MessagedvsIntercom

Messaged vs Intercom

Abandoned platform vs enterprise customer messaging

TL;DR

Messaged appears to have stalled or been abandoned since March 2022. The platform promised SaaS-focused email features but never delivered. Intercom is an enterprise customer messaging platform with live chat, AI bot (Fin), email, in-app messaging, and help center - starting around $74/month per seat. Choose Intercom for full customer messaging, or consider simpler email-focused alternatives.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Platform Existence
Intercom wins

The fundamental difference: Messaged appears abandoned since March 2022. Intercom is a public company with thousands of customers and active development. This is not really a comparison - only one platform is viable.

Scope of Platform

Intercom is a complete customer messaging platform (chat, email, AI, help center). Messaged promised email-only for SaaS. These are fundamentally different products targeting different needs.

Pricing Complexity

Intercom has complex per-seat pricing plus AI resolution fees ($0.99 each). Messaged promised simple $80/month pricing. Intercom typically costs $600-2000+/month for growing teams.

Email Automation

Intercom's email automation is basic compared to dedicated email platforms. Messaged promised advanced SaaS sequences but never delivered. For email-focused needs, neither is ideal.

Pricing Comparison

Starting price

Messaged
N/A(inactive)

Announced $80/month at 10k contacts but never launched. Platform appears abandoned.

Visit Messaged
Intercom
$74+/seat/month

Essential plan. AI resolutions $0.99 each. Complex pricing with add-ons.

Visit Intercom
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

10k contacts, unlimited sends, email-focused with Stripe integration.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Messaged
Intercom
Sequenzy
Platform Status
Active Development
No (stalled 2022)
Yes, enterprise-scale
Yes, active
Company Status
Appears abandoned
Public company, well-funded
Active startup
Support Available
Unknown
Enterprise support
Direct founder access
Documentation
Outdated
Extensive
Good
Market Position
None
Category leader
Growing
Messaging Channels
Email
Promised, not delivered
Core focus
Live Chat
Core feature
AI Chatbot
Fin AI ($0.99/resolution)
In-App Messages
Unknown
Advanced (Product Tours)
Help Center
SaaS & Email Features
Email Automation
Promised, not delivered
Basic series
AI-generated sequences
Stripe Integration
Promised, not delivered
Via Zapier
Native OAuth
Transactional Email
Promised, not delivered
Limited
Included
Behavioral Triggers
Promised, not delivered
Good
Good
Prebuilt SaaS Sequences
Promised, not delivered

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Messaged if you...
  • We cannot recommend Messaged for any use case
  • Platform appears to be abandoned
  • Promised features were never delivered
  • No support or active development
Choose Intercom if you...
  • Full customer messaging platform needs
  • Companies wanting live chat + email
  • Teams needing AI-powered support
  • Product tours and in-app messaging
  • Enterprise with budget for complete solution
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS needing email focus, not full messaging
  • Companies with Stripe billing needs
  • Teams wanting what Messaged promised
  • Founders seeking simpler, cheaper solution

Email-Focused SaaS Alternative to Intercom

93% Lower Cost

Intercom often exceeds $600/month for growing teams. Sequenzy is $49/month at 10k contacts. If you need email, not full messaging platform, Sequenzy is dramatically cheaper.

Native Stripe Integration

Messaged promised billing integration but never delivered. Intercom requires Zapier. Sequenzy has native Stripe OAuth for payment-triggered automations.

Email-First Design

Intercom is chat-first with email as secondary. Sequenzy is built for email with sophisticated automation, making it better for SaaS lifecycle email specifically.

Try Sequenzy Free

Overview

Messaged was a SaaS-focused email platform that promised lifecycle campaigns and billing integrations. Development appears to have stalled in March 2022, and the platform never launched. Intercom is an enterprise customer messaging platform with chat, email, AI support, and help center. See our Intercom comparison for more context.

The Critical Issue: Messaged Appears Abandoned

This comparison is asymmetric: only Intercom is a viable option. Messaged showed no development activity since early 2022. Promised features like Stripe integration and prebuilt campaigns were never delivered. Intercom is a public company with enterprise scale.

Intercom: Complete Customer Messaging

Intercom is not just email - it is a complete customer messaging platform. Live chat, AI-powered bot (Fin), in-app messaging, product tours, and help center. Email exists but is not the primary focus. Starting at $74/seat/month with AI resolution fees, it is an enterprise solution.

What Messaged Promised vs Intercom Reality

Messaged promised simple SaaS email at $80/month. Intercom is a comprehensive platform that often costs $600-2000+/month. They were targeting fundamentally different markets. If you wanted Messaged for simple email, Intercom is not the replacement.

The Email Automation Question

Intercom's email automation (Series) exists but is basic compared to dedicated email platforms. For sophisticated lifecycle email sequences, Customer.io, Loops, or Sequenzy are stronger choices. Intercom excels at real-time messaging, not email campaigns.

Pricing Reality Check

Intercom's pricing is complex: per-seat base, AI resolution fees ($0.99 each), proactive messaging add-ons, and more. Messaged promised $80/month flat. For SaaS email with predictable pricing, simpler alternatives exist.

Our Recommendation

Do not use Messaged - it appears abandoned. Use Intercom only if you need full customer messaging (chat + AI + help center + email). For email-focused SaaS automation with Stripe integration, consider Sequenzy at $49/month - 93% cheaper than typical Intercom costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Messaged appears to have stopped development in March 2022. The platform never fully launched, and promised features were never delivered. Choose an active alternative like Intercom or Sequenzy.

Only if you need full customer messaging (chat, AI support, help center). If you only need email automation like Messaged promised, Intercom is overkill. Consider Sequenzy or Loops instead.

Intercom Essential starts at $74/seat/month. Add Fin AI at $0.99 per resolution, proactive messaging add-ons, and more. Most growing companies pay $600-2000+/month. Much more than Messaged's proposed $80/month.

Intercom can do email automation via Series, but it is not the platform's strength. For sophisticated email-only automation, dedicated email platforms like Customer.io, Loops, or Sequenzy are better.

Intercom integrates with Stripe via Zapier or custom integrations, not natively. For native Stripe OAuth with payment-triggered emails, Sequenzy is simpler.

For email automation with billing integration: Sequenzy. For email with behavioral tracking: Loops or Customer.io. Intercom is only better if you need chat, AI support, and help center too.

Often, yes. Intercom's pricing and complexity suit growth-stage companies with support teams. Early-stage SaaS typically benefits from simpler, cheaper email-focused tools.

Messaged promised native billing integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee), simple pricing, and SaaS-focused email sequences. Intercom is broader but lacks these specific SaaS email features.

Export any user data from Messaged. Import into Intercom as leads/users. Set up Intercom's messenger on your site. Build email series for automation. Note that Intercom is a full platform - you will be getting much more (and paying much more) than Messaged offered.

Technically yes, but it is expensive for email-only use. Intercom's value is the integrated messaging platform. For email-only, dedicated tools like Sequenzy are 93% cheaper.

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

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Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com