Zendesk vs Intercom
Both sit in customer support. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: both start at the same $19 a month — Zendesk on Support Team, Intercom on Essential. Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Zendesk
zendesk.com
Omnichannel ticketing across email, chat, voice and social with heavy reporting, routing and SLA tooling. The default for larger support organisations.
Intercom
intercom.com
Live chat, help centre, product tours and Fin — an AI agent that resolves a large share of conversations before a human sees them. Priced per seat plus per resolution.
| Zendesk | Intercom | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $19/mo | $19/mo |
| Entry plan | Support Team | Essential |
| Paid annually | $19/mo | $19/mo |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 21 Sept 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free trial |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Category | Customer Support | Customer Support |
| Around since | 2007 | 2011 |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Zendesk vs Intercom, answered
- Is Zendesk cheaper than Intercom?
- Neither. Both start at $19 a month at the entry tier.
- Do Zendesk or Intercom have a free plan?
- Neither publishes an ongoing free plan. Check each vendor for a trial.
- What is the difference between Zendesk and Intercom?
- Zendesk: Omnichannel ticketing across email, chat, voice and social with heavy reporting, routing and SLA tooling. The default for larger support organisations. Intercom: Live chat, help centre, product tours and Fin — an AI agent that resolves a large share of conversations before a human sees them. Priced per seat plus per resolution.
