Sprinklr has certainly made a name for itself as the massive, all-in-one Customer Experience Management (CXM) platform. But for many businesses, “all-in-one” ends up feeling more like complex, clunky, and costly. Teams often get stuck dealing with a steep learning curve, slow performance, and rigid contracts that lock them into a system that’s a pain to change.
That’s why so many businesses are now looking for more agile, smart, and budget-friendly Sprinklr alternatives. They want AI that integrates with the tools they already know and love, rather than being forced into a complete platform overhaul. This guide will walk you through what to look for in a modern CX AI tool and give you the lowdown on the top seven alternatives to help you find the right fit for your team.
Monolithic vs. layered approaches.
What are CX AI tools anyway?
Customer Experience (CX) AI tools are a type of software that uses artificial intelligence to make customer service simpler and better. Think of them as a smart layer that works on top of your existing support channels. Their main job is to automate the repetitive stuff, like answering common questions, getting tickets to the right person, and summarizing long conversation histories. They also act as a sidekick for human agents, giving them real-time suggestions and drafting replies to help them work faster and with more consistency.
How Sprinklr alternatives integrate as an AI layer.
How we chose the best Sprinklr alternatives
When a giant platform like Sprinklr feels too rigid, you need alternatives that offer real flexibility and intelligence. We picked the tools on this list based on what really matters when you’re trying to escape the frustrations of old-school enterprise software.
- Plays well with others: We looked for tools that plug directly into the help desks you’re already using, like Zendesk or Intercom. This layered approach lets you add powerful AI without the headache and cost of a full migration.
- Actual intelligence: The best AI learns from how your team actually works. We focused on platforms that can be trained on your real knowledge sources, including past support tickets, internal wikis on Confluence, and chat logs from Slack. This is a big leap from AIs that only learn from static help center articles.
- Fair pricing: Your software bill shouldn’t go up just because you hired more support agents. We chose tools with clear, predictable pricing that scales with your AI usage, not your team size.
- You’re in control: You should be the one calling the shots. The best tools give you full control over the AI’s personality, behavior, and workflows. This includes being able to test everything in a safe sandbox before it ever interacts with a customer.
A quick comparison of the top 7 Sprinklr alternatives
Here’s a brief look at how our top picks compare.
| Feature | eesel AI | Zendesk AI | Intercom | LivePerson | Sprout Social | Hootsuite | Brandwatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Layered AI automation | Integrated help desk AI | Proactive engagement | Enterprise conversational AI | Social media customer care | Social media scheduling | Social listening & analytics |
| Pricing Model | Interaction-based | Per-agent + Add-ons | Per-seat | Custom Quote | Per-seat | Per-user | Custom Quote |
| Trains on Past Tickets? | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Varies | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Works with Existing Help Desk? | ✅ Yes | Is the help desk | Is the help desk | Integrates | Integrates | Integrates | Integrates |
| Key AI Feature | AI Agent & Copilot | Intelligent Triage | Fin AI Agent | Conversational Cloud | AI-enhanced Smart Inbox | OwlyWriter AI | AI Smart Alerts |
An overview of the top 7 Sprinklr alternatives
While plenty of platforms say they are Sprinklr alternatives, they each have their own pros and cons. Here’s a look at seven of the top contenders and how they compare.
1. eesel AI
What it is: eesel AI is an AI platform built to layer on top of your existing help desk and knowledge sources. It automates frontline support, helps out agents, and triages tickets withoutmaking you switch platforms.
AI focus: It provides a full set of AI tools (Agent, Copilot, Triage, Chatbot) that train on all your content, from past tickets to internal docs. It can also perform actions through API calls to systems like Shopify or your internal databases.
What makes it different: Its “no rip-and-replace” philosophy, the ability to simulate how it would perform on your past tickets before you go live, and a predictable, interaction-based pricing model make it a flexible and low-risk choice.
Pricing: Starts at $239/month for 1,000 AI interactions. No fees per agent.
eesel AI dashboard, a leading Sprinklr alternative.
2. Zendesk AI
What it is: Zendesk is a huge name in the help desk world, and it offers its own set of AI tools, including chatbots and agent assistance.
AI focus: Zendesk’s AI can help with ticket summaries, suggest macros, and generate replies based on your help center content. More advanced features require a separate, pricey add-on.
The catch: The biggest issue is vendor lock-in and cost. The most powerful AI features are locked behind the Advanced AI add-on, which comes with a hefty per-agent fee on top of your per-agent plan. Training is also mostly limited to the Zendesk knowledge base, so it might struggle with more complex questions.
Pricing: Suite plans start at $55/agent/month (billed annually), and the Advanced AI add-on costs another $50/agent/month.
Zendesk AI features, a common Sprinklr alternative.
3. Intercom
What it is: Intercom is a popular customer communication platform known for its proactive messaging and its powerful AI chatbot, Fin.
AI focus: Fin is powered by GPT-4 and can hold natural conversations, answer tough questions, and hand off to human agents when needed. It’s great for conversational support.
The catch: Intercom is a closed system. To use its AI, you have to use its help desk, inbox, and messenger. This means a full migration from your current tools. And just like Zendesk, its per-seat pricing can get very expensive as your team grows.
Pricing: Plans start at $29/seat/month (billed annually) but go up quickly as you add features and usage.
Intercom's Fin chatbot, a conversational Sprinklr alternative.
4. LivePerson
What it is: LivePerson is an enterprise-level conversational AI platform focused on creating personalized experiences across different messaging channels.
AI focus: It puts a strong emphasis on understanding customer intent and managing conversations at a large scale, across both voice and digital channels. It’s built for big organizations looking to overhaul their contact centers.
The catch: While powerful, LivePerson is another huge platform that can be complex and expensive to set up. It’s not a simple layer you add on top of what you have; it’s more for a complete contact center transformation, which is a massive project.
Pricing: Contact them for a quote, but expect enterprise-level pricing.
LivePerson’s chatbot, a conversational Sprinklr alternative.
5. Freshdesk (Freddy AI)
What it is: As a main competitor to Zendesk, Freshdesk offers a user-friendly help desk with its own AI engine, Freddy AI.
AI focus: Freddy gives you AI-powered chatbots, sentiment analysis, and smart ticket routing. It’s designed to be an easy way for customer service teams to get started with AI.
The catch: Like other all-in-one help desks, it runs on a per-agent pricing model that can get expensive. And while its AI is solid, it might not have the deep customization or broad knowledge source training that dedicated AI layers like eesel AI offer.
Pricing: There’s a free plan. Paid plans with Freddy AI start around $49/agent/month.
Freshdesk's Freddy AI, a user-friendly Sprinklr alternative.
6. Sprout Social
What it is: Sprout Social is a top social media management platform that’s great for publishing, engagement, and analytics.
AI focus: Its AI features are all about social media. They can help write captions, analyze the sentiment of social media chatter, and spot trends.
The catch: Sprout Social isn’t really a Sprinklr alternative for your overall customer experience. It’s a specialized tool for social media teams and doesn’t handle support tickets from channels like email or your website chat. It’s an excellent tool for social media, but not for your entire support operation.
Sprout Social platform, a specialized Sprinklr alternative for social media.
7. Brandwatch
What it is: Brandwatch is a digital consumer intelligence platform that focuses on social listening, analytics, and understanding what your customers are saying.
AI focus: Brandwatch uses AI to analyze billions of online conversations, find trends, track brand sentiment, and deliver deep market insights.
The catch: This is a tool for getting insights, not taking action. It tells you what people are saying about you but doesn’t have the tools to actually resolve their support tickets or help your agents in the help desk. It’s a good addition to a CX stack but doesn’t provide the core AI agent functions needed for support automation.
Pricing: Contact for a quote; it’s designed for enterprise teams.
A Brandwatch dashboard showing analytics.
How to choose the right Sprinklr alternatives for your business
Now that you’ve got the lay of the land, here’s a simple table to help guide your decision.
| Platform | Best For | Pricing Model | The Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| eesel AI | Teams wanting to add powerful AI to their existing help desk | Interaction-based | Requires an existing help desk (by design) |
| Zendesk AI | Companies already committed to the Zendesk ecosystem | Per-agent + Add-ons | High cost at scale, vendor lock-in |
| Intercom | Proactive, sales-focused conversational support | Per-seat | Requires full migration to Intercom’s platform |
| LivePerson | Enterprise-scale contact center transformation | Custom (Enterprise) | Complex setup, not a simple add-on |
| Freshdesk | SMBs looking for a user-friendly Zendesk alternative | Per-agent | AI is less customizable than dedicated tools |
| Sprout Social | Social media marketing and customer care teams | Per-seat | Only works for social media channels |
| Brandwatch | Market research and consumer insights teams | Custom (Enterprise) | Analytics only, no ticket automation |
Pro Tip: Before you commit to any platform, run a pilot. A cool thing about a tool like eesel AI is that you can run a simulation on your past tickets. This lets you see the potential deflection rate and ROI with zero risk before you spend a single dollar.
A simulation report from eesel AI, a top Sprinklr alternative that offers risk-free pilots.
Supercharge your support with Sprinklr alternatives without switching your help desk
The main takeaway here is that the era of the single, giant CX platform is fading. A more flexible, layered approach is taking its place. While Sprinklr is a beast, modern Sprinklr alternatives offer better value, quicker setup, and smarter AI by working with the tools you already use and trust.
The best choice for you will give your team powerful and practical automation, without locking you into a costly, rigid system that holds you back.
If you’re looking for a Sprinklr alternative that gives you advanced AI, trains on your real knowledge, and scales in a way that makes sense, eesel AI was built for you.
Start a free trial to see how you can automate your support in minutes, or book a demo with our team.
Frequently asked questions
Many modern alternatives move away from Sprinklr’s expensive, all-in-one contract model. They often use more flexible pricing, such as usage-based (paying for AI interactions) or lower per-seat costs, which can be more predictable and cost-effective as you grow.
The best modern alternatives are designed as “layers” that integrate directly with your existing tools. Look for platforms like eesel AI that offer one-click integrations, allowing you to add powerful AI without replacing the help desk your team already knows and uses.
Not if you choose a layered solution that integrates with your current systems. Tools like eesel AI are built to connect to your existing help desk in minutes, avoiding a massive “rip-and-replace” project that involves months of data migration and retraining.
Yes, that’s the core idea of a modern, layered approach. Instead of one giant platform that does everything okay, you use specialized, best-in-class tools for specific jobs like Sprout Social for social media and an AI layer like eesel AI for your help desk.
