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Zendesk Chat vs Google Dialogflow

Zendesk Chat logo

Zendesk Chat

Software

Live chat software from Zendesk

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Dialogflow logo

Google Dialogflow

Software

Google's conversational AI platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Dialogflow has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Google Dialogflow google's own Dialogflow pricing page (cloud.google.com/dialogflow/pricing) prices Conversational Agents (CX) text requests at $0.007 per request, audio input at $0.0065 per 15 seconds and audio output from $4 per 1 million characters, all in USD, with a one-time $600 free credit for the first 12 months; Dialogflow ES (Essentials) is billed per request separately from CX and the two are not interchangeable, so a chatbot built on ES cannot simply switch to CX pricing without migration.
  • They diverge on capability: Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging, Google Dialogflow covers NLU and NLG.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zendesk Chat and Google Dialogflow actually diverge.

Attributes where Zendesk Chat and Google Dialogflow differ
AttributeZendesk ChatGoogle Dialogflow
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants
Founded20071998

Identical on both: 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 Google Dialogflow

  • NLU and NLG
  • Multi-language support
  • Integration with Google services
  • Webhooks
  • Google Cloud
  • Slack
  • Facebook
  • Telegram

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 Google Dialogflow

Google Dialogflow

  • Customer engagementnot Zendesk Chat
  • Lead generationnot Zendesk Chat
  • Customer supportnot Zendesk Chat
  • Sales automationnot 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

Google Dialogflow

  • Google's own Dialogflow pricing page (cloud.google.com/dialogflow/pricing) prices Conversational Agents (CX) text requests at $0.007 per request, audio input at $0.0065 per 15 seconds and audio output from $4 per 1 million characters, all in USD, with a one-time $600 free credit for the first 12 months; Dialogflow ES (Essentials) is billed per request separately from CX and the two are not interchangeable, so a chatbot built on ES cannot simply switch to CX pricing without migration.

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

Google Dialogflow

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 100 requests/day
    • Basic NLU
  • Standard$0.005/month
    • Pay per request
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom SLAs
    • Dedicated support

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 Google Dialogflow if

  • You need nlu and nlg.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants.
  • You also want multi-language support.
Google Dialogflow review

Questions people ask

Is Zendesk Chat or Google Dialogflow better?
Neither clearly leads. Zendesk Chat starts at $49/month and Google Dialogflow at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Zendesk Chat or Google Dialogflow?
Google Dialogflow has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Zendesk Chat and Free for Google Dialogflow.
Does Zendesk Chat or Google Dialogflow run on more platforms?
Zendesk Chat runs on Web, Ios, Android. Google Dialogflow runs on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants.
Can I use Google Dialogflow for free?
Yes. Google Dialogflow has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zendesk Chat starts at $49/month.
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 Google Dialogflow is typically brought in for.
What can Zendesk Chat do that Google Dialogflow cannot?
Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging, Mobile messaging, Chatbots, Proactive chat. Google Dialogflow covers NLU and NLG, Multi-language support, Integration with Google services, Webhooks. Both handle Web support.
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Related pages

More on Zendesk Chat

More on Google Dialogflow

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