Intercom vs Stream Chat:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Stream Chat had more branded searches than Intercom among in app messaging platforms worldwide. Stream Chat had about 60,200 branded searches, while Intercom had 320. Stream Chat made up 41.2% of all in app messaging platform searches we track, and Intercom accounted for 0.22%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about in app messaging platforms, Intercom and Stream Chat each appeared in three of the five answers. Intercom was mentioned before Stream Chat in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Stream Chat, about 188 searches for every 1 for Intercom
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Intercom, named ahead of Stream Chat in 3 of 4 answers
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Top in app messaging platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Intercom was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Stream Chat was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Intercom was listed before Stream Chat in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Intercom1st
- Stream Chat2nd
Braze3rd
OneSignal4th
Appcues5th
Sendbird6th
Customer.io7th
Iterable–
Airship–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Stream Chat3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- OneSignal3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Braze3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sendbird3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Intercom3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Appcues2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Customer.io1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Iterable0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Airship0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about in app messaging platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which in app messaging platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best in app messaging platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best in app messaging platform for inside apps?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“in app messaging platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best in app messaging”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Intercom or Stream Chat more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Intercom and Stream Chat by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine in app messaging platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Stream Chat, Intercom. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Stream Chat | OneSignal | Customer.io | Braze | Appcues | Sendbird | Iterable | Intercom | Airship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 35.2% | 39.8% | 8% | 4% | 4.3% | 7.8% | 0.43% | 0.31% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.4% | 43.8% | 7.3% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 7.1% | 0.39% | 0.28% | 0.12% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.3% | 41.4% | 8.3% | 4.1% | 4.4% | 6.6% | 0.43% | 0.32% | 0.17% |
| Jan 2026 | 38% | 38.9% | 7.8% | 4% | 4.2% | 6.2% | 0.44% | 0.3% | 0.13% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.6% | 40.7% | 10% | 4.9% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 0.48% | 0.31% | 0.17% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.8% | 27.8% | 5.6% | 2.7% | 3% | 4.5% | 0.34% | 0.22% | 0.09% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.9% | 42% | 8.4% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 6.7% | 0.42% | 0.27% | 0.14% |
| May 2026 | 46.5% | 34.7% | 6.9% | 3% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 0.42% | 0.22% | 0.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 64.6% | 22.9% | 4.7% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.26% | 0.12% | 0.08% |
| Jul 2026 | 62% | 24.2% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.28% | 0.14% | 0.09% |
| Aug 2026 | 38.6% | 39.1% | 8.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 0.4% | 0.22% | 0.15% |
| Sep 2026 | 41.2% | 38.4% | 8.4% | 3.9% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 0.38% | 0.22% | 0.14% |
How has the Intercom and Stream Chat comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Stream Chat was ahead of Intercom in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Intercom’s share of searches among in app messaging platforms worldwide moved from 0.31% to 0.22%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 480 to 320.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stream Chat’s share of searches among in app messaging platforms worldwide moved from 35.2% to 41.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 54.2K to 60.2K.
How did search popularity change for in app messaging platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Stream Chat overtook OneSignal to become the leader among in app messaging platforms worldwide, with 41.2% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Intercom worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 480 to 320 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Intercom’s and Stream Chat’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Intercom
1 branded search term
- intercom messenger
Stream Chat
2 branded search terms
- getstream
- stream chat
Other head-to-heads among in app messaging platforms
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