All-in-one business messaging with a generous free tier
Crisp is a popular, EU-based business messaging suite with live chat, a chatbot builder, a help center, and a shared inbox — known for a generous free plan. It is a solid all-rounder, but its automation leans on scripted bot scenarios, and guiding users with free-text understanding across many languages is not its core strength.
Crisp is well-loved for packing live chat, a chatbot, a help center, and a shared inbox into one affordable, EU-based product with a generous free tier. People searching for a Crisp alternative usually are not unhappy with the price — they are running into the limits of scripted bot scenarios, and they want something that understands open-ended questions and many languages without building a flow for each one.
Companin is built around understanding rather than scripting. It reads a user’s actual question, answers from your own content — files, URLs, and curated Q&A — and guides them to the right feature. It replies in 14 languages and switches to each user’s automatically on every plan, so an international audience does not require parallel bot scenarios per language.
Both products are EU-based, so this is not a data-residency story — it is a capability one. Crisp is the better choice if you want a broad messaging suite with shared inbox and help center under one roof. Companin is the better choice if your priority is a customer success assistant that genuinely understands users, guides them, and does it multilingually out of the box.
Multilingual, auto-switching
Replies in 14 languages and switches to each user’s automatically — included on every plan
Onboards & guides users, not just FAQs
Understands free-text questions and walks users through setup and the features they need
Knowledge base (docs, help center, Q&A)
Ingest docs, crawl your help center, and add curated Q&A pairs so answers stay grounded in your product
One-line, no-code install
Add it to your app or site with a single script tag — no developer required
Brand customization
Match the assistant to your product’s colours, copy, and tone
Human handoff to your team
Hands the conversation to your CS or support team when a question needs a person
EU-hosted & GDPR by design
Customer data stays in Europe; GDPR-compliant out of the box
Conversation & friction analytics
See what users ask, which answers land, and where they get stuck before activating
Free tier
Get started without a credit card
REST API for builders
Full REST API for SaaS and platform teams that want to build on top
| Feature | Companin | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Multilingual, auto-switchingReplies in 14 languages and switches to each user’s automatically — included on every plan | Yes | Partial |
| Onboards & guides users, not just FAQsUnderstands free-text questions and walks users through setup and the features they need | Yes | Partial |
| Knowledge base (docs, help center, Q&A)Ingest docs, crawl your help center, and add curated Q&A pairs so answers stay grounded in your product | Yes | Yes |
| One-line, no-code installAdd it to your app or site with a single script tag — no developer required | Yes | Yes |
| Brand customizationMatch the assistant to your product’s colours, copy, and tone | Yes | Yes |
| Human handoff to your teamHands the conversation to your CS or support team when a question needs a person | Yes | Yes |
| EU-hosted & GDPR by designCustomer data stays in Europe; GDPR-compliant out of the box | Yes | Yes |
| Conversation & friction analyticsSee what users ask, which answers land, and where they get stuck before activating | Yes | Partial |
| Free tierGet started without a credit card | Yes | Yes |
| REST API for buildersFull REST API for SaaS and platform teams that want to build on top | Yes | Yes |
Crisp is known for value: a free plan plus flat monthly paid tiers that include a set number of seats, which is attractive for small teams. Companin is also free to start, but prices by conversation volume rather than seats — so cost tracks how much users actually use the assistant. Where Crisp bundles a whole inbox-and-helpdesk suite into its tiers, Companin concentrates that budget on the user-facing assistant: multilingual answers, guidance, and grounding in your content on every plan.
Crisp is a strong, affordable all-in-one messaging suite — and, like Companin, it is EU-based. Companin is the better fit when your priority is genuinely multilingual, free-text understanding and guiding users to the right page, grounded in your own content.