An Intercom alternative for mobile apps

Intercom is a full customer-service suite: inbox, help centre, tickets, email, bots and a strong AI agent. If you make apps on your own, most of that is more than you need, and it's priced per seat. Apparent's in-app chat does one thing, a chat between you and the people in your app, and it comes with the analytics you already use.

Connect your app

14 days free. No card, no password.

HelpWe usually answer within a few hours

Today

The camera stays black when I tap Scan

Sorry! Turn on Camera in Settings, and the next update will ask for it properly.

That worked, thanks 🙏

Write a message

Their app, in its own colours

MariaNeeds you

GermanyiPhone · 2.1.3New today

Right before writing

Home
Scan
Camera blocked
Help

The camera stays black when I tap Scan

Sorry! Turn on Camera in Settings, and the next…Send

What you see in Apparent

Where they're the same

People write to you from inside your iOS or Android app, and see your answer there.
You answer from the web or a phone app, and you're told about new messages.
Pictures in both directions.

Where Apparent is different

Price: the chat is in every Apparent plan, from $10 a month with analytics included and no seats. Intercom charges per seat: from $29 a seat a month on Essential, $85 on Advanced and $132 on Expert, and its Fin AI agent from $0.99 per outcome (intercom.com/pricing, checked 30 October 2026).
Context: each message comes with what the person did right before writing, from Apparent's own events, plus their phone, version and country. In Intercom that needs events sent to it separately.
Setup in Expo: one screen in JavaScript, no config plugin, works in Expo Go and ships in an OTA update. Intercom's React Native SDK edits the native projects (a config plugin and npx expo prebuild in Expo) and needs a new build when its settings change.
One SDK: the chat comes with the analytics SDK, so there's nothing else to add or keep up to date.

Where Intercom goes further

A help centre, tickets, email and a shared inbox for a support team.
Fin, an AI agent that answers on its own today. Apparent's AI answers are still coming.
Product tours, surveys, banners and mobile push campaigns (Intercom sells push as an add-on).
SDKs for native iOS and Android, web and more. Apparent's chat is in the Expo and React Native SDK for now.

Which one fits

You make one or a few apps, alone or with a friend, and want people to reach you from inside the app: Apparent.
Your app is Expo or React Native and you want the chat in an OTA update this week: Apparent.
You run a support team with a help centre, tickets and SLAs: Intercom.
You need an AI agent answering thousands of chats today: Intercom with Fin.

Apparent's page for an example app: a sentence about how it did, the key numbers, and highlights like a first sale in Japan. — An example app on Apparent. Open the live demo: every button works.

Questions

Is there a free Intercom alternative for apps?

Apparent is free for 14 days, with 1,000 chat messages, then from $10 a month with the chat and analytics included.

How much does Intercom cost?

Intercom lists $29, $85 and $132 per seat a month for Essential, Advanced and Expert, and Fin from $0.99 per outcome (checked 30 October 2026). See intercom.com/pricing for today's prices.

Does Intercom work with Expo?

Yes, through a config plugin and a native rebuild (npx expo prebuild). It doesn't run in Expo Go. Apparent's chat does, because it has no native code.

Can I move from Intercom to Apparent?

Add Apparent's chat screen where Intercom's Messenger opened. Old Intercom conversations stay in Intercom.

Does Apparent have an AI agent like Fin?

Not for customers yet. It's coming next. Today you answer every message yourself.

Something here wrong?

Tell us at hello@apparent.fyi and we'll fix it within days.

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