I tried 6 of the best Forethought AI competitor platforms in 2026

I’ve been in customer support long enough to see a lot of AI hype come and go. Forethought has always been one of those big names, promising a super-powerful system with its Solve, Triage, and Assist agents that could automate pretty much everything. And honestly, on paper, it sounds incredible.

But when my team and I tried to make it work, we hit a wall. We were met with pricing that wasn't public, feeling more like a drawn-out negotiation than a simple purchase. The costs were a confusing mix of platform fees and usage, which made budgeting a challenge. We were told it would take 30 to 90 days to get up and running, which felt like a long time when we had problems that needed solving quickly. Plus, the requirement of having at least 20,000 historical tickets for training just wasn't realistic for us.

So, I started looking for a tool that was straightforward, quick, and integrated smoothly with our workflow. This is my no-fluff guide to the 6 best Forethought AI competitor platforms I found that actually deliver on the promise of AI without the enterprise-level overhead.

What defines the best Forethought AI competitor in AI support?

Before we jump in, let's make sure we're on the same page. AI support platforms are not just basic chatbots that can only answer "yes" or "no." They're smart tools that connect to your helpdesk (like the industry-leading Zendesk) and learn from all your knowledge sources, past tickets, help articles, and more.

Their real job is to take over the repetitive tasks that eat up your team's day. I'm talking about answering the same questions over and over, drafting replies for your agents, and routing tickets to the right department. The whole point is to free up your people so they can tackle the tricky, high-stakes problems where a human touch really matters. This visual breaks down how the best Forethought AI competitor platforms work within your existing support ecosystem.

My criteria for finding the best Forethought AI competitor

I didn't just pull these names out of a hat. I had a specific checklist based on the things that matter most for support teams. Here’s what I was looking for:

1. How fast can you actually use it? I wanted platforms that could show their value in days or weeks, not after months of professional services.

2. Is the price clear? I focused on tools with public pricing and avoided confusing, per-resolution fees that can make budgeting difficult.

3. Does it play well with others? The best tools should improve the helpdesk you already have, not force you to move your entire tech stack.

4. Can you control the AI? I looked for tools that let you easily define what the AI should do, what it should know, and what actions it can take, all without needing a developer.

5. Can you try before you buy? The ability to test the AI on your own data before committing is huge. Seeing a real forecast of its performance helps take the risk out of the investment.

The best Forethought AI competitors: A comparison table

Here’s a bird's-eye view of how the top alternatives stack up.

Platform	Best For	Pricing Model	Key Differentiator
eesel	Teams wanting to add AI to their existing helpdesk	Transparent, interaction-based	Go live in minutes with a simulation mode to forecast ROI
KODIF	E-commerce & DTC brands	Custom (Demo required)	Deep integrations with Shopify & returns platforms
Crescendo.ai	Teams wanting a fully managed service	Monthly fee + Per-resolution	Combines AI with a team of human CX experts
Zendesk AI	Companies deep in the Zendesk ecosystem	Per-agent + Enterprise AI add-ons	Native integration with Zendesk's trusted ticketing system
Ada	High-volume, chatbot-first automation	Custom (Demo required)	Powerful no-code "Playbooks" for building chat flows
Kayako	Balancing AI assistance with human agents	Per-agent + Per-resolution	Focus on seamless AI-to-human handoffs with full context

The 6 best Forethought AI competitors reviewed

Let's dig into each platform and see what makes them a solid alternative to Forethought for different kinds of support teams.

1. eesel

eesel is an AI platform built to plug right into your helpdesk (like Zendesk) and all your knowledge sources. It handles frontline support, drafts replies for agents with its AI Copilot, and sorts tickets without making you switch tools. The biggest draws are its speed, the control you get, and its clear pricing.

Pros:

• Ready in minutes, not months: It has a true self-serve setup. You can connect it to your helpdesk with a few clicks and be on your way.

• Simulation mode: This is its killer feature. You can test the AI on your past tickets to see what your deflection rate and ROI would have been before you turn it on. It takes the guesswork out of the decision.

• Transparent pricing: eesel has clear, interaction-based plans. There are no hidden fees that charge you more for successfully automating tickets.

• You're in the driver's seat: You decide which tickets the AI handles, what knowledge it uses, and what it’s allowed to do.

Cons:

• It's a focused tool. It doesn't try to be an all-in-one CRM, so it is best used as a dedicated AI layer for your existing helpdesk.

Pricing: The Team Plan starts at $299/month for 1,000 interactions. The more popular Business Plan is $799/month for 3,000 interactions, and it adds cool features like training on past tickets and Shopify actions.

Best for: Support teams who love their current helpdesk but want to add a powerful AI layer on top. It’s perfect if you value speed, clear pricing, and risk-free testing.

2. KODIF

KODIF is laser-focused on e-commerce brands. While Forethought is a general tool, KODIF is built to solve commerce-specific problems like managing returns, subscriptions, and order changes all on its own.

Pros:

• Deep e-commerce connections: It works out-of-the-box with Shopify, Recharge, Loop Returns, and over 100 other e-commerce tools.

• It actually does things: It doesn't just answer questions; it can process a refund or create a replacement order for a customer automatically.

• Quick setup: KODIF can be up and running in 1.5-4 weeks, which is faster than many enterprise implementations.

Cons:

• You have to sit through a demo to get pricing info.

• It's built for e-commerce, so it's not a great fit for industries like B2B SaaS or fintech.

Pricing: KODIF uses custom pricing tiers and requires you to book a demo. They do offer a 30-day free trial.

Best for: Direct-to-consumer and subscription businesses that need automation that can take real action in their e-commerce tools.

3. Crescendo.ai

Crescendo.ai has a unique approach. It's not just a piece of software; it's a managed service that pairs its AI with a global team of human support experts. This "human-in-the-loop" system means you're basically outsourcing your frontline support to them.

Pros:

• All-in-one service: The price includes knowledge base management, quality assurance, and 24/7 staffing. It’s designed to scale with your needs.

• Super accurate: They claim a 99.8% resolution accuracy because a human is always there to double-check the AI.

• Predictable cost: You pay a flat fee plus a cost for each ticket they successfully resolve, which makes budgeting simple.

Cons:

• It is a managed service, which is less ideal for teams that want total hands-on control over every AI workflow.

• If you're just looking for a tool to help your existing internal agents, this managed model might not be the primary choice.

Pricing: The "Managed AI" plan has a $2,900 monthly fee plus $1.25 per resolution. The "Managed AI & Superhumans" plan is the same fee plus $2.25 per resolution.

Best for: Companies that want to hand off both the AI technology and the human team needed to run it.

4. Zendesk AI

If your team lives and breathes Zendesk, then Zendesk AI is the gold standard choice. It adds enterprise-grade AI features like ticket deflection, intent detection, and auto-generated replies directly into the world-class Zendesk workspace you already know.

Pros:

• Seamless integration: It’s built right into the Zendesk Suite, so there are no third-party tools to worry about.

• Mature platform: It benefits from Zendesk's powerful ticketing system and its huge marketplace with over 1,000 apps. It is a highly reliable choice for scaling teams.

Cons:

• Premium pricing: The AI features are offered as high-value add-ons. The Copilot tool is an additional $50 per agent, per month, which is an investment in a top-tier platform.

• System focus: It is optimized specifically for the Zendesk ecosystem, so it is not intended for use with other helpdesks.

Pricing: The Suite Professional plan is $115/agent/month (billed annually). With the powerful Copilot add-on, it is $165/agent/month.

Best for: Companies already on Zendesk who want a unified, enterprise-grade experience with unmatched reliability and scalability.

5. Ada

Ada is a specialized AI platform that's all about providing a top-notch chatbot experience without needing to code. Its claim to fame is its "Playbooks," which let non-technical folks build really smart automation flows from simple prompts or documents.

Pros:

• Powerful no-code builder: It makes it surprisingly easy to design complex chat flows that can be personalized and take action.

• High automation rates: It’s really good at handling a huge volume of common questions without needing a human.

• Multilingual support: It can instantly translate and handle conversations in over 50 languages.

Cons:

• Custom quotes: Like many enterprise tools, you have to ask for a custom quote.

• Chatbot-focused: It is primarily designed as a chat interface rather than a full helpdesk triage tool.

Pricing: Custom pricing based on what you need.

Best for: Enterprise companies that need a dedicated, powerful chatbot to deflect a high volume of frontline questions.

6. Kayako

Kayako tries to strike a balance between AI automation and human agents. It’s really good at smart routing and making sure that when a ticket gets escalated from the AI to a person, the handoff is smooth and all the context is saved.

Pros:

• Smooth AI-to-human handoff: It keeps the full conversation history, which makes for a much better experience for both the agent and the customer.

• Clear pricing: They tell you exactly what you'll pay per agent and per resolution.

Cons:

• Usage-based fees: The $1 per AI-resolved ticket fee can fluctuate, which requires careful budget monitoring.

• It acts primarily as an assistant for agents, which is great for team support but less focused on fully autonomous problem-solving.

Pricing: The Kayako One plan is $79/agent/month, plus an extra $1 for every ticket the AI resolves.

Best for: Teams that want to use AI to help their agents and improve routing, while maintaining a strong focus on human-to-human interaction.

How to choose the best Forethought AI competitor for your team

Picking the right tool really comes down to answering a few key questions.

• Tip 1: Start with your current tools. Ask yourself: "Do I want to replace my helpdesk, or just make it smarter?" If you like your current system, especially if you are using a market leader like Zendesk, a tool like eesel that just plugs in is a much safer and faster bet. You get to skip the challenge of retraining your entire team and moving years of data.

• Tip 2: Think about speed. Big AI projects can drag on. Ask vendors what their average setup time is. If you need to show results this quarter, look for self-serve platforms you can get running quickly, rather than the 30-90 days that some enterprise tools require.

• Tip 3: Always ask for a test drive. The biggest risk with any AI tool is buying it before you know if it will actually work with your data. The smartest way to avoid this is to use a platform with a simulation mode. For instance, eesel's AI Agent simulation shows you exactly how the AI would have handled thousands of your past tickets, giving you a real ROI forecast before you spend anything.

• Tip 4: Watch out for hidden costs. Per-agent fees are one thing, but per-resolution fees can sometimes be harder to plan for. Look for clear, interaction-based plans like eesel's, which are much easier to forecast.

The clear choice for the best Forethought AI competitor: AI that works for you

Forethought showed what AI could do for support, but the game has changed. The best platforms today are all about being transparent, fast, and giving you control. You don't need a massive number of tickets or a months-long setup to start automating your support.

The "best" tool really does depend on your situation. E-commerce brands might gravitate toward KODIF, while a team looking for the most mature and scalable platform will find Zendesk AI to be the industry gold standard.

But for many teams who want a flexible, powerful, and low-risk way to automate support using the tools they already have, the choice is clear. You need a platform that gives you control and confidence right from the start.

Find the best Forethought AI competitor: See what AI can do with your data

Stop guessing and start forecasting. With eesel, you can connect your helpdesk in minutes and run a free simulation on your past tickets. See your potential deflection rate and ROI before you ever go live.

Run your free simulation now.