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Zendesk Chat vs Amazon Lex

Zendesk Chat logo

Zendesk Chat

Software

Live chat software from Zendesk

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Amazon Lex logo

Amazon Lex

Software

AWS conversational AI service

From
$0.00075/per text request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Zendesk Chat messaging and live chat require at least the Suite Team plan at $55/agent/month paid yearly; the base Support Team plan at $19/agent/month does not include chat at all; Amazon Lex pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit)
  • They diverge on capability: Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging, Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zendesk Chat and Amazon Lex actually diverge.

Attributes where Zendesk Chat and Amazon Lex differ
AttributeZendesk ChatAmazon Lex
Starting price$49/month$0.00075/per text request
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, AWS Cloud
Founded20072006

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

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 Zendesk Chat

  • Web messaging
  • Mobile messaging
  • Chatbots
  • Proactive chat
  • Analytics
  • Triggers
  • Zendesk Support
  • Salesforce

Only in Amazon Lex

  • Speech recognition
  • Natural language understanding
  • Voice and text
  • Lambda integration
  • AWS services
  • Lambda
  • DynamoDB
  • SNS

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Zendesk Chat

  • Support teams wanting live chat bundled with ticketing rather than a standalone chat widgetnot Amazon Lex

Amazon Lex

  • Building conversational chatbots leveraging Alexa deep learning enginenot Zendesk Chat
  • Voice and text-based NLU applications requiring automatic speech recognitionnot Zendesk Chat
  • Custom conversational interfaces integrated into existing applicationsnot Zendesk Chat

Where each one falls short

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

Zendesk Chat

  • Messaging and live chat require at least the Suite Team plan at $55/agent/month paid yearly; the base Support Team plan at $19/agent/month does not include chat at all
  • Enterprise-grade chat features (Admin Copilot, skills-based routing) require Suite Professional at $115/agent/month or higher

Amazon Lex

  • Pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit)
  • Speech requests cost $0.004 each, text requests $0.00075 each, training costs $0.50 per minute
  • Variable costs can accumulate quickly for high-volume applications

Pricing, plan by plan

Zendesk Chat

$49/month
  • Suite Team$49/month
    • Messaging
    • Help center
    • Basic bots
  • Suite Growth$79/month
    • Team + Multiple brands
    • Custom fields
  • Suite Professional$99/month
    • Growth + AI
    • Custom analytics

Amazon Lex

$0.00075/per text request

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon Lex review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Zendesk Chat if

  • You need web messaging.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want mobile messaging.
Zendesk Chat review

Choose Amazon Lex if

  • You need speech recognition.
  • You work on Web, AWS Cloud.
  • You also want natural language understanding.
Amazon Lex review

Questions people ask

Is Zendesk Chat or Amazon Lex better?
Neither clearly leads. Zendesk Chat starts at $49/month and Amazon Lex at $0.00075/per text request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Zendesk Chat or Amazon Lex?
Zendesk Chat starts at $49/month and Amazon Lex at $0.00075/per text request.
Does Zendesk Chat or Amazon Lex run on more platforms?
Zendesk Chat runs on Web, Ios, Android. Amazon Lex runs on Web, AWS Cloud.
What is Zendesk Chat best used for?
Zendesk Chat is most often used for support teams wanting live chat bundled with ticketing rather than a standalone chat widget. Of those, support teams wanting live chat bundled with ticketing rather than a standalone chat widget is not what Amazon Lex is typically brought in for.
What can Zendesk Chat do that Amazon Lex cannot?
Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging, Mobile messaging, Chatbots, Proactive chat. Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Natural language understanding, Voice and text, Lambda integration. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

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