7 Best Crisp Alternatives in 2026 (Including Open Source)

Crisp is a well-made live chat tool with an unusual price model. Plans are priced per workspace with agents included, not per seat, and the Free plan gives two agents a chat widget, a shared inbox and mobile apps. For a small team that is a good deal.

The catch is where features sit. The knowledge base, the AI chatbot, WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS all start on Essentials at $95 a month. Ticketing and the AI agent that works with your other tools start on Plus at $295 a month. AI automation runs on a credit allowance per plan. And Crisp is closed source and hosted only. Here are seven alternatives, including an open-source option you can self-host.

The best Crisp alternatives in 2026 are Quackback, Chatwoot, Intercom, Tidio, tawk.to, LiveChat and Help Scout. Quackback is the open-source option with live chat, a help center and Quackback AI on a flat plan, plus a status page and feedback boards. Chatwoot is the open-source pick for many channels, tawk.to is the free option, and Intercom is the deeper, pricier upgrade.

1. Quackback — Open source. Live chat, email and GitHub issues in one inbox, a help center, a status page and feedback, with Quackback AI. Free plan; paid from $29/mo billed annually with seats included.
2. Chatwoot — Open-source omnichannel inbox. Free to self-host; Cloud from $19/agent/mo.
3. Intercom — The most capable Messenger and AI agent. From $29/seat/mo plus $0.99 per outcome.
4. Tidio — Live chat with the Lyro AI agent for small businesses. Free plan; paid from $24.17/mo.
5. tawk.to — Free live chat, ticketing and knowledge base, with paid add-ons.
6. LiveChat — Dedicated chat software for sales and support teams. From $19/user/mo billed annually.
7. Help Scout — Email-first help desk with live chat from Standard at $25/user/mo.

Pricing last verified November 2026. Vendors may change plans and pricing without notice. Check each vendor's pricing page for the latest figures.

Why teams switch from Crisp

• Key features start on Essentials. The knowledge base, AI chatbot, workflow builder, routing and WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS channels all arrive on Essentials at $95 a month.
• Ticketing on Plus. A ticketing system with a customer portal, and the AI agent that connects to your other tools, start on Plus at $295 a month.
• AI on a credit allowance. Each paid plan includes a set amount of AI automation, and heavy use needs more.
• Customer profile limits. Free covers 100 customer profiles and Mini 5,000, so a growing contact list can force an upgrade.
• Closed source, hosted only. You cannot self-host Crisp or audit its code.

Crisp has strengths worth keeping in mind. Its per-workspace pricing is generous next to per-seat tools, its widget and mobile apps are polished, and it has e-commerce integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce and others on the Free plan.

How we picked

We looked for tools that replace Crisp's core job, website live chat with a shared inbox, and that answer one of the reasons above: price, feature gating, AI billing or self-hosting. We left out full ticketing suites that would be a large step up for most Crisp users. We checked every price on the vendor's pricing page on 7 November 2026. Quackback is our product. We list it first because it fits the flat-price and open-source cases, and we list its gaps as plainly as the others'.

1. Quackback

Quackback is open-source (AGPL-3.0) software for customer support and product feedback. Its chat widget puts live chat, help articles, feedback and the changelog in one place on your site or app. Chat, email and, on Business and up, GitHub issues land in one shared inbox, with tickets in the same thread, macros, assignment, CSAT and a default SLA. A help center, a status page and feedback boards come on every plan, including Free.

Quackback AI answers customers in chat and the help center from your articles, on Pro and up, and Copilot drafts replies for your team on every plan. AI usage comes with the plan.

Like Crisp, Quackback prices by workspace with seats included. Unlike Crisp, the help center and tickets are not held back for a higher tier.

Key features:

• Chat widget with messages, help articles, feedback and changelog
• Shared inbox for live chat, email and GitHub issues, with tickets in the same thread
• Help center with Ask AI, which cites your own articles, on every plan
• Status page with incidents, maintenance and subscriber emails
• Feedback boards, a public roadmap and a changelog that emails voters
• REST API on every plan; webhooks and an MCP server from Pro

Pricing: Quackback Cloud has a Free plan with 1 seat, and every signup starts with a 14-day Pro trial. Paid plans are a flat workspace price with seats included (5 on Pro, 20 on Business, unlimited on Enterprise), from $29/mo billed annually. Customers and conversations are unlimited on every plan. Self-hosting is free under AGPL-3.0 with every feature.

Pros:

• Help center, tickets and a status page on every plan, including Free
• The AI agent from Pro, with seats included in the price
• No cap on customers or conversations
• Feedback boards and a changelog beside the inbox
• Open source: self-host every feature

Cons:

• Channels are live chat, email and GitHub issues only: no WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, Line or Viber
• No e-commerce integrations like Crisp's Shopify and WooCommerce apps
• The Free plan has 1 seat, where Crisp Free has 2 agents
• No help-desk importer, so past Crisp conversations stay in Crisp
• Integrations start on Business

Best for: SaaS teams that want live chat with a help center, AI and a feedback loop on a flat plan, or want to self-host.

On Business billed yearly and on Enterprise, our free migration service moves your help-center articles and feedback, swaps the widget and runs an onboarding call.

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Try Quackback — every signup starts with a 14-day Pro trial, then keeps a Free plan if you do not upgrade. Or self-host it with every feature. Start free trial | Self-host with Docker | View on GitHub

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2. Chatwoot

Chatwoot is the open-source alternative closest to Crisp's channel mix. It handles website chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Line, SMS and more in one inbox, and its MIT-licensed core is free to self-host.

On Chatwoot Cloud, Hacker is free for 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, live chat only. Startups is $19, Business $39 and Enterprise $99 per agent a month, with the help center and Captain AI credits from Startups. The self-hosted Community edition leaves out Captain AI, SLA policies and SSO.

Pricing: Free to self-host (Community). Cloud free for 2 agents; paid from $19/agent/mo.

Pros:

• Open source with many channels, including WhatsApp and Instagram
• Free plan for 2 agents, like Crisp
• Large community

Cons:

• Per-agent pricing on Cloud, where Crisp includes agents in the plan
• AI and SLA policies need a paid licence when self-hosted
• No status page or feedback boards

Best for: Teams that want Crisp's channels in open-source software.

3. Intercom

Intercom, whose company renamed itself Fin and is now owned by Salesforce, is the upgrade path from Crisp. Its Messenger, product tours, native mobile SDKs and Fin AI agent are the most capable on this list.

Seats are $29, $85 or $132 a month on Essential, Advanced and Expert, and Fin adds $0.99 per outcome. Copilot is $29 per agent a month billed annually. There is no free plan.

Pricing: From $29/seat/mo. Fin $0.99 per outcome. 14-day trial.

Pros:

• The most mature AI agent and Messenger
• Product tours and outbound messages
• Large app store

Cons:

• Per-seat plus per-outcome pricing costs far more than Crisp
• No free plan
• Pricing under Salesforce not yet announced

Best for: Product-led teams ready to pay for depth. See Intercom alternatives.

4. Tidio

Tidio combines live chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram in one inbox with Lyro, its AI agent, aimed at small businesses and online shops. The Free plan covers 50 billable conversations a month and 50 one-off Lyro conversations. Starter is $24.17 a month for 100 conversations and Growth starts at $49.17 for 250 to 2,000. Lyro is also sold as an add-on from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations.

Pricing: Free plan. Starter $24.17/mo, Growth from $49.17/mo. Lyro from $32.50/mo.

Pros:

• Free plan and low entry price
• Lyro AI agent and Flows automation
• Strong e-commerce integrations

Cons:

• Priced by conversation volume, so busy months cost more
• AI is a separate quota
• Closed source, hosted only

Best for: Small online businesses that want chat and an AI agent at a low entry price. See Tidio alternatives.

5. tawk.to

tawk.to is free live chat. The chat widget, ticketing and a knowledge base cost nothing, with no agent limit. It makes money from add-ons: removing the branding is $29 a month, AI Assist starts at $29 a month with a limited free tier, and you can hire chat agents for $1 an hour.

Pricing: Free. Remove branding $29/mo. AI Assist from $29/mo.

Pros:

• Genuinely free for unlimited agents
• Ticketing and knowledge base included
• Optional hired agents

Cons:

• "Powered by tawk.to" branding unless you pay
• Fewer automation and reporting features than paid tools
• Closed source, hosted only

Best for: Teams that want live chat for free and can live with the branding. See tawk.to alternatives.

6. LiveChat

LiveChat is dedicated chat software for teams that run sales and support through website chat. It has a polished agent app, reporting and an AI agent with a monthly resolution allowance.

Essential is $19 per user a month billed annually ($25 monthly), with 10 AI resolutions a month. Growth is $79 per user a month billed annually ($99 monthly), with 200. Extra AI resolutions cost $49.50 for 50.

Pricing: Essential $19, Growth $79 per user/mo billed annually. 14-day trial.

Pros:

• Mature chat tooling and reporting
• Strong for sales chat as well as support
• Large integration marketplace

Cons:

• Per-user pricing, where Crisp includes agents
• No free plan
• Ticketing and the knowledge base are separate products from the same company

Best for: Teams where live chat drives sales as well as support.

7. Help Scout

Help Scout is the move for teams whose chat is really email in disguise. Its inbox feels like email, its Docs knowledge base is strong, and Standard at $25 per user a month adds live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. AI Answers costs $0.75 per resolution.

Pricing: Free for 5 users (no live chat). Standard $25, Plus $45, Pro $75 per user/mo.

Pros:

• Excellent knowledge base and email handling
• Easy to learn
• Social channels and live chat on Standard

Cons:

• Per-user pricing
• Live chat is not on the Free plan
• Less suited to chat-heavy, real-time support

Best for: Teams that handle most support by email and want chat alongside. See Help Scout alternatives.

Comparison table

How to choose

If you want to keep a flat price: Quackback prices by workspace like Crisp, with the help center and tickets on every plan. Our help desk pricing comparison shows costs by team size.

If you need WhatsApp, Instagram or SMS: Chatwoot is the open-source choice. Intercom, Tidio and Help Scout cover them too. Quackback does not.

If free is the priority: tawk.to is free for unlimited agents. Chatwoot is free for 2 agents on Cloud or unlimited when self-hosted. Quackback has a Free plan for 1 seat and is free to self-host with every feature.

If you want open source: Chatwoot for channels, Quackback for a help center, status page, AI and feedback boards in one product. See our guide to the open-source help desk.

If you are ready for the top tier: Intercom has the most capable Messenger and AI agent, at a much higher price.

Frequently asked questions

What is a free alternative to Crisp?

tawk.to is free for unlimited agents, with paid add-ons for branding removal and AI. Chatwoot is free for 2 agents on Cloud and free to self-host. Quackback has a Free Cloud plan for 1 seat with live chat, a help center and a status page, and is free to self-host with every feature.

Is there an open-source alternative to Crisp?

Yes. Chatwoot (MIT core) and Quackback (AGPL-3.0) are open-source alternatives to Crisp. Chatwoot covers more channels, including WhatsApp and Instagram. Quackback self-hosts every feature, including its AI agent, and adds a help center, a status page and feedback boards.

How much does Crisp cost?

Crisp is free for 2 agents. Paid plans are priced per workspace, excluding VAT: Mini is $45 a month with 4 agents, Essentials $95 with 10 agents and Plus $295 with 20 agents. Extra agents cost $10 a month. Every paid plan has a 14-day trial.

Which Crisp alternative has the best AI agent?

Intercom's Fin is the most mature AI agent, at $0.99 per outcome on top of seats. Tidio's Lyro and LiveChat's AI agent are sold by quota. Quackback AI's customer agent comes with the plan from Pro, with no per-resolution fee.