Crisp
Business messaging with AI.
why this verdict
Downgrade — pay for the workflow, not the AI
Tidio and Chatbase cover the headline feature free, so the $25/mo is now paying for the workflow around it.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- RAG bots. OpenAI, March 14, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 2 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Tidio and Chatbase.
- What the call is worth $300/yr
- $25/mo at the entry paid tier — $300 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- March 14, 2024
- List price
- $25/mo
- Per year
- $300
The backstory
Crisp is a business messaging suite: live chat, a shared inbox, a chatbot and a help center for small teams. Its AI selling point was a bot that answers customers from your docs, but that is now a few API calls against any modern model with retrieval. When the smart part becomes commodity, the pressure is on price and the surrounding features. It's wounded because the RAG bot is easy to copy, though the bundled inbox, CRM and multi-channel messaging still carry weight.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $300/yrSupport suite with the Fin AI agent
intercom.com open_in_newLive chat and AI bots with a free tier
tidio.com open_in_newBuild a support bot on your own docs
chatbase.co open_in_new2 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.