5 Intercom Alternatives for Exceptional Customer Support

Intercom has established a strong reputation in the customer support industry mainly because it is an all-around AI-powered ecosystem. It’s a fantastic platform for interacting with customers and solving their issues or queries.

Constantly, Intercom is making every effort to keep pace with modern customer support demands and realities. Obviously, utilizing Intercom could be a highly effective solution for you to provide exceptional customer support.

Yet, there are multiple drawbacks you could face in Intercom. Not actually drawbacks, users have encountered several major issues.

That’s why individuals, including current users, search for Intercom alternatives. Perhaps you are, too, since you have landed on this blog.

No worries. We are here to give you a deep insight in response to your query.

In the first section of this blog, we will discuss the major reasons why you need to look for Intercom alternatives. 

Then, we will explore five Intercom alternatives for your exceptional customer support.

We have divided them into two categories. Three are WordPress helpdesk plugins, and the other two are cloud-based solutions.

Without further ado, let’s get into this.

4 major factors to look for in Intercom alternatives

1. User Interface and flexibility

In 2018 and 2019, users continuously gave critical reviews for Intercom’s UI/UX. Since then, Intercom has been trying to overcome the issue and is emphasizing it more.

Still, it’s a bit infamous for its complex user interface. In particular, new users are often overwhelmed by the complexity.

Moreover, a new user will encounter a lack of flexibility at the outset while setting up and trying to use it effectively. It’s not that intuitive. 

So, a new user needs to undergo a comprehensive learning curve. Plus, when a user opts to customize personalized customer support, he may experience multiple critical limitations.

2. Poor customer service

A harsh truth about Intercom is that its customer support team often fails to deliver exceptional customer service to the users. It’s one of the best-in-class customer support software. Its users are supposed to get a gold standard in customer service. 

Unfortunately, they aren’t and it’s a big gap for their customer support team.
A large number of users consistently voicing dissatisfaction about their customer service teams. Let’s look at a screenshot of that we context collected from G2.

Ironically, many customer service analysts call it as-

3. Frequent bug and technical issues

Bugs, glitches, and technical issues are common challenges in a SaaS product due to its complexities, ongoing updates, and inclusion of new features. But they can’t be frequent.

Sadly, Intercom have these drawbacks, and these occur on a frequent basis. A fair number of customers are sharing their frustrations regarding these on different review platforms.

The present world isn’t about bug generation; it’s about the effort to fix bugs, glitches, or any technical issues as early as possible.

The worst scenario is that Intercom’s technical support and engineering teams aren’t dedicated and take a long time to fix them. In some cases, customers are overlooked regarding these.

4. High pricing plan with complexity

Users need to come up with a high budget to access this powerful tool and utilize the functionalities. Its pricing plan is too high that hurts the current users also the newcomers who are looking for give it a try to this.

So, a startup or a rising business often needs to break the bank to utilize Intercom for customer support.

Moreover, the pricing structure is way too complex, masked, and designed to trick you. Let’s look at a reference to our commentary.

WordPress Helpdesks plugin as Intercom alternatives

Fluent Support

Let’s lead off the list with an powerful yet affordable WordPress helpdesk plugin, Fluent Support. In 2024, it has become a central focus for customer support head and support agents who are in the WordPress environment.

It’s getting popularity day by day as the best WordPress ticketing system. Just consider the number, Fluent Support is now assisting over 8,000+ businesses with its effective customer support solutions.

The team at Fluent Support engineered the product to make your customer support activity fast, fun, and fluent. It’s jam-packed with all the essential features that your customer support team needs.

To keep you more organized with your support tickets, it has a user-friendly dashboard that is far easier to navigate than you might think. 

Plus, you don’t need a learning curve to use the product, as it is simple and intuitive. The set-up process is also easier, taking less than five minutes.

From beginners to expert support reps, it can be a prominent tool for customer support solutions.
What’s even better is that the technical support team behind Fluent Support is always within your reach to respond to any kind of issue that arises regarding the product.

Pricing

Fluent Support is often acknowledged for its transparent and budget-friendly pricing. Plus, you can enjoy a 14-day unconditional moneyback guarantee.

A free version is also available in the WordPress repository that includes multiple necessary features.

Now let’s look at the pro version pricing plan.

Single Site License: $103/year for 1 domain.

Agency License: $199/year for 5 domains.

50 Sites License: $319/year for 50 domains.

SupportCandy

SupportCandy, another strong contender to be in the list of Intercom alternatives. This Intercom alternatives for customer support is serving its users since 2014.

SupportCandy is the oldest customer support ticketing system available in the WordPress repository. It currently has over 10,000 active installations, and the team is consistently striving to improve it.

It’s simple, secure, and loaded with all the essential features. Its user-friendly interface and powerful functionality let you effortlessly engage with your customers and resolve customer issues.

Everything you get from it for your customer support without making your wallet sad. It’s super affordable.

Plus, just like Fluent Support, the SupportCandy technical support team is dedicated to its customers when any queries or issues arise.

Pricing

SupportCandy offers a free plan for its customers with multiple essential features. To access all their feature, you need to choose a premium pricing plan. SupportCandy also allows 14 days money-back guarantee for risk-free customer experience.

Personal: $79/ year for 1 site.

Professional: $149/ year for 5 sites.

Agency: $299/ year for 20 sites.

You can also explore SupportCandy’s lifetime plan if you ever need it.

Awesome Support

Finally, here is the third one in the rundown: Awesome Support, a WordPress helpdesk plugin. When looking for Intercom alternatives for customer support, it will be wise to add Awesome Support as a potential option.

This WordPress ticketing system has been delivering excellence since 2016. Over the years, it has built a solid reputation for trust. Currently, 10,000+ businesses use Awesome Support for their customer support operations.

It’s like a toolbox with everything you need for customer support. This ticketing system, with its versatile functionality, simplicity, and reliability, could make your customer support process a breeze.

While the functionality is mostly reliable, some users find the dashboard interface a bit dated.

Awesome Support’s setup process is also as easy as Fluent Support’s. You can set it up within five minutes.

​​It’s evident that this plugin could multiply your support efficiency if you have a first-class customer support team. But the dashboard of Awesome Support sucks.

The dashboard design is a bit outdated. As a result, some of your support agents might find the dashboard interface really frustrating.

Other than that, it’s an excellent plugin for conducting your customer support and a considerable alternative to Intercom.

Pricing

Awesome Support offers a free version with limited features. Its premium pricing plan is a bit more pricey and complex than Fluent Support and SupportCandy.

Let’s overview the pricing plan.

Standard: $149/year for 1 site, $199/year for 2 – 5 sites, $249/year for unlimited sites.

PRO: $229/year for 1 site, $299/year for 2 – 5 sites, $399/year for unlimited sites.

ENTERPRISE: $289/year for 1 site, $399/year for 2 – 5 sites, $549/year for unlimited sites, $549/year for unlimited sites without technical support rights.

AGENCY: $409/year for 1 site, $799/year for 2 – 5 sites, $999/year for unlimited sites, $799/year for unlimited sites without technical support rights.

You can also purchase its individual add-ons according to your need.

Cloud-based solutions as Intercom alternatives

Zendesk

Zendesk is a renowned brand in customer support. It was founded in 2007 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and later established its headquarters in San Francisco, California.

Zendesk has achieved huge success in the customer support sector and is currently the most adopted tool. With over 6,000 employees, it’s now trusted by more than 160 million paid customers in 160 countries.

Assuming the hype of Zendesk in the customer support field? You are!

And it’s a far better alternative to Intercom in the SaaS category.

Like Intercom, it has got AI-powered customer support system. Its AI-first customer service will make your customer interactions faster and more personalized.

Moreover, its wide range of features, customizable options, and flawless integration capabilities make Zendesk a compelling tool for customer support management.

As a versatile customer support platform, Zendesk provides a suite of tools for both B2B and B2C customer service. So, whether you are involved in any of these parties, Zendesk could be handy for you to cater to your needs.

Just like Fluent Support, Zendesk’s setup process is easy, and the user experience is effortless.

Pricing

Zendesk offers individual pricing plans for service and sales. Since this blog focuses on customer support, we will look at Zendesk’s service pricing plan.

Let’s look at Zendesk’s suite plans.

Suite Team: $55 per agent/month billed annually

Suite Growth: $89 per agent/month billed annually

Suite Professional: $115 per agent/month billed annually (It’s Zendesk’s most popular plan)

Suite Enterprise: For this pricing plan, you need to talk to the team. Zendesk mentioned that the team will provide you with a comprehensive solution to meet all your needs.

Also, you can enjoy a 14-day free trial to test the service and assess Zendesk for your customer support.

Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer support solution and a fitting option to be an Intercom alternative. It almost covers all the essential features that a customer support team needs.

This software is a prominent choice for many businesses that are seeking efficient communication with customers for support management. Till now, Freshdesk has reached the milestone of 60,000+ customers.

This advanced ticketing system will help you to streamline your support operations with efficient ticket management and personalized customer assistance.

Freshdesk is often louded for its AI powered automation and workflows. It works amazingly well. So, you can make your customer support operation faster and can save your time for other relevant activities.

Moreover, it’s a super platform for effective team collaboration. If your customer quiries are more complex and you need effective teamwork, then you will be benefited by Intercom, for sure.

When you start exploring Freshdesk, you may find it a compelling alternative to Intercom. In some cases, it can also be considered a direct competitor to Intecom.

Pricing

Fresh includes both free and subscription-based versions. Currently, the are offering three packages for customer service. Let’s look into them.

Growth: $18/agent/month (Intuitive, industry-leading support for growing businesses).

Pro: $59/agent/month (Advanced automation for high performance).

Enterprise: $95/agent/month (Fully featured with bots for enterprise-level support).

Also, you can get Freshdesk’s add-ons to enhance your support experience.

Wrapping up

So, we have introduced our top five picks for Intercom alternatives. Now, it’s your time to choose the best one that most closely aligns with your criteria.

No matter what platform you choose, your support needs to be smooth. So, along with a good support platform, make your customer support team super responsive and brilliant problem solvers.

Lastly, we appreciate you taking the time to read this blog.