Bouts / LiveAgent vs Zendesk
LiveAgent vs Zendesk
Red cornerLiveAgent
$15 per agent a month, billed annually, or $19 month to month (Small business)
Blue cornerZendesk
$19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team)
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.
Zendesk wins 4–1 at 10 agents (clear win). LiveAgent takes user verdict; Zendesk takes the bill, AI, desk basics and security; one round is even.
The judges' card
| Round | LiveAgent | What happened | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | At 10 agents with AI on: LiveAgent $150 (an AI price is not public), Zendesk $2,250 a month. Zendesk's bill is complete and the other is not, so Zendesk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 2Price tags | = | Both offer AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits. Even. | = |
| Round 3AI | Zendesk offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; LiveAgent offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Zendesk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 4Desk basics | Zendesk offers every channel natively, skills-based routing and 300+ integrations; LiveAgent offers all that plus phone and messaging apps. Zendesk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 5Security | Zendesk offers SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, plus EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA or a no-training promise; LiveAgent offers security claims without audit reports. Zendesk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 6User verdict | W | On G2: LiveAgent 4.5 from 1,537 reviews, Zendesk 4.3 from 7,095 reviews. LiveAgent takes the round. | |
| Rounds won | 1 | Zendesk wins, 1 even | 4 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- LiveAgent
- $45
- Zendesk
- $675
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Zendesk wins 4–1.
Mid-size team
- LiveAgent
- $150
- Zendesk
- $2,250
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Zendesk wins 4–1.
Large team
- LiveAgent
- $375
- Zendesk
- $5,625
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Zendesk wins 4–1.
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: LiveAgent Small business; Zendesk Suite Professional.
Tale of the tape
| Quality Unit | Made by | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $15 per agent a month, billed annually, or $19 month to month (Small business) | Paid plans from | $19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team) |
| Small business | Plan we priced | Suite Professional |
| $45 | 3 agents, AI on | $675 |
| $150 | 10 agents, AI on | $2,250 |
| $375 | 25 agents, AI on | $5,625 |
| Billed in FlowHunt credits: €50 a month for 50 credits, €120 for 120, €500 for 500; no USD price published | AI agent price | $1.50 per automated resolution committed, $2.00 pay as you go |
| Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social | Channels | Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social, SMS |
| No | Free plan | No |
| 30 days | Free trial | 14 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| None published | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, FedRAMP Low, HDS |
| US-only or Europe-only hosting, with AWS regions in Germany, Ireland, Northern California and Singapore | Data hosting | US, EEA and Asia Pacific data centers, with region choice through the Data Center Location add-on |
| 4.5 (1,537) | G2 rating | 4.3 (7,095) |
| 4.7 (1,789) | Capterra rating | 4.4 (4,094) |
Questions
Which is better, LiveAgent or Zendesk?
Zendesk wins 4–1 at 10 agents (clear win). LiveAgent takes user verdict; Zendesk takes the bill, AI, desk basics and security; one round is even.
Is LiveAgent cheaper than Zendesk?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, LiveAgent comes to $150 a month and Zendesk to $2,250, from list prices. Zendesk takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, LiveAgent or Zendesk?
Zendesk offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; LiveAgent offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Zendesk takes the round.
