AI customer support agent features & capabilities compared: Zendesk AI vs. Help Scout
Zendesk AI and Help Scout both offer AI-driven customer support solutions aimed at deflecting support tickets. Zendesk AI is priced at $495 per 1,000 tickets or chats and provides a range of features including human handover, analytics and insights, an AI email assistant, and email lead capture. The platform's pricing is based on usage tiers, which are determined by the features included in each tier. This comprehensive feature set allows Zendesk AI to offer a robust solution for managing and deflecting customer inquiries efficiently.
On the other hand, Help Scout's AI customer support offering is priced at $765 per 1,000 tickets or chats. Unlike Zendesk AI, Help Scout offers standard, plus, and pro usage tiers without specific usage limits. However, it lacks some of the advanced features found in Zendesk AI, such as human handover, analytics and insights, and an AI email assistant. Help Scout does include email lead capture, though it does not provide the same level of automation and data-driven insights as Zendesk AI. This positions Help Scout as a more straightforward, albeit less feature-rich, alternative in the AI customer support market.
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Full breakdown: All available features and pricing
| Feature | Zendesk AI | Help Scout | + My AskAI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offers AI Customer Support Features? | Yes | No | Yes |
| Offers AI Features for Support Agents? | Yes | No | Yes |
| AI Price Per 1,000 tickets/chats | $495 | $765 | $99 |
| Usage Tiers | Based on features | Standard - no usage limit Plus - no usage limit Pro - no usage limit |
Essentials - 200 conversations/mo Pro - 1,000 conversations/mo Enterprise - Unlimited $0.10 per conversation beyond limits |
| Human Handover | Yes | No | Yes |
| Conversation Analytics/Insights | Yes | No | Yes |
| AI Email Assistant | Yes | No | Yes |
| Email Lead Capture | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Page | Zendesk AI pricing page | Help Scout pricing page | My AskAI pricing page |
| Content Limits | TBC | Standard - no content limit Plus - no content limit Pro - no content limit |
Essentials - Unlimited webpages & documents Pro - Unlimited webpages & documents Enterprise - Unlimited webpages & documents Updated automatically |
| Number of Chatbots/Agents | 1 | Not provided | 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 | Yes | No | No |
| Integrations (Content/Knowledge) | Help Center | Not provided | 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) | Zendesk AI marketplace / app store | Shopify Weebly Squarespace Wix Webflow |
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 | Not provided | Support levels are consistent across plans, with all customers receiving timely and effective assistance. | Essentials - Web, email Pro - Priority web, email, video Enterprise - Slack, Success manager |
| AI Models Available | GPT-4o | AI Assist and AI Answers are powered by OpenAI's API service | Essentials - GPT-4o Pro - GPT-4o Enterprise - GPT-4o/Claude/Gemini |
| API Access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Zendesk AI vs. Help Scout vs. My AskAI
AI Customer Support Features
Zendesk AI and My AskAI both offer comprehensive AI customer support features designed to deflect support tickets. Help Scout, however, does not provide AI customer support features, which makes it less suitable for organizations looking for AI-driven solutions.
AI Features for Support Agents
In terms of AI features for support agents, Zendesk AI and My AskAI both offer robust tools to assist support agents. Help Scout lacks these AI capabilities, which could be a limitation for teams looking to enhance agent efficiency through AI.
Pricing
Zendesk AI charges $495 per 1,000 tickets/chats, while Help Scout is priced at $765 for the same volume. My AskAI offers a more cost-effective solution at $99 per 1,000 tickets/chats, making it a more affordable option for businesses looking to integrate AI into their customer support.
Usage Tiers
Zendesk AI bases its pricing on features, while Help Scout offers three standard plans with no usage limits. My AskAI provides tiered pricing with the Essentials plan allowing 200 conversations per month, Pro plan allowing 1,000 conversations per month, and the Enterprise plan offering unlimited conversations. Additional conversations are priced at $0.10 each.
Human Handover
Both Zendesk AI and My AskAI support human handover, ensuring that complex issues can be escalated to human agents. Help Scout does not provide this feature, potentially limiting its effectiveness in handling more complicated customer inquiries.
Conversation Analytics/Insights
Conversation analytics and insights are available with Zendesk AI and My AskAI, enabling businesses to gain valuable insights from customer interactions. Help Scout does not offer these features, which could be a drawback for data-driven organizations.
AI Email Assistant
Both Zendesk AI and My AskAI include AI email assistants to streamline email communication. Help Scout does not offer an AI email assistant, which could affect productivity for teams heavily reliant on email support.
Email Lead Capture
All three platforms—Zendesk AI, Help Scout, and My AskAI—offer email lead capture capabilities, ensuring that potential customer inquiries can be converted into leads.
Content Limits
Help Scout offers unlimited content across all its plans. My AskAI also provides unlimited webpages and documents across all its plans, with automatic updates. Zendesk AI's content limits are to be confirmed (TBC).
Number of Chatbots/Agents
Zendesk AI supports one chatbot, while Help Scout does not specify the number of chatbots or agents. My AskAI provides one chatbot in both Essentials and Pro plans, with two modes (public and private), and unlimited chatbots in the Enterprise plan.
Hosted Help Centre
Both Zendesk AI and Help Scout offer hosted help centers, while My AskAI does not provide this feature.
Chatbot Flow Builder
Zendesk AI includes a chatbot flow builder, allowing for customized conversation flows. Help Scout and My AskAI do not offer this feature.
Integrations (Content/Knowledge)
Zendesk AI integrates with its Help Center. My AskAI offers extensive content and knowledge integrations, including websites, various file types, and platforms like Google Drive, Notion, Confluence, and more. Help Scout does not specify its content integration capabilities.
Integrations (End Users)
Zendesk AI has a marketplace for various app integrations. Help Scout integrates with platforms like Shopify, Weebly, and Squarespace. My AskAI provides extensive end-user integrations, including Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot, Slack, Teams, and various chat platforms.
Compliance
All three platforms—Zendesk AI, Help Scout, and My AskAI—are GDPR compliant. Zendesk AI and Help Scout are also SOC-2 compliant, while My AskAI is not.
Support
Help Scout offers consistent support across all plans. My AskAI provides tiered support, with Essentials offering web and email support, Pro offering priority web, email, and video support, and Enterprise offering support through Slack and a dedicated success manager. Zendesk AI does not specify its support options.
AI Models Available
Zendesk AI and My AskAI both utilize GPT-4o, with My AskAI also offering Claude and Gemini models in its Enterprise plan. Help Scout uses OpenAI's API service for its AI Assist and AI Answers.
API Access
All three platforms—Zendesk AI, Help Scout, and My AskAI—offer API access, enabling further customization and integration with other systems.
Conclusion
Zendesk AI and My AskAI both provide comprehensive AI customer support features, with My AskAI offering more cost-effective pricing and extensive integration options. Help Scout lacks AI customer support features, making it less competitive in this specific area.
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“At the end of last year I was given the challenge - how can we provide the same or better service, without hiring anyone?”
Zinc
“We needed an AI agent integrated within our current tools. My AskAI was the only solution that wasn't going to disrupt our operations.”
Zeffy
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Customer.io ($50M+ ARR)
“The difference was immediate. Customers get instant answers and our team can dedicate more time to solving complex problems"
Swytch Bike
