Intercom vs LiveAgent vs Zendesk: Expert’s Choice

Let’s examine and compare how each platform addresses these crucial areas to ensure effective support operations and data protection. The best thing about this plan is that it is eligible for an advanced AI add-on, has integrated community forums, side conversations, skill-based routing, and is HIPAA-enabled. Intercom zendesk chat vs intercom also provides fast time to value for smaller and mid-sized businesses with limitations for large-scale companies. It may have limited abilities regarding the scalability or support of an enterprise-level company. Thus, due to its limited agility, businesses with complex business models may not find it appropriate.

You can even save custom dashboards for a more tailored reporting experience. While some of these functionalities related to AI are included in the Zendesk suite, others are part of advanced AI add-ons. If agents want to offer their customers a great experience, they can spend an additional $50 to have the AI add-on. The pricing structure of Intercom is complex, making it difficult for Intercom users to understand their final costs. Intercom charges the price based on representative seats and people reached, with additional expenses for add-ons.

Zendesk and Intercom offer basic features, including live chat, a help desk, and a pre-built knowledge base. They have great UX and a normal pricing range, making it difficult for businesses to choose one, as both software almost looks similar in their offerings. Zendesk, just like its competitor, offers a knowledge base solution that is easy to customize. Their users can create a knowledge repository to create articles or edit existing ones as per the changes in the services or product.

Zendesk or Intercom: Team communication

Integration capabilities are vital for ensuring a smooth workflow across various business processes. Assessing how Zendesk and Intercom integrate with other systems and tools used within the organization is critical for achieving operational synergy and efficiency. Like Intercom, Zendesk complies with GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, PCI DSS and HIPPA regulations. Not only that, Zendesk provides detailed resources for customers to understand their compliance. The good thing is that Intercom offers customizable automated replies to visitor inquiries, acknowledging message receipt. However, the platform lacks an in-built display of the availability window.

In contrast, Intercom follows a pricing structure that can be straightforward for businesses looking for specific functionalities. However, it’s important to note that Intercom’s pricing can vary depending on factors such as the number of users, conversations, and additional features you require. In some cases, Zendesk may be considered a more cost-effective option compared to Intercom, particularly for businesses with smaller budgets or those looking for more predictable pricing. Services such as CallHippo, Ozonetel, Toky, Aircall Now are just a few of many more add-ons in lieu of call center tools built into the help desk software. Zendesk does not provide its customers with email marketing tools for the basic subscriptions at the time of writing. However, the add-on Customer Lists available for Professional and Enterprise subscriptions does have mass email options.

Top 10 Intercom Alternatives for Amazing Customer Support

There are several notable alternatives to Intercom in the customer support and engagement space, including Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, HubSpot, and Zoho Desk. There are several notable alternatives to Zendesk in the customer support and engagement space, including Intercom, Freshdesk, Help Scout, and Zoho Desk. Given that both of these platforms seem aimed at one sort of market or another, it shouldn’t surprise you that we might find a few gaps in the sorts of services they provide. But it’s also a given that many people will approach their reviews to Zendesk and Intercom with some specific missions in mind, and that’s bound to change how they feel about the platforms.

It is worthwhile to explore the features of both, prior to making a decision on which one you should use. The offers that appear on the website are from software companies from which CRM.org receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all software companies or all available software companies offers. However, this is somewhat subjective, and depending on your business needs and favorite tools, you may argue we got it all mixed up, and Intercom is truly superior. Some startups and small businesses may prefer one app, while large companies and enterprise operations will have their own requirements.

Our pick: Zendesk

Zendesk fully utilizes AI tools to enhance user experiences at every stage of the customer journey. Its AI chatbots leverage machine learning to gain a deeper understanding of customer interactions. If you want to get to the nitty-gritty of your customer service team’s performance, Zendesk is the way to go. Traditional ticketing systems are one of the major customer service bottlenecks companies want to solve with automation.

Every single bit of business SaaS in the world needs to leverage the efficiency power of workflows and automation. Customer service systems like Zendesk and Intercom should provide a simple workflow builder as well as many pre-built automations which can be used right out of the box. There is a simple email integration tool for whatever email provider you regularly use. This gets you unlimited email addresses and email templates in both text form and HTML. So, whether you’re a startup or a global giant, Zendesk’s got your back for top-notch customer support. Zendesk also allows Advanced AI and Advanced data privacy and protection plans, which cost $50 per month for each Advanced add-on.

The self-help resources offered by Intercom are also extensive, with a blog, help center, webinar, and vibrant community. However, one thing to note is that custom integration requires tech skills. Zendesk is also responsive to mobile devices; users can access it on the go. The best part is that the Intercom chatbot can detect language automatically and respond to inquiries accurately. With bot customization, Intercom has an edge since it allows the personalization of greetings and branching logic. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. It’s worth noting that Zendesk AI requires manual updates for improved effectiveness, unlike Intercom.

Find out why we recommend these two in this Intercom vs. Zendesk comparison. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block Chat GPT including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Boost your lead gen and sales funnels with Flows — no-code automation paths that trigger at crucial moments in the customer journey.

Zendesk, on the other hand, provides general visitor tracking on user engagements. However, unlike Intercom, the software offers granular reporting on metrics like bounce rate, referral sources, time on site, and more. The platform features a unified workspace with powerful tools for collaboration, ticket management, and voice calling. Hit the ground running — Master Tidio quickly with our extensive resource library. Learn about features, customize your experience, and find out how to set up integrations and use our apps. If you require a robust helpdesk with powerful ticketing and reporting features, Zendesk is the better choice, particularly for complex support queries.

Intercom’s focus on instant interactions and personalized engagement is particularly valuable for businesses prioritizing chat-first customer support and real-time communication. However, if you compare Zendesk vs Intercom chat in ease of use, the letter wins. Create a chatbot with minimal coding and customize it to your heart’s content. Both Zendesk and Intercom provide a campaign tool, live chat, and a knowledge base. We will compare those customer service solutions in terms of functionality and price. To begin with, putting Zendesk vs. Intercom “side by side” is a thankless job as software differs in functionality, price, and purposes.

However, it is a great option for businesses seeking efficient customer interactions, as its focus on personalized messaging compensates for its lack of features. Their help desk is a single inbox to handle customer requests, where your customer support agents can leave private notes for each other and automatically assign requests to the right people. Again, Zendesk has surpassed the number of reviewers when compared to Intercom. Some of the highly-rated features include ticket creation user experience, email to case, and live chat reporting. When you see pricing plans starting for $79/month, you should get a clear understanding of how expensive other plans can become for your business. What’s worse, Intercom doesn’t offer a free trial to its prospect to help them test the product before onboarding with their services.

The AI Copilot is limited to assisting ten conversations per support agent and for anything more, it costs $35 per month per agent. You can use the dashboards to understand customer journeys in-depth and identify areas of improvement. While it helps track some basic support metrics, Intercom’s strength lies in helping companies understand user behavior, product usage, and friction points along the journey. Intercom has more customization features for features like bots, themes, triggers, and funnels. You can even improve efficiency and transparency by setting up task sequences, defining sales triggers, and strategizing with advanced forecasting and reporting tools.

Their agent was always trying to convert me into a lead along the way, but heck, that’s a side effect of our job. As I’ve already mentioned, they started as a help desk/ticketing tool, and honestly, they perfected every bit of it over the years. As it turns, it’s quite difficult to compare Zendesk against Intercom as they serve different purposes and will fit different businesses. The three tiers—Suite Team, Suite Growth, and Suite Professional—also give you more options outside of Intercom’s static structure. Suite Team is more affordable than Intercom’s $79/month tier; Suite Professional is more expensive. Overall, Zendesk wins out on plan flexibility, especially given that it has a lower price plan for dipping your toes in the water.

Tracking the ticket progress enables businesses to track what part of the resolution customer complaint has reached. On the other hand, Intercom catches up with Zendesk on ticket handling capabilities but stands out due to its automation features. To sum things up, Zendesk is a great customer support oriented tool which will be a great choice for big teams with various departments.

Businesses also get access to a help center, social media for a single brand, and instant messaging through WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, and LINE. For instance, a customer inquiry about product availability can trigger an automated response providing real-time stock information within Zendesk. While Intercom does incorporate automated responses via chatbots, it doesn’t exhibit the same level of sophistication and versatility in its automation capabilities as Zendesk. Zendesk’s advanced automation features make it the preferred choice for businesses seeking to optimize their workflow and enhance customer support efficiency. If your organization aims to enhance customer engagement through live chat, in-app messaging, and proactive outreach, Intercom might serve as a viable alternative to Zendesk. To begin with, efficient customer relationship management is important these days.

It’s an invaluable tool for businesses aiming to enhance customer satisfaction, increase conversions, and build lasting relationships. Determining whether Zendesk is better than Intercom hinges on your unique customer support and engagement requirements. Zendesk provides limited customer support for its basic plan users, along with costly premium assistance options. On the other hand, Intercom is generally praised for its support features, despite facing challenges with its AI chatbot and the complexity of its help articles. However, there are occasional criticisms regarding the effectiveness of its AI chatbot and some interface navigation challenges. The overall sentiment from users indicates a satisfactory level of support, although opinions vary.

Direct to your Inbox

Its focus on sales and marketing ensures fast chat delivery in real-time with low latency issues. It also focuses on automation, offering advanced chatbot features to generate personalized engagements. Zendesk is a well-known all-in-one customer service platform that provides businesses with CRM, a help desk, and live chat. Conversely, Intercom has a shared inbox tool that routes conversations from every channel, including live chat, email, SMS, and more, into one place. However, it offers a limited channel scope compared to Zendesk, and users will have to get paid add-ons for channels like WhatsApp. While not included with its customer service suite, it offers a full-fledged standalone CRM called Zendesk Sell.

Intercom’s dashboards may not be as aesthetically pleasing as Zendesk’s, but they still allow users to navigate their tools with few distractions. As for Intercom’s general pricing structure, there are three plans, but you’ll have to contact them to get exact prices. When it comes to customer communication, Intercom has a perfect layout and customer information storage system. Based on such information, you can easily communicate with your customers and resolve their queries instantly. Its easy navigability allows you to switch between different sections smoothly.

Intercom, on the other hand, can be a complicated system, creating a steep learning curve for new users. But their support and quality is not as good, they feel like a new product even though they have been in business a while. You keep having to get around their bugs, which you can, it is just annoying. Finally, we also have some B2B customers (funeral homes) and expect this part of our business to grow significantly in 2021. Struck not in a bad way, more like in a very neutral ‘huh, this may be interesting’ way. All plans come with a 7-day free trial, and no credit card is required to sign up for the trial.

While no area of concern really stands out, there are some complaints about the company’s billing practices. But you also need to consider the fact that Intercom has many add-ons that cost extra, especially their AI features. Intercom, on the other hand, is a better choice for those valuing comprehensive and user-friendly support, despite minor navigation issues.

I tested both options (using Zendesk’s Suite Professional trial and Intercom’s Support trial) and found clearly defined differences between the two. Here’s what you need to know about Zendesk vs. Intercom as customer support and relationship management tools. Zendesk lacks in-app messages and email marketing tools, which are essential for big companies with heavy client support loads. Conversely, Intercom lacks ticketing functionality, which can also be essential for big companies. Zendesk also has an Answer Bot, instantly taking your knowledge base game to the next level. It can automatically suggest relevant articles for agents to share during business hours with clients, reducing your support agents’ workload.

• Services such as CallHippo, Ozonetel, Toky, Aircall Now are just a few of many more add-ons in lieu of call center tools built into the help desk software.
• It allows you to chat with visitors on your website and convert them into customers.
• Its AI chatbots leverage machine learning to gain a deeper understanding of customer interactions.
• Live chat is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to offer top-notch customer service in today’s digital landscape.
• Zendesk lacks in-app messages and email marketing tools, which are essential for big companies with heavy client support loads.
• The dashboard provides an overview of ticket volume, agent performance, and other key metrics.

Furthermore, data on customer reviews, installation numbers, and ecommerce integrations is not readily available. On the other hand, Intercom enables agents to convert a conversation into a ticket with one click. This helps support teams to resolve customer issues without losing context. If you own a business, you’re in a fierce battle to deliver personalized customer experiences that stand out. Your agents will love the seamless assistance Aura AI provides throughout the entire customer interaction.

Zendesk is among the industry’s best ticketing and customer support software, and most of its additional functionality is icing on the proverbial cake. Intercom, on the other hand, is designed to be more of a complete solution for sales, marketing, and customer relationship nurturing. Intercom offers reporting and analytics tools with limited capabilities for custom reporting, user behavior metrics, and advanced visualization.

You’d probably want to know how much it costs to get each platform for your business, so let’s talk money now. Leave your email below and a member of our team will personally get in touch to show you how Fullview can help you solve support tickets in half https://chat.openai.com/ the time. Now that we’ve covered a bit of background on both Zendesk and Intercom, let’s dive into the features each platform offers. Some of the links that appear on the website are from software companies from which CRM.org receives compensation.

Use ticketing systems to efficiently manage high ticket volume, deliver timely customer support, and boost agent productivity. Intercom is an all-in-one solution, and compared to Zendesk, Intercom has a less intuitive design and can be complicated for new users to learn. It also offers a confusing pricing structure and fewer integrations, making it less scalable and cost-effective.

When comparing Zendesk and Intercom, evaluating their core features and functionalities is essential to determine which platform best suits your organization’s customer support needs. Let’s explore how Zendesk and Intercom stack up in terms of basic functionalities required by a helpdesk software. Designed for all kinds of businesses, from small startups to giant enterprises, it’s the secret weapon that keeps customers happy. The Expert plan, which offers collaboration, real-time dashboard, security, and reporting tools for large teams, costs $139.

On the other hand, Zendesk’s customer database may not offer the same level of depth and richness as Intercom. It has very limited customization options in comparison to its competitors. Pricing for both services varies based on the specific needs and scale of your business. When comparing the automation and AI features of Zendesk and Intercom, both platforms come with unique strengths and weaknesses. Intercom also offers a 14-day free trial, after which customers can upgrade to a paid plan or use the basic free plan. Unlike Zendesk, the prices for Intercom are based on the number of seats and contacts, with each plan tailored to each customer, meaning that the pricing can be quite flexible.

With help centers in place, it’s easier for your customers to reliably find answers, tips, and other important information in a self-service manner. Live chat is quickly becoming an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to offer top-notch customer service in today’s digital landscape. This means, even when you choose a higher plan, you’ll be paying considerably less than what you would have to pay for Zendesk or intercom. Hivers offers round-the-clock proactive support across all its plans, ensuring that no matter the time or issue, expert assistance is always available. This 24/7 support model is designed to provide continuous, real-time solutions to clients, enhancing the overall reliability and responsiveness of Hivers’ services.

• Intercom does not offer a native call center tool, so it cannot handle calls through a cloud-based phone system or calling app on its own.
• You need an all-inclusive help desk to help fix complex customer service processes.
• But, if you just need a secure and quick data transfer, opt for Help Desk Migration.
• Zendesk provides an all-in-one customer service platform with a powerful help desk, live chat, and CRM.

So if an agent needs to switch from chat to phone to email (or vice versa) with a customer, it’s all on the same ticketing page. There’s even on-the-spot translation built right in, which is extremely helpful. As a rule, Intercom reviews are positive as many users praise the interface, the ease of use, and the deployment of the software. However, some users remarked that a developer is needed to properly install the software or run the risks of problems in the future. The Intercom Messenger, in particular, performs well Chat PG compared to the Zendesk alternative.

What sets Zendesk apart is its user-friendly interface, customizable workflows, and scalability. It caters to a wide range of industries, particularly excelling in e-commerce, SaaS, technology, and telecommunications. It is favored by customer support, helpdesk, IT service management, and contact center teams. Kayako offers a help desk solution with a shared inbox that helps teams manage customer requests. Kayako offers a unified workspace, SingleView, that consolidates customer requests, data, order history, self-service activity, and email conversations.

It’s important to choose the right customer service software for your business. With many Intercom alternatives to consider, our related guides make comparing them a cinch. Businesses may configure the activity dashboard to provide insight into website visitors, page views, and chat details. Users can surface historical data and real-time metrics and compare them visually with graphs and charts. The platform also integrates with some third-party apps to help businesses increase its capabilities. That means we know which tools and capabilities agents need to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Intercom has a dark mode that I think many people will appreciate, and I wouldn’t say it’s lacking in any way. But I like that Zendesk just feels slightly cleaner, has easy online/away toggling, more visual customer journey notes, and a handy widget for exploring the knowledge base on the fly. Intercom live chat is modern, smooth, and has many advanced features that other chat tools lack. It’s also highly customizable, so you can adjust it according to the style of your website or product. So when it comes to chatting features, the choice is not really Intercom vs Zendesk.

In the realm of user-friendliness, Zendesk clearly emerges as the superior choice. Picking customer service software to run your business is not a decision you make lightly. Formerly known as Insights, Zendesk now uses Explore to provide analytics to help businesses tailor their services to increase customer satisfaction. Intercom is an excellent alternative offering proactive support through customizable chatbots and a help desk. Zendesk provides an extensive integration stack of 1000+ pre-built and third-party systems.

Instead, they offer a product demo when prospects reach out to learn more about their pricing structure. Welcome to another blog post that helps you gauge which live chat solution is compatible with your customer support needs. You can use this support desk to help customers or you can forward potential new users to your sales department.

The right features and capabilities empower agents to take their customer service game to the next level. Check out our chart that lets you compare alternatives to Intercom at a glance. If you are looking for a comprehensive customer support solution with a wide range of features, Zendesk is a good option. Streamline support processes with Intercom’s ticketing system and knowledge base. Efficiently manage customer inquiries and empower customers to find answers independently. So, get ready for an insightful journey through the landscapes of Zendesk and Intercom, where support excellence converges with AI innovation.

Plus, Zendesk’s integration with various channels ensures customers can always find a convenient way to reach out. Intercom, on the other hand, offers more advanced automation features than Zendesk. Its automation tools help companies see automated responses and triggers based on the customer journey and response time.

It’s known for its unified agent workspace which combines different communication methods like email, social media messaging, live chat, and SMS, all in one place. This makes it easier for support teams to handle customer interactions without switching between different systems. Both tools can be quite heavy on your budget since they mainly target big enterprises and don’t offer their full toolset at an affordable price. Zendesk, on the other hand, is another top customer service platform that uses strong security steps to keep customer data safe. Ultimately, it’s important to consider what features each platform offers before making a decision, as well as their pricing options and customer support policies.

However, the right fit for your business will depend on your particular needs and budget. If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution with lots of features and integrations, then Zendesk would be a good choice. On the other hand, if you need something that is more tailored to your customer base and is less expensive, then Intercom might be a better fit.

This enables them to speed up the support process and build experiences that customers like. Intercom generally receives positive feedback for its customer support, with users appreciating the comprehensive features and team-oriented tools. Higher-tier plans in Zendesk come packed with advanced functionalities such as chatbots, customizable knowledge bases, and performance dashboards. These features can add significant value for businesses aiming to implement more sophisticated support capabilities as they scale. Zendesk is renowned for its comprehensive toolset that aids in automating customer service workflows and fine-tuning chatbot interactions.

According to one user, it has “too many apps and products” that need to be consolidated and simplified. Customerly’s customer experience management system offers tools that blend automation with human support. Though it doesn’t offer an omnichannel workspace, it does have a shared inbox that provides agents with information in one place.

Use ticketing systems to manage the influx and provide your customers with timely responses. When it comes to advanced workflows and ticketing systems, Zendesk boasts a more full-featured solution. Due to our intelligent routing capabilities and numerous automated workflows, our users can free up hours to focus on other tasks. Intercom’s integration capabilities are limited, and some apps don’t integrate well with third-party customer service technology. This can make it more difficult to import CRM data and obtain complete context from customer data. Intercom distinguishes itself by excelling in real-time customer engagement.

The compared vendors share a strategy of delivering their services as either separate add-ons or all-in-one tools. Whether you’ve just started searching for a customer support tool or have been using one for a while, chances are you know about Zendesk and Intercom. The former is one of the oldest and most reliable solutions on the market, while the latter sets the bar high in terms of innovative and out-of-the-box features. Powered by Explore, Zendesk’s reporting capabilities are pretty impressive. Right out of the gate, you’ve got dozens of pre-set report options on everything from satisfaction ratings and time in status to abandoned calls and Answer Bot resolutions.

Intercom offers a unique pricing model based on the number of people you engage with, which includes both customers and team members. On the other hand, Zendesk offers plans based on the number of support agents, making it more suitable for businesses that have a dedicated support team. In this article, we will explore the key differences between Intercom and Zendesk, two popular customer support platforms. Both Intercom and Zendesk offer a range of features to help businesses manage customer interactions, but there are some distinct differences between the two. Intercom’s solution aims to streamline high-volume ticket influx and provide personalized, conversational support.

One of the most significant downsides of Intercom is its customer support. Existing customers have complained consistently about how they aren’t available at the right time to offer support to customers. There are even instances where customers don’t receive the first response in more than seven days. Compared to Intercom, Zendesk’s pricing starts at $49/month, which is still understandable but not meant for startups looking for affordable pricing plans.

This feature is browser-based, so you don’t need additional software or hardware. This is an AI assistant that will help anyone navigate Guide by providing results as you type your query. The bot also ensures that the customer or employee will find the right article before contacting an agent.

Analytics features Intercom has is done through add-ons such as Google Analytics, Statbot, Microsoft Teams, and more. For large-scale businesses, the budget for such investments is usually higher than for startups, but they need to analyze if the investment is worth it. You can either track your performance on a pre-built dashboard or customize and build one for yourself. This customized dashboard will help you see metrics that you’d like to focus on regularly. If that’s not detailed enough, then surely their visitor browsing details will leave you surprised.

It enables you to streamline all incoming customer queries, and ensure your support team is equipped to provide prompt, efficient solutions. Zendesk is among the industry’s best ticketing and customer support software, and most of its additional functionality is icing on the proverbial cake. The Zendesk chat tool has most of the necessary features, like shortcuts (saved responses), automated triggers, and live chat analytics. Why don’t you try something equally powerful yet more affordable, like HelpCrunch? Once you add live chat to your website, your visitors will be able to reach you through the chat widget.

Intercom’s AI capabilities extend beyond the traditional chatbots; Fin is renowned for solving complex problems and providing safer, accurate answers. Fin’s advanced algorithm and machine learning enable the precision handling of queries. Fin enables businesses to set new standards for offering customer service. Zendesk’s customer support is also very fast, though their live chat is only available for registered users. ProProfs Live Chat Editorial Team is a passionate group of customer service experts dedicated to empowering your live chat experiences with top-notch content. With our commitment to quality and integrity, you can be confident you’re getting the most reliable resources to enhance your customer support initiatives.

Besides that, Zendesk offers a native bot that delivers smart suggestions to agents when resolving customer inquiries. One of its standout features is the help desk that links the shared inbox, tickets, and help center in an AI-enhanced workspace. Customerly’s Helpdesk is designed to boost efficiency and collaboration with the help of AI.

Zendesk offers its users consistently high ROI due to its comprehensive product features, firm support, and advanced customer support, automation, and reporting features. It allows businesses to streamline operations and workflows, improving customer satisfaction and eventually leading to increased revenues, which justifies the continuous high ROI. When it comes to utility, Zendesk’s utility may not be as robust as a pure CRM solution. However, customers do have the option to go to Zendesk Sell for a more robust experience. However, businesses must choose between Zendesk vs Intercom based on their needs and requirements.