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Our editors evaluate ai support agents against the same seven published criteria - hands-on setup, the core support workflow, automation and AI, integrations, reporting and analytics, pricing and value, and vendor support and documentation. The ranking below is editorial: it follows that methodology, and paid partnerships are labeled and kept separate. Full hands-on reviews are linked from each pick.
At a glance
A quick side-by-side of every tool in the ranking. Pricing and detailed scoring land with each full review.
| # | Tool | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ada | Best for automated resolutions | Custom quote through sales |
| 2 |  Intercom | Best for AI-powered support | See pricing |
| 3 |  Sierra | Best for outcome-based pricing | Outcome-based; custom quote through sales |
| 4 |  Decagon | Best for testing and tuning agents in-house | Custom quote through sales |
| 5 |  Salesforce Agentforce | Best for Salesforce Service Cloud teams | From $2 per conversation, or a $125 per user/month add-on |
| 6 |  Forethought | Best for AI triage and routing | Platform fee plus outcome-based pricing; quote through sales |
| 7 |  Zendesk | Best for scaling enterprises | Included with Suite from $55 per agent/month; extra resolutions $1.50 to $2.00 |
| 8 |  Freshdesk | Best value help desk | Included with Freshdesk from $19 per agent/month; extra sessions $49 per 100 |
| 9 |  Gorgias | Best for Shopify stores | $0.90 to $1.00 per automated interaction, plus a plan from $10/month |
| 10 |  Botpress | Best for multichannel AI bots | Free plan; paid from $150/month, billed annually |
| 11 |  Tidio | Best for small e-commerce | Lyro from $32.50/month for 50 conversations, billed annually |
The 11 best ai support agents tools
Ranked by our editors against the methodology below. Each verdict, pros/cons, and price is filled in as our hands-on review of that tool is published.
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1. Ada
Best for automated resolutionsTrade-off Ada publishes no prices and sells only through a demo and business case with its sales team, so you cannot estimate the cost or try it on your own.
No-code AI agent platform focused on automated, resolution-first conversations. It connects to a wide range of help desks and contact-center platforms, including Zendesk, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Genesys and Amazon Connect, and runs one agent across web chat, messaging apps, email and voice. It lists SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI DSS compliance. It suits large support teams, including in regulated industries, that want to automate on top of an existing help desk.
Pros
- Handoff to Zendesk, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Gorgias, Help Scout and more
- One agent setup runs across web chat, WhatsApp, SMS, social and email
- Voice agent works alongside an existing phone system and numbers
- Lists SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR and PCI DSS compliance
Cons
- No public pricing or published billing model
- No free trial or self-serve signup
- Built for large teams; small teams are a weaker fit
- Setup runs through an Ada representative
Best for Best for automated resolutions. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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2. Intercom
Best for AI-powered supportTrade-off The specific strengths and limitations of Intercom are documented here once our hands-on review is complete.
AI-first customer service platform pairing live chat with the Fin resolution agent. Full verdict in progress - this slot will summarize how Intercom performed against our testing criteria: where it stood out, where it fell short, and the kind of team it fits.
Pros
Cons
Best for Best for AI-powered support. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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3. Sierra
Best for outcome-based pricingTrade-off There are no list prices, and what counts as a billable outcome is set in each contract, so the cost is only clear after talking to sales.
Enterprise AI agent platform for voice, chat, and messaging, priced on agreed outcomes. It builds AI agents for chat, SMS, WhatsApp, email, voice and ChatGPT, and charges for outcomes agreed up front, such as a resolved conversation. Its Agent Studio lets teams build and test agents without code. It suits large consumer brands with high call and chat volume.
Pros
- Outcome-based pricing agreed up front
- Widest channel list here, including voice and ChatGPT
- No-code Agent Studio with simulation testing
- Lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI DSS compliance
Cons
- No public prices
- No free trial or self-serve signup
- Help desk integrations such as Zendesk are not named on its site
- Aimed at large enterprises
Best for Best for outcome-based pricing. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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4. Decagon
Best for testing and tuning agents in-houseTrade-off Decagon publishes no pricing or billing model and sells only through demos, with launches run alongside a dedicated Decagon deployment team.
Enterprise AI agents for chat, email, and voice, driven by workflows written in plain language. It runs one AI agent across chat, email and voice, with workflows written in plain language plus built-in testing, A/B experiments and QA monitoring. It connects to Zendesk, Salesforce, Intercom and Kustomer without custom code. It suits enterprise support teams that want to tune agent behavior themselves.
Pros
- Workflows written in plain language, with an assistant that drafts them
- Simulation testing, A/B experiments and ongoing QA monitoring
- Connectors for Zendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, Kustomer and Amazon Connect
- Inbound and outbound voice with handoff to a person
Cons
- No public pricing or billing model
- No free trial or self-serve signup
- Aimed at large enterprises
- Launches depend on Decagon's deployment staff
Best for Best for testing and tuning agents in-house. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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5. Salesforce Agentforce
Best for Salesforce Service Cloud teamsTrade-off It assumes a Salesforce org, final pricing goes through a sales rep, and per-conversation and credit pricing cannot be mixed in the same org.
Salesforce AI agents for service, built on Service Cloud data and priced per conversation, action, or user. It runs AI agents across messaging, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger and voice, reading and updating Service Cloud records and handing off to human reps with context. Pricing options include $2 per conversation, prepaid Flex Credits for actions, or a $125 per user add-on. It suits companies that already run support on Salesforce Service Cloud.
Pros
- Reads and updates Service Cloud records and escalates with context
- Choice of per-conversation, credit or per-user pricing
- Messaging, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger and voice channels
- Extend with Flows, Apex, APIs and MCP
Cons
- Add-ons require the relevant Salesforce clouds
- Unused Flex Credits do not roll over
- No free trial listed for paid plans
- Advanced builds use Flows and Apex, which need admin skills
Best for Best for Salesforce Service Cloud teams. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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6. Forethought
Best for AI triage and routingTrade-off Prices are quote-only, email and voice agents need the Professional plan or higher, and its site does not say how the Zendesk acquisition affects other help desks.
AI agents for resolution, ticket triage, and QA that sit on top of an existing help desk. It adds AI agents for answering customers, triaging tickets and QA on top of more than 20 named help desks, including Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Intercom and Freshdesk, and trains on your past tickets and help center content. Forethought is now part of Zendesk. It suits teams that want AI routing and triage as well as automated answers.
Pros
- Works with Zendesk, Salesforce, ServiceNow, HubSpot, Intercom and more
- Triage routes tickets by sentiment, language and urgency
- Published feature matrix for its Team, Professional and Enterprise plans
- Proof of value with your own data before you commit
Cons
- No public prices
- Email, voice and Slack agents need Professional or higher
- Overage charges beyond purchased volume
- Now part of Zendesk; plans for other help desks not stated
Best for Best for AI triage and routing. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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7. Zendesk
Best for scaling enterprisesTrade-off Messaging, voice and the help center need Suite plans from $55 per agent, and the full Copilot assistant is a $50 per agent add-on.
Omnichannel ticketing and support suite built to scale across large teams. Its AI agents are included on every plan with 5 to 15 automated resolutions per agent each month, depending on the plan, and work across messaging, email and voice inside the Zendesk Suite. You pay for extra resolutions only when the AI fully resolves a request, and admins can pause the agent or set monthly limits. It suits teams already on Zendesk.
Pros
- AI agents included on every plan
- Billed only for full resolutions without a human
- Monthly limits or a pause to control AI spend
- 14-day trial with no credit card
Cons
- Extra resolutions cost $1.50 to $2.00 each
- Included resolutions are capped at 10,000 a year
- Full Copilot is a $50 per agent add-on
- Messaging and voice need Suite plans
Best for Best for scaling enterprises. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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8. Freshdesk
Best value help deskTrade-off The 500 free sessions are a one-time allowance per account, and the Copilot assistant for agents is a separate $29 per agent charge on Pro and above.
Help desk with automation, SLAs, and an AI agent included on every plan. Its Freddy AI agent is included on every Freshdesk plan, with 500 free sessions per account, so teams can try AI answers without a separate contract, and extra sessions cost $49 per 100. It suits small and mid-size teams on Freshdesk that want AI answers alongside a full help desk.
Pros
- Every plan includes the Freddy AI Agent, with the first 500 sessions free
- Knowledge base and customer portal from the Growth plan
- Day passes for seasonal or occasional agents, from $2
- No cancellation fees, and upgrades apply immediately
Cons
- No free plan, only a 14-day trial
- Intelligent routing, multiple SLAs and multilingual features start on Pro ($55 per agent)
- Copilot costs an extra $29 per agent and is not available on Growth
- Extra AI agent sessions cost $49 per 100
Best for Best value help desk. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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9. Gorgias
Best for Shopify storesTrade-off Each automated interaction costs $0.90 on an annual contract or $1.00 monthly, $1.50 above the plan’s included amount, and also counts toward the ticket limit.
Help desk purpose-built for Shopify and high-volume e-commerce support. Its AI agent is built for online stores: it answers order questions and can cancel orders or apply discounts in Shopify and other store platforms, and you pay only when it resolves a conversation. It suits ecommerce brands already on Gorgias.
Pros
- Takes actions in Shopify, such as cancelling orders or applying discounts
- Billed only when it resolves a conversation
- Available on every Gorgias plan
- Native Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Magento integrations
Cons
- AI-resolved conversations also count as tickets
- A weaker fit for support outside ecommerce
- Overage fees when ticket volume exceeds the plan
- Starter covers 50 tickets a month and is billed monthly only
Best for Best for Shopify stores. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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10. Botpress
Best for multichannel AI botsTrade-off The first paid plan costs $150 a month billed annually for 250 conversations, and overage auto-recharge cannot be turned off.
AI agent and chatbot platform with a visual builder, a free tier, and pricing per conversation. It builds AI agents for web chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Slack, Microsoft Teams and more, and hands conversations to Intercom, HubSpot or LiveChat when a person is needed. A free plan covers 100 conversations a month, and paid plans charge per conversation with no per-seat fees. It suits teams that want to build their own AI agent and have some technical help.
Pros
- Free plan with 100 conversations a month, 3 AI agents and 3 seats
- No per-seat fees, with unlimited seats on the Team plan
- Branding removal included from the Plus plan
- Handoff to Intercom, HubSpot, LiveChat, Freshchat and Zoho SalesIQ
Cons
- Paid plans start at $150 a month for 250 conversations
- Overage auto-recharge cannot be turned off
- Voice is only on the Enterprise plan
- Advanced builds may need developer skills
Best for Best for multichannel AI bots. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
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11. Tidio
Best for small e-commerceTrade-off Lyro's entry quota is 50 conversations a month, and prices for larger quotas only appear when you configure a plan.
Live chat and chatbots with the Lyro AI assistant, aimed at online stores. Its Lyro AI agent is the lowest-cost way in this list to add AI answers to website chat, and it can run on Tidio's own chat or alongside Zendesk or Salesforce. A person can take over in the same chat. It suits small online stores that want AI answers without an enterprise contract.
Pros
- Self-serve signup with a 7-day trial
- Lyro from $32.50 a month, billed annually
- Free plan includes 50 one-time Lyro conversations
- Can run alongside Zendesk or Salesforce
Cons
- Entry plan covers 50 AI conversations a month
- Prices for higher volumes are not published
- Pay-per-resolution billing only on the Premium plan
- Chat, Lyro and Flows are each billed separately
Best for Best for small e-commerce. Full confirmation lands with our complete review of this category.
How do we pick ai support agents?
Every tool is reviewed against the same seven published criteria by our editorial reviewer - not by vendors, and not by ad spend. A sponsored vendor is never placed at number one, and paid placements are labeled and kept separate from the ranking.
- Hands-on setupHow long it takes to connect a mailbox or install the widget and reach a first resolved conversation.
- Core support workflowRouting, assignment, macros, and SLAs under real ticket volume.
- Automation and AIHow much bots and AI replies resolve versus hand back to a person.
- IntegrationsDepth of the CRM, e-commerce, and channel integrations, and the setup each one needs.
- Reporting and analyticsResolution time, CSAT, and volume by channel without exporting to a spreadsheet.
- Pricing and valueThe real cost at a realistic seat count, usage charges, and what higher tiers gate.
- Support and documentationHow responsive the vendor is, and whether its docs and onboarding get a new team productive.
Read the full, named methodology on our How We Test page.
How to choose ai support agents?
The right pick comes down to your channels, how much you need to automate, your existing integrations, and a live trial. Work through these four checks before you commit:
- Map your channels Decide where customers reach you - email, live chat, social, or in-app - and shortlist tools that cover them.
- Weigh automation Estimate how much volume an AI agent or macros could deflect before you pay per seat.
- Check the integrations Confirm the tool connects to your store, CRM, and billing without custom work.
- Trial with real tickets Run a week of live conversations before committing to an annual plan.
How much does ai support agents cost?
AI support agents are sold three ways. Enterprise platforms such as Ada, Sierra, Decagon and Forethought publish no prices and quote through sales after a demo; Sierra and Forethought say their pricing is based on outcomes. Help desks include AI agents in their plans with an allowance: Zendesk includes 5 to 15 automated resolutions per agent each month, depending on the plan and charges $1.50 to $2.00 for each extra one, and Freshdesk includes 500 free sessions per account and then charges $49 per 100. Pay-as-you-go tools publish per-use rates: Salesforce Agentforce from $2 per conversation, Intercom's Fin from $0.99 per outcome, Gorgias from $0.90 per automated interaction, and Tidio's Lyro from $32.50 a month for 50 conversations. Under resolution pricing you pay only when the AI finishes the job, but costs rise as it handles more of your volume, so set a monthly limit where the tool allows one. Prices checked on each vendor's site in October 2026.
Where do I buy ai support agents?
Each tool is bought directly from its vendor on a monthly or annual subscription. From any pick above, follow through to our full review for current plans, then start a trial or request a demo. Links marked as partners are paid placements and are labeled as such.
Frequently asked questions
How do we rank these tools?
Every tool is reviewed against the same seven criteria: setup, the core support workflow, automation and AI, integrations, reporting, pricing and value, and vendor support. Vendors cannot pay for a better position, and a sponsored vendor is never placed first. Paid placements appear only in the labeled Featured Partner box. Full details are on our How We Test page.
Is there a free AI support agent?
Botpress has a free plan with 100 conversations a month, 3 AI agents and 3 seats. Tidio's first 50 Lyro conversations are free for the life of the account, and Salesforce Foundations, the free starting point for Agentforce, costs $0. Freshdesk includes 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions with its paid plans, but has no free plan.
Which AI support agents offer a free trial?
Freshdesk gives new accounts its Enterprise plan for 14 days. Tidio and Gorgias each offer a 7-day trial, and Gorgias does not ask for payment details to start. Forethought runs a Proof of Value with your own data instead of a free trial. Ada and Decagon start with a demo request rather than a self-serve trial.
What is the difference between per-resolution and per-conversation billing?
Per-resolution billing charges only when the AI settles the issue without a person, as Zendesk and Gorgias do. Per-conversation billing charges for each conversation the AI joins, whatever the result: Agentforce charges per conversation, and Tidio counts a Lyro conversation once the AI replies at least once. Botpress plans include a monthly number of conversations.
What counts as a resolution?
Zendesk charges an automated resolution only when the issue is resolved without human help, and an LLM checks each one; escalated conversations are not evaluated. Gorgias counts a request fully resolved without a human, but if an agent replies within 72 hours it is billed only as a help desk ticket. Each Gorgias automated interaction also counts as a ticket.
Can the AI agent hand a conversation to a person?
Yes. Tidio's Lyro forwards questions it cannot answer to a human agent, alerts your team when a customer needs immediate help, and with Lyro Connect can create a ticket in another help desk. Botpress hands conversations to Intercom, LiveChat, HubSpot and Freshchat agents. Forethought's Professional plan adds custom handoff models, and Zendesk does not bill escalated conversations.
Which channels can AI support agents cover?
Sierra runs one agent across chat, SMS, WhatsApp, email, voice and ChatGPT. Decagon covers chat, email and voice, and Ada covers voice, messaging and email. Botpress connects to web chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Slack, Microsoft Teams and Telegram, with voice only on Enterprise. Forethought's email, voice and Slack agents need its Professional plan or higher.
Can AI agents take actions, or only answer questions?
Several can take actions. Agentforce bills actions in Flex Credits, at 20 credits per action and 30 for a voice action. Tidio's Lyro Smart Actions automate order updates and lead qualification and route tickets to the right department. Forethought's plans include custom actions, and Decagon lets teams define agent workflows in natural language.
Which AI support agent is best for an online store?
Gorgias is built for ecommerce, with integrations for Shopify and BigCommerce, product recommendations, and billing only when its AI resolves a conversation. Tidio's Lyro answers questions about order status, shipping policies and product availability, and can be added to Tidio's own chat or to Zendesk or Salesforce. Both offer a 7-day trial.
Which AI support agents suit regulated industries?
Ada lists SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, CCPA and AIUC-1 compliance. Sierra shows SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS and FedRAMP. Forethought's Enterprise plan adds security and governance controls. Ask each vendor for its current reports, and check which certifications cover the specific product and region you plan to use.
What does the AI agent learn from, and how long does setup take?
Most tools start from your existing support content. Tidio says Lyro scrapes that content to build its knowledge base and can be added to a website in a few clicks without technical knowledge. Forethought tests the platform on your own data before you commit, and Sierra says agents can be built with or without engineering support.
References
Sources and testing notes will be listed here as the reviews behind this ranking are published.
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