Help Scout and Zendesk AI are both AI customer support platforms designed to assist in deflecting support tickets. Help Scout's AI customer support offering is priced at $765 per 1,000 tickets or chats and includes three usage tiers—Standard, Plus, and Pro—all without usage limits. However, it lacks some advanced features such as human handover, analytics/insights, and an AI email assistant. It does, however, provide email lead capture functionality.
Zendesk AI, on the other hand, is priced at $495 per 1,000 tickets or chats and offers usage tiers based on features. It includes more advanced capabilities such as human handover, analytics/insights, and an AI email assistant, in addition to email lead capture. These features may provide a more comprehensive AI customer support solution compared to Help Scout's offering.
| Feature | Help Scout | Zendesk AI | + My AskAI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offers AI Customer Support Features? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Offers AI Features for Support Agents? | No | Yes | Yes |
| AI Price Per 1,000 tickets/chats | $765 | $495 | $99 |
| Usage Tiers | Standard - no usage limit Plus - no usage limit Pro - no usage limit | Based on features | Essentials - 200 conversations/mo Pro - 1,000 conversations/mo Enterprise - Unlimited $0.10 per conversation beyond limits |
| Human Handover | No | Yes | Yes |
| Conversation Analytics/Insights | No | Yes | Yes |
| AI Email Assistant | No | Yes | Yes |
| Email Lead Capture | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Page | Help Scout pricing page | Zendesk AI pricing page | My AskAI pricing page |
| Content Limits | Standard - no content limit Plus - no content limit Pro - no content limit | TBC | Essentials - Unlimited webpages & documents Pro - Unlimited webpages & documents Enterprise - Unlimited webpages & documents Updated automatically |
| Number of Chatbots/Agents | Not provided | 1 | Essentials - 1 (2 modes: public and private) Pro - 1 (2 modes: public and private) Enterprise - Unlimited |
| Hosted Help Centre | Yes | Yes | No |
| Chatbot Flow Builder | No | Yes | No |
| Integrations (Content/Knowledge) | Not provided | Help Center | Websites Files (PDF, Docx, txt, CSV, pptx, mp3, mp4 (audio), xlsx) Google Drive Notion Confluence SharePoint Gitbook OneDrive Dropbox Zendesk Intercom Salesforce |
| Integrations (End Users) | Shopify Weebly Squarespace Wix Webflow | https://www.zendesk.com/marketplace/apps/ | Website Zendesk (app) Intercom (app) HubSpot (app) Slack (app) Teams (app) Zapier Tidio LiveChat Crisp SalesIQ (Zoho) Tawk Freshchat WhatsApp (via Intercom/Zendesk) Instagram (via Intercom/Zendesk) Messenger (via Intercom/Zendesk) X/Twitter (via Intercom/Zendesk) |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SOC-2 Compliant | Yes | Yes | No |
| Support | Support levels are consistent across plans, with all customers receiving timely and effective assistance. | Not provided | Essentials - Web, email Pro - Priority web, email, video Enterprise - Slack, Success manager |
| AI Models Available | AI Assist and AI Answers are powered by OpenAI's API service | GPT-4o | Essentials - GPT-4o Pro - GPT-4o Enterprise - GPT-4o/Claude/Gemini |
| API Access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
This analysis focuses on the AI customer support features ofHelp Scout,Zendesk AI, andMy AskAI. The primary aim is to understand how these platforms facilitate AI-driven customer support to deflect support tickets. Notably, My AskAI can be integrated within Help Scout or Zendesk AI, offering additional versatility.
Help Scoutdoes not offer native AI customer support features. In contrast,Zendesk AIandMy AskAIboth provide robust AI customer support functionalities. This makes Zendesk AI and My AskAI more suitable for businesses looking to automate and enhance their customer support through AI.
Similar to customer support features, Help Scout lacks AI features specifically designed for support agents. Both Zendesk AI and My AskAI offer these features, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of support teams.
When comparing the cost per 1,000 tickets or chats,Help Scoutdoes not apply as it lacks AI features.Zendesk AIis priced at $495, whereasMy AskAIoffers a significantly lower rate of $99, making it a more cost-effective solution for businesses.
Help Scout offers usage tiers without limits across its plans. Zendesk AI's pricing is feature-based. My AskAI provides clear usage tiers: Essentials (200 conversations/month), Pro (1,000 conversations/month), and Enterprise (unlimited), with an additional cost of $0.10 per conversation beyond these limits.
Both Zendesk AI and My AskAI support human handover, ensuring a seamless transition from AI to human agents when necessary. Help Scout does not offer this feature.
Zendesk AI and My AskAI both provide conversation analytics and insights, which are crucial for monitoring performance and improving customer interactions. Help Scout does not include this feature.
Zendesk AI and My AskAI both offer AI email assistants to manage and respond to customer emails efficiently. Help Scout lacks this capability.
All three platforms, including Help Scout, Zendesk AI, and My AskAI, offer email lead capture, aiding in lead generation and follow-up processes.
Help Scout and Zendesk AI do not impose content limits. My AskAI also offers unlimited content across all its plans, ensuring that users can manage extensive knowledge bases without restrictions.
Help Scout does not specify the number of chatbots or agents. Zendesk AI supports one chatbot, while My AskAI provides flexibility with one chatbot in Essentials and Pro plans and unlimited chatbots in the Enterprise plan.
Both Help Scout and Zendesk AI offer hosted help centers, which are not available with My AskAI. Users needing a hosted help center might prefer Help Scout or Zendesk AI.
Zendesk AI includes a chatbot flow builder, which is not available in Help Scout or My AskAI. This feature allows for customized chatbot interactions.
Help Scout's content/knowledge integrations are not specified. Zendesk AI integrates with its Help Center. My AskAI offers extensive integrations, including websites, various file types, Google Drive, Notion, Confluence, SharePoint, Gitbook, OneDrive, Dropbox, Zendesk, Intercom, and Salesforce.
Help Scout integrates with platforms like Shopify, Weebly, Squarespace, Wix, and Webflow. Zendesk AI has a marketplace for various integrations. My AskAI supports a wide range of integrations, including websites, Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot, Slack, Teams, Zapier, Tidio, LiveChat, Crisp, SalesIQ, Tawk, Freshchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and X/Twitter.
All three platforms are GDPR compliant. Help Scout and Zendesk AI are SOC-2 compliant, whereas My AskAI is not.
Help Scout offers consistent support across all plans. Zendesk AI's support levels are not specified. My AskAI provides tiered support: Essentials (web, email), Pro (priority web, email, video), and Enterprise (Slack, Success manager).
Help Scout's AI features are powered by OpenAI's API service, similar to Zendesk AI. My AskAI uses GPT-4o for Essentials and Pro plans, and offers options like GPT-4o, Claude, and Gemini for the Enterprise plan.
All three platforms, Help Scout, Zendesk AI, and My AskAI, provide API access, allowing for further customization and integration.
While Help Scout lacks native AI customer support features, Zendesk AI and My AskAI offer comprehensive AI functionalities. My AskAI stands out for its cost-effectiveness, extensive integrations, and flexible support options, making it a strong contender for businesses looking to enhance their customer support with AI capabilities.
