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Customer Support · head to head

Gladly vs Zendesk

Gladly logo

Gladly

Customer Support

Radically personal customer service

From
$180/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk logo

Zendesk

Customer Support

Champions of customer service

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gladly no pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no per agent cost, per conversation rate, minimum commitment or feature tiers; Zendesk aI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • They diverge on capability: Gladly covers Lifelong conversation, Zendesk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gladly and Zendesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Gladly and Zendesk differ
AttributeGladlyZendesk
Starting price$180/month$19/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20142007

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support).

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 Gladly

  • Lifelong conversation
  • Customer timeline
  • Task management
  • IVR
  • Magento
  • Kustomer
  • Stripe
  • GDPR

Only in Zendesk

  • Ticket management
  • Live chat
  • Call center
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Automation
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Slack
  • Jira

Both cover

  • Omnichannel support
  • Knowledge base
  • Shopify
  • Salesforce
  • SOC2

What people use each for

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

Gladly

  • Customer service built around a single customer record rather than ticketsnot Zendesk
  • Handling support conversations across voice, messaging and emailnot Zendesk

Zendesk

  • Help desk and ticketing system managementnot Gladly
  • Omnichannel customer supportnot Gladly
  • Knowledge base and self-service portalsnot Gladly
  • AI-assisted customer servicenot Gladly

Where each one falls short

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

Gladly

  • No pricing is published at any level, and the pricing page states no per agent cost, per conversation rate, minimum commitment or feature tiers
  • The pricing page presents outcome statistics in place of any cost information
  • Every route to a figure goes through a demo or sales conversation

Zendesk

  • AI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
  • Copilot and Contact Center features available as separate add-ons at £50+/agent/month
  • Advanced routing, workforce engagement, and approval workflows limited to Enterprise tier
  • Highest tier requires sales consultation and custom pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Gladly

$180/month
  • Hero$180/month
    • All channels
    • Customer timeline
    • Knowledge base
  • Superhero$210/month
    • Everything in Hero
    • Custom reporting
    • Advanced rules

Zendesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zendesk review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Gladly if

  • You need lifelong conversation.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want customer timeline.
Gladly review

Choose Zendesk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You also want live chat.
Zendesk review

Questions people ask

Is Gladly or Zendesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Gladly starts at $180/month and Zendesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gladly or Zendesk?
Gladly starts at $180/month and Zendesk at $19/month.
Does Gladly or Zendesk run on more platforms?
Gladly runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zendesk runs on Web.
What is Gladly best used for?
Gladly is most often used for customer service built around a single customer record rather than tickets, handling support conversations across voice, messaging and email. Of those, customer service built around a single customer record rather than tickets and handling support conversations across voice, messaging and email are not what Zendesk is typically brought in for.
What can Gladly do that Zendesk cannot?
Gladly covers Lifelong conversation, Customer timeline, Task management, IVR. Zendesk covers Ticket management, Live chat, Call center, Analytics & reporting. Both handle Omnichannel support, Knowledge base, Shopify, Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gladly: How much does Gladly cost?

Gladly does not publish pricing on its website. The vendor directs prospective customers to request a demo or contact the sales team for custom pricing tailored to organizational needs.

Source
Zendesk: What is included in the free trial?

You'll have access to all features on the Zendesk Customer Service Suite Professional plan for 14 days, with Copilot included by default.

Source
Zendesk: How is Zendesk pricing calculated?

Base subscription pricing is determined by your selected plan tier and the number of agent seats needed. Additional costs include usage-based features like App Builder and Voice, plus optional add-ons.

Source
Zendesk: What are the contract terms?

Zendesk subscriptions are month to month, annual, or multi-year. Annual billing typically costs less than monthly payments.

Source
Zendesk: Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

Yes, changes may apply immediately or at renewal depending on your subscription terms.

Source
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Related pages

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