Zendesk vs Zendesk Chat

Converge Converge Team
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Side-by-side comparison for 2026

Feature Zendesk Zendesk Chat
Starting Price From $89/seat/mo From $89/seat/mo
Best For Large enterprises needing comprehensive ticketing with compliance requirements Large support teams needing comprehensive ticketing integration
Standout Feature Industry-leading ticketing system with 1000+ integrations Deep integration with Zendesk Support platform
Free Plan ✗ ✗
G2 Rating 4.3/5 4.2
Zendesk Suite offers a comprehensive customer service platform at $55-$169 per agent monthly, while Zendesk Chat (legacy) provides standalone chat functionality for $14-$59 per agent monthly. Understanding the differences helps choose between full-featured support or focused chat solutions.

Feature Comparison

Core Features

Zendesk Suite provides ticketing, knowledge base, community forums, live chat, phone support, and automation workflows. G2 rating: 4.3/5 with 1000+ integrations.

Zendesk Chat focuses solely on live chat with basic visitor tracking, chat routing, and reporting. G2 rating: 4.2/5 with limited integration options.

Functionality Comparison

  • Scope: Suite offers complete helpdesk vs Chat's standalone messaging
  • Integrations: Suite has extensive ecosystem vs Chat's basic connections
  • Scalability: Suite grows with business needs vs Chat's limited expansion
  • Complexity: Suite requires more setup vs Chat's simple deployment

Pricing Comparison

Pricing Structure

Zendesk Suite: $55-$169 per agent monthly depending on plan tier. Higher cost reflects comprehensive feature set and enterprise capabilities.

Zendesk Chat: $14-$59 per agent monthly for standalone chat functionality. More affordable but with limited features and uncertain future support.

Cost Considerations

  • Per-agent pricing: Both scale costs with team size
  • Feature value: Suite offers more features per dollar
  • Long-term costs: Chat may require additional tools later

Zendesk

Pros

  • ✓ Industry-leading ticketing system with mature workflows
  • ✓ Massive integration ecosystem with 1000+ apps
  • ✓ Enterprise-grade security and compliance (HIPAA, SOC2)

Cons

  • ✗ Per-agent pricing scales with team size
  • ✗ Complex setup and configuration
  • ✗ AI features require additional costs

Zendesk Chat

Pros

  • ✓ Strong brand recognition
  • ✓ Comprehensive support suite
  • ✓ Good integrations

Cons

  • ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
  • ✗ Limited to web chat only
  • ✗ No social media messaging

Verdict

Choose Zendesk Suite for comprehensive customer service needs with omnichannel support, extensive integrations, and advanced features. Opt for Zendesk Chat if you need basic live chat functionality at lower cost, though note it's being phased out in favor of integrated solutions.
Zendesk Suite provides comprehensive customer service capabilities but at higher cost and complexity. Zendesk Chat offers affordable chat functionality but is being phased out with limited future development. For teams seeking unlimited agent pricing and modern chat features, Converge offers a compelling alternative at $49 monthly flat rate with up to 15 agents, eliminating per-seat costs while providing advanced customer communication tools.

Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Zendesk comparisons and all Zendesk Chat comparisons.

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