00Compare
Sir vs the others.
An honest side-by-side. Where Sir wins, we say so. Where he doesn't fit, we say that too.
| Sir Chats-a-Lot | Intercom Fin | Drift | Crisp Bot | DIY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| License & hosting | |||||
| Open source (MIT) | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ◐ |
| Self-hosted | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| No vendor lock-in | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Conversation | |||||
| Grounded in your content | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ | ✕ | ◐ |
| BYO LLM provider | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Streaming responses | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ◐ |
| In-chat surfaces | |||||
| Action buttons | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ | ◐ |
| Inline forms | ✓ | ◐ | ✓ | ✕ | ◐ |
| Confirm dialogs | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ◐ |
| Custom surfaces | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Branding & embed | |||||
| Full theme control | ✓ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ✓ |
| Single-line embed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| No external branding | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | |||||
| Free forever | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ◐ | ✓ |
| You pay LLM tokens | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Hidden per-seat tax | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| What it is NOT | |||||
| A multi-channel inbox | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| A live-agent product | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| A hosted SaaS | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
02Honest limits
What Sir isn't.
Not multi-channel
Sir is one widget on one website. He doesn't unify Slack + SMS + email + WhatsApp into a shared inbox. If you need that, you need Intercom or HelpScout.
Not live human chat
Sir is the AI half of a support stack. He doesn't route to human agents, manage shifts, or handle escalation queues. Pair him with whatever ticketing system you already have.
Not a hosted SaaS
Sir doesn't run on our servers because we don't have any. Your visitors' messages go from their browser to YOUR server to YOUR LLM provider. That's the trade-off — and the point.
Still the right fit?
If your visitors' questions deserve a real answer and the answer occasionally needs a button or form attached — yes.