kitio.aiZendesk vs Crisp
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Zendesk has the lower starting price: about $25 a month, against $45 for Crisp.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Omnichannel ticketing
- Autonomous AI agents
- Agent copilot
- Zendesk QA
- Help center and community
- Website live chat
- Omnichannel inbox
- AI agent from your docs
- Knowledge base
- Co-browsing
| Feature | Zendesk | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Help desk and AI agents for customer and employee service teams | Customer messaging inbox with live chat and an AI chatbot |
| Category | Customer support | Customer support |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Freemium |
| Starting price | $25/mo | $45/mo |
| Free plan | No, 14-day trial | Yes |
| Made by | Zendesk | Crisp IM |
| Based in | United States | France |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Zendesk has the lower starting price: about $25 a month, against $45 for Crisp.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Support Team
$25/mo
- Per agent
- Email and ticketing
- Ticket routing
- Prebuilt dashboards
Suite Team
$69/mo
- Per agent
- AI agents
- Knowledge base
- Telephony
Suite Professional
$149/mo
- Per agent
- Admin copilot
- App Builder
- Advanced automation
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Custom workflows
- Advanced compliance
- Sandbox
4 plans
Free
Free
- 2 agent seats
- 100 customer profiles
- Live chat widget
Mini
$45/mo
- Per workspace, 4 seats included
- Shared email inbox
- $5 AI credits included
- Shortcuts and chat triggers
Essentials
$95/mo
- Per workspace, 10 seats included
- Omnichannel inbox and AI chatbot
- $25 AI credits included
- Workflow automation builder
Plus
$295/mo
- Per workspace, 20+ seats
- AI-first support suite
- $75 AI credits included
- Ticketing and 100+ integrations
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Zendesk
- Mature, widely supported ticketing
- Huge app marketplace
- Scales from small teams to enterprise
- Advanced AI costs extra
- Setup can get complex
- Per-agent pricing adds up fast
Crisp
- Flat workspace pricing
- Free plan for small teams
- Many channels in one inbox
- AI usage limits on lower plans
- Reporting is basic
- Fewer enterprise controls
Which one should you choose?
Choose Zendesk if you want:
- Mature, widely supported ticketing
- Huge app marketplace
- Scales from small teams to enterprise
Watch out: advanced ai costs extra.
Choose Crisp if you want:
- Flat workspace pricing
- Free plan for small teams
- Many channels in one inbox
Watch out: ai usage limits on lower plans.
Zendesk vs Crisp FAQ
What is the difference between Zendesk and Crisp?
Zendesk: Help desk and AI agents for customer and employee service teams. Crisp: Customer messaging inbox with live chat and an AI chatbot. Both are customer support tools.
Is Zendesk or Crisp cheaper?
Zendesk has the lower starting price: about $25 a month, against $45 for Crisp.
Do Zendesk and Crisp have free plans?
Zendesk: No, 14-day trial. Crisp: Yes.
Who makes Zendesk?
Zendesk is made by Zendesk, based in United States.
Who makes Crisp?
Crisp is made by Crisp IM, based in France.
Which should I choose, Zendesk or Crisp?
Choose Zendesk if you value mature, widely supported ticketing and huge app marketplace. Choose Crisp if you value flat workspace pricing and free plan for small teams.