An Intercom alternative for small online stores
Intercom is a powerful helpdesk with an AI agent, priced per seat plus AI usage. Talkoly is a simpler live chat for stores, with one price for the whole account.
One price per account
0 ₴, 499 ₴ or 999 ₴ a month. No per-seat fees for teams of up to 10 operators.
Free forever
The Start plan: 1 operator, 1 website, replies from Telegram. Not a trial.
5 minutes to switch
Replace one line of code and connect Telegram. Your customers won’t notice a thing.
Why people look for an Intercom alternative
Intercom is one of the most capable customer service platforms on the market. It includes Fin, an AI agent, a shared inbox, ticketing, a help center, workflows and reporting. Larger plans add SSO, SLA management and HIPAA support. For a big support team, that’s a lot of value.
For a small online store, the question is usually cost and complexity. Intercom charges per seat on its Essential, Advanced and Expert plans, with prices in dollars. Fin is billed separately, per outcome, and channels such as SMS, WhatsApp and phone are billed by usage. There’s no permanent free plan — only a 14-day trial. Many smaller teams find they pay for far more than they use.
Talkoly is built for a different job: helping an online store answer quickly and sell in the chat. You pay one price for the account. For stores in Ukraine there are monobank and LiqPay invoices in chat, Nova Poshta waybills and an air-raid and blackout mode, and operators can reply from Telegram.
Talkoly vs Intercom at a glance
| Talkoly | Intercom | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per account: up to 3 operators for 499 ₴, up to 10 for 999 ₴ a month | Per seat, plus AI and some channels billed by usage |
| Currency | Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH) | Dollars ($) |
| Free plan | ✓ Start, forever: 1 operator, 1 website | Trial only |
| Free trial, no card | ✓ 14 days of all Pro features | ✓ 14 days |
| AI | AI assistant included in Pro | ✓ Fin AI agent, billed per outcome |
| Ticketing, help center, workflows | Knowledge base on Business, help center and scenarios on Pro | ✓ Yes, more advanced |
| Enterprise features (SSO, SLA, HIPAA) | — | ✓ On the Expert plan |
| Operators reply from Telegram | ✓ By replying in the bot, on every plan | Not listed on their site |
| monobank / LiqPay invoices in chat | ✓ From the Business plan | Not listed on their site |
| Nova Poshta waybills in chat | ✓ From the Business plan | Not listed on their site |
Information about Intercom comes from its official website as of October 2026. Prices and features may change.
Which one fits you better
Choose Intercom if you run a large support operation and want an AI agent to resolve a big share of questions. It’s also the stronger choice if you need enterprise features such as SSO and SLA management, a Salesforce integration or a multilingual help center. Intercom also runs a discount programme for early-stage startups, so check whether you qualify.
Talkoly fits better if you’re a small or mid-sized online store, especially in Ukraine. You get a live chat, a CRM with deals and tasks, sales analytics and an AI assistant on Pro — at one price for up to ten operators. While a customer waits, the chat shows products from your feed. Operators send invoices and waybills in two clicks. And during an air raid or a power cut, the widget warns customers on its own.
How to switch from Intercom in 5 minutes
- Sign up for Talkoly. Add your website: name, domain and chat colour.
- Replace one line of code. Remove the Intercom Messenger code or app from your site and paste the Talkoly code from your dashboard instead. Guides for Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce, OpenCart and Tilda are in plugins and installation.
- Connect Telegram. One button in the dashboard, and new messages arrive in a bot. Reply to them, and the customer sees your answer on the website.
- Move your saved replies and help articles. Copy macros into Quick replies and your top articles into the knowledge base.
Keep your Intercom workspace until the end of the billing period so you can finish open conversations and export the data you need.
Frequently asked questions
Is Talkoly cheaper than Intercom?
Talkoly uses a different model: one price per account, not per seat. Business is 499 ₴ a month for up to 3 operators, Pro is 999 ₴ a month for up to 10. Compare it with your current Intercom bill for the same team.
Does Talkoly have an AI agent like Fin?
The Pro plan includes an AI assistant and automatic scenarios. If AI resolution at scale is your main goal, Intercom’s Fin is more advanced.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. Start costs 0 ₴ forever: 1 operator, 1 website, replies from Telegram, who’s on your site and 30 days of history.
Can I try all features without paying?
Yes. For the first 14 days every Pro feature is available without a card. Then the account moves to the free Start plan on its own.
Comparing several tools? See our live chat comparison.
14 days of every feature, no card needed. See pricing