Compare Zendesk vs Intercom for Ecomm Businesses

If that’s not detailed enough, then surely their visitor browsing details will leave you surprised. This enables your operators to understand visitor intent faster and provide them with a personalized experience. While both Zendesk and Intercom offer ways to track your sales pipeline, each platform handles the process a bit differently. Zendesk and Intercom both have an editor preview feature that makes it easier to add images, videos, call-to-action buttons, and interactive guides to your help articles. In terms of pricing, Intercom is considered one of the hardest on your pocket.

Therefore, if you happen to have Zoho CRM and want to integrate your chat feature with it, you should go with Zendesk. It should be noted that Intercom can integrate with Zendesk, so if there are Zendesk products that you like, aside from the chat feature, you can still use those. Therefore, Intercom may be a better fit for larger businesses with multiple agents helping people. When a customer works with two agents and receives two different answers, they’re going to be very frustrated and won’t value the experience. Both Zendesk Chat and Intercom have similar features, but Intercom is more suited for small to mid-sized companies. It will also depend on the size of your business, how many features you’ll need to use, your budget, and how much support you need.

The ease of use and customization options play a significant role in the seamless integration of a customer support platform within existing business operations. Analyzing the user-friendliness and customizability of Zendesk and Intercom provides insights into their adaptability to diverse business environments. Yes, you can replace Zendesk with Intercom as both customer support platforms have a rich set of features and integrations. The Intercom vs. Zendesk pricing may be justified by the value-added services and minor features that they have for their all-in-one pricing.

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In this detailed comparison, we’ll explore the features and characteristics of Intercom and Zendesk, highlighting each of their unique capabilities, so you can identify the right solution for your needs. There are four different subscription packages you can choose from, all of which also have Essential, Pro, and Premium options for businesses of different sizes. You’d need to chat with Intercom sales team for get the costs for the Premium subscription, though. 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. Intercom stands out for its modern and user-friendly messenger functionality, which includes advanced features with a focus on automation and real-time insights. Its AI Chatbot, Fin, is particularly noted for handling complex queries efficiently.

Intercom, of course, allows its customer support team to collaborate and communicate too, but overall, Zendesk wins this group. Zendesk has many amazing team collaboration and communication features, like whisper mode, which lets multiple agents chime in to help each other without the customer knowing. There is also something called warm transfers, which let one rep add contextual notes to a ticket before transferring it to another rep. You also get a side conversation tool.

As Zendesk initially began as a help desk ticketing system, it’s no surprise that the platform makes tracking and managing customer inquiries seamless. Intercom’s ticketing system and help desk SaaS is also pretty great, just not as amazing as Zendesk’s. Their customer service management tools have a shared inbox for support teams. When you combine the help desk with Intercom Messenger, you get added channels for customer engagement.

Fin’s advanced algorithm and machine learning enable the precision handling of queries. Fin enables businesses to set new standards for offering customer service. In addition to all these features, Suite Growth Plan offers light agents, multilingual support, multiple ticket forms, and a self-service customer portal. Considering that Zendesk and Intercom are leading the market for customer service software, it becomes difficult for businesses to choose the right tool.

Intercom vs. Zendesk: Which Customer Support Solution is Right For Your Business?

On the other hand, Intercom is more focused on conversational customer support, and has more help desk features suited for live chat and messaging. Drift offers live chat software that allows real-time, personalized conversations between agents and customers. Drift also has automated support through AI-powered chatbots and knowledge base integrations. These self-service options help deflect tickets to make ticket queues more manageable. While both platforms focus on enhancing customer support, their approaches and specialized functionalities differ.

Omnichannel is an approach that makes it easier to communicate with customers across different channels. Learn how you can meet customers where they are and provide smooth, consistent experiences. Compare Intercom and Zendesk Chat based on their key features and functions to find the right one for your business. It is none other than the modern customer support software of Helpwise. Zendesk offers a basic plan that is affordable and will suit my needs.

Intercom allows visitors to search for and view articles from the messenger widget. Customers won’t need to leave your app or website to find the help they need.Zendesk, on the other hand, will redirect the customer to a new web page. Learn more about the differences between leading chat support solutions Intercom and Zendesk so that you can choose the right tool for your needs. It’s modern, it’s smooth, it looks great and it has so many advanced features.

It offers comprehensive customer data management and lead-tracking features. Some businesses may require supplemental products to meet specific needs. Intercom’s CRM utility is a solid foundation for managing customer relationships and sales in one platform. Both Zendesk and Intercom are customer support management https://chat.openai.com/ solutions that offer features like ticket management, live chat and messaging, automation workflows, knowledge centers, and analytics. Zendesk has traditionally been more focused on customer support management, while Intercom has been more focused on live support solutions like its chat solution.

months free on Zendesk

Both Zendesk and Intercom have AI capabilities that deserve special mention. Zendesk’s AI (Fin) helps with automated responses, ensuring your customers get quick answers. On the other hand, Intercom’s AI-powered chatbots and messaging are designed to enhance your marketing and sales efforts, giving you an edge in the competitive market. Pop-up chat, in-app messaging, and notifications are some of the highly-rated features of this live chat software. Zendesk is another popular customer service, support, and sales platform that enables clients to connect and engage with their customers in seconds. Just like Intercom, Zendesk can also integrate with multiple messaging platforms and ensure that your business never misses out on a support opportunity.

Well, I must admit, the tool is gradually transforming from a platform for communicating with users to a tool that helps you automate every aspect of your routine. So you see, it’s okay to feel dizzy when comparing Zendesk vs Intercom platforms. Intercom has more customization features for features like bots, themes, triggers, and funnels. Intercom primarily focuses on messaging but offers limited channel breadth compared to Zendesk, requiring paid add-ons for critical channels like WhatsApp. Customer analytics helps businesses deeply understand their audience to make smarter business decisions and improve CX.

In the duel between Zendesk vs Intercom, it seems that Zendesk chat rises slightly above Intercom. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Zendesk chat is right for your business. Our mission is to break apart what CRM is and means.Here we discuss anything that helps create more meaningful lasting work relationships.

Let us dive deeper into the offerings of Zendesk and Intercom to make a comparison at a glance. This comparison is going to help you understand the features of both tools. However, the best way to find the perfect match is to take a demo or a free trial. Support requests are managed as ongoing conversations rather than tickets which are shared via a unified inbox allowing multiple team members to share knowledge and solutions. For an area of focus as critical as customer support, it can mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a lost account. When it comes to customer support software, Zendesk is #1 in popularity and brand recognition.

From startups and small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to large enterprises, we have tons of customer-proof points to prove it. Zendesk is easy to set up and use, zendesk chat vs intercom so you can start using it from day one. It’s also highly customizable, with integrations that extend capability beyond CX, scaling with businesses of any size.

If you’re smaller more sales oriented startup with enough money, go Intercom. Zendesk, less user-friendly and with higher costs for quality vendor support, might not suit budget-conscious or smaller businesses. Test any of HelpCrunch pricing plans for free for 14 days and see our tools in action right away. Besides, Chat GPT the prices differ depending on the company’s size and specific needs. We conducted a little study of our own and found that all Intercom users share different amounts of money they pay for the plans, which can reach over $1000/mo. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. The price levels can even be much higher if we’re talking of a larger company.

• The ease of use and customization options play a significant role in the seamless integration of a customer support platform within existing business operations.
• This has helped to make Zendesk one of the most popular customer service software platforms on the market.
• And this, undoubtedly, leaves your customer support agents free to solve urgent matters.
• However, reading the reviews, it’s probably more accurate to say that Zendesk is “mixed” on customer support, whereas Intercom doesn’t have a stellar record.

The company was founded in 2007 and today serves over 170,000 customers worldwide. Zendesk’s mission is to build software designed to improve customer relationships. 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 Offers a More Robust Ticketing System than Intercom

This makes it an excellent choice if you want to engage with support and potential and existing customers in real time. 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. It also provides detailed reports on how each self-help article performs in your knowledge base and helps you identify how each piece can be improved further.

A lot can be gleaned from a customer support tool’s ticketing features. These features help support reps manage and organize support requests and ongoing communications so they are vital tools that will be used every day. While both tools offer top-of-field feature sets that can simplify your customer support processes dramatically, identifying which is right for you can take time and effort. Zendesk’s user face is quite intuitive and easy to use, allowing customers to quickly find what they are looking for. Additionally, the platform allows users to customize their experience by setting up automation workflows, creating ticket rules, and utilizing analytics.

You can add business rules to route customers to the right agent or round-robin routing for the first available agent. You can also configure the chat window to be displayed or hidden or automatically begin chats upon visitor arrival. That means we know which tools and capabilities agents need to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our guide to Intercom alternatives makes it easy to compare competitors so you can choose the perfect customer service software for your business.

Crisp offers multichannel software with various use cases, like sales and customer support. The platform allows users to tag, assign, and collaborate with other agents and departments from a centralized location, and provides agents with a real-time view of what visitors are typing. Agents can manage requests from channels like email, live chat, messaging, X (formerly known as Twitter), and text. Crisp includes bots, @mentions to tag agents within tickets, video and audio chat, and prewritten responses. Zoho offers a suite of tools across many use cases, including its customer service software, Zoho Desk. Its standard plan offers multichannel support for up to five channels and basic ticket management.

Head-to-Head Comparison

If I had to describe Intercom’s help desk, I would say it’s rather a complementary tool to their chat tools. It’s great, it’s convenient, it’s not nearly as advanced as the one by Zendesk. If you’re a huge corporation with a complicated customer support process, go Zendesk for its help desk functionality.

Essentially, Desku is not an option but a reliable replacement for Zendesk and Intercom that companies can rely on at lower costs and improved performance. If not, then you should because it will ease much of your workload as you would not have to waste your precious time in finding the helpdesk operator, plus zero management issues. To sum it all up, you need to consider various aspects of your business before choosing CRM software.

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. Businsses need to do a cost analysis whenever they select customer service software for their business. You cannot invest much in this software if you are a small business, as it would exceed the budget requirements. Zendesk offers fast time to value, especially at the enterprise level.

• If you’re a sales-oriented corporation, use Intercom for its automation options.
• Their reports are attractive, dynamic, and integrated right out of the box.
• Zendesk facilitates efficient ticketing, live chat, and knowledge base management, ensuring timely issue resolution.
• Intercom users will need to integrate a CRM externally, which can be inconvenient.
• With many Intercom alternatives to consider, our related guides make comparing them a cinch.

Compared to Intercom, Zendesk’s pricing starts at $49/month, which is still understandable but not meant for startups looking for affordable pricing plans. These plans are not inclusive of the add-ons or access to all integrations. Once you add them all to the picture, their existing plans can turn out to be quite expensive. The ProProfs Live Chat Editorial Team is a diverse group of professionals passionate about customer support and engagement. We update you on the latest trends, dive into technical topics, and offer insights to elevate your business.

This additional cost can be a considerable factor for businesses to consider when evaluating their customer support needs against their budget constraints. Choosing the right customer service platform is pivotal for enhancing business-client interactions. In this context, Zendesk and Intercom emerge as key contenders, each offering distinct features tailored to dynamic customer service environments. But keep in mind that Zendesk is viewed more as a support and ticketing solution, while Intercom is CRM functionality-oriented. Which means it’s rather a customer relationship management platform than anything else.

Zendesk AI is the intelligence layer that infuses CX intelligence into every step of the customer journey. In addition to being pre-trained on billions of real support interactions, our AI powers bots, agent and admin assist, and intelligent workflows that lead to 83 percent lower administrative costs. Customers have also noted that they can implement Zendesk AI five times faster than other solutions. The Zendesk Marketplace offers over 1,500 no-code apps and integrations. Customer expectations are already high, but with the rise of AI, customers are expecting even more.

If you seek a comprehensive customer support solution with a strong emphasis on traditional ticketing, Zendesk is a solid choice, particularly for smaller to mid-sized businesses. Intercom is praised as an affordable option with high customization capabilities, allowing businesses to create a personalized support experience. Although the interface may require a learning curve, users find the platform effective and functional. However, Intercom has fewer integration options than Zendesk, which may limit its capabilities for businesses seeking extensive integrations.

Low total cost of ownership

It really shines in its modern messenger interface, making real-time chat a breeze. Its multichannel support is more focused on engaging customers through its chat and messaging systems, including mobile carousels and interactive communication tools. However, compared to Zendesk, Intercom might not offer the same breadth in terms of integrating a wide range of external channels. While it excels in interactive and engaging communication, especially on mobile, some businesses might find its focus on chat-based interfaces limiting if they need extensive email or voice call support. Zendesk provides a holistic customer service solution built specifically for the customer experience whereas Intercom offers a vast CRM suite that isn’t as specialized in CX. Like Zendesk, Intercom offers an omnichannel customer service solution.

As a result, customers can implement the help desk software quickly—without the need for developers—and see a faster return on investment. Plus, our transparent pricing doesn’t have hidden fees or endless add-ons, so customers know exactly what they’re paying for and can calculate the total cost of ownership ahead of time. In comparison, Intercom’s confusing pricing structure that features multiple add-ons may be unsuitable for small businesses. Startups, SMBs, and enterprises from across various industries rely on Zendesk to help elevate their customer experience. Intercom’s full CRM suite offers many different use cases, rather than focusing on customer service and support.

Zendesk’s customer support is also very fast, though their live chat is only available for registered users. On one hand, Zendesk offers a great many features, way more than Intercom, but it lacks in-app messenger and email marketing tools. On the other hand, Intercom has all its (fewer) tools and features integrated with each other way better, which makes your experience with the tool as smooth as silk. Moreover, for users who require more dedicated and personalized support, Zendesk charges an additional premium. These premium support services can range in cost, typically between $1,500 and $2,800.

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. Whether Intercom is cheaper than Zendesk depends on your specific usage, feature requirements, and the number of users in your organization. See how leading multi-channel consumer brands solve E2E customer data challenges with a real-time customer data platform. Say what you will, but Intercom’s design and overall user experience are leaving all its competitors far behind.

Overall, Zendesk wins out on plan flexibility, especially given that it has a lower price plan for dipping your toes in the water. And considering how appropriate Zendesk is for larger companies, there’s a good chance you may need to take them up on that. Analytics features Intercom has is done through add-ons such as Google Analytics, Statbot, Microsoft Teams, and more.

Businesses also get access to a help center, social media for a single brand, and instant messaging through WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, and LINE. There is power to be realized in partnerships and the strategic combination of forces, and companies using chatbots for customer service can further enhance the CX, taking it to new heights. Netomi’s virtual agents sit alongside human agents to supplement and enhance the capacity of support teams, ensuring the seamless resolution of customer queries. Intercom also offers a few features that are unique to its platform – one of these being the ability to segment users based on their behavior. This means that you can send targeted messages to different groups of users based on how they interact with your product. Intercom also offers a suite of tools for customer support, including a knowledge base, a help center, and a community forum.

Our team is experienced in consolidating Zendesk instances and merging instances of other help desk and service desk systems. Zendesk chat vs Intercom offers similar chat features but still has a couple of differences. In any case, whether you choose Zendesk or Intercom, you have wide chatting possibilities. Both Zendesk and Intercom offer varying flavors when it comes to curating the whole customer support experience. While they like the ease of use this product offers its users, they’ve indeed rated them low in terms of services. Zendesk also offers a sales pipeline feature through its Zendesk Sell product.

Intercom feels more wholesome and is more client-success-oriented, but it can be too costly for smaller companies. If you thought Zendesk prices were confusing, let me introduce you to the Intercom charges. It’s virtually impossible to predict what you’ll pay for Intercom at the end of the day.

Lastly, the tool is easy to set up and implement, meaning no additional knowledge or expertise makes the businesses incur additional costs. 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. Selecting an ideal helpdesk software that suits your business needs is critical for the success of your customer support.

Unfortunately, you can’t calculate the price by yourself since Intercom hid its pricing table. Though, you can sum up the price together with the Intercom sales team accurately if you contact them. One study found that 67% of customers prefer calling an agent to help solve their queries.

Furthermore, evaluating the ease of implementation, ongoing maintenance requirements, and available support resources is vital in choosing a solution that aligns with your operational capabilities. By considering these aspects comprehensively, you can make an informed decision that enhances your ability to deliver exceptional customer experiences while effectively managing your support processes. Chatbots are automated customer support tools that can assist with low-level ticket triage and ticket routing in real-time. How easy it is to program a chatbot and how effective a chatbot is at assisting human reps is an important factor for this category. The best part about Zendesk is that, along with its amazing features, it also provides its users with a magical wand for customizing them. Whether it’s the ticketing system, knowledge base corner, or branding elements, you get the full right to use them as per your brand’s need.