Helmdesk vs Intercom All the support, none of the per-seat maths.
Intercom charges $29 to $132 per seat a month (billed annually) plus $0.99 for every Fin outcome, and running several brands in one workspace needs its Expert plan. Helmdesk covers three apps on one plan, with unlimited seats and AI drafting included.
Through Nov 30: 30% off Starter or Growth for 3 months with code SHIP30 at checkout.
Side by side
Feature comparison
| Feature | Helmdesk | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Per plan, sized by apps and tickets | Per seat, per month |
| Paid plans from | $39/mo, or $31 billed annually (Starter) | $29 per seat billed annually, $39 monthly (Essential) |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 app | No (14-day trial) |
| AI pricing | Included on paid plans, no per-resolution fee | $0.99 per Fin outcome |
| Several apps or brands | 3 apps on Starter, 10 on Growth, each with its own help centre | Multibrand on Expert only ($132 per seat). Otherwise a workspace per app, each its own subscription |
| Help centre | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server for AI agents | 73 tools across tickets, customers, email, docs, feedback and logs; read and write | Yes (hosted) |
| Error logs from your app, grouped into issues | Yes | No |
Intercom list prices as published on intercom.com, October 2026. Check their page for current pricing.
The arithmetic
What it costs for a small team with several apps
Two common set-ups, priced on each product's published list prices. The sums are shown so you can redo them for your own team.
Solo developer with 3 apps
One person answering for three products, under 1,000 tickets a month in total. Both billed annually.
- 3 × Essential workspaces, 1 seat each ($29)$87
Intercom: "each workspace will require its own subscription". The one-workspace route, Expert with Multibrand, is 1 × $132.
Plus $0.99 per Fin outcome
Starter: 3 apps, a help centre each, unlimited seats, AI drafting included.
$87 − $31 = $56/mo less with Helmdesk, before usage charges
Team of 5 with 3 apps
Five people across three products, about 3,000 tickets a month. Both billed annually.
- 15 × Essential seats: 5 people × 3 workspaces ($29)$435
Or one Expert workspace with Multibrand: 5 × $132 = $660.
Plus $0.99 per Fin outcome
Growth: 10 apps, 7,500 tickets a month, unlimited seats, AI included.
$435 − $119 = $316/mo less with Helmdesk, before usage charges
Intercom list prices as published on intercom.com, October 2026. Check their page for current pricing.
Choose Helmdesk if…
- You run support for several apps and want one plan to cover them
- You want AI drafting without a fee for every conversation it resolves
- You want transactional email and error logs in the same place as tickets
- You build with a coding agent and want it to write as well as read support data
- You want the bill to stay the same when a teammate joins
Choose Intercom if…
- You need a mature live-chat messenger with deep customisation
- You want Fin, an AI agent that answers on its own across channels
- You rely on a large marketplace of third-party integrations
- You need product tours and proactive in-app messaging at scale
Pricing
Priced by apps and tickets, not by people.
Free for your first app. Starter $39/mo for 3 apps, unlimited seats.
Annual billing saves 20%. No per-seat fees on paid plans, no per-resolution AI fees.
Through Nov 30: 30% off Starter or Growth for 3 months with code SHIP30 at checkout.
- Free1 app$0
- Starter3 apps$39/mo
- Growth10 apps$149/mo
- Enterprise: more apps and volume, quoted. Talk to us
FAQ
Helmdesk and Intercom
How is Intercom priced?
Per seat per month: $29 on Essential, $85 on Advanced and $132 on Expert when billed annually ($39, $99 and $139 monthly), plus $0.99 for each Fin outcome. There is no free plan; there is a 14-day trial.
Can one Intercom workspace serve several apps?
Yes, on Expert: Multibrand lets one workspace hold up to 300 brands. On Essential and Advanced there is no Multibrand, so separate apps mean separate workspaces, and Intercom says each workspace needs its own subscription.
Does Helmdesk have an AI agent like Fin?
Helmdesk’s Auto-Responder drafts replies from your knowledge base and waits for a person to approve them; it does not reply on its own. It is included on paid plans with no per-resolution fee.
What does the Intercom figure in the scenarios leave out?
Taxes, add-ons such as Copilot, and Fin outcomes, which depend on your volume. The intercom cost calculator adds Fin outcomes for your numbers.
One desk for every app, at one price.
Free for your first app. Starter $39/mo for 3 apps, unlimited seats. No card.