Intercom
by Intercom
A customer support inbox with an AI agent called Fin.
Best for Businesses that want website chat and an AI agent in one place
Paid plans from Essential: $19 per seat per month for new customers
AI directory · 5 tools
Customer support and chatbot tools for small businesses
Customer support tools collect questions from email and chat into one shared inbox. A small business can use them so no message is missed and answers stay consistent. Many now add an AI agent that answers common questions.
Key takeaways
- Most charge per agent or seat, and some add a fee for each AI answer.
- Tidio and Help Scout list a free plan, while others offer trials.
- AI add-ons are often billed separately from the base plan.
Customer support and chatbots at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intercom | Businesses that want website chat and an AI agent in one place | Not listed | Essential: $19 per seat per month for new customers |
| Zendesk | Teams that expect their support needs to grow | Not listed | Support Team: $19 per agent per month, billed yearly |
| Tidio | Small online shops and service sites | Yes | Starter: $24.17 per month |
| Freshdesk | Teams that want tickets and AI in one tool | Not listed | Growth: $19 per agent per month, billed yearly |
| Help Scout | Small teams that want a simple shared inbox | Yes | Standard: $25 per user per month |
Prices as listed on each vendor’s pricing page. Follow a tool’s page for its source.
The tools
Zendesk
by Zendesk
A full customer support platform with email, chat and AI agents.
Best for Teams that expect their support needs to grow
Paid plans from Support Team: $19 per agent per month, billed yearly
Tidio
by Tidio
Live chat and an AI chatbot for small business websites.
Best for Small online shops and service sites
Free plan, paid plans from Starter: $24.17 per month
Freshdesk
by Freshworks
A support ticket system with Freddy AI features.
Best for Teams that want tickets and AI in one tool
Paid plans from Growth: $19 per agent per month, billed yearly
Help Scout
by Help Scout
A shared inbox for customer email with simple AI helpers.
Best for Small teams that want a simple shared inbox
Free plan, paid plans from Standard: $25 per user per month
How to choose
- Count how many people will answer customers.
- Check how the AI agent is billed, per answer, per session or per conversation.
- Make sure the tool connects to the email and website chat you use.
- Run a trial with your real customer questions before you commit.
Head-to-head comparisons
Guides
Customer support and chatbots: common questions
Do I need customer support and chatbots software as a small business?
A shared inbox helps once more than one person answers customers. A chatbot helps when the same questions come in again and again.
How do customer support and chatbots tools charge for AI?
Vendors use different units such as an outcome, a resolution, a session or a conversation. Compare the unit on each pricing page before you estimate costs.
About the author
Andy Kang, AI Partner Team. Andy Kang writes the AI directory for AI Partner Team, which sets up and builds AI tools for small businesses alongside managed IT. Each page is written from the vendor’s own pricing, help and trust pages, and shows the day those pages were checked.
- Facts come from the vendor’s own website and help docs, linked on every page.
- Each page shows the date we last read those sources.
- We do not score or rank tools. We say who each one suits and who it does not.
- If a vendor does not publish a price, we say so instead of guessing.
Free IT check
Want customer support and chatbots set up for your team?
We reply within 1 business hour, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific.
Thanks. We have it.
We reply within 1 business hour, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific.