Bouts / Intercom vs Zoho Desk
Intercom vs Zoho Desk
Red cornerIntercom
$29 per seat a month, billed annually
Blue cornerZoho Desk
$7 per user a month, billed annually (Express)
Intercom: Intercom renamed itself Fin, and Salesforce completed its acquisition of the company on September 10, 2026.
Intercom wins 5–1 at 10 agents (knockout). Intercom takes the bill, price tags, AI, desk basics and user verdict; Zoho Desk takes security.
The judges' card
| Round | Intercom | What happened | Zoho Desk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Intercom $1,075, Zoho Desk $400 (an AI price is not public) a month. Intercom's bill is complete and the other is not, so Intercom takes the round. | |
| Round 2Price tags | W | Intercom offers AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits; Zoho Desk offers seat prices, with the AI priced by quote or not at all. Intercom takes the round. | |
| Round 3AI | W | Intercom offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Zoho Desk offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Intercom takes the round. | |
| Round 4Desk basics | W | Intercom offers every channel natively, skills-based routing and 300+ integrations; Zoho Desk offers all that plus phone and messaging apps. Intercom takes the round. | |
| Round 5Security | Zoho Desk offers SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA and a no-training promise; Intercom offers SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, plus EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA or a no-training promise. Zoho Desk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 6User verdict | W | On G2: Intercom 4.5 from 3,918 reviews, Zoho Desk 4.4 from 7,988 reviews. Intercom takes the round. | |
| Rounds won | 5 | Intercom wins | 1 |
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
- Zoho Desk
- $120
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Intercom wins 5–1.
Mid-size team
- Intercom
- $1,075
- Zoho Desk
- $400
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Intercom wins 5–1.
Large team
- Intercom
- $2,688
- Zoho Desk
- $1,000
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Intercom wins 5–1.
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; Zoho Desk Enterprise.
Tale of the tape
| Fin (formerly Intercom) | Made by | Zoho Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $29 per seat a month, billed annually | Paid plans from | $7 per user a month, billed annually (Express) |
| Essential | Plan we priced | Enterprise |
| $323 | 3 agents, AI on | $120 |
| $1,075 | 10 agents, AI on | $400 |
| $2,688 | 25 agents, AI on | $1,000 |
| $0.99 per outcome | AI agent price | Not published; uses Zia Agent credits with no published rate per reply; Included in Standard, Professional and Enterprise |
| Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social, SMS | Channels | Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social |
| No | Free plan | Up to 3 users with email ticketing |
| 14 days | Free trial | 15 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 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, SOC 2 + HIPAA Type 2 |
| US, EU and Australia hosting | Data hosting | Choice of US, EU (Amsterdam and Dublin), India, Australia, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore and China data centers |
| 4.5 (3,918) | G2 rating | 4.4 (7,988) |
| — | Capterra rating | 4.5 (2,216) |
Questions
Which is better, Intercom or Zoho Desk?
Intercom wins 5–1 at 10 agents (knockout). Intercom takes the bill, price tags, AI, desk basics and user verdict; Zoho Desk takes security.
Is Intercom cheaper than Zoho Desk?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Intercom comes to $1,075 a month and Zoho Desk to $400, from list prices. Intercom takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Intercom or Zoho Desk?
Intercom offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Zoho Desk offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Intercom takes the round.
