OpenAgent vs Crisp at a glance
| Feature | OpenAgent | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Built for ecommerce | Yes — Shopify-first | General business messaging, ecommerce-aware |
| Pricing basis | Flat plan, seats included | Flat rate per workspace — not per seat |
| Per-resolution fee | None | None — Crisp states this explicitly |
| Plan pricing | Free, $149 Desk, $399 Front Desk, $1,200 Concierge (Aug 2026) | Free, $45 Mini, $95 Essentials, $295 Plus, Enterprise (July 2026) |
| Included AI volume | Unlimited text conversations on every paid plan; voice minutes are the only meter | ~90 on Mini, ~450 on Essentials, ~1,350 on Plus |
| Seats | 5 on Desk, 15 on Front Desk | 2 / 4 / 10 / 20+, extra seats $10 each |
| AI order visibility | Native across Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce | Hugo fetches order details via connected integration |
| Returns, refunds, exchanges | Completed autonomously within merchant rules | Extended through skills and MCP integrations |
| Product recommendations & cart recovery | Built in | Not an ecommerce-specific capability |
| Channels | Chat, email, WhatsApp, IG, Messenger, Slack; voice higher up | Strong omnichannel inbox across chat, email, social |
| Best fit | Stores with AI-led support at volume | Small teams and human-led support across any industry |
Why ecommerce teams choose OpenAgent over Crisp
Unlimited text conversations at a flat price
Crisp includes AI credits described as roughly 90 automated conversations on Mini, 450 on Essentials, and 1,350 on Plus at $295. OpenAgent's $149 Desk plan does not meter text at all — every text channel is unlimited, and voice minutes are the only meter anywhere on the ladder.
The full post-purchase lifecycle, natively
Returns and exchanges with label generation, refunds inside merchant-set caps, subscription changes, product recommendations, and cart recovery are built-in behaviours rather than skills you extend.
Built as an agent, not an assistant
OpenAgent's agent attempts every conversation and escalates the exceptions, typically deflecting up to around 70% of ecommerce tickets. Crisp is a messaging platform where AI assists a human-led workflow.
Ecommerce analytics out of the box
Resolution rate, CSAT, and revenue influenced are reported by default, so support performance is expressed in the numbers an ecommerce team already tracks.
All messaging channels on one plan
Web chat, email, WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Facebook Messenger, and SMS are included unlimited on Desk, with the AI phone receptionist on Front Desk and above.
Pricing compared
Flat monthly plans as of August 2026: Free ($0, a single website-chat agent trained on your site and docs), Desk $149 (every text channel unlimited — website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SMS, email — with 5 seats, help desk, CRM, broadcasts, and workflows), Front Desk $399 (adds the AI phone receptionist with 500 voice minutes included, then 25¢/minute against a spend cap you set, 15 seats), Concierge $1,200 (done-for-you setup and monthly tuning, 1,500 minutes then 25¢/minute). One plan per business — never per seat, never per message. No per-resolution fee.
As published in July 2026 Crisp charges a flat rate per workspace rather than per seat: Free ($0, 2 seats), Mini $45 (4 seats, $5 AI credits, around 90 automated conversations), Essentials $95 (10 seats, $25 AI credits, around 450), Plus $295 (20+ seats, $75 AI credits, around 1,350), and custom Enterprise. Additional seats are $10 a month. Crisp states it does not charge per resolved conversation. Confirm current figures on crisp.chat.
Both are flat-priced, which puts them on the same side of the argument against per-resolution billing. The difference is included AI throughput: OpenAgent's $149 Desk plan does not meter text conversations at all, where Crisp's allowances top out around 1,350 automated conversations on the $295 Plus plan. Crisp is better value where support is human-led and volume is modest.
Choose OpenAgent when
- You want the AI to attempt every conversation rather than assist a human queue
- Your automated conversation volume exceeds a few hundred a month
- You need returns, exchanges, refunds, and subscription changes completed autonomously
- You want product recommendations and cart recovery as default behaviours
- You report on resolution rate, CSAT, and revenue influenced rather than chat metrics
Choose Crisp when
- Your support is human-led and AI is there to assist rather than resolve
- Your automated conversation volume is modest and the included credits cover it
- You need a lot of seats cheaply — ten for $95 a month is excellent value
- Your business is not ecommerce, or spans several industries
- You value Crisp's omnichannel inbox and knowledge base as the primary workspace
Switching from Crisp
Moving from Crisp to OpenAgent is straightforward and mostly a content exercise. Export your knowledge base articles and the answer snippets Hugo was trained on, import them into OpenAgent's training panel, connect your store with OAuth, route your support address, and swap the chatbox snippet for OpenAgent's widget. Order actions work immediately. Two things to plan around: Crisp seats are cheap and plentiful, so check your headcount against OpenAgent's plan seats before choosing a tier, and if you have built Crisp plugins or MCP integrations, list what they do before assuming they need rebuilding — much of it is native behaviour on the other side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to switch from Crisp?
Join the ecommerce teams resolving more tickets, answering 24/7, and turning support into a revenue channel with OpenAgent.