20 Min
Intercom handles support queues. Central handles your front desk.
One inbox. Every platform. Leads qualified and appointments booked automatically.
Never miss another call.
One is a support platform. One is a front desk.
Intercom is built for SaaS and ecommerce support teams managing high volumes of inbound requests. Its AI agent Fin, ticketing system, and routing tools are genuinely powerful for that job.
Central is built for service businesses that need every message answered across every platform. Web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, SMS, and more, all from one inbox. Leads qualified. Appointments booked inside the conversation. No separate tool for each channel.
No commitment required.
Per-resolution fees and platform gaps add up.
Intercom's AI agent Fin costs $0.99 per resolved conversation, on top of every seat plan. At 500 resolutions per month, that is $495 in Fin fees before seat costs. Instagram DMs, Facebook messages, and SMS are not supported. Appointment booking is not available in chat.
What this means in practice:
Fin AI costs $0.99 per resolution; 500 resolutions per month adds $495 on top of seat fees
Instagram, Facebook, and SMS require separate tools
No appointment booking inside the chat
Advanced automation requires the $85/seat plan, not the $29 entry tier
Designed for SaaS and ecommerce support, not service business front desks
Every platform. Every lead. One inbox.
Central connects to every platform your customers use and handles the full conversation from first message to booked appointment.
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 and routes accordingly
Appointments confirmed inside the chat, calendar checked in real time
Leads handed off with full conversation context already visible
Flat monthly pricing. No per-resolution fees.
What each product actually does
Feature
Platforms covered
Instagram DMs
Facebook messages
SMS
Unified inbox
Appointment booking in chat
AI pricing
Pricing model
Lead qualification
Knowledgebase training
Free trial
Built for service SMBs
Live in minutes
Intercom
Web, email, WhatsApp (limited)
—
—
—
Partial
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$0.99/resolution on top of seat costs
Per seat + per AI resolution
✓
✓
✓ 14 days
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Central
Web, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, SMS, email, X, Discord, Telegram, LinkedIn
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓ Included in flat plan
Flat monthly rate
✓
✓
✓ 10 days
✓
✓
Live today. Every platform connected.
Paste your URL, connect your social platforms, and Central starts handling conversations. No enterprise onboarding. No seat math. Most businesses are live the same day.
Don't take our word for it
"I modeled out Intercom's real cost. Between seats and Fin resolutions, I was looking at $600 to $800 a month for a platform that didn't cover WhatsApp or Instagram. Central covered everything from one inbox for a fraction of that."
James Carter
Founder & CEO, Nexora Labs
"I modeled out Intercom's real cost. Between seats and Fin resolutions, I was looking at $600 to $800 a month for a platform that didn't cover WhatsApp or Instagram. Central covered everything from one inbox for a fraction of that."
James Carter
Founder & CEO, Nexora Labs
"I modeled out Intercom's real cost. Between seats and Fin resolutions, I was looking at $600 to $800 a month for a platform that didn't cover WhatsApp or Instagram. Central covered everything from one inbox for a fraction of that."
James Carter
Founder & CEO, Nexora Labs