Intercom and Zendesk both charge per seat and add a per-resolution fee for AI, and neither has a free plan. Intercom's Essential plan is US$39 per seat a month billed monthly (US$29 billed annually). Zendesk's live chat starts at Suite Team, US$69 per agent a month billed monthly (US$55 annually), because the cheaper Support Team plan does not include messaging.
The AI units differ. Intercom bills Fin AI Agent at US$0.99 per outcome, with no included allowance. Zendesk bills AI agents at US$1.50 per automated resolution on a commitment or US$2 pay-as-you-go, and includes 5 free resolutions per agent a month on Suite Team. Both are aimed at support teams that expect to grow; see the Intercom review, the Zendesk review and how vendors bill for AI.
Bottom line
- Intercom is the better pick for most teams, because it is cheaper per seat and per AI resolution at every published rate. Choose Zendesk if you need EU hosting without negotiating a contract, or your AI volume fits inside the resolutions Zendesk includes per agent.
Side by side
| Intercom | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Pricing model | Seats plus AI usage | Seats plus AI usage |
| Paid plans from | US$29 per seat per month, billed annually | US$55 per seat per month, billed annually |
| Free plan | No free plan · 14-day trial | No free plan · 14-day trial |
| Free plan: Free seats | — | — |
| Free plan: Conversations | — | — |
| Free plan: Chat history | — | — |
| Free plan: Remove branding | — | — |
| Free plan: AI on the free plan | — | — |
| Free plan: Beyond website chat | — | — |
| AI chatbot | Fin AI Agent — billed per resolution | Zendesk AI agents — billed per resolution |
| Channels | Website chat, Email, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, SMS, Voice | Website chat, Email, Voice, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram |
| Languages | Widget in 45+ languages | Not documented |
| EU data hosting | On some paid plans | On some paid plans |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, AIUC-1 (Fin), HIPAA (Expert), GDPR, CCPA | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, ISO 42001, FedRAMP LI-SaaS, HIPAA (Suite Professional+, BAA), GDPR |
| Best for | Support teams building around an AI agent | Multichannel support teams wanting one helpdesk |
What it costs at 2, 5 and 10 seats
| Product | 2 seats · 100 conversations a month | 5 seats · 500 conversations a month | 10 seats · 2,000 conversations a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intercom | US$78 a month (Essential) | US$195 a month (Essential) | US$390 a month (Essential) |
| Zendesk | US$138 a month (Suite Team) | US$345 a month (Suite Team) | US$690 a month (Suite Team) |
Choose Intercom if
- seat cost matters most: Intercom Essential costs less per seat than Zendesk Suite Team on both monthly and annual billing, so Intercom is cheaper in all three worked examples.
- you expect heavy AI volume: Fin costs US$0.99 per outcome, below Zendesk's US$1.50 committed rate, so at published prices Intercom stays cheaper for a five-person team whatever the AI volume.
- you want to remove the vendor logo on a self-serve plan: Intercom allows it on Advanced and Expert, while Zendesk reserves it for Suite Enterprise, which is quote-only.
- you are an eligible startup: Intercom's Early Stage programme lists US$33 a month in year one for companies with 15 employees or fewer.
Choose Zendesk if
- you need EU data hosting without a sales contract: Zendesk offers an EU region at no charge on Suite Professional and above, switched on through support, while Intercom limits regional hosting to Advanced and Expert workspaces on a contract account.
- your AI volume is low: Zendesk includes 5 automated resolutions per agent a month on Suite Team and 10 on Suite Professional, while Intercom includes none.
- you need AI answers in many languages: Zendesk lists 80 languages for its AI agents, Intercom lists 45 for Fin.
- you qualify for Zendesk for Startups, which lists 6 months free for teams of up to 50 agents.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Intercom | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free-plan usability | 25% | 1/5 | 1/5 |
| Cost as you add agents | 25% | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| AI billing clarity | 20% | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Channels and integrations | 15% | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Data location and compliance | 15% | 3/5 | 3/5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Intercom cheaper than Zendesk?
At list prices, yes. Intercom Essential is US$39 per seat a month billed monthly and Zendesk Suite Team is US$69, and Fin's US$0.99 per outcome is below Zendesk's US$1.50 per automated resolution. Zendesk's included resolutions narrow the gap only at low AI volume. See Intercom pricing and Zendesk pricing.
Do Intercom or Zendesk have a free plan?
No. Intercom offers a 14-day trial and Zendesk a 14-day trial. Zendesk's free Chat Lite plan is legacy and standalone Chat is not sold to new customers. For free options, see free live chat software.
Which one hosts data in the EU?
Both can, on higher plans. Zendesk offers an EU region on Suite Professional and above at no extra charge. Intercom offers regional hosting on Advanced and Expert, for new workspaces on a contract account. More in EU-hosted live chat.
Who owns Intercom now?
The company behind Intercom renamed itself Fin in May 2026, and Salesforce completed its acquisition on 10 September 2026, according to the two companies' announcements. The helpdesk and Messenger keep the Intercom name.
Related pages
- Intercom reviewreview
- Intercom pricing explainedpricing
- Zendesk reviewreview
- Zendesk pricing explainedpricing
- Free-plan audit: does your team fit a free live chat plan?
Sources
- Shopify integration — Fin (Intercom) · 18 September 2026
- WordPress plugin — Fin (Intercom) · 18 September 2026
- Intercom pricing — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Fin pricing — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Fin AI Agent outcomes — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Your workspace settings — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Early Stage program — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Usage-based channels — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Regional data hosting — Fin · 18 September 2026
- How data is hosted and processed in Intercom — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Intercom security — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Localize the Messenger to work with multiple languages — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Use Intercom in your preferred language — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Omnichannel helpdesk — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Intercom live chat — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Installing Intercom — Fin · 18 September 2026
- About Fin — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Today, Intercom becomes Fin — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Salesforce signs definitive agreement to acquire Fin — Salesforce · 18 September 2026
- Salesforce completes acquisition of Fin — Salesforce · 18 September 2026
- Lightspeed customer story — Fin · 18 September 2026
- Intercom on the Vendr marketplace — Vendr · 18 September 2026
- Shopify integration — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- WordPress plugin — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk pricing — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk free trial — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- About automated resolutions for AI agents — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- About automated resolution tiers — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Announcing expanded access to AI agent capabilities for all Zendesk customers — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- About the Data Center Location add-on — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Regional Data Hosting Policy — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Messaging vs live chat: which is right for you? — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- About Zendesk Chat plan types (legacy) — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk Trust Center — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk live chat — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk AI agents — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk Copilot — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk for Startups — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Hello Sugar customer story — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk completes acquisition of Forethought — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Consortium led by Hellman & Friedman and Permira completes acquisition of Zendesk — Permira · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk press — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
- Zendesk on the Vendr marketplace — Vendr · 18 September 2026
This page was researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed on it. We have not installed or tested these products ourselves. Method: How we review