Crisp vs Sierra — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Crisp starts at $48.6/mo. Sierra uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Crisp (Flat Rate) — Crisp bills on a fixed plan from $48.6/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
- Sierra (Per Usage) — Sierra bills purely on usage. There is no fixed per-seat fee, so the monthly cost depends entirely on how much you consume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
French all-in-one customer messaging platform (live chat + shared inbox + knowledge base). Positioned as the alternative to Intercom at roughly 1/10th the price. Distinctive for its "lifetime deal" mentality — flat pricing per workspace, not per contact or per seat, which lets fast-growing SMBs avoid the Intercom scaling trap. Priced $0-$95/mo per workspace. Popular with SMBs and European e-commerce.
AI-native customer experience platform founded by Bret Taylor (ex-Salesforce COO) and Clay Bavor (ex-Google). Positioned to compete with Ada + Decagon at the strategic enterprise level. All pricing custom-quoted, reported deals $200K-1M+/year. Customers include WeightWatchers, SonderMind, SoFi.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Crisp monthly | Crisp annual | Sierra monthly | Sierra annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / — | Free | Free | — | — |
| Entry paid | Mini / — | $48.6 | $48.6 | — | — |
| Mid tier | Essentials / — | $102.6 | $102.6 | — | — |
| Pro / power | Plus / — | $318.6 | $318.6 | — | — |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Crisp is worth it if… small businesses and startups (1-30 people) that want live chat + shared inbox + chatbot in one tool — particularly if you're EU-based and value the French-native UX polish. Free tier is usable; Mini covers solo/small; Essentials adds shared inbox and automations; Plus adds AI and MagicReply.
Sierra is worth it if… Sierra is only worth engaging with if you're a mid-market or enterprise support org running a serious evaluation of autonomous AI agents — the co-founders' pedigree (Bret Taylor ex-Salesforce COO) opens doors that other startups can't. Deal size $200K-1M+/year.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Crisp is flat rate, Sierra is per usage.
Choose Crisp over Sierra if…
Choose Crisp if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (flat rate, from $48.6/mo).
- You match the profile Crisp is built for: small businesses and startups (1-30 people) that want live chat + shared inbox + chatbot in one tool — particularly if you're EU-based and value the French-native UX polish.
- You need a general-purpose customer support option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Sierra if…
- You want to pay only for actual usage (per usage, custom pricing).
- You match the profile Sierra is built for: only worth engaging with if you're a mid-market or enterprise support org running a serious evaluation of autonomous AI agents — the co-founders' pedigree (Bret Taylor ex-Salesforce COO) opens doors that other startups can't.
- You need a general-purpose customer support option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Crisp | Sierra | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Entry price | $48.6/mo | Custom |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Flat Rate | Per Usage |
| Last verified | September 18, 2026 | September 20, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.