Help desk software comparison
Straight head-to-heads between the big support platforms, including what each one actually costs once the AI is switched on.
Compare two platforms
Pricing at a real volume, what each counts as a resolution, and an honest verdict on which fits your team.
- Help desk head-to-head
Intercom vs Zendesk
Both now bill AI by the resolution. What that actually costs at 1,000 conversations a month, and which one fits your team.
Read the comparison → - Help desk head-to-head
Zendesk vs Freshdesk
One bills AI per resolution, the other per session. Why the sticker prices aren't comparable, and what each really costs.
Read the comparison → - Simple vs enterprise
Help Scout vs Zendesk
Both only charge when the AI succeeds, but only one lets you cap the bill. What each costs at 1,000 conversations a month.
Read the comparison → - The affordable two
Freshdesk vs Help Scout
They land $16 apart on the same volume for opposite reasons. Which is cheaper for you comes down to your deflection rate.
Read the comparison →
How each platform meters its AI
The rates aren't comparable until you know what triggers them. Some meters only fire when the AI actually solves something; others fire on every attempt.
| Platform | Billed by the | Rate | What makes it fire | Est. monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zendesk | Automated resolution | $1.50 | 72-hour quiet period, ticket stays closed. Escalations aren't billed | $1,395 |
| Intercom Fin | Resolution | $0.99 | Customer confirms or goes quiet. Some handoffs still count | $948 |
| Gorgias | AI Agent resolution | $0.90-$1.00 | AI closes the ticket without a human | $930 |
| Freshdesk | Session | $0.49 | 72-hour window from the first message. Bills even when unresolved | $655 |
| Help Scout | AI Answer resolution | $0.75 | AI answers without handing off | $639 |
| Tidio | Lyro conversation tier | From $39 / 50 convos | Every Lyro conversation, prepaid in tiers. Bills even when unresolved | $632 |
| Chatbase | Message credit | $40 / 1,000 credits | Every message, weighted by model. Bills even when unresolved | $280 |
| Optlo | Provider token | At cost, no markup | Tokens the model actually used, billed to you by your provider | $66 |
Estimated monthly cost covers seats plus AI at 1,000 conversations, 3 seats and 70% handled by AI, billed annually, each vendor on its middle plan. List prices as of August 2026, from each vendor's public pricing pages and pricing FAQs; plan allowances are not netted out. Verify current terms before you budget.
How we compare
One scenario, every page
1,000 conversations a month, 3 seats, 70% handled by AI, billed annually. Same numbers everywhere so the pages compare to each other, not just within themselves.
Middle tier, published rates
Each vendor at its mid plan, the closest feature match between them, priced from public pricing pages. Where a rate isn't published we say so rather than guessing.
We're not neutral, and we say where
We build Optlo, which competes with all of them. Every page states where the other tool wins, and the comparison tables mark what Optlo doesn't do.
Frequently asked questions
Why do help desk AI prices look so different from each other?
Because they bill different events. Zendesk and Intercom charge per resolution, so the meter only fires when the AI succeeds. Freshdesk charges per session, a 72-hour window that bills whether or not anything gets solved. Tidio prepays conversation tiers and Chatbase counts message credits weighted by model. A cheaper-looking unit that fires more often can easily cost more per ticket actually solved.
Which help desk has the cheapest AI?
On headline rate, Freshdesk at $0.49 a session, then Help Scout at $0.75, Intercom at $0.99, Gorgias around $0.90 to $1.00, and Zendesk at $1.50. But rate alone doesn't decide the bill, because Freshdesk's meter fires on every attempt while the others only fire on success. Work out cost per genuinely-solved ticket against your own deflection rate instead.
Do all help desks charge extra for AI now?
Effectively yes. Every major platform has moved AI onto usage-based pricing sitting on top of per-seat plans, and for teams at any real volume that line is now often larger than the seats. That's the single biggest change in this category since 2024 and it's why these comparisons lead with pricing.
How do you work out the costs on these pages?
Every comparison uses the same scenario: 1,000 conversations a month, 3 seats, 70% handled by AI, billed annually, each vendor on its middle plan at public list prices. You can change all of those inputs and see the numbers move.
Are these comparisons biased? You sell a competing product.
Yes, we build Optlo, and we say so on every page. What we do about it: each comparison gives a real verdict for the other two tools rather than steering everything to us, the feature tables mark where Optlo is weaker (no voice, SMS, or social, no SLA engine, a much smaller integration catalog), and the pricing is sourced from vendors' own pages so you can check it. If you want the direct pitch instead, that lives on the alternatives pages.
What if the two tools I'm comparing aren't here yet?
We're adding head-to-heads as we go and prioritizing the pairs people actually cross-shop. In the meantime our head-to-heads against Optlo break down each platform individually, and the cost calculator will model any of them side by side.
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