Kerux vs Intercom, Zendesk, Help Scout and Freshdesk
Same job, different bills. Here is how each one charges for AI, taken from their own pricing pages, next to a helpdesk that runs the AI on your key.
Nothing per answer, outcome or resolution. One flat price per agent; your provider bills the AI at cost. It answers above the confidence bar you set and hands the rest to your team.
Fin bills $0.99 per outcome, a resolution, a procedure handoff or a disqualification, on top of seats.
AI agents bill $1.50 per automated resolution on a committed volume, or $2.00 pay-as-you-go, on top of seats.
Freddy AI Agent includes 500 sessions once per account, then $49 per 100 sessions on top of seats.
AI Assist, Drafts and Summarize are included on paid plans; the AI Answers chatbot is an add-on at $0.75 per resolution.
Side by side
| Kerux | Intercom | Zendesk | Freshdesk | Help Scout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bring your own AI key | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Bill stays flat as AI usage grows | Yes | No | No | No, after 500 one-time sessions | Unless you add the chatbot |
| AI price | Your provider's rate, about 3¢ an answer | $0.99 per Fin outcome | $1.50 per resolution committed, $2.00 pay-as-you-go | 500 sessions once, then $49 per 100 | Everyday AI included; chatbot $0.75 per resolution |
| Seat price | Flat per agent, $29–$79/mo | $29–$132 per seat/mo | $19–$115 per agent/mo, billed yearly | $19–$89 per agent/mo, billed annually | $25–$75 per user/mo, plus a free tier |
| Extra fees on top of seats | None | Per-outcome AI | AI resolutions + Copilot at $50/agent/mo | AI sessions beyond 500 | Only the AI Answers chatbot |
Competitor details are from each vendor's public pricing pages, re-verified 2026-08-07 (Zendesk 2026-10-13), and can change. Every competitor figure is the vendor's own; we don't quote third-party estimates.
Vendor by vendor
Kerux vs Intercom
- How AI is billed
- Fin bills $0.99 per outcome, a resolution, a procedure handoff or a disqualification, on top of seats.
- Where they're strong
- You're charged for at most one outcome per conversation, however many actions Fin takes.
- Why teams pick Kerux
- A better AI makes your Kerux bill smaller, not larger.
Kerux vs Zendesk
- How AI is billed
- AI agents bill $1.50 per automated resolution on a committed volume, or $2.00 pay-as-you-go, on top of seats.
- Where they're strong
- It's the most established platform in the category, with an app marketplace and integration depth no small tool matches.
- Why teams pick Kerux
- Agents × plan is the whole bill. No resolutions to forecast or commit to.
Kerux vs Freshdesk
- How AI is billed
- Freddy AI Agent includes 500 sessions once per account, then $49 per 100 sessions on top of seats.
- Where they're strong
- A session is a 72-hour window, not a single message. Several exchanges with one customer count once.
- Why teams pick Kerux
- No sessions to count. The AI is uncapped on your own key.
Kerux vs Help Scout
- How AI is billed
- AI Assist, Drafts and Summarize are included on paid plans; the AI Answers chatbot is an add-on at $0.75 per resolution.
- Where they're strong
- The everyday AI features, drafting, summarising, tone editing, are included in the seat price, not metered.
- Why teams pick Kerux
- Customer-facing AI answers with no per-resolution add-on, on the model you choose.
See your own number
Put your monthly AI volume into the calculator, or try Kerux free for 30 days with no card.