Chatbase vs Zendesk
Pricing
Chatbase: Free tier (50 message credits/mo), paid from $40/mo
Zendesk: From $19 per agent/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly); 14-day trial
Description
Chatbase: Builds an AI agent from your own docs and data that answers customers on your website, in messaging apps and in help desks
Zendesk: Help desk software for email ticketing, live chat, a knowledge base and AI agents, priced per agent
Pros
- Choose between OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and DeepSeek models on paid plans
- Connects to Slack, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Shopify and help desks such as Zendesk and Freshdesk
- Paid plans start with a 7-day trial, and yearly billing is 20% off
- Support Team starts at $19 per agent a month billed yearly, with ticket routing, automations, pre-written responses and analytics
- The 14-day trial gives you the full Suite Professional plan
- AI agents come with every plan, and you pay only for requests they resolve without a human
Cons
- The free plan has 50 message credits a month, and free agents are deleted after 14 days without activity
- Removing the 'Powered by Chatbase' branding costs $99 a month extra
- Helpdesk, voice and API access start on the $150/mo Standard plan
- Support Team is email ticketing only; messaging, live chat and phone start with Suite Team at $55 per agent a month billed yearly
- Some features, such as Voice, App Builder and Action Builder, are billed by usage once you pass the plan's allowance
Details
Chatbase turns your help docs, website and other data sources into an AI agent that answers customer questions around the clock. You connect the sources, describe the agent’s role, set guardrails and embed it, with no code. The same agent can also handle sales questions and product guidance.
It suits founders who get the same questions again and again and want them answered on the site before they become tickets. Paid plans add model choice, integrations and analytics.
Usage is counted in message credits: Hobby ($40/month) includes 700 a month and Standard ($150/month) 4,000. When you run low, auto-recharge adds credits at $40 per 1,000, and those added credits don’t expire.
Zendesk turns every customer email into a ticket that you can route, tag, answer with saved replies and report on. The Suite plans add messaging and live chat, phone support, an AI knowledge base and AI agents that answer customers on their own.
It is built for support teams, and it fits a solo founder who expects support to grow into a real part of the business. Early-stage startups can apply for a six-month trial of the Suite for up to 50 agents.
Plans are priced per agent, so on your own you pay for one seat. Paying yearly is cheaper: Support Team is $19 a month that way and $25 month to month. AI agents are billed per automated resolution, meaning each customer request they close without handing it to a person.
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