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Replied

Head to head · prices as of Oct 2026

Intercom Fin vs Zendesk AI: which is right for a small business?

Both are helpdesk incumbents that bill AI per outcome on top of seats. Fin charges $0.99 per outcome, including “assumed” resolutions when a visitor goes quiet; Zendesk charges $1.50 to $2.00 per automated resolution after a small allowance per agent. At small-business volumes both bills grow with every solved chat.

Price both at your volumeAll comparisons

Side by side

Intercom Fin compared with Zendesk AI
TopicIntercom FinZendesk AI
Pricing in one lineSeats from $29/mo plus $0.99 per outcome, including “assumed resolutions”.Suite Team from $55 per agent/mo with 5 automated resolutions per agent; extra resolutions $1.50 to $2.00 each.
How AI is billed$0.99 per outcome, counted when a customer confirms, completes a workflow, or simply goes quiet for 24 hoursPer agent seat, plus $1.50 (committed) or $2.00 (pay-as-you-go) per automated resolution
Free planNoNo
Estimated bill at 500 AI chats$350.75 (1 Essential seat + 325 outcomes)$535 (1 Suite Team agent + 320 extra resolutions)

Monthly bill at five traffic levels

Badge removed, 3 AI replies per chat, 65% of chats billed as resolved where a vendor charges per resolution. Replied shown as a third option.

Estimated monthly bills for Intercom Fin, Zendesk AI and Replied
AI chats / monthIntercom FinZendesk AIReplied
100$93.351 Essential seat + 65 outcomes$1451 Suite Team agent + 60 extra resolutions$29Starter
500$350.751 Essential seat + 325 outcomes$5351 Suite Team agent + 320 extra resolutions$29Starter
1,000$672.501 Essential seat + 650 outcomes$1,022.501 Suite Team agent + 645 extra resolutions$49Starter + 2 packs
2,500$1,637.751 Essential seat + 1,625 outcomes$2,4851 Suite Team agent + 1,620 extra resolutions$99Growth
5,000$3,246.501 Essential seat + 3,250 outcomes$4,922.501 Suite Team agent + 3,245 extra resolutions$199Growth + 10 packs
  • Intercom Fin: $29/seat (annual) plus $0.99 per outcome; assumes 65% of chats count as outcomes, including "assumed" ones.
  • Zendesk AI: $55/agent (annual) with 5 automated resolutions, then $1.50 each committed ($2.00 pay-as-you-go); assumes 65% resolve.
  • A “+” means the real bill is at least this much because higher tiers aren't public.

Choose Intercom Fin if

You want the strongest AI agent of the two and can run it standalone on top of your existing helpdesk.

Watch out for

  • Bills are hard to predict: Reddit posts report jumps from $4K to $9K/mo and from $119 to $854/mo (reported).
  • Customers are charged for “assumed resolutions” when a visitor just stops replying.
  • Seat fees and add-ons stack on top of per-outcome charges.
Intercom Fin pricing Intercom Fin alternative

Choose Zendesk AI if

You already run Zendesk for tickets and want AI inside the same workflows, QA and reporting.

Watch out for

  • The most expensive per resolution in the market.
  • Per-agent pricing adds up fast as the team grows.
  • Advanced AI agents take real setup work.
Zendesk AI pricing Zendesk AI alternative

Intercom Fin vs Zendesk AI FAQ

Is Intercom Fin or Zendesk AI cheaper?
At 500 AI chats a month with the badge removed, we estimate Intercom Fin at $350.75 and Zendesk AI at $535, so Intercom Fin is cheaper at that volume. The gap changes with traffic and reply length, so check the table above or the cost calculator for your numbers.
What is the main difference between Intercom Fin and Zendesk AI?
Both are helpdesk incumbents that bill AI per outcome on top of seats. Fin charges $0.99 per outcome, including “assumed” resolutions when a visitor goes quiet; Zendesk charges $1.50 to $2.00 per automated resolution after a small allowance per agent. At small-business volumes both bills grow with every solved chat.
When should I choose Intercom Fin?
You want the strongest AI agent of the two and can run it standalone on top of your existing helpdesk. Fin is a mature product with voice, phone and enterprise integrations. If you run a large support org already on Intercom or Zendesk, its depth may justify the price.
When should I choose Zendesk AI?
You already run Zendesk for tickets and want AI inside the same workflows, QA and reporting. Zendesk is the deepest helpdesk for large support teams, with ticketing, QA, workforce management and a huge app marketplace. If you run a big multi-channel support org, it may be worth the price.
Is there an alternative to both?
Replied bills per conversation with a hard cap, includes a human inbox and removes its badge from $29. At 500 AI chats it costs $29 (Starter).

Not sold on either? Try a flat bill.

Replied bills per conversation with a hard cap, cites its sources and hands tricky chats to your team. Paste your URL to see it answer.

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