What AI customer support really costs: per resolution, per credit, or included
By The Relay team · Published · 4 min read
The short answer
AI support is billed four ways: per outcome or resolution (Intercom from $0.99, Help Scout $0.75, Featurebase $0.49), by credits (Chatwoot, Crisp), by conversation allowance (Tidio), or included in the plan (Relay). At 500 AI-resolved conversations a month, per-resolution pricing alone comes to $245 to $495. Ask each vendor exactly what counts as a billable resolution before you compare.
The four ways AI support is billed
- Per resolution or outcome. You pay each time the AI agent resolves a conversation. Intercom's Fin, Help Scout's AI Answers and Featurebase work this way.
- By credits. The plan includes a monthly allowance and you buy more. Chatwoot's Captain AI and Crisp's AI credits work this way.
- By conversation allowance. The AI is limited by a count of conversations. Tidio's Lyro includes 50 one-off conversations on its Free and Starter plans, with more on request.
- Included in the plan. No separate meter. Relay works this way.
What the published rates are
| Tool | AI pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intercom Fin | From $0.99 per outcome | On every plan; one full seat minimum |
| Help Scout AI Answers | $0.75 per resolution | 3-month free trial for new accounts |
| Featurebase | $0.49 per resolution | On paid plans; the free plan has no AI agent |
| Chatwoot Captain | Credits: 300 a month on Startups, 500 on Business, 800 on Enterprise | Extra credits $20 per 1,000; none on the free Hacker plan |
| Crisp | AI credits in paid plans | Mini includes $5 (about 90 automated conversations); Essentials $25 (about 450) |
| Tidio Lyro | 50 one-off conversations on Free and Starter | More are priced by plan, custom beyond |
| Relay | Included in the plan | $19 Pro or $49 Team; answers come only from your help center |
Three scenarios for per-resolution pricing
The AI line alone, for the three tools that bill per resolution. This is arithmetic on list rates, not a prediction of what you will pay.
| Tool and rate | 200 a month | 500 a month | 1,500 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intercom Fin ($0.99 per outcome, from) | $198 | $495 | $1485 |
| Help Scout AI Answers ($0.75 per resolution) | $150 | $375 | $1125 |
| Featurebase AI ($0.49 per resolution) | $98 | $245 | $735 |
Credit-based and included models are harder to put in a table because the unit changes. Chatwoot's Startups plan covers 300 credits before the $20-per-1,000 rate applies. Crisp's Mini includes about 90 automated conversations, so a team above that volume needs a higher plan or more credits (check Crisp's page for how extra credits are bought; we haven't verified that). Relay doesn't meter AI answers, so the bill doesn't move with volume.
The risks of per-resolution pricing
- The bill follows demand you don't control. A product incident that doubles conversations doubles the AI line in the same week.
- The definition of a resolution matters. If a customer asks a follow-up an hour later, is that a second resolution? Read the vendor's definition and ask what happens when the customer says the answer didn't help.
- It rewards the vendor for resolving, not for you being satisfied. The best vendors guard against this with clear definitions. Ask how.
- It's hard to budget. Finance wants one number; per-outcome pricing gives a range.
Questions to ask any vendor
- What exactly counts as a billable resolution or outcome?
- What happens if the customer says the answer wasn't helpful, or asks again within a day?
- Is there a monthly cap, or alerts before the bill rises?
- What do I pay if I turn the AI off for a month?
- Which plan has the AI, and what does that plan cost per seat?
Questions
Common questions
- How much does an AI customer support chatbot cost?
- From nothing beyond the plan (Relay) to about $0.49 to $0.99 for each resolved conversation (Featurebase, Help Scout, Intercom). At 500 resolved conversations a month that is roughly $245 to $495 for the AI alone on the per-resolution tools, before seats.
- What is an AI resolution?
- It is the vendor's term for a conversation its AI agent handled without a human. Each vendor defines it, so the same conversation can count differently on different tools. Read the definition on the vendor's pricing or help page.
- Is AI included in Relay's price?
- Yes. AI answers are included in both Pro and Team. They come only from your help center articles, with citations to the articles used.
- Can I use AI support for free?
- Some tools have free plans without AI (Help Scout, Featurebase, Crisp) or with a small allowance (Tidio's 50 one-off Lyro conversations). Chatwoot's free Hacker plan has no Captain AI. Relay has no free plan.
Sources and how we wrote this
Relay is made by the team that wrote this post. Figures for other tools come from their own public pages, listed under Sources, and are list prices in US dollars that can change. If something here is out of date, tell us on the feedback board and we'll correct it.