Cresta pricing 2025: A complete breakdown and a better alternative

If you've been trying to find clear, upfront Cresta pricing, you’ve probably noticed it’s hiding in plain sight. Or rather, it’s not there at all. Instead of a pricing page, you’re directed to book a demo, which in the world of B2B software, is usually code for "this is going to be expensive." It’s a frustrating experience when you're just trying to figure out if a tool fits your team's budget.

In this guide, we’re going to pull back the curtain on Cresta's pricing model using the bits and pieces of information available publicly. We’ll break down its features, figure out what it likely costs, and look at the hidden complexities of getting it set up. We'll also introduce a more transparent and flexible alternative that puts you in control right from the start.

What is Cresta?

So, what exactly is Cresta? Think of it as an AI co-pilot built for massive contact centers to improve how they talk to customers and how well their agents perform. It’s a whole suite of tools that listens in on conversations as they happen, giving agents real-time tips, automating some of the grunt work, and providing managers with a dashboard of insights on team performance.

Cresta markets itself as a single platform for both human and AI agents, squarely aimed at enterprise-level companies in sales, customer care, and collections. Its main products are the AI Agent, Agent Assist, and Conversation Intelligence. These tools are designed to handle a huge number of customer interactions, but they need to be deeply integrated into a company’s existing software stack.

While it's undoubtedly a powerful tool, Cresta is built for companies that have the time and money for a long setup process. This enterprise-first mindset often means less flexibility and a much slower start for teams that need to be nimble.

Features that determine Cresta pricing

Before we get into the money talk, it helps to know what you’re paying for. Cresta's platform is pretty comprehensive, but it boils down to a few key capabilities.

Cresta AI agent and Agent Assist

The main thing Cresta does is give agents real-time backup during calls or chats. It suggests responses, makes sure they stick to compliance scripts, and automates annoying tasks like taking notes. The idea is to get new agents up to speed faster and make sure everyone is providing a consistent level of service. The AI Agent can also take over conversations on its own, trying to solve customer problems without a human needing to step in. But getting these complex workflows and automations running usually requires a lot of configuration and help from their team, which adds another layer of cost and time.

Conversation Intelligence and analytics

For managers, Cresta has a suite of analytics tools. It automatically scores every single conversation to spot trends, check performance against key metrics, and find moments for coaching. This helps leaders figure out what their top agents are doing differently and share those winning habits with the rest of the team. The insights are useful, for sure, but they come from a system that’s pretty rigid once it’s set up. If your team needs to pivot quickly or try out new support tactics, a one-size-fits-all analytics platform can feel a bit restrictive.

How integrations affect Cresta pricing

Cresta connects with major contact center platforms like Five9, Amazon Connect, and Zendesk. But these aren’t always simple, one-click setups. They often need a developer to get them configured and keep them running, especially if you have custom workflows. This is a far cry from more modern, API-first tools that are built for anyone to connect without needing a technical background.

The big question: What does Cresta cost?

Cresta doesn’t publish its prices. To get a number, you have to go through their sales team for a custom quote. This is pretty standard for enterprise software, and it usually means you're looking at high annual contracts, minimum seat counts, and a commitment for multiple years.

The only publicly available pricing info comes from the AWS Marketplace. While this might not be the same as their direct sales price, it gives us a pretty good idea of the kind of investment we're talking about.

Product	Subscription Details	Annual Cost
Agent Assist for Chat	Up to 125,000 chats	$150,000
Agent Assist for Voice	Up to 100,000 calls	$150,000

As you can see, the starting line is a cool $150,000 a year for just one of their products. This price tag puts Cresta out of reach for most small and medium-sized businesses and shows they’re focused exclusively on large corporations. On top of that, extra usage is billed per interaction ($1.20 per chat, $1.50 per call), which can make your costs unpredictable if your support volume goes up and down.

This kind of murky, high-cost model brings a few headaches:

• You can't try it out. There’s no "try before you buy." You have to sink a lot of time into sales calls and demos just to see if the product might work for you.

• Costs can spiral. With usage-based overages and bundled professional services, it’s tough to predict what you'll actually spend over the year.

• You're locked in. Big annual contracts make it hard to switch to a different tool if your needs change, leaving you stuck with one provider.

eesel AI: A transparent alternative

On the other hand, platforms like eesel AI offer clear, predictable pricing that grows with you. There are no hidden fees or mandatory demos just to get started.

A visual of the eesel AI pricing page, which contrasts with opaque Cresta pricing models by showing clear, public-facing costs.

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	Cresta	eesel AI
Pricing Model	Custom quote, annual contract	Transparent monthly & annual plans
Starting Price	~$150,000 / year (based on AWS)	$299 / month
Billing	Per agent, per interaction overages	Based on AI interactions, not resolutions
Setup	Requires sales demo and implementation	Self-serve, live in minutes
Flexibility	Long-term contracts	Cancel anytime on monthly plans

With eesel AI, you can hop on a monthly plan and get access to all the core products, including the AI Agent, Copilot, and AI Triage, without ever talking to a salesperson. That transparency lets you make a smart decision without feeling pressured by a long sales process.

Beyond the price tag: Setup and customization costs

The total cost of a platform isn't just the license fee. The time and effort it takes to get it running and the lack of direct control are hidden costs that can slow your team down.

The long road to going live

Enterprise AI tools often come with a complicated setup. Getting started with Cresta usually involves a long, drawn-out sales and onboarding process that can take months. It starts with booking that demo, then you go through more sales calls, a technical review, contract negotiations, and finally, a managed onboarding. Months after you first showed interest, you can finally go live.

This whole process eats up a lot of your team's time and often comes with extra fees for their professional services. Compare that to a solution like eesel AI, which is designed to be completely self-serve. You can sign up online, connect your help desk (like Zendesk or Freshdesk), link your knowledge sources (like Confluence or Google Docs), and launch an AI agent in a matter of minutes, not months. The entire experience is built to give you control from day one.

A flowchart outlining the quick, self-serve implementation of eesel AI, an alternative to the more manual and costly Cresta pricing and setup process.

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Taking back control

One of the scariest parts of AI automation is launching a bot that gives customers weird or wrong answers. Cresta's enterprise model doesn't really give you an easy way to test things out safely and make small changes.

This is where eesel AI’s simulation mode is a huge help. It lets you test your AI setup on thousands of your past tickets in a safe, sandboxed environment. Think of it as a dress rehearsal. You get a precise forecast of how well it will perform before it ever talks to a real customer. You can see exactly how it would have answered, tweak its prompts and knowledge, and then launch it with confidence.

The eesel AI simulation feature provides a safe testing environment, a key difference from the rigid Cresta pricing and implementation model.

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You can also roll out eesel AI bit by bit. Start by letting it handle just one type of simple, repetitive question. As you get more comfortable, you can expand what it's allowed to do. You just don't get that level of control and risk-free testing with traditional, top-down enterprise software.

Is the Cresta pricing model right for you?

Cresta is a beast of an AI platform for huge contact centers with very deep pockets and the patience for a long implementation. If you have a multi-million dollar budget and want a hands-on partner to help you rebuild your support operations over the next year, it could be an option.

But for most teams, the lack of pricing transparency, eye-watering costs, and slow setup time are major roadblocks. Today's support teams need to be agile, in control, and efficient.

Cresta's CEO discusses how AI is transforming the customer experience, offering insights into the value proposition behind Cresta pricing.

Platforms like eesel AI are built for teams that want to move fast and stay in the driver's seat. With a completely self-serve model, transparent pricing, and powerful features like risk-free simulation, you can deploy a smarter AI support agent in minutes. You get all the power of enterprise-grade AI without the enterprise-level headaches and costs.

If you're ready to see how quickly you can automate your support with an AI that learns from your existing knowledge, you can get started with eesel AI for free.