OnboardFi vs Intercom: AI Sales Agent vs Customer Messaging
Intercom is the leading customer messaging platform with Fin AI for support. OnboardFi is built for a different job: voice-first AI that qualifies website visitors and delivers product demos automatically.
See OnboardFi in ActionTL;DR
Intercom is a comprehensive customer messaging platform — support, marketing, and sales engagement with Fin AI chatbot across multiple channels. OnboardFi is a focused sales tool: voice-first AI with video avatars that qualifies visitors and demos your product automatically. Choose Intercom if you need a unified messaging platform for support and sales. Choose OnboardFi if your priority is AI-powered visitor qualification with built-in demos.
Why Teams Look for an Intercom Alternative for Sales
Intercom does many things well. But when it comes to dedicated AI sales qualification and automated demos, specialized tools can go deeper.
You need a dedicated sales tool, not a messaging platform
Intercom is built for customer messaging — support, engagement, and marketing. If your primary need is qualifying website visitors and delivering product demos, OnboardFi is purpose-built for that sales workflow.
You want voice and video, not text chat
Intercom's Fin is a text-based AI chatbot. OnboardFi replaces text with voice-first video avatars. Visitors speak to an AI face — a fundamentally different engagement model for high-intent sales conversations.
You want AI that demos your product automatically
Intercom can route visitors to sales or answer questions via chat. OnboardFi goes further — after qualification, a Demo Agent walks prospects through your product in a live browser session. No meeting scheduling, no human required.
You want a simpler tool for a specific job
Intercom is a broad platform with support, marketing, and engagement features. If you only need AI-powered visitor qualification and demos, OnboardFi delivers exactly that without the complexity of a full messaging platform.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Category | OnboardFi | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | AI-powered sales qualification and product demos — built for converting website visitors into pipeline | Customer messaging platform — support, engagement, and marketing across chat, email, and in-app |
| AI Agent | Voice-first with video avatar (Tavus AI + Daily.co WebRTC) — visitors speak to an AI face | Fin AI chatbot — text-based, resolves support tickets and answers customer questions |
| Conversation Channel | Voice-only — visitors interact by speaking through their microphone | Multi-channel — live chat, email, SMS, WhatsApp, social media, and in-app messaging |
| Demo Capability | Built-in Demo Agent — AI controls a live browser and walks prospects through your product | Not included — Intercom focuses on messaging, support, and engagement |
| Use Case | Pre-sale: visitor qualification, lead capture, and automated product demos | Full lifecycle: customer support, onboarding messages, marketing campaigns, and sales chat |
| Knowledge Base | Not included — OnboardFi focuses on AI conversations and demos | Built-in help center, articles, and knowledge base that powers Fin AI responses |
| Integrations | HubSpot (import-only), webhooks. Salesforce coming soon | Extensive ecosystem — Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Jira, Stripe, and 300+ integrations |
| Pricing | $225/month (Basic Plan) — includes 5 agents and 100 sessions | Starts at $39/seat/month (Essential) — Fin AI resolutions charged separately at $0.99 each |
Different Tools for Different Jobs
Intercom is a customer messaging platform that spans the entire lifecycle — from marketing campaigns and sales chat to customer support and onboarding. Fin, their AI chatbot, resolves support tickets using your knowledge base. The platform supports live chat, email, SMS, WhatsApp, and in-app messaging. It is a horizontal tool that touches every customer interaction.
OnboardFi is vertical and specific. It does two things: qualify website visitors through voice-first AI conversations (via Embedded Agents) and deliver automated product demos (via Demo Agents). No support inbox, no knowledge base, no marketing campaigns. Just AI-powered sales qualification and demos.
Bottom line: Intercom is a broad messaging platform. OnboardFi is a focused sales tool. The comparison makes sense when your primary need is converting website visitors, not managing ongoing customer communication.
AI Approach: Fin vs Embedded Agent
Intercom's Fin is a text-based AI chatbot trained on your help center content. It excels at resolving support queries — understanding questions, finding relevant articles, and providing answers without human intervention. For sales, Intercom offers chat-based qualification with routing to sales reps.
OnboardFi's Embedded Agent is voice-first with video avatars. Visitors see and speak to an AI face — powered by Tavus AI for avatar generation and Daily.co for WebRTC. Qualification happens through natural voice conversation, not typed messages. Nine pre-built avatars offer distinct appearances and voices.
Bottom line: Fin is a text AI for support and answers. OnboardFi's Embedded Agent is a voice AI for sales and qualification. Different channels, different jobs.
Demo Automation
Intercom offers Product Tours — guided walkthroughs that highlight features within your app. These are useful for onboarding existing users, but they are not interactive, AI-driven product demos for sales prospects.
OnboardFi's Demo Agent delivers live, AI-driven product demos. The AI controls a real browser — navigating your product, clicking through workflows, and answering prospect questions via voice — all in real-time. When an Embedded Agent qualifies a visitor, they receive a personalized demo link via email. No human scheduling required.
Pricing
Intercom starts at $39/seat/month for the Essential plan. Fin AI resolutions are charged at $0.99 each on top of the base seat price. For growing teams, costs scale with both headcount and AI usage.
OnboardFi's Basic Plan is $225/month (or $2,100/year), includes 5 agents (any combination of Embedded and Demo Agents), 100 sessions per month, and a 14-day free trial. Additional sessions cost $1.50 each. Pricing does not scale with team size.
When Intercom Is the Better Choice
Different tools fit different needs. Intercom's strength is breadth — covering the entire customer communication lifecycle.
Teams that need support and sales in one tool
Intercom handles customer support (help desk, knowledge base, Fin AI), marketing (campaigns, product tours), and sales (chat, qualification) in one platform. If you need a unified customer messaging layer, Intercom covers more ground.
Organizations that need multi-channel messaging
Intercom supports live chat, email, SMS, WhatsApp, social media, and in-app messaging. OnboardFi is voice-only — no text channel. If your customers expect to reach you through multiple messaging channels, Intercom provides that flexibility.
Teams that need a knowledge base and help center
Intercom includes a built-in help center, articles, and knowledge base — and Fin AI uses this content to resolve customer questions automatically. OnboardFi doesn't include self-serve support content tools.
When OnboardFi Is the Better Choice
Your primary need is sales qualification, not customer messaging
If you need to qualify website visitors and convert them into pipeline — not manage support tickets or run marketing campaigns — OnboardFi's Embedded Agent is purpose-built for that job.
You want voice-first AI with video avatars
Intercom is text-based. OnboardFi puts a face and voice on your AI — 9 video avatars that visitors see and hear in real-time. For high-value sales conversations where personal connection matters, voice beats text.
You want AI to deliver the demo automatically
Intercom can route qualified leads to a sales rep. OnboardFi can route qualified leads to an AI Demo Agent that walks them through your product in a live browser — no human scheduling, no calendar friction.
You want flat pricing that does not scale per seat
Intercom charges per seat plus per AI resolution. OnboardFi is $225/month flat — 5 agents, 100 sessions, no seat-based pricing. Add team members without adding cost.
Common Questions
Is OnboardFi a direct replacement for Intercom?
No. They solve different problems. Intercom is a customer messaging platform that handles support, marketing, and sales across multiple channels. OnboardFi is a focused sales tool for AI-powered visitor qualification and product demos. Most teams would use OnboardFi alongside their existing messaging platform, not instead of it.
Can visitors type instead of speaking?
No. OnboardFi is voice-only — visitors interact by speaking through their microphone. There is no text chat input. If your visitors need text-based interaction, Intercom provides that across multiple channels.
Can I use OnboardFi for customer support?
OnboardFi is designed for pre-sale qualification and product demos, not post-sale support. It does not include a help desk, ticket management, or knowledge base. For customer support, Intercom remains the stronger choice.
Could I run OnboardFi and Intercom together?
Yes. Many teams may use Intercom for customer support and messaging while using OnboardFi specifically for AI-powered sales qualification and demos. They serve different stages of the customer journey and can complement each other.
See the Difference for Yourself
The best way to compare is to experience it. Start a 14-day free trial or schedule a live walkthrough to see voice-first AI qualification and demos in action.
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