saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

help desk · Intercom

Intercom

Per-seat help desk with a shared inbox, email, chat, phone and social channels, and a pay-per-outcome AI agent called Fin.

64/100

#7 of 12 help desks
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

Intercom suits teams that want the inbox, chat and an AI agent in one product and are fine paying per seat1. The inbox covers email, chat, phone, Facebook and Instagram4,5. The catch is price: Essential starts at $29 per seat, SLAs and single sign-on need the $132 Expert plan, and Fin adds usage fees1.

Best for: Support teams that want an AI agent built into the inbox and can pay for seats.

Where the points come from

Channels and apps14 of 14
Workflow and SLAs21 of 21
Reports and connections17 of 18
Security12 of 12
Price0 of 15
Independent testing0 of 20

Channels and apps 14 of 14 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Support channelsEmail, Live chat, Phone, Social mediaInbox handles email, Messenger chat, Intercom Phone calls, and Facebook and Instagram messages4,5.8 / 8
Mobile appsiOS, AndroidHelp article names Intercom Conversations apps for iOS and Android; it says the app is in maintenance mode8.2 / 2
Built-in help centreYesPublic help center is included on Essential1.4 / 4

Workflow and SLAs 21 of 21 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
SLA policiesYesSLAs are listed on the Expert plan1.8 / 8
Ticket automation rulesYesWorkflow automation builder is included from Advanced1.5 / 5
Automatic ticket assignmentYesRound robin assignment is included from Advanced1.5 / 5
Built-in satisfaction surveyYesClosing a conversation can send a conversation rating survey; the CSAT report shows the ratings9.3 / 3

Reports and connections 17 of 18 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Custom reportsYesHelp article covers creating custom reports with metrics and filters on Advanced or Expert7.5 / 5
Public APIYesREST API reference documents ticket operations such as create, update, retrieve and search6.3 / 3
Named integrationsSlack, Jira, Shopify, Salesforce, HubSpotIntegrations page lists Slack, Jira, Shopify, Salesforce and HubSpot; Microsoft Teams is not listed there3.5 / 6
AI assistant with public priceYesFin is included on every plan from $0.99 per outcome1.4 / 4

Security 12 of 12 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001YesSecurity page says SOC 2 Type II compliant and ISO 27001 certified2.6 / 6
Single sign-onYesSAML SSO is available on the Expert plan, $132 per seat1,10.6 / 6

Price 0 of 15 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Free planNoNo permanent free plan; the pricing page offers a 14-day trial1.0 / 5
Cheapest paid plan$29/moEssential, $29 per seat a month, with shared inbox and ticketing; billing cycle not stated1.0 / 10

Independent testing 0 of 20 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
G2 AI CX evaluationNot testedG2 did not include it in the October 2026 test11. Fin appears on the leaderboard without a score.0 / 20

The rule behind each line: how we score help desks.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
EssentialPer agent seat$29 per seat/month1$29Shared inbox, ticketing, Messenger, public help center, pre-built reports
AdvancedPer agent seat$85 per seat/month1$85Adds workflow builder, round robin assignment, private help center, 20 free Lite seats
ExpertPer agent seat$132 per seat/month1$132Adds SSO, SLAs, HIPAA support, multibrand help center, 50 free Lite seats

The pricing page has a billed-annually and billed-monthly toggle but shows one price per plan, and does not say which cycle it reflects1.

Strengths

  • Email, live chat, phone, Facebook and Instagram messages all arrive in one inbox4.
  • Custom reports and a workflow builder are available on Advanced and Expert1,7.
  • Documented REST API with ticket endpoints for creating, updating and searching tickets6.
  • Names SOC 2 Type II and ISO 270012.

Limits

  • No free plan; only a 14-day trial is offered1.
  • SLAs and single sign-on are limited to the $132 Expert plan1.
  • Phone, WhatsApp and SMS are billed by usage on top of the seat price1.
  • Fin adds a fee of $0.99 or more per outcome1.

Other help desks

  1. 1
    Zoho DeskSmall teams that want a low entry price and a free plan
    87/100
    $7/mocheapest paid plan
  2. 2
    LiveAgentSmall teams that want every channel in one tool at a low per-agent price
    79/100
    $15/mocheapest paid plan
  3. 3
    TidioSmall teams that want tickets, chat and an AI agent at a flat workspace price
    75/100
    $24.17/mocheapest paid plan
  4. 4
    FreshdeskSmall support teams that start with email and may add chat and social later
    70/100
    $19/mocheapest paid plan

All 12 help desks

Sources

  1. Intercom pricing, Intercom. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  2. Intercom security, Intercom. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  3. Intercom apps and integrations, Intercom. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  4. Channels explained, Intercom Help Center. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  5. Social channels, Intercom Help Center. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  6. Tickets API reference, Intercom Developers. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  7. Create a custom report, Intercom Help Center. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  8. Respond on the go with the Intercom Conversations App, Intercom Help Center. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  9. Measure customer satisfaction with conversation ratings, Intercom Help Center. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  10. Integrate with an identity provider and log in with SAML SSO, Intercom Help Center. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  11. AI CX Agent Evaluations, General CX leaderboard, G2. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: www.intercom.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Intercom.