Comparison
FirstReply vs. Intercom
Intercom pairs an in-app messenger and live chat with Fin, an AI agent that is billed per resolved conversation, and a copilot sold per agent. Email, WhatsApp, SMS and phone come on top as pay-as-you-go usage. FirstReply is an AI-first shared inbox for email and social channels with every AI feature included in a flat workspace price.
At a glance
Intercom is the tool for product-led companies that support users inside their app and can afford usage-based AI. FirstReply is the tool for small teams that answer customers on email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, LinkedIn and app store reviews and want a price they can predict.
| Feature | FirstReply | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per workspace, flat monthly price | Per seat per month plus usage |
| Starting price | $39 per month | $29 per seat (Essential) |
| AI included | All AI features included, no usage fees | Fin AI Agent $0.99 per resolution, copilot $29 per agent a month |
| Free plan or trial | 14-day free trial | 14-day trial, no credit card |
| Best for | Small teams that want AI replies across email and social inboxes at a flat price | Product-led SaaS teams that live in the in-app messenger |
Feature by feature
Taken from the public product and pricing pages on September 6, 2026.
| Feature | FirstReply | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | ||
| Included | Included | |
| Website chat widget | Included | Included |
| Included | Pay as you go | |
| Included | Via integration | |
| Facebook Messenger | Included | Via integration |
| Included | Not included | |
| App Store and Google Play reviews | Included | Not included |
| Phone and SMS | Not included | Phone and SMS, pay as you go |
| Slack, Teams or Discord | Not included | Slack via integration |
| AI | ||
| AI drafts and replies | Included in every plan | Copilot add-on, $29 per agent a month |
| Autonomous AI agent | Auto replies above a confidence threshold, no usage fee | Fin AI Agent, $0.99 per resolution |
| Automatic categorization and priority | Included | Via workflows and Fin |
| Sentiment detection | Included | Via Fin and reporting |
| Translation | Built in (DeepL) | Real-time translation on Expert |
| Extra AI usage fees | None | $0.99 per Fin resolution plus copilot seats |
| Knowledge base | ||
| Knowledge base for the AI | Included | Included |
| Knowledge sources synced | Notion, GitHub, GitBook, ClickUp, Monday, help desks, websites | Help center, websites, Notion, Confluence and more for Fin |
| Public help center | Not included | Included |
| Team and workflow | ||
| Shared inbox with assignment | Included | Included |
| Internal notes | Included | Included |
| Reply templates | Included | Macros |
| Custom contact fields | Included | Included |
| Reporting | Included | Included |
| API and webhooks | REST API, webhooks, MCP server | REST API, webhooks, app store |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Per workspace, flat monthly price | Per seat per month plus usage |
| Starting price | $39 per month (1 inbox, 5 team members) | $29 per seat (Essential); Advanced $85; Expert $132 |
| Seats | 5 to 25 team members included | Every seat is paid |
| Free plan or trial | 14-day free trial | 14-day trial, no credit card |
| Billing | Monthly or annual (2 months free) | Monthly or annual |
Prices and features of Intercom were taken from its public pricing and product pages on September 6, 2026, in USD, and may have changed since. Intercom is a trademark of its owner; FirstReply is not affiliated with it. Spotted a mistake? Write to support@firstreply.ai. Intercom pricing page · FirstReply pricing
Where Intercom is strong
- The in-app messenger, product tours, banners and tooltips are unmatched for SaaS onboarding.
- Fin can be trained on the help center, websites, Notion, Confluence and more, and resolves a large share of chat questions.
- Workflows, a multilingual help center and real-time translation on the higher plans.
- A large app store and a well-documented API.
Where FirstReply is strong
- No usage fees: auto replies, drafts, summaries, categorization, sentiment, priority and translation are all included.
- $39 per month covers five team members; five Intercom Essential seats cost $145 before any Fin resolution.
- LinkedIn and App Store or Google Play reviews are native channels, alongside email, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.
- Knowledge sync from Notion, GitHub, GitBook, ClickUp, Monday, help desks and websites.
- Hosted in the EU with a GDPR data processing agreement included.
Which one should you choose?
Intercom is the better fit if
Your product is a web or mobile app, most support happens in the in-app messenger, and you want onboarding tours and proactive messages from the same tool.
FirstReply is the better fit if
Your customers write emails and social messages rather than chat inside an app, and you want AI on every conversation without a per-resolution meter.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Fin cost compared with FirstReply's AI?
- Fin is $0.99 per resolution on top of the seat price, and the copilot for human agents is $29 per agent a month. FirstReply's AI replies, drafts and classification are part of the plan price, starting at $39 per month for the workspace.
- Does FirstReply offer a chat widget like Intercom's Messenger?
- Partly. FirstReply includes an embeddable website chat widget, but no in-app messaging SDK. It also covers email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn and app store reviews.
- Which tool is better for a five-person support team?
- On Intercom, five Essential seats cost $145 per month plus Fin and copilot usage. On FirstReply, the Basic plan covers five team members for $39 per month with AI included, and the Startup plan covers fifteen for $79.
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