Zendesk

zendesk.com/chat
Customer Support
Weekend Project

Live chat software for automated resolutions across multiple channels

How to Replace Zendesk

Overview

Zendesk is a customer support platform that delivers live chat as part of a unified service experience. It connects live chat with voice, text, email, social messaging, and self-service within a single platform, powered by AI agents and automation to ensure fast and personalized support at scale.

Features

20 features across 16 categories

AI(3)

Advanced AI AgentsAIPremium

Resolve 80%+ of complex issues with the most autonomous AI agents in service - built to reason, adapt, and take action

AI AgentsAIPremium

24/7 AI-powered agents that resolve customer issues automatically

CopilotAIPremium

Proactive AI-powered assistance that automates tasks, recommends next steps, and keeps teams productive with contextual insights

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Agent Tools(1)

Unified Agent Workspace

Single workspace giving agents access to customer history, conversation context, and relevant tools in real time

Analytics(1)

Visitor Monitoring

Track and monitor website visitor activity for proactive support

Also in: Hugging Face, Notion, Smartsheet

Automation(1)

Automation

Flexible automation features including triggers and macros to streamline repetitive workflows

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Chat(1)

Chat Widget

Customizable chat widget for website integration

Also in: OnceHub, OpenAI API, Zendesk

Contact Center(1)

Contact CenterPremium

Power complex contact centers with ease of use and flexibility

Integrations(1)

App and Integration Marketplace

1,700+ pre-built apps and integrations available, plus ability to build custom integrations via developer API

Also in: ReadMe, Hugging Face, Setmore

Localization(1)

Multilingual Support

Support for multiple languages in the platform and customer interactions

Messaging(1)

Omnichannel Support

Support across multiple channels including chat, voice, email, social messaging, WhatsApp Business, and business text messaging

Quality Management(1)

Quality AssuranceAIPremium

Automatically evaluate 100% of conversations across human and AI agents and detect risks and coaching opportunities

Reporting(1)

Real-time Reporting and Analytics

Real-time performance metrics and conversation analytics to track activity and measure support performance

Routing(1)

Omnichannel Routing

Intelligent routing directs conversations to the right agents based on availability and skills

Security(2)

Advanced Data Privacy and ProtectionPremium

Advanced, customizable layer of data protection to meet unique security needs

Data Privacy and Protection

Enterprise-class security features with comprehensive audits to ensure customer and business data protection

Self-Service(1)

Help CenterAI

Self-service help center with AI-driven article suggestions to reduce ticket volume and improve resolution times

Ticketing(1)

Ticketing System

Ticket management and organization for customer requests

Workforce Management(2)

Workforce Engagement BundleAIPremium

Combined Zendesk Workforce Management and Zendesk Quality Assurance at a discounted bundle rate

Workforce ManagementAIPremium

Manage teams with real-time and historical performance monitoring, AI-powered forecasting, and automated scheduling

Pricing

Suite Professional + Copilot

$155/agent/month billed annually
  • Unlimited Copilot access
  • All Suite Professional features
  • AI agents
  • Omnichannel routing
  • Unified agent workspace
  • 1,700+ integrations

Suite Enterprise + Copilot

$209/agent/month billed annually
  • Unlimited Copilot access
  • All Suite Enterprise features
  • Advanced AI capabilities
  • Priority support
  • Custom configurations

Copilot Add-on

$50/agent/month billed annually
  • Proactive AI-powered assistance
  • Task automation
  • Next step recommendations
  • Contextual insights

Quality Assurance Add-on

$35/agent/month billed annually
  • 100% conversation evaluation
  • Risk detection
  • Coaching opportunities
  • Human and AI agent analysis

Workforce Management Add-on

$25/agent/month billed annually
  • Real-time performance monitoring
  • Historical performance tracking
  • AI-powered forecasting
  • Automated scheduling

Advanced Data Privacy and Protection Add-on

$50/agent/month billed annually
  • Advanced data protection layer
  • Customizable security
  • Enhanced compliance

Contact Center Add-on

$50/agent/month billed annually
  • Complex contact center support
  • Enhanced flexibility
  • Enterprise features

Workforce Engagement Bundle

$50/agent/month billed annually
  • Zendesk Workforce Management
  • Zendesk Quality Assurance
  • Discounted bundle rate

Cost Calculator

Pricing data not available for Zendesk. Check their website for current pricing.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Zendesk alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 20 features.

Buy Zendesk

Better Value
Monthly costContact Sales
3-year totalVaries
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$12,000
Maintenance$180/mo
3-year total$18,480
Dev time~1 months

Buying Zendesk saves ~$18,480 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 20 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

6 known integrations

1,700+ Marketplace IntegrationsBigCommerceSalesforceShopifyWhatsApp BusinessWooCommerce