Live Chat · head to head
Smartsupp vs Zendesk Answer Bot

Smartsupp
Live Chat
Live chat with advanced visitor tracking and co-browsing
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

Zendesk Answer Bot
Live Chat
AI-powered chatbot for automated customer support
- From
- $55/month per agent
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Smartsupp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Smartsupp free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history; Zendesk Answer Bot limited to Help Center articles only; cannot access customer account data, billing information, or external systems
- They diverge on capability: Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging, 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 Smartsupp and Zendesk Answer Bot actually diverge.
| Attribute | Smartsupp | Zendesk Answer Bot |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $55/month per agent |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android | Web, Email, Slack, Mobile |
| Founded | 2012 | 2007 |
Identical on both: 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 Smartsupp
- Live chat messaging
- Co-browsing
- Visitor tracking
- Heatmaps
- 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.
Smartsupp
- Small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume AI agent starting under $20/monthnot Zendesk Answer Bot
Zendesk Answer Bot
- Customer engagementnot Smartsupp
- Lead generationnot Smartsupp
- Customer supportnot Smartsupp
- Sales automationnot Smartsupp
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Smartsupp
- Free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history
- Annual billing required for best pricing (up to 30% savings)
- Operator limits scale with plan tier
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
Smartsupp
Free- FreeFree
- 1 operator
- 25 conversations per month
- 14-day conversation history
- Solo$17/month
- 1 operator
- Unlimited conversations
- All channels including email
- Plus$25/month
- 3 operators
- Unlimited conversations
- Automation workflows
- Expert$83/month
- 5+ operators
- Unlimited conversations
- Premium support
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 Smartsupp if
- You need live chat messaging.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
- You also want co-browsing.
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 Smartsupp or Zendesk Answer Bot better?
- Neither clearly leads. Smartsupp 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, Smartsupp or Zendesk Answer Bot?
- Smartsupp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Smartsupp and $55/month per agent for Zendesk Answer Bot.
- Does Smartsupp or Zendesk Answer Bot run on more platforms?
- Smartsupp runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android. Zendesk Answer Bot runs on Web, Email, Slack, Mobile.
- Can I use Smartsupp for free?
- Yes. Smartsupp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zendesk Answer Bot starts at $55/month per agent.
- What is Smartsupp best used for?
- Smartsupp is most often used for small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume ai agent starting under $20/month. Of those, small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume ai agent starting under $20/month is not what Zendesk Answer Bot is typically brought in for.
- What can Smartsupp do that Zendesk Answer Bot cannot?
- Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging, Co-browsing, Visitor tracking, Heatmaps. 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
Smartsupp: How much does Smartsupp cost?
Smartsupp offers a free plan for up to 25 conversations monthly. Paid plans start at $17/month for Solo (annual: $204/year), $25/month for Plus, and $83/month for Expert. Enterprise plans start at $280/month with custom features and annual billing offers up to 30% savings.
SourceZendesk 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.
SourceSmartsupp: What is included in Smartsupp's free tier?
Smartsupp's free tier includes 1 operator, up to 25 conversations per month, 14-day conversation history, and basic channel support. All paid plans offer unlimited conversations and advanced features including AI-powered reply assists.
SourceZendesk 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.
SourceSmartsupp: What payment options and currencies does Smartsupp support?
Smartsupp accepts monthly or annual billing with annual subscriptions providing up to 30% savings. The platform supports multiple currencies including CZK, EUR, USD, and PLN. A 14-day free trial is available for paid plans with no credit card required initially.
SourceZendesk 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.
SourceZendesk 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Zendesk Answer Bot
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