Crisp
Rocket.Chat
| Feature | Crisp | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $25/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, small-businesses, saas-companies, e-commerce | security-conscious-organizations, government, self-hosters, enterprises |
| Founded | 2015 | 2015 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chatbot | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✗ |
| Campaigns | ✓ | ✗ |
| Status Page | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Channels | ✗ | ✓ |
| Direct Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Calls | ✗ | ✓ |
| Federation | ✗ | ✓ |
| E2e Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Crisp Pros
- Very generous free tier (2 seats included)
- Per-workspace pricing instead of per-seat
- Built-in chatbot builder with no-code
- Clean and modern interface
✗ Crisp Cons
- Limited advanced automation compared to Intercom
- Chatbot AI less sophisticated than competitors
- Fewer integrations than larger platforms
✓ Rocket.Chat Pros
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- End-to-end encryption
- Federation support between instances
- Highly customizable
✗ Rocket.Chat Cons
- Self-hosted requires maintenance
- Mobile apps less polished than Slack
- Smaller app ecosystem
The Verdict
Crisp is built for startups and small businesses, with a focus on live-chat and chatbot. Rocket.Chat targets security conscious organizations and government and leads with channels and direct-messaging.
On pricing, Rocket.Chat is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4/mo compared to $25/mo for Crisp. That $21/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Crisp edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4.1). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Crisp offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Rocket.Chat takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Crisp has a slight overall edge — but if fully open-source and self-hostable matters most to you, Rocket.Chat may still be the right call.