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tawk.to vs Zendesk

tawk.to logo

tawk.to

Live Chat

100% free live chat software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk logo

Zendesk

Customer Support

Champions of customer service

From
$19/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only tawk.to has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: tawk.to removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan; 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: tawk.to covers Ticketing, Zendesk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which tawk.to and Zendesk actually diverge.

Attributes where tawk.to and Zendesk differ
Attributetawk.toZendesk
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, MacWeb
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded20132007

Identical on both: 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 tawk.to

  • Ticketing
  • CRM
  • Video chat
  • Screen sharing
  • WordPress
  • Wix
  • Google Analytics
  • Zapier

Only in Zendesk

  • Ticket management
  • Omnichannel support
  • Call center
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Automation
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Slack
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Knowledge base
  • Shopify

What people use each for

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

tawk.to

  • Website live chat and visitor engagementnot Zendesk
  • Customer support automationnot Zendesk

Zendesk

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

Where each one falls short

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

tawk.to

  • Removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan
  • Enhanced AI Assist chatbot is a paid add-on starting at $29/month rather than included free
  • Human staffed chat agents are billed at $1/hour as a separate add-on

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

tawk.to

Free
  • Free Core SoftwareFree
    • Live chat software with no feature limitations
    • Chat pages
    • Knowledge base (hosted help center)
  • Branding Removal$29/month
    • Remove Powered by tawk.to widget branding
  • AI Assist Premium$29/month
    • AI-powered chatbot automation
  • Hired Chat Agents$1/hour
    • Professional trained agents 24/7/365

Zendesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zendesk review.

Which should you pick?

Choose tawk.to if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want crm.
tawk.to review

Choose Zendesk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You also want omnichannel support.
Zendesk review

Questions people ask

Is tawk.to or Zendesk better?
Neither clearly leads. tawk.to starts at Free and Zendesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, tawk.to or Zendesk?
tawk.to has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for tawk.to and $19/month for Zendesk.
Does tawk.to or Zendesk run on more platforms?
tawk.to runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac. Zendesk runs on Web.
Can I use tawk.to for free?
Yes. tawk.to has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zendesk starts at $19/month.
What is tawk.to best used for?
tawk.to is most often used for website live chat and visitor engagement, customer support automation. Of those, website live chat and visitor engagement and customer support automation are not what Zendesk is typically brought in for.
What can tawk.to do that Zendesk cannot?
tawk.to covers Ticketing, CRM, Video chat, Screen sharing. Zendesk covers Ticket management, Omnichannel support, Call center, Analytics & reporting. Both handle Live chat, Knowledge base, Shopify.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

tawk.to: How much does tawk.to cost?

tawk.to is free for core live chat, knowledge base, ticketing, and CRM. Premium add-ons start at $29/month for branding removal or AI Assist, and $1/hour for hired chat agents.

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
tawk.to: Is tawk.to free forever?

Yes, tawk.to's core software including live chat, knowledge base, ticketing, and contacts is free forever with no feature limitations.

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
tawk.to: How are tawk.to's hired chat agents priced?

Hired chat agents are billed at $1 per hour with professional trained staff providing 24/7/365 support.

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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