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Alternatives · Help Desks

Gist alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Gist alternative for most people is Tidio (3.2 GPA), second in our ranking of help desk and live chat tools. It's also the best free one.

Gist compared with 5 alternatives: Intercom, Crisp, Tidio, HelpCrunch and Text by LiveChat.

Gist has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month for 5 support seats. 2 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 3 more offer a free trial.

Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from

Black Friday: is there a Gist sale?

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
GistThis toolFree plan · from $29/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
IntercomFree trial · from $29/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
CrispFree plan · from $45/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
TidioFree plan · from $24.17/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
HelpCrunchFree trial · from $12/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
Text by LiveChatFree trial · from $19/moTrial onlyWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Price against what you get

Gist starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 5 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Tidio and Text by LiveChat.

Intercom and Crisp score higher without starting lower. HelpCrunch starts lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1k$2k$5kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessGistIntercomCrispTidioHelpCrunchText by LiveChat

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of help desk and live chat tools, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Gist

  1. Intercom

    Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome

    • Intercom starts at $29 per seat / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
    • Intercom has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Gist.
    • Intercom also covers reports, help desk and AI support agent.
    • Intercom does not cover marketing automation, email campaigns and chatbots, which Gist does.

    Suits: Software and app companies that support customers through in-app chat

    Intercom vs GistIntercom pricing and details

  2. Crisp

    Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat

    • Crisp starts at $45 per workspace / month, with 4 seats.
    • Crisp also lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Crisp also covers AI support agent.
    • Crisp does not cover marketing automation, email campaigns and chatbots, which Gist does.

    Suits: Small teams that want chat and email support at a flat monthly price

    Crisp vs GistCrisp pricing and details

  3. Tidio

    Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations

    • Tidio starts at $24.17 per month for 100 conversations, billed annually ($29 monthly).
    • Tidio also lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Tidio also covers help desk and AI support agent.
    • Tidio does not cover shared inbox, marketing automation, email campaigns, help center and chatbots, which Gist does.

    Suits: Small online stores, especially on Shopify or WordPress

    Tidio vs GistTidio pricing and details

  4. HelpCrunch

    Live chat, shared inbox, chatbot and email in one platform

    • HelpCrunch starts at $12 per month for 1 team member, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
    • HelpCrunch has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Gist.
    • HelpCrunch also covers AI support agent and popups.
    • HelpCrunch does not cover marketing automation, which Gist does.

    Suits: Small teams that want chat, email and popups in one tool

    HelpCrunch vs GistHelpCrunch pricing and details

  5. Text by LiveChat

    Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team

    • Text by LiveChat starts at $19 per user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Text by LiveChat has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Gist.
    • Text by LiveChat also lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Text by LiveChat also covers help desk and AI support agent.
    • Text by LiveChat does not cover shared inbox, marketing automation, email campaigns, help center and chatbots, which Gist does.

    Suits: Online stores, especially on Shopify, that sell through chat

    Text by LiveChat vs GistText by LiveChat pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Gist

  • Premium is shown at $99 against a crossed-out $499, marked "ending soon" with no end date; the regular price may apply later.
  • Marketing and All-in-One bundle prices are separate and depend on contact count; only the Support plans are listed here.
  • The pricing page was read with its billing toggle hidden, so these are monthly prices; the page did not show an annual rate.
  • The pricing page says new customers based in India can get 30% off some plans for a limited time.
Gist pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Gist?

The alternatives to Gist in this directory are Intercom, Crisp, Tidio, HelpCrunch and Text by LiveChat. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Gist.

Is there a free alternative to Gist?

Yes. Crisp and Tidio have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which Gist alternatives work on Windows?

The Gist listing does not include a Windows app. Crisp, Tidio and Text by LiveChat list one.

Which Gist alternatives work on macOS?

The Gist listing does not include a macOS app. Crisp, Tidio and Text by LiveChat list one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.