---
title: "How much does AI customer service cost? (2026 guide)"
description: "AI customer service costs about $120 to over $1,100 a month for 1,000 AI conversations. Per-seat, per-resolution and per-conversation pricing, with sources."
url: https://dazza.io/guides/ai-customer-service-cost
---

# How much does AI customer service cost?

AI customer service costs from about $120 to over $1,100 a month for a team of five handling 1,000 AI conversations, depending on whether the vendor charges per seat, per resolution or per conversation. Every figure below comes from the vendor’s own pricing page, checked on 27 October 2026.

- **3**: Ways vendors charge
- **$0.99**: Intercom, per AI outcome
- **$1.50**: Zendesk, per AI resolution
- **$0.15**: Dazza, per extra conversation

## Three ways vendors charge.

Most AI customer service is priced per seat, per resolution, per conversation, or a mix. The mix decides the bill more than the headline price.

### Per seat

You pay for each person who works the inbox, every month, however busy the AI is. Most helpdesks then charge for the AI on top.

- [Intercom: $29 to $132 a seat](https://www.intercom.com/pricing)
- [Zendesk Suite: $55 to $115 an agent](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/)
- [Freshdesk: $19 to $89 an agent](https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/)

*Billed yearly, a month*

### Per resolution or outcome

You pay when the AI resolves a conversation without a person. Hand-offs cost nothing extra, and the bill rises as the AI gets better.

- [Intercom Fin: $0.99 per outcome](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/8205718-fin-ai-agent-resolutions)
- [Zendesk: $1.50 committed, $2.00 pay as you go](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/)
- [Tidio Premium: pay per resolution, on request](https://www.tidio.com/pricing/)

*On top of seats*

### Per conversation

You pay for each conversation the AI handles, resolved or not, usually with an allowance in the plan. Some vendors meter sessions, message credits or tokens instead.

- [Dazza: 300 to 6,000 included, then $0.11 to $0.19](https://dazza.io/pricing)
- [Freshdesk Freddy: $49 per 100 sessions](https://crmsupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000004664-freddy-ai-agent-sessions-faqs)
- [Crisp Hugo: tokens, about $0.05 to $0.10](https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/hugo-pricing-billing-explained-h78hkv/)

*Seats usually included*

## Pay when it works, or pay for the work?

Per resolution sounds fairer. The catch is the price per resolution is several times the price per conversation.

Per-resolution pricing charges only when the AI resolves a conversation without a person, so hand-offs cost nothing. Per-conversation pricing charges for every conversation the AI handles, resolved or not. Because a resolution costs $0.99 to $2.00 and a conversation on Dazza costs $0.15 beyond the plan, per resolution is only cheaper when the AI resolves very little.

Ignoring seats, Intercom Fin costs more per AI conversation than Dazza’s extra rate once Fin resolves more than about 15% of conversations. For Zendesk at $1.50, the line is 10%. Per conversation also keeps the bill predictable: it follows how many customers write, not how well the AI did.

Cost per AI conversation, before seats and allowances.

| Resolved by the AI | 30% | 60% | 80% |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Intercom Fin, $0.99 per outcome | **$0.30** | **$0.59** | **$0.79** |
| Zendesk, $1.50 per resolution | **$0.45** | **$0.90** | **$1.20** |
| Dazza Growth, $0.15 per extra conversation | **$0.15** | **$0.15** | **$0.15** |

Per resolution suits a team whose AI resolves little, or that wants a light layer in front of a large human team. Sources: [Fin outcomes](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/8205718-fin-ai-agent-resolutions), [Zendesk pricing](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), [Dazza pricing](https://dazza.io/pricing).

## A month at four volumes.

The cheapest published price for each vendor at 300, 1,000, 3,000 and 6,000 AI conversations a month, from its own pricing page.

- 1,000 AI conversations a month, 5 people on the team, and the AI resolves 60% of conversations without a person.
- Prices in US dollars, excluding tax, on each vendor’s cheapest plan that fits, billed yearly where the vendor publishes a yearly price.
- Intercom and Zendesk charge for resolved conversations only. Freshdesk counts one AI session per conversation. Chatbase uses 3 AI replies a conversation at 2 credits each, as on Claude Sonnet 5.5. Crisp’s AI cost uses its own estimate of $0.05 to $0.10 a conversation.
- Tidio shows no Lyro price above 50 conversations, so its figure uses the lowest rate it quotes, $0.50 a conversation, and is the least it would cost.

A month in US dollars, excluding tax, for 5 people with 60% resolved by the AI.

| Vendor | 300 a month | 1,000 a month | 3,000 a month | 6,000 a month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dazza, billed yearly | **$41** on Starter | **$124** on Growth | **$349** on Growth | **$374** on Scale |
| Crisp Hugo, billed monthly | **$95–$100** on Essentials | **$120–$170** on Essentials | **$220–$370** on Essentials | **$370–$670** on Essentials |
| Chatbase, billed yearly | **$400** on Business | **$400** on Business | **$520** on Business | **$1,240** on Business |
| Tidio Lyro, as shown, yearly | **$199+** on Growth | **$549+** on Growth | **Custom** | **Custom** |
| Freshdesk Freddy AI Agent, billed yearly | **$242** on Growth | **$585** on Growth | **$1,565** on Growth | **$3,035** on Growth |
| Intercom Fin, billed yearly | **$323** on Essential | **$739** on Essential | **$1,927** on Essential | **$3,709** on Essential |
| Zendesk AI agents, billed yearly | **$508** on Suite Team | **$1,138** on Suite Team | **$2,938** on Suite Team | **$5,638** on Suite Team |

The cheapest in each column is highlighted, counting a range at its midpoint. Dazza Starter, at 300 conversations, is web chat only; email and messaging apps start on Growth. Billed monthly, Dazza is $49, $149, $374 and $449. Tidio goes custom above 1,000 Lyro conversations. See every vendor’s numbers on its comparison page: [Intercom](https://dazza.io/compare/intercom-fin), [Zendesk](https://dazza.io/compare/zendesk-ai-agents), [Freshdesk](https://dazza.io/compare/freshdesk-freddy-ai), [Tidio](https://dazza.io/compare/tidio-lyro), [Chatbase](https://dazza.io/compare/chatbase) and [Crisp](https://dazza.io/compare/crisp-hugo).

## What the pricing card leaves out.

Six things that change the real bill. Check each before you sign.

### Seats

Per-seat plans charge for everyone in the inbox: five people on Zendesk Suite Team are $275 a month before any AI. Chatbase caps members at 2, 3 or 5 by plan, and Tidio at 10 below Plus. Dazza includes unlimited seats.

### AI add-ons

Copilots for your team cost extra: $29 an agent a month on Intercom’s pricing page and on Freshdesk Pro and above, and $50 on Zendesk Professional and above. Dazza’s team copilot is on every plan.

### Channel fees

Intercom bills SMS, WhatsApp and phone pay as you go, and Crisp adds WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS from Essentials. Dazza connects your own WhatsApp and Twilio accounts, so Meta and Twilio bill you directly for any message fees.

### Branding removal

Chatbase charges $1,188 a year to remove its branding, Tidio $16.67 a month, and Crisp removes it only on Plus, at $295 a month. “Powered by Dazza” can’t be removed on any plan.

### Minimums and one-off allowances

Fin with another helpdesk has a 50-outcome monthly minimum. Freshdesk’s 500 free sessions and Lyro’s 50 free conversations come once, so the first month costs less than the rest.

### When the allowance runs out

Chatbase’s agent goes unavailable when credits run out, and Hugo hands every conversation to your team unless pay as you go is on. Dazza keeps answering and bills extra conversations at your plan’s rate.

## AI customer service cost, answered.

Compare one vendor in depth: [Intercom Fin](https://dazza.io/compare/intercom-fin), [Zendesk](https://dazza.io/compare/zendesk-ai-agents) or [Crisp Hugo](https://dazza.io/compare/crisp-hugo). Or see [Dazza pricing](https://dazza.io/pricing).

### How much does an AI chatbot cost a month?

Entry plans with AI included start at about $33 to $50 a month: Tidio Lyro from $32.50 for 50 AI conversations (as shown with yearly billing), Chatbase $40, Crisp $45 and Dazza $49 (£39). For five people and 1,000 AI conversations a month, published prices run from about $120 to over $1,100.

### What is per-resolution pricing?

The vendor charges each time its AI resolves a conversation without a person: $0.99 per outcome on Intercom Fin, and $1.50 to $2.00 per automated resolution on Zendesk. Conversations handed to a person aren’t charged.

### Is per-resolution or per-conversation pricing cheaper?

It depends on how much the AI resolves. Ignoring seats, Fin’s $0.99 per outcome costs more than Dazza’s $0.15 per extra conversation once Fin resolves more than about 15% of conversations; for Zendesk at $1.50 the line is 10%.

### What does Dazza cost?

Starter is £39 a month for 300 conversations, Growth £119 for 1,500 and Scale £349 for 6,000 ($49, $149 and $449), with unlimited seats on every plan. Billed yearly, two months are free. Start with 14 days and 100 conversations, no card. See [pricing](https://dazza.io/pricing).

### Does Dazza charge for conversations it hands to a person?

Yes, once. A conversation counts when Dazza replies, whether it ends resolved or with your team. Preview chats, threads only your team answers and spam Dazza skips are free.

### Why are some prices ranges, or marked +?

Crisp bills Hugo on tokens and estimates $0.05 to $0.10 a conversation, so its month is a range. Tidio shows no Lyro price above 50 conversations, so its figure is the least it would cost at the lowest rate Tidio quotes.

## Prices checked 27 October 2026.

Every competitor price and feature on this page comes from the vendor’s own page. Prices change, so check before you buy, and tell us if something here is out of date. [Contact us](https://dazza.io/contact).

- [Dazza pricing](https://dazza.io/pricing)
- [Intercom pricing](https://www.intercom.com/pricing)
- [Fin pricing](https://fin.ai/pricing)
- [Intercom help: Fin AI Agent outcomes](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/8205718-fin-ai-agent-resolutions)
- [Zendesk pricing](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/)
- [Zendesk help: automated resolutions](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5352026794010-About-automated-resolutions-for-AI-agents)
- [Freshdesk pricing](https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/)
- [Freshworks help: Freddy AI Agent sessions](https://crmsupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000004664-freddy-ai-agent-sessions-faqs)
- [Tidio pricing](https://www.tidio.com/pricing/)
- [Tidio Lyro AI Agent](https://www.tidio.com/lyro/)
- [Chatbase pricing](https://www.chatbase.co/pricing)
- [Chatbase docs: message credits](https://www.chatbase.co/docs/faq/faq)
- [Crisp pricing](https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/)
- [Crisp help: Hugo pricing and billing](https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/hugo-pricing-billing-explained-h78hkv/)