Week 45
Latest
JunieReleaseJunie Eco mode hands implementation to a lower-cost modelGitHub CopilotPlansGitHub Enterprise now includes Copilot for every licensed userSierraReleaseSierra launches Compliance Console for outbound agentsGitHub CopilotReleaseGitHub Copilot Fusion becomes generally availableGitHub CopilotReleaseGitHub Agentic Workflows become generally availableAmpPlatformAmp launches an Android appMicrosoft 365 CopilotReleaseLearning Agent and admin-deployed custom MCP connectors arrive in CopilotKiroPlansKiro replaces its upgrade discount with a free first month and 500 trial creditsGleanReleaseGlean release 565 adds agent import/export and an Azure Files connectorGoogle AntigravityReleaseAntigravity 2.28 adds a built-in browser and any-file attachmentsSynthesiaReleaseSynthesia launches a Localization API for dubbing videos at scaleRunwayReleaseRunway launches Runway Ads for generating and publishing ad variantsOpenCodeReleaseOpenCode 2.2 adds Desktop plugins and a refreshed desktop appOpenAI CodexReleaseGPT-6.1 Terra becomes available in Codex
Verified
ToolMarketCap
IntercomIntercom · AI helpdesks
Entry price
No monthly price
Free tier
No
Logged activity · 90d
Insufficient history
3Verified differences5Shared2Not yet verified
ZendeskZendesk · AI helpdesks
Entry price
$25/seat/mo
Free tier
No
Logged activity · 90d
Insufficient history

Intercom vs Zendesk

3Verified differences0Pricing differences · 1 not verified for both2Intercom · verified changes 30d0Zendesk · verified changes 30d
Entry priceZendesk starts at $25/seat/mo; no paid monthly price is verified for Intercom.
Free tierNeither offers a free tier.
Last 30 daysIntercom logged 2 verified changes, Zendesk 0 verified changes.
Evidence8 of 10 compared facts are verified for both; 1 only for Intercom and 1 for neither.

At a glance

Verified values · no winner is picked
Intercom and Zendesk: price, free tier, licence, self-hosting, enterprise
DimensionIntercomZendesk
Entry priceNot yet verified$25/seat/mo
Free tierNoNo
Open sourceNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
Self-hostingNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
Enterprise (SSO + offering)YesYes
Switch from IntercomSwitch from ZendeskAdd Intercom to a stackAdd Zendesk to a stack

Where they differ

3
Support channels
IntercomChat, email, voice — also social, Slack, and API
fin.ai
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official Fin AI Agent site

fin.ai: "Fin delivers the same high-quality experience across all channels, including chat, email, voice, social, Slack and API".

https://fin.ai ↗
ZendeskMessaging, email, voice — messaging covers web, in-app chat, and social
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official pricing page

zendesk.com/pricing: "AI agents for messaging" across "web and in-app chat and social media"; "AI agents for email"; "AI agents for voice" ("Requires Zendesk voice").

https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ ↗
App integrations
IntercomSalesforce, HubSpot, Freshdesk — Fin runs on these helpdesks as well as Intercom
fin.ai
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official Fin AI Agent site

fin.ai: "Fin is natively integrated with Intercom, and supported on Salesforce, HubSpot and Freshdesk."

https://fin.ai ↗
ZendeskZendesk Marketplace — 1,000+ prebuilt apps and integrations
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official pricing page

zendesk.com/pricing: "Tap into 1,000+ prebuilt apps and integrations available from the Zendesk Marketplace"; the Marketplace menu says "Find 1,800+ apps, partners, and integrations".

https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ ↗
Enterprise
IntercomExpert plan plus sales contracts — HIPAA support, SLAs, custom terms
intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official pricing page

intercom.com/pricing: Expert adds "SSO & identity management; HIPAA support; Service level agreements (SLAs)"; contracts "required for: Enterprise needs; Premier Support / onboarding; Custom terms".

https://www.intercom.com/pricing ↗
ZendeskSuite Enterprise + Copilot — contact sales; approval workflows, sandbox, custom roles
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official pricing page

zendesk.com/pricing: Suite Enterprise + Copilot, "Talk to Sales", adds "Approval workflows; Sandbox environment; Custom agent roles" and Generative AI for Voice.

https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ ↗

Pricing face-off

USD list price · monthly billing
IntercomFree tier: No
No verified monthly price · annual from $29/mo
Fin AI Agent$0.99/outcome
Fin Voice$1.99/voice outcome
Essential (new customers)$19/seat/mo, annual · promo
Essential$29/seat/mo, annual
Advanced$85/seat/mo, annual
Expert$132/seat/mo, annual
intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official pricing page
https://www.intercom.com/pricing ↗
ZendeskFree tier: No
Entry price · Support Team
$25/seat/mo
AI agents — committed resolutions$1.50/automated resolution
AI agents — pay-as-you-go resolutions$2/automated resolution
Support Team$19/seat/mo, annual
Support Team$25/seat/mo
Suite Team$55/seat/mo, annual
Suite Team$69/seat/mo
Suite Professional$115/seat/mo, annual
Suite Professional$149/seat/mo
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official pricing page
https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ ↗

Where they match

5Toggle
Human handoff
IntercomYes — Fin transfers to teammates in the Intercom inbox or a supported helpdesk
fin.ai
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official Fin AI Agent site

fin.ai: connect a "supported helpdesk so Fin can hand off anything it can't resolve"; intercom.com/pricing lists "Transfers to agents in inbox".

https://fin.ai ↗
ZendeskYes — escalations route to the right human team with full context
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official AI agents page

zendesk.com AI agents: "When escalation is needed, they intelligently route issues to the right team at the right time — with full context to ensure a smooth handoff".

https://www.zendesk.com/service/ai/ai-agents/ ↗
API
IntercomYes — Intercom APIs and SDKs for apps and custom integrations
developers.intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official developer hub

developers.intercom.com: "Integrate with Intercom by building apps on the complete AI customer service platform" using "our APIs and SDKS".

https://developers.intercom.com ↗
ZendeskYes — Zendesk APIs, webhooks, and web/iOS/Android SDKs
developer.zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official developer documentation

developer.zendesk.com: "create unique customer experiences using our APIs and SDKs"; docs cover AI Agents, Messaging, Voice, Webhooks, and "Web, iOS, Android and Unity SDKs".

https://developer.zendesk.com/documentation/ ↗
Business model
IntercomSubscription + usage — per-seat helpdesk plans plus $0.99 per Fin outcome
intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official pricing page

intercom.com/pricing: "Intercom pricing has two components: Seats ... Usage: You pay for what you use (e.g. Fin outcomes, messaging channels)".

https://www.intercom.com/pricing ↗
ZendeskSubscription + usage — per-agent plans plus per automated resolution
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official pricing page

zendesk.com/pricing: "Zendesk pricing is primarily seat-based (per agent, per month)"; AI agent usage is billed in "Automated Resolutions", with 5–10 included per agent/month by plan.

https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ ↗
Free tier
IntercomNo — 14-day free trial, no credit card required
intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official pricing page

intercom.com/pricing: "14-day free trial; No credit card required; Includes all features, Fin, and add-ons".

https://www.intercom.com/pricing ↗
ZendeskNo — 14-day free trial
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official pricing page

zendesk.com/pricing: "Zendesk offers a free trial so you can explore the product before committing to a paid plan. During the 14 day trial period..."

https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ ↗
Single sign-on
IntercomYes — Expert plan (SSO & identity management); Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin
intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official security page

intercom.com/security: "Intercom integrates with Okta, Azure AD, and OneLogin for SSO, and supports 2FA, SCIM, and IP restrictions"; intercom.com/pricing lists "SSO & identity management" under Expert.

https://www.intercom.com/security ↗
ZendeskYes — SAML or JWT single sign-on for agents and admins
zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official pricing page

zendesk.com/pricing: "Single sign-on (SSO) with business/active directory credentials using JSON Web Token (JWT) or Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)".

https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/ ↗

Not yet verified for one or both

2
Delivery
IntercomWeb app — plus Messenger for web, iOS, and Android, APIs and SDKs
developers.intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official developer hub

developers.intercom.com: "Install Intercom On Web, iOS, Android, and more"; "Create seamless customized experiences in the Intercom Help Desk and Messenger using our APIs and SDKS."

https://developers.intercom.com ↗
ZendeskNot yet verified
Platforms
IntercomNot yet verified
ZendeskNot yet verified

References

Links — shown, never counted as differences
Documentation
Intercomdevelopers.intercom.com
developers.intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official developer hub

Intercom's developer hub for the Intercom and Fin developer platform.

https://developers.intercom.com ↗
Zendeskdeveloper.zendesk.com/documentation
developer.zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official developer documentation

Zendesk developer documentation for the APIs, SDKs, and AI Agents.

https://developer.zendesk.com/documentation/ ↗
Changelog
Intercomintercom.com/changes/en
intercom.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Intercom — official changelog

intercom.com/changes/en: "See weekly product updates for Fin AI Agent & Intercom Helpdesk", with dated entries such as October 27, 2026.

https://www.intercom.com/changes/en ↗
Zendesksupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/4405298877338-What-s-New-in-Zendesk
support.zendesk.com
ObservedHigh confidenceVerified 29 Oct 2026
Zendesk — official What's New release notes

support.zendesk.com What's New section lists monthly articles, e.g. "What's new in Zendesk: October 2026".

https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/4405298877338-What-s-New-in-Zendesk ↗
Source repository
IntercomNot yet verified
ZendeskNot yet verified

Recent record

Each side’s own record · not a score
Recent record of Intercom and Zendesk, side by side
ReadingIntercomZendesk
Verified changes2 in 30 days · 2 in 90 days · AI helpdesks median 10 in 30 days · 1 in 90 days · AI helpdesks median 1
Last verified change16 Oct 2026 · 21 days ago28 Sept 2026 · 39 days ago
Activity · 90 daysNo value (insufficient history)No value (insufficient history)
Latest list-price moveNone observedNone observed
Pricing on record6 verified plans · no verified monthly entry price8 verified plans · verified monthly entry price $25
Comparable facts9 of 10 verified8 of 10 verified

Intercom · latest 3

  1. Release

    Phone calls route to teammates by skill

    Inbound Intercom phone calls now ring the teammate with the matching skill first, reusing the skills already used to route chats and emails.

    intercom.com
    ObservedHigh confidencePublished 16 Oct 2026
    Intercom — official changelog
    https://www.intercom.com/changes/en/160521-route-phone-calls-to-the-right-teammate-by-skill ↗
  2. Plans

    Workforce Management becomes part of the Pro add-on

    Intercom made Workforce Management (volume forecasting, scheduling, staffing gaps) available with the Pro add-on; Beta users need Pro to keep using it.

    intercom.com
    ObservedHigh confidencePublished 15 Oct 2026
    Intercom — official changelog
    https://www.intercom.com/changes/en/160332-plan-your-support-team-s-staffing-without-the-spreadsheet ↗

Zendesk · latest 3

  1. Availability

    Voice AI agents become generally available

    Zendesk made voice AI agents generally available for Zendesk voice customers, with end-to-end phone automation, handoff to human agents, transcripts, and support for 53 languages.

    support.zendesk.com
    ObservedHigh confidencePublished 28 Sept 2026
    Zendesk — official What's new in Zendesk: October 2026
    https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/11299475537306-What-s-new-in-Zendesk-October-2026 ↗

Keep comparing

Both in AI helpdesks
IntercomFull record →ZendeskFull record →Intercom alternatives→Zendesk alternatives→Intercom pricing6 plansZendesk pricing8 plans
Compared using 21 verified facts · oldest record verified 29 Oct 2026. Tools appear in URL order, alphabetically by identifier — it implies no ranking.