16 Min
Crisp handles support tickets. Central handles your front desk.
One inbox. Every platform. Leads qualified and appointments booked automatically.
Never miss another call.
Support platform vs. front desk system.
Crisp is a capable customer messaging and helpdesk platform. Its shared inbox, chatbot builder, and omnichannel support tools are genuinely useful for support and sales teams managing customer queries.
Central is built for a different job. It qualifies leads, books appointments inside the conversation, and handles the full front desk across every platform your customers use. No ticketing system. No helpdesk overhead. Just every message answered, every lead captured, and every appointment booked automatically.
AI credits run out. Appointments don't get booked.
Crisp's AI is heavily limited on the Essentials plan at just 50 uses per month, far too low for real support automation. Most teams find themselves pushed to the Plus plan at €295/month to unlock the features that matter. Even then, Crisp's AI answers questions but does not take action. No appointments booked in chat. No leads routed to a calendar automatically.
What this means in practice:
AI capped at 50 uses/month on Essentials; real automation requires the €295/month Plus plan
No appointment booking inside the chat on any plan
Seat caps on lower tiers; only Plus allows adding extra agents at €10/agent/month
Designed for support and helpdesk teams, not service business front desks
Add-on costs for some plugins raise the real price above the plan rate
Every platform. Appointments booked. No credit caps.
Central connects to every platform your customers message on and handles the full conversation from first message to booked appointment. No AI credit limits. No helpdesk to manage.
Every message that comes in becomes an outcome delivered.
What this means in practice:
Web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, SMS, email, X, Discord, Telegram, and LinkedIn in one inbox
AI qualifies intent from the first message, included on every plan with no usage caps
Appointments confirmed inside the chat, calendar checked in real time
Full conversation context handed to your team when escalation is needed
Flat monthly pricing. No per-agent compounding. No AI credit math.
What each product actually does
Feature
Appointment booking in chat
AI included without usage caps
Platforms covered
Unified inbox
Pricing model
AI on entry plan
Lead qualification
Knowledge base training
Free trial
Built for service SMBs
Live in minutes
Crisp
—
— (50 uses/month on Essentials)
Web, email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SMS, X
✓
Per workspace (€45 to €295/month); seat caps on lower tiers
— (requires Essentials at €95/month)
✓
✓
✓ 14 days
Support and helpdesk teams
✓
Central
✓
✓ No caps
Platforms covered
✓
Flat monthly rate
✓ Included
✓
✓
✓ 10 days
✓
✓
Live today. Every platform, appointments included.
Paste your URL, connect your social platforms, and Central starts handling conversations. No helpdesk to configure. No AI credits to monitor. Most businesses are live the same day.
Don't take our word for it
"Crisp was great for our support inbox but it couldn't book appointments and the AI ran out of credits before the month was half done. I switched to Central and now every lead gets qualified, every appointment gets booked in the chat, and I haven't hit a limit once."
Alexander Scott
Operations Manager, Horizon Dynamics
"Crisp was great for our support inbox but it couldn't book appointments and the AI ran out of credits before the month was half done. I switched to Central and now every lead gets qualified, every appointment gets booked in the chat, and I haven't hit a limit once."
Alexander Scott
Operations Manager, Horizon Dynamics
"Crisp was great for our support inbox but it couldn't book appointments and the AI ran out of credits before the month was half done. I switched to Central and now every lead gets qualified, every appointment gets booked in the chat, and I haven't hit a limit once."
Alexander Scott
Operations Manager, Horizon Dynamics