Looking for a free Intercom alternative?
Intercom is a powerful customer messaging platform, but its per-seat pricing and premium AI add-ons make it prohibitively expensive for most teams. GudDesk gives you the same live chat, inbox, and AI agent features — open source and free for small teams.
Free forever for small workspaces · No credit card required
Intercom Pricing
Starts at $39/seat/month. AI features cost extra. Most teams pay $200-500+/month.
Feature Comparison
See how GudDesk stacks up against Intercom feature by feature.
| Feature | Intercom | GudDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat widget | ||
| Shared inbox | ||
| AI agents | Paid add-on ($0.99/resolution) | Included free |
| Knowledge base | ||
| Workflow automations | ||
| Self-hosting | ||
| Open source | GPL-3.0 | |
| Free tier | 14-day trial | Free forever (3 agents) |
| Per-seat pricing | $39-139/seat/mo | Flat pricing |
| Plugin/API ecosystem | ||
| Slack integration | ||
| Email integration |
Why switch from Intercom?
Stop paying per seat
Intercom charges $39-139 per agent per month. GudDesk is free for up to 3 agents and uses flat pricing for larger teams — no per-seat surprises.
AI agents included, not upsold
Intercom charges $0.99 per AI resolution with Fin. GudDesk includes AI agents (GudBot, TriageBot, OnboardBot) in every plan, including the free tier.
Own your data
Self-host GudDesk on your own infrastructure. Your customer conversations never leave your servers. No vendor lock-in, ever.
Open source transparency
Every line of GudDesk code is open source under GPL-3.0. Audit it, extend it, or contribute back to the community.
What makes GudDesk different
Open Source
GPL-3.0 licensed. Audit, extend, and contribute.
Self-Hostable
Run on your own infrastructure. Own your data.
AI Agents Included
Three built-in agents. No per-resolution fees.
No Per-Seat Pricing
Free for 3 agents. Flat pricing for workspaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can GudDesk really replace Intercom?
For most teams, yes. GudDesk covers live chat, shared inbox, knowledge base, AI agents, and automations. If you rely on Intercom's product tours or advanced marketing features, those aren't available yet — but for customer support and messaging, GudDesk is a capable replacement.
How do I migrate from Intercom to GudDesk?
You can export your Intercom conversations and customer data via their API or CSV export, then import them into GudDesk. We're also building a dedicated migration tool to make this easier.
Is GudDesk really free?
Yes. GudDesk is free forever for teams of up to 3 agents. No credit card required, no time-limited trial, no feature gates on the free tier. The open-source version is also completely free to self-host.
What about Intercom's Fin AI?
GudDesk includes three built-in AI agents (GudBot, TriageBot, OnboardBot) that are free to use. They search your knowledge base and resolve conversations automatically. For advanced AI reasoning, bring your own Anthropic API key.
Also comparing other tools?
Ready to switch from Intercom?
Get started in 5 minutes. Free for small workspaces. No credit card required.