The verdict
If your customers already chat on WhatsApp and you are one or two people, start with the WhatsApp Business app. It costs you nothing to learn what people ask.
If support volume is growing and conversations need owners, history and a hand-over between colleagues, pick Intercom and connect WhatsApp to it. If you only want a simple answer, I would not choose Intercom just to read WhatsApp messages, and I would not run a growing team from a phone app.
My rule: choose the system first, then add the channels your customers prefer. If WhatsApp becomes your main channel, keep email or live chat as a fallback, because Meta sets the rules.
Side by side
| 6 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $29/mo | |
| Free plan | No | |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | |
| AI chatbot / agent | Yes | Yes |
| AI search & answers | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Intercom
- Essential$29/mo/seat
- Advanced$85/mo/seat
- Expert$132/mo/seat
WhatsApp Business
Pricing not in our catalogue yet.
Who each is for
Choose Intercom if…
Pick Intercom if you have a support team, or are about to, and the same questions arrive every day. You get one inbox for email, chat, phone and social, plus Fin to resolve routine questions from your help content.
It suits teams that want AI resolution built in from the start and can budget for seats plus outcomes. Intercom is billed per seat, and Fin is billed separately by resolved outcome, so forecasting takes some care.
It is a poor fit if your customers barely use chat, or if you want one flat bill and a very simple helpdesk.
Choose WhatsApp Business if…
Pick WhatsApp Business if your customers already prefer WhatsApp. That is common in some markets and for service businesses where people want a quick reply on their phone.
The business app gives a small team a profile, a catalogue, greetings and away messages. Move to the API when volume means chats must land in a helpdesk or CRM. Cost then follows delivered template messages, by category and country.
It is not a helpdesk. There is no ticketing, reporting or knowledge base of its own. If your audience does not use WhatsApp, skip it.
Other options worth a look
Manage customer support tickets across email, chat and social channels with knowledge base tools.
Customer service platform that combines helpdesk ticketing, omnichannel support and AI-powered knowledge base capabilities.
Centralises customer support across email, chat, social and SMS for ecommerce stores with order-data integration.
Powers knowledge bases and help centres with AI search, chatbots and an AI writing agent.