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Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head

Chatra vs Zendesk Answer Bot

Chatra logo

Chatra

Live Chat & Chatbots

Live chat and CRM software for customer engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Zendesk Answer Bot logo

Zendesk Answer Bot

Live Chat & Chatbots

AI-powered chatbot for automated customer support

From
$55/month per agent
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Chatra has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Chatra free plan is capped at 5 chats per month and one agent seat; Zendesk Answer Bot limited to Help Center articles only; cannot access customer account data, billing information, or external systems
  • They diverge on capability: Chatra covers Live chat messaging, Zendesk Answer Bot covers AI chatbot.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Chatra and Zendesk Answer Bot actually diverge.

Attributes where Chatra and Zendesk Answer Bot differ
AttributeChatraZendesk Answer Bot
Starting priceFree$55/month per agent
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile app, IOS, AndroidWeb, Email, Slack, Mobile
Founded20102007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat & Chatbots).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Chatra

  • Live chat messaging
  • CRM functionality
  • Visitor tracking
  • Chat history
  • Shopify
  • Zapier
  • Mobile app support
  • IOS support

Only in Zendesk Answer Bot

  • AI chatbot
  • Knowledge base integration
  • Intent recognition
  • Multi-language support
  • Zendesk Support
  • Zendesk Chat
  • Mobile support
  • Messaging apps support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • API
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Chatra

  • Small teams starting on live chat with a hard free-tier chat limit before needing to upgradenot Zendesk Answer Bot

Zendesk Answer Bot

  • Customer engagementnot Chatra
  • Lead generationnot Chatra
  • Customer supportnot Chatra
  • Sales automationnot Chatra

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Chatra

  • Free plan is capped at 5 chats per month and one agent seat
  • Essential and Pro tiers are billed per agent seat at $31/month and $41/month (or $25/month and $33/month if billed yearly), so cost rises directly with headcount

Zendesk Answer Bot

  • Limited to Help Center articles only; cannot access customer account data, billing information, or external systems
  • Fixed timeout limits on API calls prevent lookups to external systems from completing
  • Does not perform actions like refunds or account updates; only suggests documentation
  • Uses keyword matching rather than true natural language understanding, leading to mismatched suggestions on complex queries

Pricing, plan by plan

Chatra

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Live chat
    • Basic CRM
    • 1 agent
  • Starter$15/month
    • Unlimited agents
    • Advanced CRM
  • Business$49/month
    • Priority support
    • Custom branding

Zendesk Answer Bot

$55/month per agent
  • Suite Team$55/month per agent
    • Answer Bot included
  • Suite Growth$89/month per agent
    • Answer Bot included
  • Suite Professional$115/month per agent
    • Answer Bot included

Which should you pick?

Choose Chatra if

  • You need live chat messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
  • You also want crm functionality.

Choose Zendesk Answer Bot if

  • You need ai chatbot.
  • You work on Web, Email, Slack, Mobile.
  • You also want knowledge base integration.

Questions people ask

Is Chatra or Zendesk Answer Bot better?
Neither clearly leads. Chatra starts at Free and Zendesk Answer Bot at $55/month per agent, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Chatra or Zendesk Answer Bot?
Chatra has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Chatra and $55/month per agent for Zendesk Answer Bot.
Does Chatra or Zendesk Answer Bot run on more platforms?
Chatra runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android. Zendesk Answer Bot runs on Web, Email, Slack, Mobile.
Can I use Chatra for free?
Yes. Chatra has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zendesk Answer Bot starts at $55/month per agent.
What is Chatra best used for?
Chatra is most often used for small teams starting on live chat with a hard free-tier chat limit before needing to upgrade. Of those, small teams starting on live chat with a hard free-tier chat limit before needing to upgrade is not what Zendesk Answer Bot is typically brought in for.
What can Chatra do that Zendesk Answer Bot cannot?
Chatra covers Live chat messaging, CRM functionality, Visitor tracking, Chat history. Zendesk Answer Bot covers AI chatbot, Knowledge base integration, Intent recognition, Multi-language support. Both handle Slack, API, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zendesk Answer Bot: Is Answer Bot included in my Zendesk plan?

Answer Bot functionality is now part of Zendesk AI agents included in Suite and Support plans, though Advanced AI features require the Advanced AI add-on. Legacy Essential tier Answer Bot was sunset on December 31, 2026.

Source
Zendesk Answer Bot: What channels does Answer Bot support?

Answer Bot works in email autoresponses, Slack channels (free feature for Guide Enterprise or Professional plans), and the web widget. For Slack, it listens to selected channels and suggests relevant Help Center articles to users.

Source
Zendesk Answer Bot: Does Answer Bot generate complete answers or just suggest articles?

Classic Answer Bot primarily suggests articles from your Help Center that might solve the issue, leaving the customer to read the article themselves. It does not generate a full response or summarize the article content.

Source
Zendesk Answer Bot: How is Answer Bot usage billed?

As of 2026, Zendesk charges for AI agent features using an automated resolutions model rather than monthly active users. The specific per-resolution pricing varies by plan and was transitioning during 2026.

Source

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