Bouts / Intercom vs Zendesk
Intercom vs Zendesk
Red cornerIntercom
$29 per seat a month, billed annually
Blue cornerZendesk
$19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team)
Intercom: Intercom renamed itself Fin, and Salesforce completed its acquisition of the company on September 10, 2026.
Zendesk: Zendesk retires AI agents - Essential, the legacy bot builder and autoreplies with articles on December 10, 2026, so older bots must move to the current AI agents.
Intercom wins 2–0 at 10 agents (clear win). Intercom takes the bill and user verdict; Zendesk wins no rounds; 4 rounds are even.
The judges' card
| Round | Intercom | What happened | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Intercom $1,075, Zendesk $2,250 a month. Intercom is 52% cheaper and takes the round. | |
| Round 2Price tags | = | Both offer AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits. Even. | = |
| Round 3AI | = | Both offer an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting. Even. | = |
| Round 4Desk basics | = | Both offer every channel natively, skills-based routing and 300+ integrations. Even. | = |
| Round 5Security | = | Both offer SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, plus EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA or a no-training promise. Even. | = |
| Round 6User verdict | W | On G2: Intercom 4.5 from 3,918 reviews, Zendesk 4.3 from 7,095 reviews. Intercom takes the round. | |
| Rounds won | 2 | Intercom wins, 4 even | 0 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- Intercom
- $323
- Zendesk
- $675
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Intercom wins 2–0.
Mid-size team
- Intercom
- $1,075
- Zendesk
- $2,250
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Intercom wins 2–0.
Large team
- Intercom
- $2,688
- Zendesk
- $5,625
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Intercom wins 2–0.
Monthly bills from USD list prices, annual billing where offered, with the AI agent resolving 20% of conversations and agent assist for every agent. Plans: Intercom Essential; Zendesk Suite Professional.
Tale of the tape
| Fin (formerly Intercom) | Made by | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $29 per seat a month, billed annually | Paid plans from | $19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team) |
| Essential | Plan we priced | Suite Professional |
| $323 | 3 agents, AI on | $675 |
| $1,075 | 10 agents, AI on | $2,250 |
| $2,688 | 25 agents, AI on | $5,625 |
| $0.99 per outcome | AI agent price | $1.50 per automated resolution committed, $2.00 pay as you go |
| Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social, SMS | Channels | Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social, SMS |
| No | Free plan | No |
| 14 days | Free trial | 14 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, ISO 42001 | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, FedRAMP Low, HDS |
| US, EU and Australia hosting | Data hosting | US, EEA and Asia Pacific data centers, with region choice through the Data Center Location add-on |
| 4.5 (3,918) | G2 rating | 4.3 (7,095) |
| — | Capterra rating | 4.4 (4,094) |
Questions
Which is better, Intercom or Zendesk?
Intercom wins 2–0 at 10 agents (clear win). Intercom takes the bill and user verdict; Zendesk wins no rounds; 4 rounds are even.
Is Intercom cheaper than Zendesk?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Intercom comes to $1,075 a month and Zendesk to $2,250, from list prices. Intercom takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Intercom or Zendesk?
Both offer an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting. Even.
