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Free Crisp alternatives

Top Customer Support & Live Chat like Crisp

The most popular alternative to Crisp is Tidio, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Crisp are tawk.to, Chatwoot, Help Scout, and Freshdesk.

Most alternatives to Crisp are in the Customer Support & Live Chat category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Crisp alternatives
AllFreeOpen source
5 apps

All Crisp alternatives

  1. Tidio is a customer service tool that combines a website live chat widget, a multichannel inbox and ticketing with Lyro, an AI agent that answers common questions from your help content. Visual chatbot flows can greet visitors, recover abandoned carts or collect leads. It integrates with Shopify, WordPress, Wix and other platforms, and mainly targets small businesses and online stores.

    8 Tidio alternatives

    Pros

    • Easy to install on Shopify, WordPress and Wix stores
    • Lyro AI agent answers common questions from your help content
    • Visual chatbot flows for lead capture and abandoned carts

    Cons

    • AI and chatbot usage limits can push costs up quickly
    • Free plan becomes tight for a growing store
    • Reporting is basic for larger support teams
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
  2. tawk.to is a free live chat platform that lets businesses add a chat widget to their website and answer visitors from the web, desktop or mobile apps, with no limit on agents. It also includes ticketing, a knowledge base and real-time visitor monitoring. The company earns money through optional paid add-ons, such as removing its branding, AI assistance or hiring agents to staff the chat.

    8 tawk.to alternatives

    Pros

    • Free live chat with no limit on the number of agents
    • Includes ticketing, a knowledge base and visitor monitoring
    • Web, desktop and mobile apps to answer from anywhere

    Cons

    • Removing tawk.to branding requires a paid add-on
    • Interface and reporting feel basic next to premium tools
    • AI assistance is sold as a paid extra
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
  3. Chatwoot is an open-source customer engagement platform positioned as an alternative to Intercom and Zendesk. It unifies website live chat, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and SMS in one shared inbox, with a help center, canned responses, automation rules and an AI assistant called Captain. Teams can self-host it for free or use the paid cloud version.

    11 Chatwoot alternatives

    Pros

    • Open source and free to self-host, keeping conversations on your servers
    • One inbox for chat, email, WhatsApp, social channels and SMS
    • Includes a help center, canned responses and automation rules

    Cons

    • Self-hosting requires maintaining the server, updates and integrations
    • Reporting and workflows are less deep than in Zendesk or Intercom
    Cost / License
    FreemiumOpen source
  4. Help Scout is a customer support platform built around a shared inbox that feels like personal email to customers, without ticket numbers or portals. It adds a knowledge base (Docs), the embeddable Beacon widget for live chat and self-service, customer profiles, reporting and AI tools for drafting and summarizing replies. It suits small and mid-sized companies that value a personal tone.

    8 Help Scout alternatives

    Pros

    • Replies feel like personal email, with no ticket numbers for customers
    • Beacon widget combines live chat and help articles on any site
    • Clean interface that new agents learn quickly

    Cons

    • Fewer advanced workflow and reporting options than enterprise help desks
    • Free plan is limited, so key features require a paid plan
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
  5. Freshdesk is a help desk tool from Freshworks that turns emails, web forms, chats, calls and social messages into tickets for support teams. It includes a knowledge base, SLA management, automations, collision detection and reporting, plus Freddy AI for suggested replies and self-service bots. A free plan covers small teams, and it connects with Freshworks' CRM and other business apps.

    12 Freshdesk alternatives

    Pros

    • Free plan for small teams with core ticketing
    • Turns email, forms, chat, calls and social messages into tickets
    • SLA rules, collision detection and automations for busy teams

    Cons

    • AI features and advanced automation cost extra or need top tiers
    • Admin settings get complex as workflows grow
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary

Crisp vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Crisp, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Crisp vs its alternatives at a glance
AppPricingPlatformsAI chatbotGDPR compliantKnowledge baseLive chat widgetShared inbox
CrispFreemiumWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android
TidioFreemiumWeb, iPhone, Android
tawk.toFreemiumWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android
ChatwootFreemiumOpen sourceWeb, iPhone, Android, Self-hosted
Help ScoutFreemiumWeb, iPhone, Android
FreshdeskFreemiumWeb, iPhone, Android

Crisp alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Crisp?

The most popular alternative to Crisp is Tidio: Live chat and AI agent for online stores and small businesses. Other great alternatives are tawk.to, Chatwoot, Help Scout, and Freshdesk.

Is there a free alternative to Crisp?

Yes, 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Tidio, tawk.to, Chatwoot, and Help Scout.

Is there an open source alternative to Crisp?

Yes, one open source alternative is listed: Chatwoot.

Is Crisp free?

Crisp has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.

Compare Crisp with its alternatives

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