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SimplyBoost, Intercom Fin, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Tidio and Chatbase compared on pricing model and fit, with prices checked on each vendor's pricing page on 15 September 2026.
Which AI agent is best for customer support depends on the helpdesk you already use, how many people answer customers, and how you'd like to pay. For most businesses, our pick is SimplyBoost: one AI agent on website chat, WhatsApp and Instagram for a flat monthly price, with no fees per seat or per resolution, and handover into Zendesk, Freshdesk, Gorgias or Slack when a person is needed. If your team already lives in Intercom or Zendesk and you're happy paying per seat, their built-in agents are the easiest add-on.
A quick note before we start. SimplyBoost is our product, and we've put it first for the reasons below. We read every price on the vendor's own pricing page on 15 September 2026. Prices change often, so double-check before you buy.
What should you look for in an AI agent for customer support?
- Grounded answers. Ask what the agent does when your content has no answer. You want it to admit that and offer a person.
- Handover. Find out what triggers it, where your team gets alerted, and whether the bot actually steps back once someone replies.
- Actions. Looking up orders, starting returns and booking calls is what makes an agent more than an FAQ bot.
- Channels. Write down where your customers message you today and check each one is included in the plan you'd actually buy.
- Languages. Ask whether it picks up the customer's language on its own or replies in one language you choose.
- How you're billed. Some vendors charge per seat, others per AI outcome, session, message credit or reply. Work out your monthly volume in each vendor's unit before comparing prices.
1. SimplyBoost
SimplyBoost is our AI support agent for businesses of every size, from growing shops to enterprise support teams. One agent answers only from your own content on your website, WhatsApp and Instagram, in each customer's own language, and collects the questions it couldn't answer under Missing answers so you can fill the gaps. When a person is needed, it hands over by email, dashboard alert, Slack, or a Zendesk, Freshdesk or Gorgias ticket, so it sits comfortably next to a helpdesk you already have.
From the Growth plan, connect Shopify and the agent can check orders after an email code, start returns and exchanges, suggest products and build checkout links. Refunds and discounts wait for your approval. On website chat it can also book meetings in Google Calendar. Every lead is rated hot, warm or cold, and you can export leads as a CSV on every plan.
Pricing is flat. Starter is €39 a month with 500 AI replies, Growth is €89 with 2,000 and Pro is €169 with 6,000, with no fees per seat, per outcome or per channel, and 20% off on yearly billing. Above 6,000 AI replies there are custom plans with a dedicated account manager. New accounts get 7 days free with 100 AI replies and no credit card. See pricing.
Who it suits: businesses of every size that want one predictable price across website chat, WhatsApp and Instagram, Shopify stores, and teams that want support and lead capture from the same agent, hosted in Europe with a data processing agreement.
2. Intercom Fin
Fin is the AI agent inside Intercom. Seats start at $29 a month, and Fin costs from $0.99 per outcome, charged at most once per conversation, according to Intercom's pricing page.
Who it suits: support teams already on Intercom that want the AI and the helpdesk in one place, and don't mind a bill that grows with outcomes.
3. Zendesk AI agents
Zendesk says AI agents come with every Suite and Support plan and are priced on successful outcomes. Support Team starts at $19 per agent a month and Suite Team at $55, both billed yearly, and Copilot is a $50 per agent add-on, per Zendesk's pricing page. The page doesn't show a per-outcome price.
Who it suits: established support teams on Zendesk that want AI inside the ticketing, reporting and workflows they already have.
4. Freshdesk Freddy AI Agent
Freshdesk starts at $19 per agent a month for Growth, $55 for Pro and $89 for Enterprise, billed yearly. Every plan includes the first 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions, and after that it's $49 per 100 sessions, per Freshdesk's pricing page.
Who it suits: teams that want a full helpdesk with a clear AI allowance built in.
5. Tidio with Lyro
Tidio Starter is $24.17 a month with 100 billable conversations, and Growth starts at $49.17. Lyro, the AI agent, is an add-on from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations, and Starter includes 50 one-off Lyro conversations so you can try it, per Tidio's pricing page.
Who it suits: small online stores that want live chat first and would rather ease into AI.
6. Chatbase
Chatbase charges by message credits. Hobby is $40 a month for 700 credits, Standard $150 for 4,000 and Pro $500 for 15,000. Extra credits cost $40 per 1,000, and removing the Chatbase branding is $99 a month, per Chatbase's pricing page.
Who it suits: teams that want to build their own AI agent on their documents and are happy to set it up themselves.
Which AI agent should you choose?
- Want one flat price for website chat, WhatsApp and Instagram, with Shopify actions and handover to the tools you already use? Start with SimplyBoost, our pick for most teams.
- Already on Intercom or Zendesk with a bigger team? Start with the agent that's built in.
- Need a full helpdesk with a set AI allowance? Compare Freshdesk's sessions with your volume.
- Want to build and tune your own document bot? Have a look at Chatbase.
Shopify brands should also look at Gorgias, which pairs a helpdesk with an AI agent priced on automated resolutions. Its pricing page doesn't list plan prices, so you'll need to ask for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest AI agent for customer support?
It depends on how you're billed. Per-seat tools get pricier as your team grows, per-outcome tools as your volume grows, and flat plans stay put within their allowance. SimplyBoost is the one we'd point most teams to: €39 a month for 500 AI replies, €89 for 2,000 or €169 for 6,000, with no fees per seat or per resolution. Convert your monthly volume into each vendor's unit before you compare.
Can an AI agent work alongside Zendesk or Freshdesk?
Yes. Some agents, SimplyBoost included, answer on messaging channels and open a ticket with the full conversation in Zendesk, Freshdesk or Gorgias when a person needs to step in.
How were these prices checked?
We read each price on the vendor's public pricing page on 15 September 2026, in US dollars. Taxes, currency and promotions can change what you actually pay.