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Customer Support · head to head

SupportBee vs Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

SupportBee logo

SupportBee

Customer Support

Simple email ticketing for small teams

From
$13/month
Rated
-
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations logo

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Live Chat & Chatbots

Omnichannel messaging and customer engagement platform

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SupportBee email-only ticketing, no live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features; Zendesk Sunshine Conversations cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • They diverge on capability: SupportBee covers Shared inbox, Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SupportBee and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations actually diverge.

Attributes where SupportBee and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations differ
AttributeSupportBeeZendesk Sunshine Conversations
Starting price$13/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile BrowserWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat & Chatbots
Founded20102015

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

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 SupportBee

  • Shared inbox
  • Email ticketing
  • Snippets
  • Customer portal
  • Knowledge base
  • Reports
  • Trello
  • Asana

Only in Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Live chat
  • SMS messaging
  • Facebook Messenger
  • WhatsApp integration
  • Salesforce
  • Zendesk Support
  • API
  • Mobile app support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

SupportBee

  • Email supportnot Zendesk Sunshine Conversations
  • Ticket managementnot Zendesk Sunshine Conversations
  • Team collaborationnot Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

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

Where each one falls short

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

SupportBee

  • Email-only ticketing, no live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features
  • Basic reporting and analytics, lacking advanced dashboards and customizable metrics
  • No SLA management capabilities
  • Limited workflow customization compared to enterprise platforms
  • No dedicated mobile app (web interface only)
  • Confusing navigation and UI issues reported by some users
  • Cannot select and snooze multiple emails at once
  • Occasional performance delays

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • Low included monthly active users (1,000 MAU) and notifications (1,000) necessitate paid add-ons for most businesses
  • Custom implementations require developer resources for webhooks and API configuration

Pricing, plan by plan

SupportBee

$13/month
  • Startup$13/month
    • Unlimited tickets and inboxes
    • Team inbox with ticket assignment
    • Knowledge base integration (KBee)
  • Enterprise$17/month
    • All Startup features
    • Advanced integrations
    • Custom roles and permissions

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

On request
  • Team$19/month
    • Chat + messaging
    • Basic features
    • Limited agents
  • Growth$49/month
    • Omnichannel
    • Advanced automation
    • Routing
  • Professional$99/month
    • All features
    • Custom workflows
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose SupportBee if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Web, Mobile Browser.
  • You also want email ticketing.

Choose Zendesk Sunshine Conversations if

  • You need live chat.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want sms messaging.

Questions people ask

Is SupportBee or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations better?
Neither clearly leads. SupportBee starts at $13/month and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SupportBee or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?
SupportBee starts at $13/month and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request.
Does SupportBee or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations run on more platforms?
SupportBee runs on Web, Mobile Browser. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is SupportBee best used for?
SupportBee is most often used for email support, ticket management, team collaboration. Of those, email support and ticket management are not what Zendesk Sunshine Conversations is typically brought in for.
What can SupportBee do that Zendesk Sunshine Conversations cannot?
SupportBee covers Shared inbox, Email ticketing, Snippets, Customer portal. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers Live chat, SMS messaging, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp integration. Both handle Slack, Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SupportBee: How much does SupportBee cost?

SupportBee offers Startup plan at $13/user/month and Enterprise at $17/user/month, both with unlimited tickets and inboxes. No per-ticket charges. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required.

Source
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: Can I buy Zendesk Sunshine Conversations standalone?

No. Sunshine Conversations is only available with Zendesk Suite Professional, Enterprise, or Enterprise Plus plans. It cannot be purchased as a standalone product.

Source
SupportBee: Does SupportBee offer live chat or phone support?

No. SupportBee focuses on email ticketing and does not include native live chat, phone support, chatbots, or AI features. It is designed for email-based customer support.

Source
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What messaging channels does Sunshine Conversations support?

Sunshine Conversations connects 15+ messaging channels including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, SMS, and provides a Web Widget for on-site chat.

Source
SupportBee: What platforms can SupportBee run on?

SupportBee is a web-based platform accessible on desktop and mobile browsers. It does not offer a dedicated desktop or mobile app, but the web interface is responsive and works on phones. Integration with email clients is available.

Source
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What are the usage limits on Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?

The base includes 1,000 Monthly Active Users and 1,000 notifications per month. Additional usage requires $50 add-ons for each 2,500 MAU pack or $50 for each 25,000 notification pack.

Source
SupportBee: Does SupportBee integrate with Slack?

Yes. SupportBee integrates with Slack to send real-time notifications for new tickets, replies, assignments, and internal comments. Teams can configure which events trigger alerts and organize notifications into dedicated channels.

Source

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