The Crisp Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Crisp in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Crisp

The Insider’s Guide

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

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Crisp’s own pages.

Made by Crisp IM SAS · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.6GPA

01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Crisp’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Crisp’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.6

GPA, above 12 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade

Crisp is a customer messaging suite built around a website chat widget and a shared inbox that also takes email, social and messaging apps. It charges a flat monthly price per workspace with a set number of seats and no limit on conversations, and its Hugo AI agent runs on credits included with each paid plan.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Crisp, taken from its own pages and our grades.

The chat box is quick to add, but the chatbot builder and channel connections take setting up.

From our grade for ease of use

1
Best for flat-priced chat and inbox for small teams
Crisp gives you a website chat box and a shared inbox at a flat price per workspace, with no limit on conversations, so a busy month doesn't cost more.
2
Paid plans start at $45 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $45 per workspace / month, with 4 seats.
3
There is a free plan
2 seats, the website chat widget, a contact form and shared inbox, mobile and desktop apps, store integrations and 100 customer profiles. No AI credits.
4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
5
Chat widget
A customizable chat box for websites with a live visitor map, proactive messages and, from Essentials, video and audio chat and live translation.
6
Shared inbox for every channel
Chat, contact forms, email, Messenger, Telegram and X from Mini; WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, Viber, LINE and phone from Essentials.
7
Hugo AI agent
An AI agent answers customers from Mini up, paid from included AI credits. Essentials adds knowledge training, an internal copilot and writing help.
8
A 2.6 GPA, above 12 of 19
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
9
Keep it
To replace Crisp you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

Crisp at a glance

Pricing: Free plan, from $45 per workspace / month, with 4 seats
Free plan: Yes
Free trial: 14-day free trial of any plan
Runs on: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
Made by: Crisp IM SAS, since 2015
Category: Help Desks & Live Chat
Our grade: 2.6 GPA, good
Store rating: 4.4 on the App Store, 522 ratings

The report card

Best for flat-priced chat and inbox for small teams

Crisp gives you a website chat box and a shared inbox at a flat price per workspace, with no limit on conversations, so a busy month doesn't cost more. It runs on every device, too. But the useful channels, WhatsApp, Instagram and a help center, wait on the $95 plan, and the AI agent is capped by credits.

ToolGPA report cardCrispGraded Oct 17, 2026

Subject	Grade	Comment
Value for money	C	Mini is $45 a month for 4 seats, about $11 each, but $45 for one person. A team of five needs Essentials at $95 for 10 seats, $19 a head, a little under the middle of help desks. That's also where WhatsApp, Instagram and a help center start.
Free plan and trial	C	A free plan with 2 seats, the chat widget, a contact form and the apps, plus a 14-day trial. The cap you'll hit is 100 customer profiles, and there's no email channel and no AI.
Features	B	Chat with a live visitor map, a shared inbox for email, social, WhatsApp, SMS and phone, the Hugo AI agent, a chatbot and workflow builder and a multilingual help center. Across the plans it covers the job, though ticketing needs Plus.
Ease of use	C	4.43 from 522 App Store ratings, below most support apps here. The chat box is quick to add, but the chatbot builder and channel connections take setting up.
Platforms and integrations	A	Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android apps, with Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce, Slack, HubSpot, Zapier, Stripe and Salesforce, and an API. Every device type is covered.

Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.6

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Crisp is for

Great if you hate per-conversation billing and want one flat monthly price
Handy when you run a Shopify, WooCommerce or WordPress store
Good for a team of up to 4 that mostly needs chat and email

Who it is not for

Pricey if you're on your own, since the first paid plan is $45 a month
Not for you if you need WhatsApp or Instagram on a budget, as they start at $95 a month
Tight if you lean on the AI agent, as Mini's $5 of credits covers around 90 conversations

Good to know

Good for

Small teams that want chat and email support at a flat monthly price
Online stores on Shopify, WooCommerce or WordPress
Teams that dislike being billed per conversation

Worth knowing

The Free plan has 2 seats, chat and contact forms only, 100 customer profiles and no AI.
AI use is capped by credits: $5 on Mini, $25 on Essentials and $75 on Plus. The pricing page does not say what extra credits cost.
WhatsApp, Instagram, a help center and analytics need Essentials at $95 a month; ticketing and white labelling need Plus.
A workspace connects one account per messaging channel; more require higher limits. Agents beyond 20 on Plus cost $10 a month each.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$45

A month to start. There is a free plan too

Crisp has a free plan. Paid plans start at $45 per workspace / month, with 4 seats.

That's also where WhatsApp, Instagram and a help center start.

From our grade for value for money

Free
$0
2 seats, website chat and a contact form in a shared inbox, 100 customer profiles and Shopify, WooCommerce and WordPress links. No AI.
Mini
$45
per workspace / month, with 4 seats
Adds email, Telegram, Messenger and X, canned replies, internal notes, full history and the AI Agent with $5 of credits, around 90 automated conversations.
Essentials
$95
per workspace / month, with 10 seats
Adds WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS and phone, a help center, a workflow and chatbot builder, analytics, round-robin and $25 of AI credits (about 450).
Plus
$295
per workspace / month for 20 seats, plus $10 per extra agent
Adds a ticketing portal, white labelling, Stripe and Salesforce, AI spam filter and summaries, and $75 of AI credits, around 1,350 automated conversations.
Enterprise
Custom
A custom plan arranged with Crisp for larger needs.

The free plan

2 seats, the website chat widget, a contact form and shared inbox, mobile and desktop apps, store integrations and 100 customer profiles. No AI credits.

Trying it first

14-day free trial of any plan

Read from crisp.chat on Oct 17, 2026.

Ways to pay less

Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits
Crisp's pricing FAQ offers nonprofits a 50% discount through a promo code requested in chat.
Stated on crisp.chat
Education
50% off for students
Crisp's pricing FAQ offers students a 50% discount through a promo code requested in chat.
Stated on crisp.chat
Other savings
20% off extra workspaces
Accounts paying for several Essentials or Plus workspaces can get 20% off three additional workspaces by asking Crisp in chat.
Stated on crisp.chat

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android

Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, shared inbox, live chat, help center, AI support agent.

Across the plans it covers the job, though ticketing needs Plus.

From our grade for features

Chat widget: A customizable chat box for websites with a live visitor map, proactive messages and, from Essentials, video and audio chat and live translation.
Shared inbox for every channel: Chat, contact forms, email, Messenger, Telegram and X from Mini; WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, Viber, LINE and phone from Essentials.
Hugo AI agent: An AI agent answers customers from Mini up, paid from included AI credits. Essentials adds knowledge training, an internal copilot and writing help.
Chatbot and workflow builder: A no-code builder for AI chatbots and automated flows with conditions, webhooks and CRM triggers, from the Essentials plan.
Help center: A multilingual help center with its own domain, search and SEO settings, included from Essentials.
Unlimited conversations: Every plan is a flat monthly price per workspace with no cap on the number of conversations handled.

Where it runs

Web
macOS
Windows
iOS
Android

What it works with

Shopify
WordPress
WooCommerce
Slack
HubSpot
Zapier
Stripe
Salesforce

Crisp is made by Crisp IM SAS, and has been around since 2015.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

12/19

Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above

Crisp's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 3.

It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 16 of 19) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $45 a month, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 17 of the 18 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Crisp’s own letter is outlined.

CValue for money
Above 6 of 19
CFree plan and trial
Above 1 of 19
BFeatures
Above 9 of 19
CEase of use
Above 0 of 19
APlatforms and integrations
Above 16 of 19

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 19 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Crisp is the marked dot.

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

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace Crisp you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It costs $540 a year.

What you could make

Help center: an app builder makes this well.

What you could not

One mailbox that several people work at once.
An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
It plugs into other products, Shopify, WordPress and WooCommerce among them, and has an API.
AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Crisp’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Tidio, Intercom, Chatwoot, tawk.to and Text by LiveChat

The 5 tools Crisp is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

3.2GPA
Tidio
Free plan · from $24.17/mo
Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations.
- Crisp also covers shared inbox and help center.
- Tidio also covers help desk.
Crisp and Tidio compared in full
2.4GPA
Intercom
Free trial · from $29/mo
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
- Crisp has a free plan. Intercom does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Crisp lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Intercom also covers reports and help desk.
Crisp and Intercom compared in full
2.4GPA
Chatwoot
Free plan · from $19/mo
Open-source support inbox you can self-host or use in the cloud.
- Only Crisp lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Crisp and Chatwoot compared in full
3.0GPA
tawk.to
Free plan · from $29/mo
Free live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons.
- Crisp also covers shared inbox.
- tawk.to also covers help desk.
Crisp and tawk.to compared in full
2.4GPA
Text by LiveChat
Free trial · from $19/mo
Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team.
- Crisp has a free plan. Text by LiveChat does not, though it has a free trial.
- Crisp also covers shared inbox and help center.
- Text by LiveChat also covers help desk.
Crisp and Text by LiveChat compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Crisp free?

Crisp has a free plan. 2 seats, the website chat widget, a contact form and shared inbox, mobile and desktop apps, store integrations and 100 customer profiles.

How much does Crisp cost?

Crisp lists 5 plans. Free: $0.

What platforms does Crisp work on?

Crisp is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Does Crisp offer any discounts?

Crisp publicly lists the following: 50% off for nonprofits; 50% off for students; 20% off extra workspaces.

How is Crisp rated?

Crisp's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.4 out of 5 from 522 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does Crisp have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Crisp is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Is Crisp open source?

Crisp is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does Crisp have an API?

Yes. Crisp offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does Crisp integrate with?

Crisp's listing names Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce, Slack, HubSpot, Zapier, Stripe and Salesforce.

Does Crisp have a student discount?

50% off for students. Crisp's pricing FAQ offers students a 50% discount through a promo code requested in chat.

Does Crisp have a free trial?

Yes. 14-day free trial of any plan.

Who makes Crisp?

Crisp is made by Crisp IM SAS. It dates from 2015.

What are the alternatives to Crisp?

The closest alternatives to Crisp in our directory are Tidio, Intercom, Chatwoot, tawk.to and Text by LiveChat.

How does Crisp compare with other help desk and live chat tools?

Crisp's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 3.

Is Crisp good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Crisp C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $45 a month, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 17 of the 18 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Crisp?

To replace Crisp you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Crisp’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Crisp's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Crisp IM SAS. Prices change, so check crisp.chat before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

1,858

Tools graded, in 46 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

1,858
tools graded
46
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Crisp: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/crisp

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See our other guides

The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Crisp, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Crisp’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Crisp is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Crisp IM SAS. Prices and plans change: check crisp.chat before you buy.