Bouts / Salesforce Service Cloud vs Zendesk
Salesforce Service Cloud vs Zendesk
Red cornerSalesforce Service Cloud
$25 per user a month on Starter Suite, billed monthly or annually
Blue cornerZendesk
$19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team)
Salesforce Service Cloud: Salesforce renamed Service Cloud to Agentforce Service in October 2025 and went back to the Service Cloud name in September 2026; current editions are Starter Suite, Pro Suite, Core, Advanced and Max.
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.
Salesforce Service Cloud wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Salesforce Service Cloud takes security and user verdict; Zendesk takes the bill; 3 rounds are even.
The judges' card
| Round | Salesforce Service Cloud | What happened | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | At 10 agents with AI on: Salesforce Service Cloud $6,200, Zendesk $2,250 a month. Zendesk is 64% cheaper and 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 | = | 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 | W | Salesforce Service Cloud offers SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA and a no-training promise; Zendesk offers SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, plus EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA or a no-training promise. Salesforce Service Cloud takes the round. | |
| Round 6User verdict | W | On G2: Salesforce Service Cloud 4.4 from 8,437 reviews, Zendesk 4.3 from 7,095 reviews. Salesforce Service Cloud takes the round. | |
| Rounds won | 2 | Salesforce Service Cloud wins, 3 even | 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
- Salesforce Service Cloud
- $1,860
- Zendesk
- $675
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Salesforce Service Cloud wins 2–1.
Mid-size team
- Salesforce Service Cloud
- $6,200
- Zendesk
- $2,250
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Salesforce Service Cloud wins 2–1.
Large team
- Salesforce Service Cloud
- $15,500
- Zendesk
- $5,625
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Salesforce Service Cloud wins 2–1.
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: Salesforce Service Cloud Advanced; Zendesk Suite Professional.
Tale of the tape
| Salesforce | Made by | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $25 per user a month on Starter Suite, billed monthly or annually | Paid plans from | $19 per agent a month, billed annually (Support Team) |
| Advanced | Plan we priced | Suite Professional |
| $1,860 | 3 agents, AI on | $675 |
| $6,200 | 10 agents, AI on | $2,250 |
| $15,500 | 25 agents, AI on | $5,625 |
| $2 per resolution; $2 per conversation; $500 per 100,000 credits | AI agent price | $1.50 per automated resolution committed, $2.00 pay as you go |
| Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, SMS, Social | Channels | Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social, SMS |
| No | Free plan | No |
| 30 days | Free trial | 14 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, PCI DSS, HITRUST | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 42001, FedRAMP Low, HDS |
| Service Cloud data can be hosted in Europe and other regions, including on Hyperforce | Data hosting | US, EEA and Asia Pacific data centers, with region choice through the Data Center Location add-on |
| 4.4 (8,437) | G2 rating | 4.3 (7,095) |
| 4.5 (832) | Capterra rating | 4.4 (4,094) |
Questions
Which is better, Salesforce Service Cloud or Zendesk?
Salesforce Service Cloud wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Salesforce Service Cloud takes security and user verdict; Zendesk takes the bill; 3 rounds are even.
Is Salesforce Service Cloud cheaper than Zendesk?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Salesforce Service Cloud comes to $6,200 a month and Zendesk to $2,250, from list prices. Zendesk takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Salesforce Service Cloud or Zendesk?
Both offer an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting. Even.
