Best AI Customer Service Software (2026): 7 AI Chatbots and Help Desks Compared
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AI customer service software answers common customer questions automatically on chat, email or social channels, and passes the rest to a person on your team.
The best AI customer service software for you depends on where customers reach you: your website, Instagram, WhatsApp or email. Below we compare seven tools on channels, AI pricing and plan prices read on each vendor's own pricing page: two chatbot-first tools, two messaging inboxes built around WhatsApp, and three help desks with AI.
The short answer
For website chat with an AI agent, start with Tidio ($24.17/mo yearly). For Instagram DMs, pick ManyChat ($14/mo). For a WhatsApp team inbox, try respond.io ($79/mo) or SleekFlow ($49/mo). For email, Help Scout. For pay-per-outcome AI, Intercom. For large teams, Zendesk.
Quick picks
| Tool | Type | Best for | Starts at | How you pay | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tidio | Live chat + help desk | Live chat and an AI agent on a small website or online store | $24.17/mo billed yearly ($29/mo billed monthly) | Per plan, by billable conversations; AI is an add-on | Free plan (50 billable conversations); 7-day trial, no card |
 ManyChat | Social chat automation | Automating Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp DMs | $14/mo billed yearly ($168 a year) | Per plan, by active contacts | Free plan (25 active contacts); 14-day trial on Essential and Pro |
 respond.io | Omnichannel team inbox | A WhatsApp-first team inbox with AI Agents | $79/mo billed yearly ($99 billed monthly) at 1,000 monthly active contacts | Per plan, by monthly active contacts; WhatsApp fees extra | No free plan; 7-day trial, no card |
 SleekFlow | Omnichannel team inbox | Selling and support on WhatsApp, WeChat and LINE | $49/mo billed yearly ($588 a year); no monthly price shown | Per plan, with contact, seat and channel limits | No free plan; 7-day Pro trial, no card |
 Help Scout | Help desk (shared inbox) | Email-first support for a small team | $25/user/mo billed yearly ($30 billed monthly) | Per user; AI answers $0.75 per resolution | Free plan (5 users, 100 contacts a month); 15-day trial on Standard and Plus, no card |
 Intercom | Help desk + AI agent | An AI-first help desk billed per AI outcome | $29/seat/mo billed annually (new customers were shown $19 on Oct 23, 2026) | Per seat, plus Fin AI Agent at $0.99 per outcome | No free plan; 14-day trial, no card |
 Zendesk | Customer service platform | A growing support team on many channels | $19/agent/mo billed yearly ($25 billed monthly), email ticketing only | Per agent; extra AI resolutions $1.50–$2.00 each | No free plan; 14-day trial of Suite Professional |
List prices in US dollars before tax, checked October 23, 2026.
What AI customer service software actually does
AI customer service means letting software answer routine customer questions for you, any time of day. The AI reads your help articles, FAQ or website, replies in chat or email, and hands the conversation to a person when it can't help. A few terms you'll see on pricing pages:
- AI agent (or chatbot). The part that writes answers to customers by itself. Tidio calls it Lyro, Help Scout calls it AI Answers (Envoy), Intercom calls it Fin, and respond.io, SleekFlow and Zendesk call them AI agents.
- Resolution (or outcome). A conversation the AI closes without a person stepping in. Help Scout and Zendesk charge per resolution; Intercom charges per Fin outcome.
- Help desk. A shared inbox where your team sees, assigns and answers every customer message as a ticket or conversation.
- Knowledge base (help center). Public help articles. The AI uses them as its source, and customers can read them directly.
- Active contact. A person you talk to in a month. ManyChat, respond.io and SleekFlow price by active contacts rather than by seats alone.
- Seat (agent or user). One team member who can log in and reply. Help desks usually charge per seat.
Chatbot builder vs help desk with AI: which do you need?
A chatbot builder automates conversations on a channel, such as your website chat or Instagram DMs. It shines at instant replies and collecting leads. A help desk with AI organizes all customer messages for a team and adds AI that answers or drafts replies. It shines when several people share the work.
| Tool | Main channels | AI agent | Priced by | Knowledge base | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Website chat, email, Messenger, Instagram | Lyro add-on, from $32.50/mo yearly | Billable conversations | Lyro learns from your FAQ or website | Yes, 50 billable conversations |
| ManyChat | Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, Telegram, SMS, email | AI conversations from Pro ($29/mo yearly) | Active contacts | Not listed | Yes, 25 active contacts |
| respond.io | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, email, calls | AI Agents from Growth ($159/mo yearly), fair use | Monthly active contacts (tiers from 1,000) | Not listed | No, 7-day trial |
| SleekFlow | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, WeChat, LINE, Telegram, Viber, SMS, live chat | AI agents from Pro ($109/mo yearly) | Plan, with contact, seat and channel limits | Not listed | No, 7-day Pro trial |
| Help Scout | Email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger | AI Answers, $0.75 per resolution | Users | Docs sites (2 on Standard) | Yes, 5 users, 100 contacts a month |
| Intercom | Messenger live chat, shared inbox, tickets | Fin AI Agent, $0.99 per outcome | Seats plus Fin outcomes | Public help center on Essential | No, 14-day trial |
| Zendesk | Email, messaging, live chat, voice | AI agents on every plan; 5 resolutions per agent a month included | Agents | Help center from Suite Team | No, 14-day trial |
"Not listed" means the pricing page didn't mention a knowledge base when we checked; it doesn't mean the tool can't use one.
If you're a small business answering customers yourself, a chatbot-first tool is usually enough. If your customers live on WhatsApp, a messaging inbox such as respond.io or SleekFlow puts the whole team on one number. Once two or more people answer email and chat, a help desk keeps everyone from replying to the same message twice.
How we chose
We picked tools with self-serve plans and prices published in US dollars, covering three types: chatbot-first tools, messaging inboxes for WhatsApp and similar apps, and help desks with AI. We first read each official pricing page on October 22, 2026, added respond.io, SleekFlow and Intercom on October 23, 2026, and re-read their pricing pages that day. We haven't tested these tools hands-on yet, so we can't tell you which AI answers best; we tell you what each plan includes, who it suits and what you pay.
On October 30, 2026 we added five more tools in a short, unranked list (see below), from pricing pages read on October 29, 2026: Gorgias, whose pricing page still showed no prices; Wati, which now lists US-dollar prices; Landbot, which shows prices in euros; and Pylon and CometChat, which serve narrower jobs (B2B support in Slack, and chat built into your own app).
Tidio: best for live chat and an AI agent on a small website or online store
Live chat and help desk for small businesses and online stores, with the Lyro AI agent for common questions and Flows for no-code chat automation.
- Type
- Live chat + help desk
- Starts at
- $24.17/mo, billed yearly ($29/mo billed monthly)
- Free option
- Free plan (50 billable conversations); 7-day trial, no card
The cheapest paid plan includes:
- 100 billable conversations and 10 seats (Starter)
- Live chat and ticketing in one inbox, plus a live visitors list
- 50 Lyro AI conversations, one-off
- Basic analytics
A billable conversation is one where a human agent replied or started the thread; Lyro and Flows replies don’t count toward it. The Lyro AI Agent is a separate add-on from $32.50/mo billed yearly ($39 monthly) for 50 AI conversations a month; the pricing page lists Lyro quotas from 50 to 1,000 conversations. Growth starts at $49.17/mo yearly ($59 monthly) for 250 billable conversations and rises with volume.
Who it's for: Small online stores and service businesses that want a chat bubble on their site, a shared inbox and an AI agent for repeat questions, without a big setup.
Skip it if: Most of your customers message you on Instagram or WhatsApp rather than your website. ManyChat is built for those channels.
Visit TidioRead the Tidio profile
Source: tidio.com/pricing, checked October 23, 2026
ManyChat: best for automating Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp DMs
Chat automation for Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, SMS and email: auto-replies to comments and DMs, lead capture flows and AI-powered conversations.
- Type
- Social chat automation
- Starts at
- $14/mo, billed yearly ($168 a year)
- Free option
- Free plan (25 active contacts); 14-day trial on Essential and Pro
The cheapest paid plan includes:
- 250 active contacts a month and 2 channels (Essential)
- Unlimited custom automations, 2 users, no ManyChat branding
- Comment and DM auto-replies, Flow Builder and templates
AI-powered conversations start on Pro: $29/mo billed yearly ($348) for 2,500 active contacts, 3 channels (including WhatsApp, SMS or email) and 3 users. Above your plan’s contact limit you pay per extra contact. We couldn’t read a monthly-billing price on the pricing page, and prices exclude tax.
Who it's for: Creators, coaches and small brands that get questions and leads through Instagram comments, DMs, Messenger or WhatsApp and want instant replies.
Skip it if: You need email ticketing, SLAs or a help center for a support team. A help desk such as Help Scout or Zendesk fits better.
Visit ManyChatRead the ManyChat profile
Source: manychat.com/pricing, manychat.com, checked October 23, 2026
respond.io: best for a WhatsApp-first team inbox with AI Agents
Team inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok, email and calls, with AI Agents, workflows and broadcasts, priced by monthly active contacts.
- Type
- Omnichannel team inbox
- Starts at
- $79/mo, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly) at 1,000 monthly active contacts
- Free option
- No free plan; 7-day trial, no card
The cheapest paid plan includes:
- One team inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, email and calls
- AI Assist and AI Prompt to help your agents write replies
- Mobile app, basic reports and website growth widgets
AI Agents, workflows and broadcasts start on Growth: $159/mo billed yearly ($199 monthly) at the same 1,000-contact tier, with AI use included under a fair-use policy. A monthly active contact is anyone you messaged or called during the month. Going over your tier costs $12 per 100 contacts on Growth, and WhatsApp fees are charged on top of every plan.
Who it's for: Sales and support teams that talk to customers mostly on WhatsApp and other messaging apps and want one shared inbox, AI Agents and broadcasts.
Skip it if: Most of your support happens by email, or you want a free plan to start. Help Scout or Tidio is a cheaper first step.
Visit respond.ioRead the respond.io profile
Source: respond.io/pricing, checked October 23, 2026
SleekFlow: best for selling and support on WhatsApp, WeChat and LINE
Omnichannel team inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, WeChat, LINE, Telegram and SMS, with a flow builder, broadcasts, payment links and AI agents on Pro and above.
- Type
- Omnichannel team inbox
- Starts at
- $49/mo, billed yearly ($588 a year); no monthly price shown
- Free option
- No free plan; 7-day Pro trial, no card
The cheapest paid plan includes:
- 500 monthly active contacts, 3 seats and 5 channels (Essential)
- Omnichannel inbox with simple automations and 50 active flows
- AI inbox co-pilot for your agents (no AI agents)
AI agents and broadcasts start on Pro: $109/mo billed yearly ($1,308) with 10 users and 10 channels. WhatsApp Business API costs $15/mo per number plus message rates, and extra contacts cost $20 per 100 on Pro and above. SleekFlow says plans and pricing vary by location, so check the price shown for your country.
Who it's for: Retail and service brands that sell in chat on WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat or LINE and want product catalogs and payment links inside the conversation.
Skip it if: You need email ticketing or a help center. SleekFlow listed email as coming soon when we checked; Help Scout or Zendesk fits that job.
Visit SleekFlowRead the SleekFlow profile
Source: sleekflow.io/pricing, checked October 23, 2026
Help Scout: best for email-first support for a small team
Shared inbox and help desk for email, live chat, SMS and social messages, with a knowledge base, AI drafting help and the Envoy AI agent priced per resolution.
- Type
- Help desk (shared inbox)
- Starts at
- $25/user/mo, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly)
- Free option
- Free plan (5 users, 100 contacts a month); 15-day trial on Standard and Plus, no card
The cheapest paid plan includes:
- Up to 25 users, unlimited contacts and 2 inboxes (Standard)
- Live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
- 2 Docs knowledge base sites
- Basic workflows and the AI Inbox assistant
AI Answers through Envoy cost $0.75 per resolution, billed monthly, with a 3-month free trial and an optional monthly spending cap. Help Scout counts a resolution only when the customer gets an AI answer and doesn’t escalate or ask for more help. Plus is $45/user/mo yearly ($54 monthly) and adds unlimited AI Drafts.
Who it's for: Small support teams that answer mostly by email and want a tidy shared inbox, a knowledge base and AI answers they pay for only when they work.
Skip it if: You need phone support built in, or one price that doesn’t grow with every user you add.
Visit Help ScoutRead the Help Scout profile
Source: helpscout.com/pricing, checked October 23, 2026
Intercom: best for an AI-first help desk billed per AI outcome
Helpdesk with a shared inbox, ticketing, Messenger live chat and help center, built around the Fin AI Agent, which is billed per successful outcome.
- Type
- Help desk + AI agent
- Starts at
- $29/seat/mo, billed annually (new customers were shown $19 on Oct 23, 2026)
- Free option
- No free plan; 14-day trial, no card
The cheapest paid plan includes:
- Messenger live chat for your website or app
- Shared inbox and ticketing with pre-built reports
- Public help center and basic automation
Fin AI Agent costs $0.99 per outcome on every plan. Intercom charges it at most once per conversation, and not at all if Fin can’t answer or the customer asks for a human. Workflow automation and multiple team inboxes need Advanced at $85/seat/mo billed annually; Expert is $132. We couldn’t confirm monthly-billing prices on the pricing page.
Who it's for: Support teams that want an AI agent to take the first reply on most questions, with a full help desk behind it for handoffs.
Skip it if: You want a free plan or a fixed monthly bill. Seats plus per-outcome fees make the total depend on your volume.
Visit IntercomRead the Intercom profile
Source: intercom.com/pricing, checked October 23, 2026
Zendesk: best for a growing support team on many channels
Customer service platform with ticketing, messaging, live chat, voice and a help center, plus AI agents that resolve common requests automatically.
- Type
- Customer service platform
- Starts at
- $19/agent/mo, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly), email ticketing only
- Free option
- No free plan; 14-day trial of Suite Professional
The cheapest paid plan includes:
- Email ticketing with routing, automations and triggers (Support Team)
- Pre-written responses and prebuilt analytics
Every plan includes AI agents with 5 automated resolutions per agent a month (10 on Suite Professional). Messaging, live chat, telephony and a knowledge base start on Suite Team: $55/agent/mo billed yearly ($69 monthly). Extra automated resolutions cost $2.00 each pay-as-you-go, or $1.50 each when you commit in advance. Suite Professional is $115/agent/mo yearly ($149 monthly) with 10 resolutions per agent and skills-based routing.
Who it's for: Support teams of several agents who handle email, chat and phone and need routing, reporting and room to grow.
Skip it if: You’re a one-person shop or just want a chat widget. You’d pay per agent for features you won’t use.
Visit ZendeskRead the Zendesk profile
Source: zendesk.com/pricing, checked October 23, 2026
Five more tools to consider
These aren't ranked picks. Each fits a narrower job than the seven above, or doesn't publish prices we can compare. Figures come from each vendor's pricing page, read on October 29, 2026.
| Tool | Built for | Starts at | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgias | Ecommerce help desk, especially for Shopify stores, with an AI Agent billed per conversation it resolves | No prices shown on the pricing page | Not stated |
| Wati | WhatsApp Business API inbox, broadcasts, chatbots and AI agents | $59/mo billed yearly (Growth, 3 users), plus WhatsApp message fees | 7-day trial, no card |
| Landbot | No-code AI chatbots on your website and WhatsApp for leads, bookings and FAQs | €32/mo billed yearly (€40 monthly), 500 chats and 100 AI chats a month | Free plan, 100 chats a month, no AI |
| Pylon | B2B support across Slack, Microsoft Teams, email and chat, with AI agents | $89/seat/mo on an annual contract, plus AI credits (5,000-credit minimum) | Trial set up by sales |
| CometChat | Chat, voice and video SDKs and AI agents that developers build into their own app | $239/mo billed yearly (Chat Basic) | Free Build plan, up to 100 monthly active users |
Prices before tax. Landbot's prices are shown in euros on the vendor's page; Landbot says customers outside the EU are billed in dollars, and we don't convert. The others are in US dollars.
- Gorgias prices by ticket volume and AI resolutions, never per agent, but its pricing page showed no figures, so ask for a quote before comparing it with Tidio or Zendesk.
- Wati suits teams that sell and support on WhatsApp. Growth is capped at 3 users with no option to add more; Pro is $119/mo billed yearly for 5 users.
- Landbot builds lead-capture and FAQ bots rather than a full help desk. CRM integrations, webhooks and the API start on Professional (€80/mo billed yearly).
- Pylon is built for B2B companies whose customers write in shared Slack or Teams channels. Monthly billing exists, but no monthly price is listed, and the per-credit AI price isn't published.
- CometChat is a developer product for chat inside your own app, not a help desk. Overages cost $0.10 per extra monthly active user.
Best AI chatbot for a small website
For a small website, the best AI chatbot is one that installs as a chat bubble, learns from your FAQ and costs little at low volume. Of the seven tools here, Tidio fits that job most directly: its free plan includes website chat and 50 lifetime Lyro AI conversations, and Lyro starts at $32.50/mo billed yearly once you need more.
Help Scout also offers live chat, but from its paid Standard plan, and Intercom includes its Messenger chat widget from Essential, with Fin billed per outcome. ManyChat and Zendesk Support Team aren't website chat widgets on their entry plans: ManyChat focuses on social channels, and Zendesk adds live chat from Suite Team. SleekFlow lists a live chat widget, but its plans are built around messaging apps. For a closer look at the two cheapest options, see Tidio vs ManyChat.
Looking for plain live chat software without AI? The same tools apply: Tidio's Starter plan, Help Scout Standard, Intercom Essential and Zendesk Suite Team all include live chat, and you can switch AI on later.
How AI resolution pricing adds up
AI is often billed separately from seats, so the plan price isn't the whole bill. Here's a worked example using only numbers from the pricing pages: a team of 3 whose AI resolves 300 customer conversations a month.
| Tool | Seats (yearly billing) | AI cost for 300 resolutions | Estimated total a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Help Scout Standard | 3 × $25 = $75 | 300 × $0.75 = $225 | About $300 |
| Intercom Essential | 3 × $29 = $87 (3 × $19 = $57 at the new-customer price shown Oct 23) | 300 × $0.99 = $297 | About $354 to $384 |
| Zendesk Suite Team | 3 × $55 = $165 | 15 included; 285 × $2.00 = $570 pay-as-you-go (or 285 × $1.50 = $427.50 committed) | About $593 to $735 |
What one AI answer costs
- Tidio Lyro$0.65$32.50/mo billed yearly ÷ 50 AI conversations
- Help Scout AI Answers$0.75per resolution
- Intercom Fin$0.99per outcome
- Zendesk (committed)$1.50per extra automated resolution, committed in advance
- Zendesk (pay as you go)$2.00per extra automated resolution
What the picture says: Per AI answer, Zendesk (pay as you go) costs about 3× Tidio Lyro ($2.00 vs $0.65), a gap a plan-price table hides.
Tidio, ManyChat, respond.io and SleekFlow price AI differently. Tidio sells Lyro in monthly quotas from 50 to 1,000 AI conversations, but we could only read the starting price ($32.50/mo yearly for 50). ManyChat includes AI conversations in Pro and higher plans, respond.io includes AI Agents from Growth under a fair-use policy, and SleekFlow includes AI agents from Pro. All three charge by active contacts instead, so the bill grows with your audience, not with each AI answer. On respond.io and SleekFlow, budget for WhatsApp fees too.
Before you pay, check whether the AI cost has a cap. Help Scout lets you set a monthly spending limit that switches AI Answers off when you reach it.
How to choose AI customer service software
| If you… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Run a small online store and want chat on your site | Tidio | Free plan, website chat and the Lyro AI agent as an add-on |
| Get most questions in Instagram comments and DMs | ManyChat | Comment and DM auto-replies from $14/mo billed yearly |
| Handle most customers on WhatsApp with a team | respond.io | One inbox for WhatsApp and other apps, AI Agents from Growth |
| Sell in chat on WhatsApp, WeChat or LINE | SleekFlow | Catalogs and payment links in chat, AI agents from Pro |
| Answer mostly by email with a small team | Help Scout | Shared inbox, knowledge base, AI paid per resolution |
| Want an AI agent to take the first reply, paid per outcome | Intercom | Fin AI Agent at $0.99 per outcome on every plan, with a help desk behind it |
| Run a Shopify store and want AI that resolves order questions | Gorgias | Built for ecommerce, billed by tickets and AI resolutions, not seats (ask for a quote) |
| Support B2B customers in shared Slack or Teams channels | Pylon | Turns Slack, Teams and email threads into tickets, from $89/seat/mo on an annual contract |
| Run a team handling email, chat and phone | Zendesk | Routing, voice and AI agents in Suite plans |
Check these before you pay
- What the plan counts. Tidio counts billable conversations; ManyChat, respond.io and SleekFlow active contacts; Help Scout users; Intercom seats; Zendesk agents. Estimate your monthly volume first.
- Whether AI is included. On Tidio, Help Scout, Intercom and Zendesk, AI answers cost extra beyond small included amounts. On respond.io and SleekFlow, AI agents need a higher plan.
- Messaging fees. WhatsApp messages carry Meta's fees on respond.io and SleekFlow, and SleekFlow adds $15/mo per WhatsApp number.
- Your help content. AI agents answer from your articles and FAQ. If you have none, write your top 10 answers first.
- Handoff to a person. Make sure customers can reach a human easily when the AI gets stuck.
Want an AI agent that does more than answer customers, such as updating your CRM or sending follow-ups? See our best AI automation tools guide and the Lindy vs MindStudio comparison of AI agent builders. Already on ManyChat and want something else? See our ManyChat alternatives.
Our suggestions are based on published plans, not hands-on tests. Use the free plan or trial with your real FAQ before you commit.
FAQ
What is AI customer service software?
AI customer service software answers customer questions automatically on chat, email or social channels, using your help articles and website as its source. When the AI can’t help, it hands the conversation to a person. Most tools combine an AI agent with a shared inbox, so your team sees every conversation in one place.
What is the best AI chatbot for customer service?
It depends on where your customers write to you. Based on published plans checked October 23, 2026: for website chat, Tidio with its Lyro AI agent (from $32.50/mo yearly on top of a plan); for Instagram DMs, ManyChat (AI from the $29/mo Pro plan, billed yearly); for a WhatsApp team inbox, respond.io (AI Agents from Growth, $159/mo yearly); for email-first support, Help Scout’s AI Answers at $0.75 per resolution; and for an AI agent in front of a full help desk, Intercom’s Fin at $0.99 per outcome.
What is the best AI chatbot for WhatsApp customer service?
Of the tools here, respond.io and SleekFlow are built around WhatsApp. respond.io includes AI Agents from its Growth plan ($159/mo billed yearly at 1,000 monthly active contacts); SleekFlow includes AI agents from Pro ($109/mo billed yearly). Both charge WhatsApp messaging fees on top. ManyChat also automates WhatsApp from its Pro plan, and Help Scout Standard includes WhatsApp in its inbox. Two more options are covered in our extra list: Wati, a WhatsApp Business API platform from $59/mo billed yearly plus WhatsApp fees, and Landbot, a chatbot builder for website and WhatsApp from €32/mo billed yearly (prices checked October 29, 2026).
Is there a free AI chatbot for my website?
Tidio has a free plan with 50 billable conversations and 10 seats, and the first 50 Lyro AI conversations are free once, not every month. Help Scout’s free plan covers 5 users and 100 contacts a month, but live chat starts on its paid Standard plan. ManyChat’s free plan works on social channels, not as a website chat widget.
How much does AI customer service software cost?
On October 23, 2026, paid plans started at $14/mo (ManyChat), $24.17/mo (Tidio), $49/mo (SleekFlow), $79/mo (respond.io), $25 per user a month (Help Scout), $29 per seat (Intercom) and $19 per agent (Zendesk), all billed yearly. AI answers often cost extra: $0.75 per resolution on Help Scout, $0.99 per outcome on Intercom, $1.50 to $2.00 per extra resolution on Zendesk, and an add-on from $32.50/mo on Tidio.
How does Intercom Fin pricing work?
Fin AI Agent costs $0.99 per outcome on every Intercom plan, on top of seat fees. Intercom charges it at most once per conversation, and there is no charge if Fin can’t answer, fails an action or the customer asks for a human. You can also use Fin with another help desk through Intercom’s sales team.
Can AI replace customer service agents?
Not fully. All seven tools here include an inbox where a person can take over when the AI can’t help, and Help Scout, Intercom and Zendesk charge for AI only when it resolves a conversation. AI works best for repeat questions such as order status, opening hours or return rules, which frees your team for the harder cases.
Tidio vs ManyChat: what’s the difference?
Tidio is live chat and a help desk centered on your website, with email, Messenger and Instagram in the same inbox and AI sold as an add-on. ManyChat automates conversations on Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok, SMS and email, and prices by active contacts. Pick Tidio for site visitors, ManyChat for social followers.
Sources
Pricing pages for the seven picks checked October 23, 2026; Gorgias, Wati, Landbot, Pylon and CometChat checked October 29, 2026.
- www.tidio.com/pricing/
- manychat.com/pricing
- manychat.com/
- respond.io/pricing
- sleekflow.io/pricing
- www.helpscout.com/pricing/
- www.intercom.com/pricing
- www.zendesk.com/pricing/
- www.gorgias.com/pricing
- www.wati.io/pricing/
- landbot.io/pricing
- www.usepylon.com/pricing
- www.cometchat.com/pricing
See every tool in AI Chatbots & Customer Support.