Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

DEV.to VS Intercom

Compare DEV.to VS Intercom and see what are their differences

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DEV.to logo DEV.to

Where software engineers connect, build their resumes, and grow.

Intercom logo Intercom

Intercom is a customer relationship management and messaging tool for web businesses. Build relationships with users to create loyal customers.
  • DEV.to Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-13
  • Intercom Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-05

DEV.to

Website
dev.to
Pricing URL
-
Release Date
-

Intercom

Release Date
2011 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Ciaran Lee
Employees
500 - 999

DEV.to features and specs

  • Community Engagement
    DEV.to offers an active and supportive community of developers where users can share knowledge, seek advice, and collaborate on projects. This fosters a sense of belonging and continuous learning.
  • Ease of Use
    The platform provides a straightforward and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to publish content, engage with other posts, and navigate through various resources.
  • Content Diversity
    DEV.to features a wide range of topics related to software development, from beginner tutorials to advanced technical articles. This diversity makes it a valuable resource for developers at all skill levels.
  • Open Source and Transparency
    DEV.to is built on open-source software, which promotes transparency and allows users to contribute to the platform’s development. This aligns with the core values of many developers.
  • Cross-Posting Capabilities
    Users can easily cross-post articles from their personal blogs or other platforms, increasing their content’s reach and visibility without significant additional effort.

Possible disadvantages of DEV.to

  • Content Quality Variation
    Given its open nature, the quality of content on DEV.to can be inconsistent. Users may need to sift through a mix of high-quality and less useful posts to find valuable information.
  • Platform-Specific Features
    Some features and optimizations are tailored specifically for the DEV.to platform, which might not translate well if the content is shared elsewhere.
  • Limited Advanced Customization
    While the platform is user-friendly, it offers limited customization options for articles and personal profiles compared to more robust blogging platforms.
  • Visibility Challenges
    With a large user base, it can be challenging for new users or less popular posts to gain traction and visibility unless they are highly engaging or promoted.
  • Distraction Potential
    The platform's social features, such as discussions and notifications, can sometimes be distracting, potentially impacting productivity for users who are easily sidetracked.

Intercom features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    Intercom offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise.
  • Comprehensive Customer Communication Tools
    It provides a suite of tools for live chat, email marketing, in-app messaging, and customer support, all of which can be accessed in one place.
  • Customization and Integration
    Intercom allows for extensive customization and integrates with various third-party applications, enabling businesses to tailor the platform to meet their specific needs.
  • Automation Capabilities
    The platform supports automated workflows, which can save time and ensure consistent customer interactions.
  • Customer Data Management
    Intercom collects and analyzes customer data, providing valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences that can inform business strategies.

Possible disadvantages of Intercom

  • Cost
    Intercom can be expensive, particularly for small businesses or startups. The pricing model is based on the number of users and features, which can add up quickly.
  • Complexity for Advanced Features
    While basic features are user-friendly, some of the more advanced functionalities can be complex and may require a steeper learning curve.
  • Limited Reporting
    The reporting and analytics features, while useful, are sometimes considered less comprehensive compared to specialized analytics platforms.
  • Customer Support
    Some users have reported that Intercom's own customer support can be slow to respond, which can be frustrating when dealing with urgent issues.
  • Notification Overload
    The platform can generate a high volume of notifications, which can be overwhelming and may require careful management to avoid interrupting workflow.

DEV.to videos

Ben Halpern founder of Dev.To & The Practical Dev

Intercom videos

Intercom Review & Tutorial - How to Use Intercom for Websites

More videos:

  • Review - Intercom Software Review, Engage, Respond, Educate
  • Review - BTI V6 1200m Bluetooth & Intercom Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to DEV.to and Intercom)
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Customer Support
0 0%
100% 100
Blogging
100 100%
0% 0
CRM
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using DEV.to and Intercom. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare DEV.to and Intercom

DEV.to Reviews

  1. It is a nice mini-blog, it's for free and such but

    As a mini-blog, it is a nice alternative for Medium to publish and share information about programming.

    However, the community and the organization are biased toward social justice (and they are open to it). You can read its Code of Conduct, it is so vague and politically leads (I prefer a term of service because it defines fair rules for everybody). So it alienates developers that we don't care about politics in pro of people that want to talk about any other topic such as sexuality, how women are unprivileged, and such. It even mandates to use inclusive language. Good grief.

    My main complaint is the quality of the community. It is not StackOverflow (so we don't want to ask for an answer here), and most of the top topics are clickbait, such as "how to become a rockstar developer in ... days", "100 tips to become a better programmer" (and it doesn't even talk about programming).

    Technically this "mini blog" site allows us to use markdown, and it is okay. However, the whole experience is really basic. Even the template is ugly.

    🏁 Competitors: Medium
    👍 Pros:    Free
    👎 Cons:    Social justice|Basic features|Quality of content

Best Forums for Developers to Join in 2025
The 'dev.to' forum is a great place for developers to find answers, share their knowledge, and learn from others. It's a place for people to talk about their projects, ask questions, and get feedback.
Source: www.notchup.com
Top 10 Developer Communities You Should Explore
One of Dev.to’s unique features is its focus on the human side of coding. Developers often share their personal stories, career journeys, and lessons learned, creating a sense of camaraderie within the community. The platform also encourages content creators by providing a clean and user-friendly interface for writing and sharing articles.
Source: www.qodo.ai

Intercom Reviews

  1. Eleanor Bennett
    · Digital Marketing Specialist at Logit.io ·
    An essential communication tool

    Intercom provides a lot of value to us. From live chat to email marketing and even helping us to create support documentation, Intercom handles a lot of key moving parts that are essential to keeping customers happy.


9 Best Tidio Alternatives Compared
Intercom is a customer engagement platform that serves mostly large and enterprise businesses. The software is known for its versatility, offering live chat, messaging, and in-app support, combined with advanced automation, AI bots, and customer data tracking.
Source: www.tidio.com
10 Best Freshdesk Alternatives for Businesses in 2024
Intercom is an alternative that excels in self-service support. It enables businesses to communicate and engage with their customers in real-time.
Top 11 Freshdesk Alternatives for 2024 (Ranked & Rated)
Intercom provides a useful suite of tools designed to improve your customer engagement. As a Freshdesk alternative, Intercom ticks several boxes when it comes to features:
9 Best ManyChat Alternatives & Competitors in 2024
Intercom’s main features are its helpdesk interfaces and chatbots. But it also includes lead qualification and nurturing functionalities. It offers product tours and resolution bots that can solve many customer concerns at once, freeing your reps’ time for the most complex queries. You can also make use of its Messenger integration and a provided chatbot to improve your...
Source: www.tidio.com
Top 13 Freshdesk alternatives and competitors for 2024
Intercom offers customer service software while also extending its platform to marketing and sales. Intercom is a newer platform to the CX market and has adopted AI and automation capabilities to keep up with business trends. Intercom features Intercom Messenger, a communication tool that provides customers with self-service or live support options.
Source: www.zendesk.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, DEV.to seems to be a lot more popular than Intercom. While we know about 509 links to DEV.to, we've tracked only 7 mentions of Intercom. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

DEV.to mentions (509)

  • AI killed my coding brain but I’m rebuilding it
    Dev.to Good for sharing experiences, writing, and reading posts from devs across the spectrum. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • Level up your dev career with the T-shape strategy and why generalists don’t get XP boosts
    Dev.to Friendly dev content, especially helpful for beginners exploring horizontals. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • Unveiling the Checkstyle License: A Deep Dive into Fair Code, Open Source Sustainability, and Developer Compensation
    Insights from developers on platforms such as Dev.to shed light on the broader context of open source funding and licensing. For instance, in posts like "Unveiling the Nokia Open Source License – Balancing Innovation and Fair Developer Compensation" and "Unlocking Potential: Open Source Project Funding Platforms", industry experts discuss similar challenges and successes that resonate with the philosophy behind... - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • Unveiling IBM Public License 1.0-rv: A Comprehensive Deep Dive into Open Source Fairness and Blockchain Implications
    This post delivers a comprehensive exploration of the IBM Public License 1.0-rv. We discuss its background, core legal principles, and developer-oriented compensation measures while comparing it with other popular open source licenses like MIT, GNU GPL, and Apache 2.0. In addition, we delve into emerging blockchain integration and dual licensing aspects. The post also highlights practical examples and challenges... - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • Unveiling Erlang Public License 1.1: A Comprehensive Exploration
    Abstract: This post provides an in‐depth look at the Erlang Public License 1.1 (EPL 1.1) by exploring its history, core features, diverse applications, challenges, and future outlook. We discuss how this open source and fair code license protects innovative software projects built with Erlang while balancing community collaboration with commercial interests. Along the way, we provide tables, bullet lists, and... - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
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Intercom mentions (7)

  • Enhancing Customer Support with a Live Chat Widget on Your Website
    Intercom: Famous for its conversational marketing focus, Intercom’s live chat widget offers features like proactive messaging and lead qualification. It also supports deep personalization for enhanced customer engagement. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • I started affiliate marketing, but with a twist
    Use chatbots to automate customer service: Chatbots use natural language processing to communicate with customers and answer their questions. By integrating chatbots into your affiliate marketing strategy, you can automate customer service and increase engagement with potential customers. This can lead to more sales and higher commissions. (Crisp, Intercom). Source: over 2 years ago
  • How to embed a web application into another website via API?
    I am trying to create an application that will work on a customer's website. Much like tawk.to or intercom.com. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Here's how I'd figure out the go-to-market for a Customer Support SaaS
    My way of doing marketing starts with figuring out what my overall project will (or will not) be. In this case, I looked at the vendors like Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk, or Help Scout. They all have whizbang features such as live-chat, collaboration stuffs, automations and workflows. They bill per contact and addons. I’d emphasize a straightforward, fuss-free angle instead. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Chat widget with react.js
    I wanted to know the best practices of developing a widget. So I went through the popular implementations of it. I liked Intercom's widget very much. It is written in React. I analyzed how it works. The minimal javascript is loaded async on the webpage. It is injecting an iframe with id intercom-frame. That iframe has a script in it's head with a source URl. Obviously it is React bundle. Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing DEV.to and Intercom, you can also consider the following products

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Zendesk - Zendesk is a beautiful, lightweight help-desk solution.

Medium - Welcome to Medium, a place to read, write, and interact with the stories that matter most to you.

Freshdesk - Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer support software that lets you support customers through traditional channels like phone and email, social channels like Facebook and Twitter, and your own branded community

Hashnode - A friendly and inclusive Q&A network for coders

Drift - A messaging app that helps you grow your business.