Crisp Review 2026: All-in-One Messaging Platform Tested
Honest Crisp review for 2026: features, pricing, strengths, limitations, and how it compares to live chat and messaging platform alternatives.
Asad Ali
Founder & CEO
March 30, 2026
Honest Crisp review for 2026: features, pricing, strengths, limitations, and how it compares to live chat and messaging platform alternatives.
Crisp is a customer messaging platform based in France that has steadily built a loyal following among startups, SMBs, and bootstrapped companies. It bundles live chat, a shared inbox, a chatbot builder, knowledge base, CRM, email campaigns, video chat, and co-browsing into a single platform. What makes Crisp distinctive is its pricing model: per workspace rather than per seat. This means your entire team can use the platform for a flat monthly fee, regardless of how many agents you have.
We tested Crisp extensively across its pricing tiers, building chatbot flows, evaluating the shared inbox, and stress-testing its more unique features like co-browsing and video chat. Here is what we found.
Disclosure: We build Chatsy, which competes with Crisp in some areas. We've tried to keep this review fair and evidence-based, but we want to be transparent about that.
Rating: 4.0/5
Crisp is one of the best value propositions in the messaging platform space. The per-workspace pricing is genuinely remarkable -- your whole team gets access for one flat price, which makes it dramatically cheaper than per-seat alternatives as your team grows. The feature set is broad even on the free tier, co-browsing is a unique differentiator, the UI is modern and pleasant to use, and the API is well-documented. Where Crisp falls short is in AI chatbot sophistication (it cannot match dedicated AI tools), support response times can be slow, the integration ecosystem is smaller than major competitors, and the platform's community and third-party resources are thinner. Crisp is best for teams that want maximum features per dollar, value per-workspace pricing, and need a modern all-in-one messaging tool without enterprise complexity.
This review is built from:
We name limitations specifically and avoid generic praise. Last reviewed April 2026.
This is the single most compelling reason to consider Crisp. While most competitors charge per agent seat -- $25-99 per agent per month -- Crisp charges per workspace. The Unlimited plan at approximately $95/mo includes your entire team, whether that is 3 agents or 30. The math becomes dramatic as teams grow.
Consider a team of ten agents: on Intercom at $39/seat/mo, that is $390/mo just for seats (before AI costs). On Zendesk at $55/agent/mo, that is $550/mo. On Crisp Unlimited, it is $95/mo total. For bootstrapped startups and SMBs watching every dollar, this pricing model is transformative. It removes the friction of adding team members -- you never have to think twice about giving someone access because there is no incremental cost.
Crisp's free plan includes live chat for two agents, a basic shared inbox, and mobile apps. This is more functional than many competitors' free tiers. The Pro plan at approximately $25/mo adds significantly more: unlimited chat history, triggered messages, a knowledge base, and basic automation. By the time you reach the Unlimited plan, you have access to essentially every feature Crisp offers.
The breadth of features at each tier is notable. Many platforms gate critical features behind expensive tiers or sell them as add-ons. Crisp includes most features at the mid-tier price point, which simplifies purchasing decisions and avoids the nickel-and-diming that frustrates buyers of competing products.
Crisp includes co-browsing -- the ability to see and navigate your customer's screen in real time during a live chat session. This is rare in the SMB market. Most platforms that offer co-browsing are enterprise tools with enterprise pricing. Having it built into Crisp's Unlimited plan (at $95/mo for the whole team) is remarkable.
For support teams troubleshooting technical issues, SaaS companies helping users navigate their product, or e-commerce stores guiding customers through checkout, co-browsing eliminates the back-and-forth of "what do you see on your screen?" It is one of those features that transforms specific support interactions from painful to effortless.
Crisp's interface is clean, fast, and contemporary. The shared inbox is well-organized, the chat widget is visually appealing, and the overall design language feels modern. This matters for two reasons: agent experience and customer experience. Agents spend hours in the inbox, so a pleasant interface reduces fatigue. Customers see the chat widget on your site, so an attractive widget reflects well on your brand.
The dark mode support, customizable widget, and responsive design across devices all contribute to a polished experience. In a category where many tools feel dated or cluttered, Crisp's design is a genuine competitive advantage.
Crisp's shared inbox aggregates conversations from live chat, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, and SMS into a single view. This means your team manages all customer communication from one place, regardless of the channel the customer chose. For teams that currently juggle multiple tools and browser tabs to manage different channels, the consolidation is significant.
The inbox includes assignment, tagging, private notes, and conversation status management. It is not as feature-rich as a dedicated helpdesk like Zendesk or Intercom, but it covers the core workflows that most small teams need. The channel consolidation alone justifies the platform for businesses that communicate across multiple messaging channels.
Crisp includes a built-in knowledge base where you can create, organize, and publish help articles. The editor supports rich text, images, and categories. Articles are searchable and can be surfaced within the chat widget, so customers can find answers without starting a conversation. The knowledge base also serves as training data for Crisp's chatbot, creating a useful feedback loop: the same content helps customers self-serve and powers automated responses.
For teams that want self-service documentation alongside live chat and messaging, having the knowledge base built in eliminates the need for a separate tool like Notion, GitBook, or a standalone knowledge base product.
Crisp's API is well-documented, REST-based, and covers most platform functionality. Developers can build custom integrations, automate workflows, and extend the platform. The webhook support is solid, and there are official libraries for popular languages. For technical teams that want to integrate Crisp into their product or automate processes, the API is a strong foundation. This is not always the case with SMB-focused tools -- many have limited or poorly documented APIs.
Crisp includes a chatbot builder, but its AI capabilities lag behind dedicated AI chatbot platforms. The chatbot works well for rule-based flows and simple keyword-triggered responses. It can surface knowledge base articles and handle basic FAQ queries. But for complex AI conversations that require reasoning, multi-turn context awareness, and nuanced understanding, Crisp's chatbot does not match platforms like Intercom's Fin, Chatbase, or purpose-built AI tools.
If AI deflection is a primary goal -- you want AI to handle 50-70% of conversations intelligently -- Crisp's chatbot will leave you wanting more. It is adequate for basic automation but does not deliver the AI-first experience that some competitors offer. For teams where AI quality is the top priority, this is a meaningful gap.
Multiple users report that Crisp's own customer support can be slow, particularly on lower tiers. Response times of several hours or longer for non-urgent issues are not uncommon. For a platform that sells customer support tools, this is ironic and frustrating. To be fair, the Unlimited plan includes priority support, which improves response times. But businesses on the Free or Pro plans should set expectations accordingly.
The documentation and help center are reasonably comprehensive, which helps with self-service troubleshooting. But when you need direct help from the Crisp team -- especially for technical issues or account problems -- patience may be required.
Crisp offers integrations, but the ecosystem is smaller than competitors like Intercom, Zendesk, or even Tidio. The major integrations are covered: Slack, WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, and popular CRM tools. But niche or industry-specific integrations are often missing. If your tech stack includes less common tools, you may need to build custom integrations via the API or use Zapier as a bridge.
For businesses with straightforward tech stacks, this is rarely a problem. But for teams that rely on specific tools and expect native integrations, the gaps can be frustrating. The Zapier integration provides a workaround, but it adds another subscription and introduces latency compared to native connections.
Compared to established players like Intercom and Zendesk, Crisp has a smaller community, fewer third-party resources, and less content about best practices. You will find fewer tutorials, courses, agency partners, and consultants specializing in Crisp. For teams that benefit from community knowledge and external expertise, this thinner ecosystem means more self-reliance.
This is a natural consequence of being a smaller, European-based company competing with well-funded American incumbents. Crisp's product is strong, but the surrounding ecosystem of partners, experts, and resources is less developed.
Crisp includes a built-in CRM, which is useful for tracking customer information, notes, and interaction history. However, it is a basic CRM -- not a replacement for Salesforce, HubSpot, or even Pipedrive. It handles contact management and conversation history well, but pipeline management, deal tracking, and advanced sales automation are limited. Most teams will use Crisp's CRM for support context rather than as their primary sales CRM.
| Plan | Price | Agents | Key Inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 2 | Live chat, basic inbox, mobile apps |
| Pro | ~$25/mo | 4 | Unlimited history, knowledge base, triggered messages, basic automation |
| Unlimited | ~$95/mo | Unlimited | All features, co-browsing, video chat, advanced automation, priority support |
Pricing as of March 2026. Per workspace, not per seat. Check crisp.chat for current pricing.
What you get at each tier:
The value question: Crisp's pricing is its strongest selling point. At $95/mo for unlimited agents with the full feature set, it undercuts virtually every competitor on a per-agent basis as soon as your team exceeds three or four people. The only question is whether the features meet your needs -- if Crisp's AI chatbot, reporting, and integrations are sufficient, the value is hard to beat.
Crisp's chatbot system consists of two components: a visual flow builder for rule-based automation and AI-powered responses that use your knowledge base content.
Strengths:
Limitations:
Crisp's chatbot is best viewed as a practical automation tool rather than an AI-first solution. It handles rule-based flows and knowledge base surfacing well. For teams that need sophisticated AI conversations, pairing Crisp with a dedicated AI layer or choosing a platform with stronger native AI is advisable.
Growing teams watching their budget. If you have five, ten, or twenty agents and per-seat pricing from competitors would break the bank, Crisp's per-workspace model is transformative. A ten-person team on Crisp Unlimited pays $95/mo. That same team on most competitors would pay $400-1,000/mo for similar features. If cost efficiency is a priority, Crisp should be at the top of your evaluation list.
Startups and bootstrapped companies. The combination of a generous free tier, affordable Pro plan, and flat Unlimited pricing makes Crisp ideal for startups that need professional customer communication without enterprise budgets. You can start free, upgrade as you grow, and never worry about per-seat costs eating into your runway.
Teams that need multi-channel messaging. If your customers reach out via chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and other channels, Crisp's shared inbox consolidates everything. Managing one inbox instead of five separate tools saves time and reduces the chance of missed messages.
SaaS companies and technical support teams. Co-browsing is a standout feature for SaaS companies. The ability to see and navigate a customer's screen during a support session dramatically improves resolution speed for technical issues. Combined with the knowledge base and chatbot, Crisp covers the full self-service and assisted support spectrum for software products.
Teams that value a complete toolkit. Live chat, shared inbox, chatbot, knowledge base, CRM, campaigns, video chat, and co-browsing -- all in one platform, all for one price. If you prefer having everything in one place over stitching together best-of-breed tools, Crisp's breadth is appealing.
European businesses with data residency considerations. As a French company, Crisp operates under European data protection regulations. For businesses that prefer or require EU-based data processing, this is relevant. Crisp's European headquarters and infrastructure can simplify GDPR compliance conversations.
Teams where AI quality is the top priority. If you want AI to handle the majority of conversations with high accuracy and nuance, Crisp's chatbot will not satisfy. Platforms with stronger AI -- Intercom with Fin, Chatbase, or Chatsy with built-in AI -- offer more capable AI automation. Crisp's chatbot is functional for basic automation but not competitive at the AI frontier.
Enterprise support operations. Large teams needing advanced SLA management, skills-based routing, detailed compliance reporting, and enterprise-grade security certifications will find Crisp too limited. Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, and Intercom serve enterprise needs more comprehensively.
Businesses dependent on specific integrations. If your workflow depends on native integrations with niche tools that Crisp does not support, the smaller ecosystem becomes a constraint. Check Crisp's integration directory before committing, especially if you rely on industry-specific software.
Teams that need advanced reporting. Crisp's analytics cover essential metrics but lack the depth and customization that data-driven support teams require. Custom reports, advanced segmentation, and granular performance tracking are better served by platforms with mature analytics capabilities.
E-commerce businesses with deep Shopify needs. While Crisp has a Shopify integration, it is not as deep as Tidio's e-commerce-specific features. If your use case centers on e-commerce automation -- abandoned cart recovery, order-aware chatbots, product recommendations -- Tidio or platforms with dedicated e-commerce features may serve you better.
The comparison comes down to budget versus sophistication. Intercom is a more powerful platform with a mature AI agent (Fin), robust automation, product tours, and a deep integration ecosystem. But it costs significantly more -- per seat pricing plus per-resolution AI costs add up quickly. Crisp offers a broader set of features at a fraction of the cost, with per-workspace pricing that becomes more advantageous as your team grows. Intercom wins on AI quality, reporting depth, and ecosystem maturity. Crisp wins on value, pricing transparency, and unique features like co-browsing. For well-funded teams that need the best tools regardless of cost, Intercom is stronger. For budget-conscious teams that want maximum capability per dollar, Crisp is compelling.
Both target SMBs and offer competitive pricing, but they have different strengths. Tidio excels at e-commerce with deep Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, a more polished visual flow builder, and Lyro AI for automated conversations. Crisp offers per-workspace pricing (versus Tidio's per-seat model), a broader feature set (co-browsing, video chat, CRM, campaigns), and a built-in knowledge base. For e-commerce businesses, Tidio has the edge. For teams that want the most features at a flat price and prioritize multi-channel messaging, Crisp is the better choice. Both are solid options for small businesses; the deciding factors are e-commerce needs and pricing model preference.
Chatsy is an all-in-one AI support platform combining AI chatbot, live chat, knowledge base, and ticketing. Crisp offers a broader messaging toolkit (video chat, co-browsing, campaigns, CRM) at a flat per-workspace price. Chatsy has stronger AI capabilities with multi-model support and conversation-based pricing. Crisp wins on pricing transparency and the breadth of communication features. Chatsy wins on AI quality and having a more focused support workflow with ticketing. For teams where AI-powered support is the primary goal, Chatsy is the stronger choice. For teams that want a complete messaging and communication toolkit at a flat rate, Crisp offers more breadth. Compare features and pricing.
Both are popular among SMBs, but they approach the market differently. Help Scout is email-first with a focus on shared inbox, knowledge base, and customer-centric support workflows. Crisp is messaging-first with live chat, multi-channel messaging, and real-time communication features. Help Scout has a stronger knowledge base, better email management, and a more refined support-focused workflow. Crisp has live chat, co-browsing, video chat, and per-workspace pricing. If your support is primarily email-based, Help Scout is the better fit. If live chat and real-time messaging are priorities, Crisp covers more ground.
Rating: 4.0/5
Crisp delivers exceptional value in the messaging platform space. The per-workspace pricing model is genuinely differentiated -- it removes the per-seat tax that makes most competitors expensive at scale. The feature set is broad, covering live chat, shared inbox, chatbot, knowledge base, CRM, video chat, co-browsing, and campaigns. The UI is modern and pleasant. The API is well-documented. For teams that want a lot of capability at a predictable, flat price, Crisp is hard to beat.
The rating reflects genuine limitations. The AI chatbot cannot compete with dedicated AI platforms or sophisticated AI features from larger competitors. Support response times can frustrate, especially on lower tiers. The integration ecosystem and community are smaller than established competitors. Reporting lacks the depth that growing teams need. These gaps keep Crisp from being a top-tier platform for teams where AI quality, analytics, or a specific integration is the deciding factor.
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 4.3/5 |
| AI Quality | 3.0/5 |
| Features | 4.2/5 |
| Value for Money | 4.8/5 |
| Support | 3.5/5 |
| Overall | 4.0/5 |
Worth it if: You want maximum features and agent seats for a flat monthly price, your team is growing and per-seat pricing from competitors is prohibitive, or you need unique features like co-browsing and video chat without enterprise pricing.
Look elsewhere if: AI chatbot quality is your top priority, you need deep e-commerce integrations, your workflow depends on specific integrations Crisp does not support, or you need enterprise-grade reporting and compliance. See our list of best live chat software and Help Scout review for alternatives.
Crisp's flat-rate plans are appealing, but they hide trade-offs that matter in these cases:
For teams with serious AI needs or compliance constraints, evaluate Chatsy, Intercom, or a Zendesk-and-bot combo against Crisp on real volume.
Yes, Crisp is one of the best options for small businesses. The free tier is functional, the Pro plan at approximately $25/mo covers most SMB needs, and the per-workspace pricing means adding team members does not increase costs. The breadth of features -- live chat, knowledge base, chatbot, shared inbox -- eliminates the need for multiple separate tools, which simplifies operations and reduces total cost.
Crisp charges per workspace, not per seat. This means your entire team -- whether 2 agents or 20 -- pays one flat monthly fee. Free includes 2 agents, Pro at approximately $25/mo includes 4 agents, and Unlimited at approximately $95/mo includes unlimited agents. This is Crisp's strongest differentiator, as most competitors charge $25-99 per agent per month. Check crisp.chat for current pricing.
Yes, Crisp includes a chatbot builder with both rule-based flows and AI-powered responses. The chatbot can surface knowledge base articles and handle basic queries. However, its AI capabilities are less sophisticated than dedicated AI platforms like Intercom's Fin, Chatbase, or Chatsy. For basic automation and FAQ deflection, Crisp's chatbot is adequate. For advanced AI-driven conversations, dedicated AI tools offer more.
Co-browsing lets a support agent see and navigate a customer's browser screen in real time during a live chat session. Crisp includes this feature on the Unlimited plan. It is particularly valuable for SaaS companies and technical support teams who need to guide customers through complex interfaces. Co-browsing is rare at Crisp's price point -- most platforms offering it charge significantly more.
For stronger AI capabilities: Chatsy or Intercom. For e-commerce-focused live chat: Tidio. For email-first support: Help Scout. For enterprise-grade support: Zendesk. The right alternative depends on whether you need better AI, deeper integrations, or more sophisticated reporting. See our best live chat software comparison for a detailed breakdown.
Crisp is a French company headquartered in Europe and operates under EU data protection regulations. The platform includes data processing agreements, cookie consent options, and data export tools to support GDPR compliance. For European businesses or companies serving EU customers, Crisp's European base can simplify compliance conversations. Check Crisp's privacy documentation for the latest details on data handling and compliance certifications.
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