Best Crisp alternatives in 2026
The best Crisp alternatives in 2026 are Tidio, Chatwoot, Knocket. Chatwoot is the strongest free option. Chatwoot costs less, from $19/mo versus $45/mo for Crisp.
Why people look for Crisp alternatives
Crisp is used by small teams and indie founders who want live chat, a shared inbox and a help center in one affordable package. Paid plans start at $45 a month. Its reporting and permissions are basic, the knowledge base lacks advanced customization, and campaign email deliverability is not its strength. As more modules are switched on, the interface can feel cluttered.
When choosing a replacement, decide whether chat, email tickets or AI answers are your main channel, then compare price at your team size, reporting depth, knowledge base options, open source or self-hosting needs, and how well it fits your platform, such as a website, store or mobile app.
- Reporting and permissions are basic
- Knowledge base lacks advanced customization
- Email deliverability for campaigns is not its strength
- Can feel cluttered as you enable more modules
- Crisp starts at $45/mo (Freemium).
Best Crisp alternative by need
| # | Tool | Pricing | Starts at | Best for | Platforms | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tidio Live chat and AI agent for small e-commerce | Freemium | $29/mo | Small businesses, E-commerce | web, ios, android | 0 |
| 2 | Chatwoot Open-source customer engagement suite | Open source | $19/mo | Developers, Small businesses | web, ios, android | 0 |
| 3 | Knocket Free live chat widget, contact page and unified inbox for small teams | Free | $0 | Freelancers, Creators, Small businesses | web | 0 |
| 4 | reception Native in-app support chat for iOS apps, with offers and reviews | Paid | $25/mo | Developers, Freelancers, Small businesses | ios, web | 0 |
| 5 | Stonly Interactive guides and AI knowledge base for customer support teams | Freemium | — | Small businesses, Enterprise | web | 0 |
| 6 | Help Scout Email-centric helpdesk with a human touch | Freemium | $25/mo | Small businesses | web, ios, android | 0 |
| 7 | Embage Chat and voice agents for websites that save every chat as a record | Freemium | $19/mo | Small businesses, E-commerce, Agencies | web | 0 |
| 8 | Plain Support tool built for B2B and technical teams | Freemium | $45/mo | Developers, Small businesses | web | 0 |
| 9 |  ScanQueue QR virtual queues with SMS, WhatsApp and push alerts | Freemium | $0/mo | Small businesses, Enterprise | web | 0 |
| 10 | Tori AI support agent from TalkJS that cites sources and hands off cleanly | Freemium | $35/mo | Small businesses, Developers, Enterprise | web | 0 |
10 Crisp alternatives compared
- 1
Tidio
Live chat and AI agent for small e-commerce
Why pick it over Crisp: Tidio has a free plan and paid plans from $29 a month, below Crisp's $45, combining live chat with an AI agent. It fits small e-commerce businesses that want a chat tool aimed specifically at online shops.
- 2
Chatwoot
Open-source customer engagement suite
Why pick it over Crisp: Chatwoot is open source and can be self-hosted, with cloud plans from $19 a month, under half of Crisp's $45. It fits companies that want WhatsApp-first support or full control over customer conversation data.
- 3
Knocket
Free live chat widget, contact page and unified inbox for small teams
Best for: Solo founders, creators and small teams who want free live chat and one inbox without per-seat pricing.
- 4
reception
Native in-app support chat for iOS apps, with offers and reviews
Why pick it over Crisp: reception starts at $25 a month and provides native in-app support chat for iOS apps, linked to offers and reviews. It fits indie iOS developers with subscription apps who need support inside the app rather than on a website like Crisp.
- 5
Stonly
Interactive guides and AI knowledge base for customer support teams
Why pick it over Crisp: Stonly has a free entry plan and builds interactive step-by-step guides and an AI knowledge base. It fits support teams handling complex, multi-step issues who need more advanced self-service than Crisp's knowledge base allows.
- 6
Help Scout
Email-centric helpdesk with a human touch
Why pick it over Crisp: Help Scout has a free plan and paid plans from $25 a month, focused on personal email support with a knowledge base. It fits small and mid-size companies whose support is mostly email and who want an email-first help desk instead of a chat-first tool like Crisp.
- 7
Embage
Chat and voice agents for websites that save every chat as a record
Best for: Small businesses and online stores that want one website agent for support, leads and bookings with structured records.
- 8
Plain
Support tool built for B2B and technical teams
Why pick it over Crisp: Plain starts at $45 a month, the same as Crisp, and is built for B2B and technical support teams. It fits developer-focused SaaS companies that want support workflows built for business customers rather than a general chat widget.
Freemium · $45Crisp vs Plain - 9
ScanQueue
QR virtual queues with SMS, WhatsApp and push alerts
- 10
Tori
AI support agent from TalkJS that cites sources and hands off cleanly
Best for: SaaS teams that want an embeddable, customizable AI support agent grounded in their own documentation.
Crisp alternatives: FAQ
What is the best alternative to Crisp?
Based on features, audience and market presence, the strongest Crisp alternatives are Tidio, Chatwoot, Knocket. Tidio is the closest match for most teams.
Is there a free alternative to Crisp?
Yes. Chatwoot can be used for free. Other free or freemium alternatives to Crisp include Tidio, Knocket, Stonly.
What is cheaper than Crisp?
Chatwoot starts at $19/mo, while Crisp starts at $45/mo. Prices are checked on each vendor's own pricing page.
Is there an open-source alternative to Crisp?
Yes. Chatwoot is open source, so you can self-host it or inspect the code.