In short
Zendesk is a complete support suite (tickets, help center, AI agents) billed per agent, designed for structured support teams. KernChat is an assistant built with an SME on its documents, with a fixed subscription and simple handover in a shared inbox.
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Zendesk is a proven support suite, used by customer service teams of every size: multichannel tickets, help center, reporting, and AI agents included in every Suite plan. When support is a department in its own right, with its processes and metrics, Zendesk covers the essentials.
The two offers side by side
| Criterion | KernChat | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Subscription from €100 excl. VAT a month, set-up from €1 500 excl. VAT | $55 per agent a month (Suite Team, billed yearly) |
| Cost of AI | Included in the subscription, no credits | AI agents included: 5 automated resolutions per agent a month (Suite Team), then $1.50 (committed) or $2.00 (pay as you go) per resolution |
| Set-up | Done with you, after a one-hour audit | Configured by your team, Enterprise priced on request |
| For whom | SMEs that want an assistant and simple handover | Structured support teams, ticket management |
What KernChat does differently
- No support department needed. One or two people taking over conversations are enough; there is no ticket queue or process to configure
- One price per organization. The subscription does not depend on the number of agents: the whole team can take over a conversation
- Knowledge that is maintained. Unanswered questions become suggestions you approve, reviewed every month with KERN-IT
- Three languages from the start. French, Dutch and English, for the assistant and for the workspace
Example bill for an SME
For three agents on Suite Team, billed annually, Zendesk's page showed the following on 30/10/2026: 3 × $55 = $165 a month excl. VAT. AI agents are billed per automated resolution, with 5 resolutions included per agent a month on Suite Team, so 15 here. If the AI settles 300 requests a month, the remaining 285 cost $427.50 at the committed rate of $1.50, or $570 at the pay-as-you-go rate of $2.00, giving a bill of $592.50 to $735 a month. This calculation is an example, excluding extras.
With KernChat, the whole team can take over conversations at no extra charge per person, and AI usage is included in the subscription.
KernChat's limitations compared with Zendesk
- No multichannel ticket management. E-mail, phone, social media: Zendesk brings everything together; KernChat focuses on the assistant and its conversations
- No published help center. Your documents feed the assistant, but KernChat does not publish a library of help articles for your customers
- No self-service trial. Set-up is done with you, after an audit
Questions to ask before choosing
- Does your support team handle requests across several channels, with levels and deadlines to track?
- How many people answer customers, and how much would a seat for each one cost?
- Do you want to configure the tool yourself or receive it ready to use, prepared on your documents?
- Do you need answers in the country's three languages?
To decide
If your support has several agents, handles tickets across several channels and tracks service metrics, Zendesk is the natural choice. If you are first looking for an assistant that answers on your website and a team that takes over when needed, KernChat is simpler and more predictable.
Zendesk's prices are those of its pricing page, checked on 30/10/2026, in dollars and excl. VAT. See also the comparison with Intercom and the article on human handover.