In short
Intercom is a complete customer service platform, billed per seat, whose Fin AI agent is paid for each resolved request. KernChat is an assistant built with you on your documents, with a fixed subscription that includes AI usage.
Contents (6)
Intercom is one of the most complete customer service platforms on the market: inbox, tickets, help center, proactive messages, and an AI agent, Fin, that answers customers. For a support team that wants everything in one tool and to set it up itself, it is a solid reference.
The two offers side by side
| Criterion | KernChat | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Subscription from €100 excl. VAT a month, set-up from €1 500 excl. VAT | $29 per seat a month (Essential), $19 shown for new customers (35% off) |
| Cost of AI | Included in the subscription, no credits | $0.99 per Fin outcome (a resolved request) |
| Set-up | Done with you, after a one-hour audit | Self-service, 14-day free trial |
| Scope | Assistant, handover in a shared inbox, contact memory, links to your tools | Complete support platform: tickets, help center, proactive messages, AI agent |
What KernChat does differently
- A price that does not rise with each AI resolution. AI usage is included in the subscription: a busy month does not push the bill up resolution by resolution
- An assistant prepared with you. Your documents are gathered, sorted and reviewed with you before launch, then every month
- Three languages from the start. The assistant answers in French, Dutch and English, and the workspace exists in all three
- A team in Brussels and data in Europe. The platform is published by KERN-IT, with hosting in Europe
Example bill for an SME
Take a team of three on the Essential plan, at the regular price, with a Fin agent resolving 300 requests a month. At the prices shown on 30/10/2026: 3 seats × $29 = $87, plus 300 outcomes × $0.99 = $297, giving $384 a month excl. VAT. With the discount advertised to new customers, seats come to 3 × $19 = $57, giving $354 a month; the cost of Fin does not change. This calculation is an example: the bill varies with the number of requests resolved each month, and extras (Copilot, proactive messages) cost more.
With KernChat, the subscription depends on neither the number of people taking over conversations nor the number of requests the assistant resolves, within the volume included in the chosen level.
KernChat's limitations compared with Intercom
- No self-service trial. Each assistant is built with you after an audit; you can try Intercom on your own for 14 days
- No help center or tickets. KernChat focuses on the assistant and conversation handover
- A paid set-up. It includes document preparation and testing, but it is an upfront charge that Intercom does not have
Questions to ask before choosing
- How many requests will the AI resolve each month, and what budget would be acceptable if that number doubles?
- Do you need tickets and a help center, or primarily an assistant that answers correctly?
- Who will prepare and maintain the documents the assistant uses?
- Do your customers write in French, Dutch and English?
Which one to choose
Choose Intercom if your support team already runs tickets and a help center and wants a complete tool it sets up itself. Choose KernChat if what you mainly want is an assistant that answers correctly from your documents, built and followed up with you, for a fixed monthly price.
Intercom's prices are those of its pricing page, checked on 30/10/2026, in dollars and excl. VAT. See also the comparison with Zendesk and the article on the cost of an AI assistant.