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Live Chat · head to head

LiveChat vs Zendesk Answer Bot

LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Live Chat

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk Answer Bot logo

Zendesk Answer Bot

Live Chat

AI-powered chatbot for automated customer support

From
$55/month per agent
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month; Zendesk Answer Bot limited to Help Center articles only; cannot access customer account data, billing information, or external systems
  • They diverge on capability: LiveChat covers Live chat, Zendesk Answer Bot covers AI chatbot.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where LiveChat and Zendesk Answer Bot differ
AttributeLiveChatZendesk Answer Bot
Starting price$20/month$55/month per agent
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, Email, Slack, Mobile
Founded20022007

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).

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 LiveChat

  • Live chat
  • Ticketing
  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • Shopify
  • WordPress

Only in Zendesk Answer Bot

  • AI chatbot
  • Knowledge base integration
  • Intent recognition
  • Multi-language support
  • Zendesk Support
  • Zendesk Chat
  • Slack
  • API

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Zendesk Answer Bot
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot Zendesk Answer Bot

Zendesk Answer Bot

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

Where each one falls short

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

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

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

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • SSO

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 LiveChat if

  • You need live chat.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want ticketing.
LiveChat review

Choose Zendesk Answer Bot if

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

Questions people ask

Is LiveChat or Zendesk Answer Bot better?
Neither clearly leads. LiveChat starts at $20/month 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, LiveChat or Zendesk Answer Bot?
LiveChat starts at $20/month and Zendesk Answer Bot at $55/month per agent.
Does LiveChat or Zendesk Answer Bot run on more platforms?
LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Zendesk Answer Bot runs on Web, Email, Slack, Mobile.
What is LiveChat best used for?
LiveChat is most often used for live chat support on a website with agent routing, handling customer conversations across chat, sms and messaging channels. Of those, live chat support on a website with agent routing and handling customer conversations across chat, sms and messaging channels are not what Zendesk Answer Bot is typically brought in for.
What can LiveChat do that Zendesk Answer Bot cannot?
LiveChat covers Live chat, Ticketing, Chat routing, Analytics. Zendesk Answer Bot covers AI chatbot, Knowledge base integration, Intent recognition, Multi-language support. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LiveChat: How much does LiveChat cost?

LiveChat pricing starts at $19/month for the Starter plan (annual billing). The Team plan is $49/person/month and includes unlimited users. The Business plan is $79/person/month with advanced features. Enterprise plans require a custom quote.

Source
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
LiveChat: Does LiveChat offer a free trial?

Yes, LiveChat provides a 14-day free trial with AI-driven features and no credit card required.

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
LiveChat: What is the difference between LiveChat's Team and Business plans?

The Team plan ($49/person/month) tracks 400 visitors and includes unlimited campaigns and chat history. The Business plan ($79/person/month) tracks 1,000 visitors and adds work scheduler, advanced reporting, SMS, and Apple Messages support.

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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