LiveChat vs Zendesk: seat prices, where live chat starts and AI resolutions

LiveChat vs Zendesk: the quick answer

For website chat alone, LiveChat (sold to new buyers as Text plans) costs less per seat than Zendesk. As read on 7 October 2026, LiveChat Essential is $19 per user a month billed annually or $25 billed monthly, while Zendesk Suite Team, the first Zendesk plan with live chat, is $55 per agent a month billed annually or $69 billed monthly.

LiveChat's pricing page says new trials now start on Text plans, "the next product from the team behind LiveChat", and those are the prices below.

Where live chat starts on each

Zendesk's Support Team plan is email and ticketing; messaging and live chat start on Suite Team. Support Team is $19 a month per agent billed annually or $25 billed monthly, the same entry figures as LiveChat Essential, so the like-for-like row for live chat is Suite Team.

Suite Team adds AI agents, an AI knowledge base, an AI action builder and omnichannel routing to Support Team. LiveChat puts the website chat widget and an AI Agent on every plan, with one inbox for chats, AI Agent conversations and tickets; Essential allows one team and no routing rules.

Both price by seat: LiveChat bills every user who logs in to answer chats or tickets, with no minimum team size, and Zendesk says its pricing is primarily per agent per month.

AI resolutions included, and what extra ones cost

An AI resolution is one conversation in which LiveChat's AI Agent directly solves at least one customer question. Essential includes 10 a month and Growth 200, and LiveChat's own ten-user Growth example, $790 a month billed annually, still lists 200 a month. Extra resolutions come in packs of 50 for $49.50.

Zendesk counts automated resolutions per agent: 5 a month on Suite Team and 10 on Suite Professional. Extra ones cost $1.50 each on a committed plan or $2.00 pay-as-you-go, on all three of its plans.

Trials and contracts

LiveChat's side can be tested for 14 days without a card, and Zendesk's trial opens on Suite Professional. Zendesk's pricing page states no card rule for its 14 days. You get the full plan during the LiveChat trial, and your workspace, chat history and settings carry over when you choose a plan. Annual billing is paid for 12 months upfront, and monthly billing can be canceled anytime.

Who should pick Zendesk

Pick Zendesk Suite Team for one help desk across email, messaging and AI agents: Zendesk positions it for teams that want to unify support channels and automate resolutions with AI Agents. Pick Zendesk Suite Professional, $115 per agent a month billed annually or $149 billed monthly, for the larger allowance of 10 automated resolutions per agent. See Zendesk alternatives for the lower-priced options set against Suite Team.

Pick LiveChat when website chat is the job and one to ten people answer it. LiveChat pricing has the seat totals, and LiveChat vs Intercom compares Intercom.