freshdesk or Intercom
• 200 integrations versus Zendesk’s 1,500+
• Translation requires manual setup, no real-time AI translation

9. Front

Front transforms shared email into collaborative customer communication, blending helpdesk features with team collaboration tools. It’s built for teams that live in email but need more than Gmail.

Features

• Shared Inbox: Email-centric interface with assignments, internal comments, @mentions
• Multi-Channel: Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter in one inbox
• Collaboration: Real-time editing, internal discussions, @mentions, shared drafts
• Rules & Workflows: Automate support, tagging, routing, and assignments based on conditions
• Analytics: Response time tracking, team performance, workload distribution
• Integrations: Deep connectors for Salesforce, HubSpot, Asana, Slack, 100+ apps
• Templates & Snippets: Canned responses for common queries
• Mobile Apps: Full-featured iOS and Android apps

Who Uses It

Small teams (5-30 people) across sales, customer success, and support who prefer email-centric workflows; popular with agencies, consultancies, and B2B startups.

Pricing

• Starter: $19/seat/month (50 conversations/seat included)
• Growth: $59/seat/month (unlimited customer conversations)
• Scale: $99/seat/month (advanced analytics, SAML SSO)
• Premier: $229/seat/month (white-glove support, account management)

Pros

• Feels like enhanced Gmail, not a traditional ticketing system
• Multiple people can work on the same conversation simultaneously
• Beautiful interface that teams actually enjoy using
• Sales, success, and support all collaborate in one platform
• Operational within days, not weeks

Cons

• Email, SMS, and messaging only—no voice calling
• Missing ticketing fundamentals like SLA management, queues
• Basic automation, no chatbot or voicebot capabilities
• Starter’s 50-conversation cap creates unpredictable costs

10. Gorgias

Gorgias built its platform exclusively for e-commerce, automating Shopify support queries and tying customer service metrics directly to revenue.

Features

• E-commerce Integration: Deep connections to Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce
• Omnichannel: Email, live chat, SMS, Facebook, Instagram, phone (limited)
• Order Management: View orders, process refunds, edit shipping, all from the ticket interface
• Automation: Rules engine handles “where’s my order,” returns, and tracking updates automatically
• Macros: Pre-built response templates for common e-commerce scenarios
• Revenue Attribution: Track which support conversations lead to purchases
• Self-Service: Customers check order status via chat without agent involvement
• Analytics: Standard helpdesk metrics plus e-commerce KPIs (revenue per ticket, conversion rates)

Who Uses It

Direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands on Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce; typically online retailers with moderate to high order volumes seeking automation.

Pricing

• Starter: $10/month (50 tickets)
• Basic: $60/month (300 tickets)
• Pro: $360/month (2,000 tickets)
• Advanced: $900/month (5,000 tickets)

Additional tickets: $40 per 100 tickets; phone support and advanced automation available in Pro and above

Pros

• Features explicitly designed for online retail
• Best-in-class Shopify integration (edit orders, refunds in-ticket)
• See which conversations lead to sales
• Automation handles 30-40% of repetitive tickets
• Affordable entry point ($10-$60/month)

Cons

• Unpredictable costs during sales, product launches, and holidays
• Voice calling is extremely limited (Basic plan: 0 calls; Pro: 50 calls)
• Works best on Shopify; other platforms get fewer key features
• No value outside online retail
• $900/month for 5,000 tickets; overages add up quickly during peak seasons

11. Kustomer

Kustomer takes a customer-centric approach, organizing all interactions on a unified timeline rather than separate tickets. It’s built for consumer brands prioritizing conversational, contextual support.

Features

• Customer Timeline: All interactions (calls, chats, orders, emails) on one view
• Omnichannel: Email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, voice, social
• No Ticket Numbers: Conversations, not tickets (customers never see ticket numbers)
• AI & Automation: Chatbots, routing, suggested replies
• CRM Capabilities: Built-in customer data platform

Who Uses It

Consumer brands in retail, travel, and fintech; customers include luxury and lifestyle companies.

Pricing

• Enterprise: $89/user/month (seat-based)
• Ultimate: $139/user/month (seat-based)
• AI Agents for Reps: +$40/user/month
• AI Agents for Customers: $0.60 per engaged conversation
• All-inclusive Enterprise Bundle: $129/user/month
• Contact sales for custom pricing; 8-seat minimum

Pros

• Agents see people, not ticket numbers
• Complete interaction history without switching screens
• Luxury and lifestyle brands love a conversational approach
• Intelligent routing based on customer context and history
• Seat-based or conversation-based models

Cons

• Pricing competitive with or higher than Zendesk Enterprise
• Forces sales conversations for basic information
• Requires full migration to Kustomer CRM
• No native scheduling or forecasting tools
• All the features with AI require additional fees on top of the base plans

12. Gladly

Gladly puts customers (not tickets) at the center with lifelong conversation threads. It’s designed for consumer brands focused on loyalty and personalized experiences.

Features

• Lifelong Conversation Threads: All interactions with one customer in one thread
• Omnichannel: Voice, SMS, email, chat, social messaging
• Customer Profiles: Rich profiles with purchase history, preferences, and notes
• Task Management: Follow-ups tied to customers, not tickets
• Customer AI: Sidekick AI for automated conversations
• Reporting: Customer-centric metrics (not just ticket counts)

Who Uses It

Consumer brands in retail, hospitality, and travel.

Pricing

• Hero plan: $180/hero/month (10-hero minimum, annual billing)
• Superhero plan: Contact sales for pricing
• Sidekick AI: $0.60 per assisted conversation (usage-based, minimum volume commitment)

Pros

• Seamless hand-offs between voice, chat, and email in one conversation
• Agents build relationships, not close tickets
• Strong telephony built in, not bolted on
• Luxury and high-touch brands use it to stand out

Cons

• Premium pricing ($150-$180/seat), even compared to Salesforce
• Requires a sales process and often minimum commitments
• Designed for 100+ agent operations
• Not ideal for deflecting volume with chatbots
• Excludes smaller teams

13. Dixa

Dixa is a Scandinavian customer service platform emphasizing conversation over tickets. It offers solid omnichannel capabilities with native voice for international teams.

Features

• Omnichannel: Email, chat, voice, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter
• Smart Routing: Skill-based routing and automatic prioritization
• Conversation Continuity: Context preserved across channels
• VoIP Included: Native calling with local numbers in 100+ countries
• Mim AI Agent: Handles 55% of repetitive tasks
• Analytics: Real-time dashboards and historical reporting

Who Uses It

European SMBs and mid-market companies.

Pricing

• Starter: $39/agent/month (7-seat minimum, annual billing)
• Professional: Contact sales for pricing
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing
• Chatbot automation: Additional cost

Pros

• Native calling without a separate telephony provider
• Intuitive interface with minimal clutter
• Local numbers in 100+ countries
• Less ticket-centric than traditional helpdesks
• Mim handles majority of repetitive tasks

Cons

• Smaller than US-based competitors
• Requires sales engagement for most plans
• Lacks advanced automation compared to Intercom or Freshdesk
• Fewer pre-built connectors than major platforms

14. Talkdesk CX Cloud

Talkdesk is an enterprise cloud contact center platform with comprehensive voice, omnichannel routing, AI, native WFM, and QA capabilities.

Features

• Enterprise Contact Center: Advanced IVR, skills-based routing, call recording
• Omnichannel: Voice, SMS, email, chat, social messaging
• AI (Talkdesk AI): Virtual agent, sentiment analysis, call transcription
• WFM: Native workforce management with scheduling and forecasting
• Quality Management: Call recording, evaluation forms, coaching workflows

Who Uses It

Mid-market to enterprise voice-heavy operations (100+ agents) in healthcare, retail, financial services, and hospitality.

Pricing

• CX Cloud Essentials: ~$75/user/month
• CX Cloud Elevate: ~$95/user/month
• CX Cloud Elite: ~$125/user/month
• Custom enterprise pricing available

Pros

• Purpose-built for high-volume call centers
• Integrated scheduling, forecasting, and adherence monitoring
• Built-in quality management and coaching tools
• Voicebot and virtual agent capabilities rival specialized CCaaS
• Pre-built templates for healthcare, retail, and finance

Cons

• Better for call centers than email-heavy support teams
• Multiple modules and add-ons make the true cost hard to predict
• Feature depth requires significant training

15. NICE CXone

NICE CXone is the enterprise-grade contact center platform with comprehensive WFM, QA, analytics, and proven scalability for large operations.

Features

• True Omnichannel: Voice, email, chat, SMS, social media in a unified agent desktop
• Enlighten AI: Real-time agent assist, sentiment analysis, coaching recommendations
• WFM: Comprehensive workforce optimization suite
• Quality Management: Recording, evaluation, calibration, coaching
• Analytics: Real-time and historical reporting with AI-powered insights
• Compliance: HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2 built for regulated industries

Who Uses It

Large enterprises and BPOs (500+ agents) in healthcare, financial services, retail, and telecom require compliance and scale.

Pricing

• Digital Agent: $71/user/month (digital channels only)
• Voice Agent: $94/user/month (voice + basic digital)
• Omnichannel Agent: $110/user/month
• Essential Suite: $135/user/month (adds WFM/QA)
• Core Suite: $169/user/month
• Advanced Suite: $209/user/month
• Ultimate Suite (Mpower): $249/user/month

Pros

• Handles 10,000+ agent deployments reliably
• Comprehensive: Everything needed for contact center operations in one platform
• HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOC 2 are built for regulated industries
• Industry-leading forecasting and scheduling

Cons

• Requires dedicated admins and a long implementation
• Enterprise pricing is out of reach for SMBs
• Feature depth wasted on teams under 100 agents
• Expect 3-6 months from evaluation to go-live
• Users report pricing complexity and unexpected costs

16. Genesys Cloud CX

Genesys Cloud CX competes directly with NICE CXone in the enterprise CCaaS market, known for its flexibility, AI capabilities, and multi-tenant architecture, which is critical for BPOs.

Features

• Omnichannel: Voice, digital channels, video, co-browse
• Genesys AI: Voicebot, chatbot, agent assist, predictive routing
• Native WFM: Forecasting, scheduling, intraday management
• Quality & Analytics: Recording, evaluation, speech analytics
• AppFoundry: 300+ pre-built integrations
• Multi-tenant architecture

Who Uses It

Enterprises and BPOs (100+ agents); strong in telecom, finance, healthcare, and retail.

Pricing

• Cloud CX 1: $75/user/month
• Cloud CX 2: $115/user/month
• Cloud CX 3: $155/user/month
• Custom enterprise pricing available

Pros

• Excellent for BPOs managing multiple clients
• Highly customizable for complex requirements
• Voicebot and predictive engagement capabilities
• Extensive API and integration ecosystem
• Handles large enterprise deployments

Cons

• Not suitable for teams under 50 human agents
• Premium pricing even for mid-tier features
• DIY setup impractical
• Expect 2-4 months for full deployment
• Complex admin interface

17. ServiceNow Customer Service Management

ServiceNow CSM brings ITSM discipline to customer service. Ideal for organizations already using ServiceNow for IT operations.

Features

• Omnichannel: Email, chat, phone (via integrations), social, mobile
• Case Management: ITSM-style workflows with SLAs and escalations
• Knowledge: Robust knowledge base with AI-powered search
• Self-Service: Customer self-service portal with case tracking
• Now Assist: AI for agent productivity and case resolution
• ITSM Integration: Seamless connection with ServiceNow ITSM

Who Uses It

Enterprises on the ServiceNow platform, especially in B2B, tech, and professional services.

Pricing

• Contact sales for pricing
• Custom enterprise pricing available

Pros

• Extends existing ITSM investment
• Best for technical support and B2B service management
• AI-powered KB search and recommendations
• Security, compliance, and governance built in
• Service, IT, HR, all in one ecosystem

Cons

• Among the priciest options
• Better for technical support than consumer service
• Requires ServiceNow expertise
• Only makes sense if already on ServiceNow
• Months to implement properly

18. Sprinklr Service

Sprinklr is an enterprise unified CXM platform designed for large organizations managing customer service across 30+ social and digital channels.

Features

• Social-First: Native support for 30+ social channels
• Omnichannel: Voice, email, chat, messaging apps, review sites
• AI: Routing, sentiment, chatbots
• Listening: Social listening and brand monitoring
• Unified Agent Desktop: All channels in one workspace

Who Uses It

Enterprise brands (Fortune 500) in retail, telecom, hospitality, and financial services are managing high-volume social/digital support.

Pricing

• Advanced (Self-Serve): $249/seat/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing (contact sales)
• No free plan; 30-day trial available

Pros

• Best for brands active on social media
• Monitor brand mentions across the internet
• Built for 100K+ social interactions monthly
• Marketing, advertising, and service in one ecosystem
• Comprehensive reporting across all channels

Cons

• Enterprise pricing ($249/seat minimum) is out of reach for SMBs
• Unless massive social volume, it’s too much platform
• Steep learning curve and long implementation
• Social-first means voice is secondary

19. Khoros Care

Khoros focuses on digital and social customer care, built for brands managing support across social media, messaging apps, and review sites.

Features

• Digital-First: Social media, messaging apps, review sites, online communities
• AI & Automation: Bot framework, intelligent routing, sentiment analysis
• Community Forums: Build and manage customer communities
• Listening: Social monitoring and brand tracking
• CRM Integration: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics connectors

Who Uses It

Consumer brands with strong digital presence in retail, telecom, and hospitality.

Pricing

• Contact sales for custom pricing
• No public pricing available

Pros

• Excels at building customer forums and peer-to-peer support
• Deep social media management capabilities
• Purpose-built for B2C digital support
• Connect support relevant customer data to social advertising

Cons

• Enterprise pricing model
• Not ideal for phone-heavy support operations
• Requires significant configuration and training
• Losing ground to Sprinklr and Salesforce Social Studio

20. LivePerson

LivePerson’s Conversational Cloud is a messaging-first platform with Voice AI capabilities, leveraging generative AI and LLM orchestration.

Features

• Conversational Cloud: Messaging across web, mobile, SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat
• Intent Manager: AI detects customer intent and routes accordingly
• Conversation Builder: Low-code bot building
• Agent Workspace: Unified workspace for customer communication channels
• Analytics Studio: Voice + text conversation analysis
• Compliance: GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CCPA

Who Uses It

Enterprise brands in retail, financial services, telecom, and hospitality are prioritizing digital-first, messaging-based engagement.

Pricing

• Contact sales for custom pricing
• No free plan; free trial available

Pros

• Intent detection and bot building are mature
• Customers message when convenient
• Handles 1 billion+ conversations monthly
• Bring Your Own AI model

Cons

• Conversation-based pricing is hard to predict
• Better for messaging than traditional phone support
• Minimum contracts and pricing exclude SMBs
• Limited native voice capabilities
• Requires sales contact

21. Five9 Intelligent CX

Five9 is a cloud contact center platform with 20+ years of voice expertise. It recently added digital channels and positioned itself for mid-market to enterprise operations, prioritizing telephony.

Features

• Cloud Contact Center: Advanced IVR, ACD, skills-based routing, predictive dialing
• Omnichannel: Voice, email, chat, SMS, social (digital channels are less mature than voice)
• Five9 Genius AI: Agent assist, virtual agent (IVA), speech analytics, real-time transcription
• WFM: Integrated workforce management with forecasting and scheduling
• CRM Integration: Deep connectors for Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Microsoft Dynamics

Who Uses It

Mid-market to enterprise voice-heavy contact centers (50-500 agents).

Pricing

• Digital: $119/user/month (digital channels only, 50-user minimum)
• Core: $119/user/month (adds voice)
• Premium: $169/user/month
• Optimum: Contact sales (~$140-$175/user/month estimated)
• Ultimate: $229/user/month

Pros

• 99.999% uptime SLA, trusted by 3,000+ organizations
• Native forecasting, scheduling, intraday management
• Handles high-volume operations reliably
• Best-in-class Salesforce and ServiceNow connectors

Cons

• Digital channels feel like afterthoughts; a weaker omnichannel customer experience
• Multiple editions and add-ons make the total cost unclear
• If email/chat are primary channels, better options exist
• IVA, Agent Assist, and advanced features cost extra

22. Dialpad AI Contact Center

Dialpad built a modern business communications platform (voice, video, messaging) and extended it to contact centers. Real-time AI transcription and sentiment analysis run during calls.

Features

• Cloud Contact Center: IVR, ACD, call recording, real-time analytics
• Real-Time AI: Live transcription, sentiment scoring, action item detection during calls
• Omnichannel: Voice, SMS, web chat, social messaging
• Integrations: Pre-built connectors for Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, 70+ apps
• Unified Communications: Combines contact center with business phone system
• AI Recaps: Automatic call summaries and coaching recommendations

Who Uses It

SMBs to mid-market teams (20-200 agents) needing modern voice plus light digital channels; customers span tech, professional services, and healthcare.

Pricing

• Contact Center: Starting ~$95/agent/month
• Pro tier: ~$115/agent/month
• Enterprise tier: ~$135/agent/month
• Specific pricing requires a sales contact

Pros

• Built for the cloud-first era, not legacy telephony
• Transcription and sentiment analysis during calls (not after)
• Faster implementation than Five9, Genesys, or Talkdesk
• Combine the contact center with the business phone system in one platform
• Strong mobile experience for remote teams
• Most teams are operational in 2-4 weeks

Cons

• Younger than Five9/Genesys, fewer enterprise capabilities
• Basic scheduling, not comprehensive workforce management
• Voice and SMS are strong; email/ticketing is less mature

23. Zowie

Zowie is an AI-first customer service platform built specifically for e-commerce, automating common queries while integrating deeply with Shopify, Magento, and other platforms.

Features

• AI Automation: Handles up to 60% of common e-commerce queries automatically
• E-commerce Integration: Deep connections to Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce
• Order Management: Check order status, process returns, update shipping—all automated messages
• Omnichannel: Chat, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram
• Product Recommendations: AI-powered upselling and cross-selling
• Analytics: Track automation rates, customer satisfaction, and resolution times
• Multilingual: Support for multiple languages

Who Uses It

Direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands on Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce; typically stores with moderate to high order volumes seeking automation.

Pricing

• Contact sales for custom pricing
• Pricing scales with order volume and automation usage

Pros

• Explicitly built for online retail, not adapted from a generic helpdesk
• Most brands are operational within 2 weeks
• Reduces the need to hire additional agents
• AI understands your inventory and can make recommendations
• Instant answers for “where’s my order” type questions

Cons

• No value outside the online retail vertical
• Can’t handle phone support
• Works for order status, not product troubleshooting or technical issues
• Not built for 50+ agent operations
• Strongest for Shopify stores, weaker for other platforms

24. Groove

Groove positions itself as the simple, affordable help desk for small businesses. If you’re a micro-team that finds Zendesk overwhelming and wants a shared email with basic features, Groove is a good fit.

Features

• Shared Inbox: Email-centric support with assignments, notes, and collision detection
• Knowledge Base: Customer-facing help articles with search
• Reporting: Basic analytics on response times, volumes, and team performance
• Integrations: Slack, Shopify, Mailchimp, Zapier, and 40+ apps
• Collaboration: Private notes, @mentions, internal discussions
• Rules & Automation: Basic workflow automation and ticket routing

Who Uses It

Micro-businesses and startups (3-15 people); customers include small SaaS companies, consultants, agencies, and bootstrapped startups.

Pricing

• Standard: $12/user/month (shared inbox, basic reporting)
• Plus: $20/user/month (advanced reporting, custom fields)
• Pro: $35/user/month (SLA targets, time tracking, advanced automation)

Pros

• Among the cheapest full-featured helpdesks (not just shared Gmail)
• Clean interface, minimal learning curve, quick onboarding
• Flat monthly rate regardless of volume
• Perfect for bootstrapped startups with 3-10 people
• Familiar workflow for teams used to Gmail/Outlook
• Can start with just 1-2 users

Cons

• Lacks AI, advanced automation, and chatbot capabilities
• No real omnichannel (no native voice, chat is basic)
• Small ecosystem (40 apps) compared to Zendesk (1,500+)
• Most teams outgrow Groove by 15-20 people
• Missing workforce management, quality assurance, and sentiment analysis

25. HappyFox

HappyFox offers a traditional help desk with essential features at competitive prices. It’s particularly popular with IT service desks and internal customer support teams.

Features

• Ticketing: Multi-channel ticket management (email, chat, phone, social, web forms)
• Knowledge Base: Internal and external help articles with search and organization
• Task Management: Convert tickets to tasks, set dependencies, and track projects
• Asset Management: Track hardware and customer service software assets (IT service desk focus)
• Community Forums: Build a customer community platform for peer-to-peer support
• Automation: Workflows, SLA management, smart rules, escalations
• Reporting: Standard reports on customer service team performance, ticket volumes, and resolution times

Who Uses It

IT departments, educational institutions, and SMBs; strong adoption in schools, universities, and companies needing IT asset management alongside exceptional customer support.

Pricing

• Mighty: $29/agent/month (basic ticketing, knowledge base)
• Fantastic: $49/agent/month (automation, SLA, community forums)
• Enterprise: $69/agent/month (custom roles, advanced reporting, API access)
• Enterprise Plus: $89/agent/month (multiple brands, advanced workflows, dedicated support)

Pros

• Competitive pricing for the feature set ($29-$89/agent range)
• Asset management and service desk features appeal to IT teams
• Popular with schools and universities (often with education discounts)
• No hidden fees or complex add-ons
• Built-in customer community platform included

Cons

• UI feels older compared to alternatives
• Basic automation, no chatbot or AI agent assist capabilities
• Fewer integrations (50-75) than major competitors
• Requires third-party telephony integration (not included)
• Interface complexity without corresponding power features

Teams leave Intercom when usage-based pricing volatility, lack of native voice, or missing contact center features outweigh its conversational strengths. The best Intercom alternatives for 2026 offer comprehensive omnichannel capabilities, clearer pricing structures, and modern AI.

If you need an all-in-one customer service platform with native voice, workforce management, multilingual AI, and predictable pricing, BlueHub delivers the best balance for 20-100 agent teams. You won’t need separate subscriptions for WFM, QA, or advanced AI—everything’s included at €65/agent/month.

BlueHub won’t fit if you’re a 5-person startup that needs just chat and email, or a 500-agent enterprise that’s standardized on Salesforce. But for mid-market teams (20-100 agents) looking to consolidate vendors, eliminate usage-based surprises, and add voice capabilities, it’s the Editor’s Choice.

See for yourself. Schedule a demo with our team.