An Intercom alternative without the per-answer bill.
Intercom’s Fin is a capable AI agent, but every resolved conversation costs $0.99 on top of seat fees. KuraChat answers from your own content for one flat monthly price.
KuraChat
Intercom
- You want a predictable bill: Pro is $29 a month for up to 1,000 conversations and 3 seats.
- You need website chat, a shared inbox and AI answers, not a full customer platform.
- You sell on WooCommerce and want order status answered in the chat (Shopify lookups are coming soon).
- You need WhatsApp, SMS, email or phone support in the same inbox.
- You want advanced workflows, a help center, product tours or outbound messages.
- You run a larger support team with a budget for usage-based AI.
KuraChat and Intercom, side by side.
The biggest difference is how AI is billed. After that, it comes down to how many channels and how much configuration you need.
| KuraChat | Intercom | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No, 14-day trial |
| Entry paid plan | $29/mo flat | $29/seat/mo (Essential, annual) |
| AI answer pricing | Included in the plan | $0.99 per outcome |
| Cost at 1,000 AI-answered chats / mo, 1 seat | $29 | ≈ $1,019 |
| Cost at 1,000 AI-answered chats / mo, 3 seats | $29 | ≈ $1,077 |
| AI trained on your docs and website | Yes | Yes |
| Handoff to a person with transcript | Yes | Yes |
| Shopify order answers | Coming soon | Via integration |
| WhatsApp, SMS, email, phone | No | Yes, with usage fees |
| Workflow builder | No | Advanced plan and up |
| Public help center | No | Yes |
Assumes Essential billed annually and every AI chat counted as a Fin outcome; fewer outcomes means a lower bill. Prices from intercom.com, checked 13 Sep 2026; they change often.
Sources: Intercom pricing
Built for a fixed monthly budget.
What differs for a small team.
One price, no meters
Pro is $29 a month for up to 1,000 conversations and 3 seats. There are no per-resolution or per-seat charges within a plan.
Answers from your own content
Add business details, FAQs, documents (PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, TXT) and website pages. The assistant answers from them and hands off when unsure.
AI disclosure by default
Every AI reply is labelled as AI, and the assistant says it’s an AI when asked. This supports the EU AI Act Article 50 transparency duty that applies from 2 August 2026. Not legal advice.
Where Intercom is the better choice.
Intercom is a mature customer platform, and Fin is one of the most capable AI agents available. Choose Intercom if:
- You need WhatsApp, SMS, email and phone in one inbox. KuraChat handles website chat only today.
- You want a help center, product tours or outbound campaigns alongside support.
- You need advanced workflows, multi-brand setups or a large team with detailed roles.
- Your volume is high enough that Fin’s resolution rate justifies $0.99 per outcome.
Switching from Intercom.
- 01
Create your account
Start on Free, or choose Pro for integrations, documents and 3 seats.
- 02
Add your knowledge
Paste your FAQs, upload the documents Fin used and add your website pages. There’s no import tool.
- 03
Customise and test
Set colours, greeting and office hours, then test answers in the dashboard before going live.
- 04
Swap the snippet, invite your team
Replace the Intercom embed code with the KuraChat snippet, install the WooCommerce plugin if you use it, and invite your teammates.
Questions? Answered.
Intercom Essential is also $29. Where is the saving?
The seat price is similar. The difference is AI billing: Intercom charges $0.99 each time Fin resolves a conversation, while KuraChat Pro includes AI answers in its $29 price for up to 1,000 conversations and 3 seats.
Can I import my Intercom conversations?
No. There’s no migration tool. You add your knowledge and replace the embed snippet. Export your Intercom history first if you need to keep it.
Does KuraChat support WhatsApp or email?
Not yet. KuraChat is a website chat widget with a shared team inbox. If those channels are essential, Intercom is the better fit today.
What if I need more than 1,000 conversations?
Ultra, at $99 a month, removes the conversation cap and adds unlimited agents, a dedicated account manager and an SLA.
Your shop closes. Your support doesn’t.
Start on the free plan, add your FAQs, and KuraChat is answering on your site in minutes. Upgrade when it is earning its keep.