# Customer support

> “Build AI customer support”. Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

Your support tool should match how customers already reach you. Help Scout keeps support in a shared email inbox, and its AI drafts replies from your own help articles. Crisp adds website chat, WhatsApp and social messages, prices per workspace and has a free plan. Intercom builds everything around Fin, an AI agent that hands tricky cases to your team, from $29 a month. Zendesk, from $19, suits larger teams that need routing, SLAs and detailed reports.

Last checked: 2026-10-01

## Ranking

1. **[Zendesk](https://suiteintent.com/t/zendesk?m=GB)**: Customer service ticketing for larger support teams. · Best for: Support teams that have outgrown a shared inbox · From $19/mo · 180 days ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/zendesk))
2. **[Intercom](https://suiteintent.com/t/intercom?m=GB)**: Customer service built around an AI agent. · Best for: AI answers drawn from your help centre · From $29/mo · 93% ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/intercom))
3. **[Help Scout](https://suiteintent.com/t/help-scout?m=GB)**: Help desk built on a shared email inbox. · Best for: Small teams answering support by email · Free plan · 180 days ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/help-scout))
4. **[Crisp](https://suiteintent.com/t/crisp?m=GB)**: Live chat and a shared inbox for small teams. · Best for: Growing teams avoiding per-seat pricing · Free plan · 50% ([Deals](https://suiteintent.com/deals/crisp))

## Side by side

| Tool | Price | Ease of use (1-5) | Team size |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Zendesk | From $19/mo, Six months free for startups | 3 | growing team, large team |
| Intercom | From $29/mo, Early-stage programme discount | 4 | small team, growing team, large team |
| Help Scout | Pricing on request, Six months free for startups | 5 | solo, small team, growing team |
| Crisp | Pricing on request, 50% off for nonprofits and students | 5 | solo, small team, growing team |

## Why these picks

- Prices last checked: 2026-10-01
- Ranked by expert consensus and what people use now; affiliate links never change the order.

## Head to head

- [Freshdesk vs Zendesk: helpdesk for your team](https://suiteintent.com/compare/freshdesk-vs-zendesk)
- [Help Scout vs Zendesk: help desk with AI answers](https://suiteintent.com/compare/help-scout-vs-zendesk)
- [Zendesk vs Intercom: which help desk for a team](https://suiteintent.com/compare/zendesk-vs-intercom)

## Rules that apply

- [EU AI Act: chatbot and AI content labels](https://suiteintent.com/compliance/eu-ai-act-chatbots): Using a chatbot or AI images on your site in the EU? See what Article 50 of the AI Act asks of you, who must label what, and the dates that apply.

## Questions

### When do I outgrow a shared Gmail inbox for support?

The signs are customers getting two replies, or none, and no one knowing who owns a thread. Help Scout keeps the feel of email while adding assignment, a knowledge base and live chat. Crisp does the same with chat, WhatsApp and social messages in one inbox. Neither charges to start, so you can move over before the mess costs you customers.

### Per-seat or per-workspace pricing: which works out cheaper?

Per-seat plans charge for each agent, so the bill climbs every time you add someone to the rota. Crisp, a French company, prices per workspace, so adding people doesn't add cost. Zendesk opens at $19 a month and Intercom at $29, and both climb with every seat and add-on. Count each person who will answer customers, including part-timers, before you compare.

### Can AI answer my customers without sounding like a bot?

Help Scout's AI drafts replies from your help articles, and a person checks them before sending, so tone stays yours. Intercom's Fin answers customers directly and passes the conversation to a person when it cannot help. Crisp's chatbot is trained on your content to handle common questions. Write clear help articles first, since these AIs answer only as well as the articles they read.

### Is Zendesk too much for a team of three?

Zendesk is built for growing support teams with routing, SLA tracking and a large integrations marketplace. A team of three rarely uses those features and pays for the setup time. Help Scout or Crisp gets you running in an afternoon. Move to Zendesk once you have several queues, phone support or managers who need detailed reports.

### Do I need an EU-based support tool for GDPR?

GDPR does not require an EU vendor, but you need a data processing agreement and a lawful basis for any transfer outside the EU. Crisp is a French company, which some European customers find reassuring. Ask any vendor where it stores conversations and whether EU hosting is available on your plan. Avoid asking customers for passwords or card numbers in chat, whichever tool you pick.