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Alternatives · Help Desks

respond.io alternatives

respond.io compared with 5 alternatives: Trengo, Intercom, Zendesk, Helpwise and Tidio.

respond.io is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly). 1 of the 5 alternatives is free or has a free plan. 4 more offer a free trial.

5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 18, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
respond.ioThis toolFree trial · from $79/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
TrengoFree trial · from €299/moTrial onlyWeb
IntercomFree trial · from $29/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
ZendeskFree trial · from $19/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
HelpwiseFree trial · from $12/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
TidioFree plan · from $24.17/moYesWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

Price against what you get

respond.io starts at $79 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 5 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Zendesk and Tidio.

Intercom and Helpwise start lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessrespond.ioTrengoIntercomZendeskHelpwiseTidio

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 respond.io

  1. Trengo

    Shared inbox for WhatsApp, email and chat with AI agents, in euros

    • Trengo starts at €299 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually (€349 billed monthly). respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
    • Only respond.io lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Trengo also covers help center.
    • respond.io also covers workflow automation.

    Suits: European businesses that handle much of their service over WhatsApp

    Trengo vs respond.ioTrengo pricing and details

  2. 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). respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
    • Intercom also covers reports, help desk and help center.
    • respond.io also covers workflow automation.

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

    Intercom vs respond.ioIntercom pricing and details

  3. Zendesk

    Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams

    • Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
    • Zendesk also covers reports, help desk and help center.
    • respond.io also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.

    Suits: Support teams handling email, chat and phone in one queue

    Zendesk vs respond.ioZendesk pricing and details

  4. Helpwise

    Shared inbox for email, chat, WhatsApp and SMS with a help center

    • Helpwise starts at $12 per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly). respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
    • Helpwise also covers help desk and help center.
    • respond.io also covers workflow automation and AI support agent.

    Suits: Small teams moving support off a shared Gmail or Outlook address

    Helpwise vs respond.ioHelpwise pricing and details

  5. 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). respond.io starts at $79 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually ($99 billed monthly).
    • Tidio has a free plan. respond.io does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Tidio lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Tidio also covers help desk.
    • respond.io also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.

    Suits: Small online stores, especially on Shopify or WordPress

    Tidio vs respond.ioTidio pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in respond.io

  • WhatsApp fees are charged by Meta on top of the plan, and SMS and VoIP are billed at the provider's rates.
  • Contacts past the tier cost $12 per 100 on Growth and $15 per 100 on Advanced; extra AI credits are $15 per 1,000.
  • Extra users cost $12, $20 and $24 a month on Starter, Growth and Advanced billed yearly ($15, $25 and $30 monthly).
  • Starter has no broadcasts, workflows, AI agents or developer API; those start on Growth.
respond.io pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to respond.io?

The alternatives to respond.io in this directory are Trengo, Intercom, Zendesk, Helpwise and Tidio. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with respond.io.

Is there a free alternative to respond.io?

Yes. Tidio has a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which respond.io alternatives work on Windows?

The respond.io listing does not include a Windows app. Tidio lists one.

Which respond.io alternatives work on macOS?

The respond.io listing does not include a macOS app. Tidio lists one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Oct 18, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.