Things are moving fast in customer support, and AI is right there in the middle of it all. With more and more tickets landing in your inbox, teams really need smart ways to keep up without getting totally swamped or having to hire endlessly. That’s where AI agents come in. They’re great at handling the routine stuff, answering questions instantly, and freeing up your human team for those trickier issues that actually need their brainpower.
Zendesk is a huge name in the helpdesk world, and they’ve definitely jumped into the AI game with their own built-in tools. But, you know how it is with any platform, sometimes the native options aren’t quite the perfect fit for everyone. Lots of businesses find themselves looking at other AI agent builders that can connect with Zendesk, hoping for more flexibility, specific features they need, or maybe a different approach to pricing.
In this post, we’re going to chat about what a Zendesk AI agent builder actually is, take a look at what Zendesk offers right out of the box, and then explore some other apps you might consider. We’ll put them side-by-side to help you figure out which path makes the most sense for your support setup. We’ll also take a closer look at eesel AI, a powerful alternative designed to work really well with Zendesk and offer a slightly different kind of AI automation.
What is a Zendesk AI agent builder?
Okay, so picture an AI agent builder, but specifically for a helpdesk like Zendesk. It’s basically a tool that lets you create and launch artificial intelligence that can talk to customers and handle support tasks. We’re not just talking about a simple chatbot that follows a super rigid script here. These are tools powered by more advanced AI, often using big language models, that can actually understand what people are saying in natural language, find information, and even take action.
The main reason you’d use an AI agent builder is to automate parts of your support workflow. This could mean automatically answering those questions you get asked a million times a day, sending tickets to the right team, grabbing information from customers, or even sorting out simple issues without any human needing to step in. By doing this, businesses can answer customers way faster, handle a much bigger volume of questions, and let their human agents focus on conversations that really need that human touch and empathy. These builders can be tools built directly into the helpdesk platform itself, or they can be third-party apps that connect to the helpdesk using integrations.
Zendesk’s native AI agent capabilities
Zendesk has been adding AI features directly into its platform to help teams automate support tasks. They actually have a couple of levels for their AI stuff: the standard “Zendesk AI,” which comes with their Suite plans, and the more advanced “Advanced AI,” which is an extra add-on you pay for.
Autoreplies
The basic Zendesk AI gives you some helpful starting points. It can use the content from your help center to suggest relevant articles when customers ask common questions. They call this autoreplies. It’s a neat way to help customers find answers themselves and can definitely cut down on the simple tickets landing in your agents’ queue. You can set this up to trigger suggestions across different channels.
Auto assists and generative replies
Then you have generative replies and auto assist. Generative replies go a step beyond just suggesting articles. The AI can actually write responses based on the content in your Zendesk help center. While it only uses that specific knowledge base, it can give more detailed answers, and you can even set up different bot personalities. Auto assist is a feature for your human agents. The AI suggests draft responses they can use or tweak, helping them reply faster and keep things consistent.
Zendesk’s Advanced AI add-on
For the really powerful features, you typically need that Advanced AI add-on. This is where you get things like intelligent triage, which automatically sorts incoming tickets based on stuff like what the customer intends to do, how they sound (are they happy or annoyed?), and the language they’re using. This helps tickets get routed to the right place much quicker.
Intelligent triage is a feature that involves automatically detecting what a ticket involves, the language, and what kind of tone the customer has. AI agents analyze tickets as they come in and automatically categorizes them based on:
- Intent: What the customer is asking for.
- Sentiment: Is the message positive, negative, or neutral?
- Language: What language the customer is using.
This helps tickets reach the right agent faster—no manual sorting required.
Advanced AI also helps by suggesting macros (those pre-written responses or actions) that agents can use and identifying common customer intentions to make automation better over time. It can even summarize articles, tickets, and calls if you’re using Zendesk Talk. If you need your advanced AI agents to connect with outside systems or data sources to do more complicated things, Zendesk offers an integration builder for that.
Exploring alternative AI agent builders for Zendesk
While Zendesk’s native AI offers a solid foundation, it’s definitely not the only game in town. The Zendesk Marketplace is full of third-party apps that provide all sorts of AI agent capabilities. Businesses often check out these alternatives for a few reasons. Maybe they need a specific feature Zendesk doesn’t have, they like a different way of pricing, they want more control over how things look and work, or they need to teach their AI using knowledge that isn’t just in their Zendesk help center.
One really strong option that works well with Zendesk is eesel AI. eesel AI focuses on providing flexible and cost-effective AI automation specifically built to make platforms like Zendesk even better. They have two main products: an AI Agent that can automate conversations and tasks, and an AI Assistant (or Copilot) that helps out human agents. eesel AI‘s big selling points are its transparent pricing (you pay per interaction, not per agent), the ability to train the AI on a much wider range of knowledge sources, and workflows you can really customize.
Besides eesel AI, there are other types of alternative AI tools out there that connect with Zendesk. Some focus heavily on conversational AI for specific channels, like Intercom’s Fin AI Copilot, which is built for messaging-first support. Others are no-code AI builders, like Quidget, that aim to make it super easy for anyone to build a bot. And then there are tools with broader automation capabilities, like Zapier Agents, that can link up various apps to automate tasks. Each one offers a different angle on bringing AI into your Zendesk workflow.
Comparing native vs. alternative AI agent builders
When you’re trying to pick the right AI solution for your Zendesk setup, it really helps to look at them side-by-side across a few key areas. Let’s stack up Zendesk’s native AI against alternatives, paying special attention to what eesel AI brings to the table.
Flexibility and customization
Zendesk’s native AI gives you some choices for tone, like “Professional” or “Friendly,” and you can set up certain triggers and rules. But if you want to really fine-tune exactly how the bot talks, its personality, or build complex, “if this, then that” logic for specific situations, you might find it a bit limited.
Alternatives, especially platforms like eesel AI, often give you much more detailed control. With eesel AI, you get specific prompting and customization tabs that let you define exactly how the bot responds, its tone, and even specific actions it should take based on the conversation. Plus, eesel AI lets you create multiple bots, which is super handy if you need different AI agents trained for different brands or teams.
Training and knowledge sources
This is a really important one. Zendesk’s native AI mainly learns from your Zendesk Help Center content. If all your crucial support information lives there, that might be enough for you.
However, most businesses have knowledge scattered all over the place. Think about past support tickets, internal documents on platforms like Google Docs or Confluence, PDFs, or external wikis. Many alternative AI agent builders, including eesel AI, can learn from a much wider variety of sources. eesel AI can pull knowledge from past tickets, Google Docs, Confluence, PDFs, and over 100 other integrations. This means your AI agent can give more accurate, helpful answers without you having to move all your data into the help center first. Plus, eesel AI offers automatic syncing, so your bot’s knowledge stays up-to-date without you having to lift a finger.
Cost and pricing models
Money is often a huge factor in deciding, and it’s where native Zendesk AI can start to feel a bit complicated. Their main Suite plans are priced per agent, and then those Advanced AI features require an extra per-agent cost for the add-on. On top of that, you often pay per automated resolution. As your team gets bigger or you get more tickets, these costs can really add up quickly and become tough to predict. Looking at the pricing examples out there, you can see how those per-agent and per-resolution fees can stack up.
Many alternatives offer different models that aim for more transparency and predictability. eesel AI uses a pay-per-interaction model. You pay for the volume of AI interactions you use, not per agent or per resolution. This makes costs much more predictable and can be significantly more cost-effective, especially for teams with changing volumes or those looking to grow without their per-agent expenses going through the roof. eesel AI offers plans like Team, Business, and Enterprise with included interactions, giving you clear tiers to manage costs.
Zendesk AI pricing (Helpdesk + built-in AI)
| Plan | Base Price (Billed Annually) | AI Features | Included AI Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suite Team | $55/agent/month | Basic AI agents, autoreplies | 5 automated resolutions (ARs)/agent/month |
| Suite Growth | $89/agent/month | Basic AI agents, autoreplies | 10 ARs/agent/month |
| Suite Professional | $115/agent/month | Same as Growth + live analytics, skills-based routing | 10 ARs/agent/month |
| Copilot Add-on | +$50/agent/month (Professional+ only) |
Agent Copilot, AI workflows, triage, suggestions, generative replies | Uses included ARs; extra ARs billed at $1.50–$2 each |
eesel AI pricing
| Plan | Price | AI Capabilities | Included AI Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | $239/month (flat rate) | Up to 3 bots, AI agent, copilot, Slack integration | 1,000 AI interactions/month |
| Business | $639/month (flat rate) | Unlimited bots, past ticket training, triage, API actions | 3,000 AI interactions/month |
| Custom | Contact Sales | Full orchestration, advanced controls, unlimited scale | Unlimited interactions |
Integration and workflow automation
Zendesk’s native AI features work seamlessly within the Zendesk environment, which is definitely a plus. If you need the AI to do more advanced things that involve other systems, you’ll use their integration builder.
Alternative builders also connect with Zendesk, often through the Zendesk Marketplace. But they also frequently offer broader integration capabilities with other platforms your business uses. Think about connecting to Shopify to grab order data, Jira Service Management for escalating bugs, or custom APIs for tasks like giving refunds or updating customer accounts. eesel AI connects directly with Zendesk and platforms like Shopify or Jira Service Management to enable specific tasks. It’s also really good at intelligent triage and tagging tickets based on what the conversation is about, automating workflows that might otherwise need manual steps or tricky native setups.
Testing and deployment
One area where native Zendesk AI can feel a bit limited is testing things out before they go live. While you can set up workflows and watch them once they’re running, there isn’t much chance to pretend to be a customer or test things thoroughly in a safe environment beforehand. This means your first launch might involve some figuring things out as you go.
Many alternative builders offer better testing features. eesel AI, for instance, lets you simulate how the bot would have responded to past tickets to see how it handled them and spot any gaps in its knowledge. You can also roll it out gradually, maybe limiting the AI agent to specific agents or types of tickets before letting it handle everything. This helps you fine-tune how it works and how accurate it is with less risk.
Choosing the right AI agent builder for your business
Deciding whether to stick with Zendesk’s native AI or go with an alternative AI agent builder really boils down to what your business needs most right now.
Here are some factors to consider:
- Budget: Are you okay with paying per agent, where the cost goes up as your team grows, plus potentially variable costs based on how many issues the AI solves? Or would paying per interaction with more predictable costs work better for you?
- Specific features: Do you just need basic autoreplies and answers generated from your help center? Or do you require more advanced workflow automation, like triggering actions through APIs, smart tagging, or complex rules for sending tickets up the chain?
- Knowledge sources: Where does your most important support knowledge live? If it’s all neatly organized in your Zendesk Help Center, native AI might be enough for teaching the bot. But if you need to use information from past tickets, internal docs, or other platforms, an alternative that can learn from diverse sources is probably necessary.
- Customization: How important is it for the AI agent’s tone and behavior to be highly customized to your brand and your specific ways of working? If you need deep control, look for builders that offer lots of customization options beyond just a few basic presets.
For businesses with pretty simple needs who are already really invested in the Zendesk ecosystem, the native AI might be a convenient place to start. However, for teams needing cost predictability, smarter workflows, the ability to train on diverse knowledge sources, and advanced workflow automation, alternative AI agent builders like eesel AI offer some compelling benefits that work well within or alongside your Zendesk setup.
Implementation and management considerations
Getting an AI agent up and running means setting it up initially and then keeping an eye on how it’s doing over time. With native Zendesk AI, you handle the setup right within your Zendesk admin settings. For alternative solutions, you’ll typically connect them with Zendesk using their app or API.
eesel AI makes the setup process pretty straightforward. Here are the typical steps:
- Link your Zendesk account: Connect seamlessly using the eesel AI app or API.
- Add your knowledge sources: Train the bot using diverse sources like your help center, past tickets, Google Docs, or other platforms.
- Customize bot behavior: Define how the bot acts, its tone, and what actions it can take.
- Test and deploy: Simulate conversations and roll out gradually to fine-tune performance.
eesel AI even offers guided setup and aims to get things running quickly, often within 1-2 weeks. No matter which tool you pick, remember that keeping your training data updated and monitoring the AI’s performance are key to making sure it keeps working well.
Benefits and ROI of using an AI agent
Putting an AI agent to work, whether it’s native or an alternative, can really make a positive difference in your support operations.
You can likely expect to see:
- Fewer simple, repetitive tickets (you know, the Tier 1 stuff).
- Faster response times and customers getting help 24/7.
- Human agents freed up to handle those more complex or sensitive issues.
- Increased agent productivity and job satisfaction.
- Potential cost savings over time.
- Improved overall customer experience through instant, consistent answers.
Ultimately, this can lead to saving money and giving customers a better experience overall by providing instant, consistent answers. eesel AI even has an ROI calculator to help you figure out what these benefits could look like specifically for your business.
Comparison table
Here’s a quick side-by-side look at how Zendesk’s native AI options stack up against eesel AI:
| Feature | Zendesk AI (Basic) | Zendesk Advanced AI (Add-on) | eesel AI (e.g., Business Plan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Included in Suite Plans (Per-agent) | Add-on (Per-agent + Per-resolution fees) | Pay-per-interaction |
| Per-Agent Cost | Included in Suite price | Additional $50/agent/month (annual) | No per-agent cost |
| Training Sources | Zendesk Help Center | Zendesk Help Center | Helpdesks, Tickets, Docs, APIs, 100+ |
| Customization Level | Basic (Preset tones, triggers) | Basic (Preset tones, intelligent triage) | Advanced (Detailed prompting, actions) |
| Pre-Live Testing | Limited | Limited | Advanced (Simulation, controlled rollout) |
| Key Automations | Limited (Autoreplies) | Yes (Intelligent Triage, Suggested Macros) | Yes (Intelligent Triage, Tagging, API Actions) |
| Integration Depth | Within Zendesk, basic external via builder | Within Zendesk, external via builder | Deep with Zendesk, external platforms |
| Cost Predictability | Moderate (Suite price fixed) | Low (Per-resolution fees vary) | High (Pay-per-interaction tiers) |
Final verdict
Both Zendesk’s native AI and alternative AI agent builders offer valuable ways to make your support operations better. Zendesk’s built-in tools are handy if you’re already really focused on the Zendesk ecosystem and just need pretty basic automation using your help center content.
However, for many businesses, the limitations in how much you can customize things, not being able to train the AI on diverse knowledge sources like past tickets, the lack of solid pre-live testing, and the costs that can potentially climb (especially with that Advanced AI add-on and those per-resolution fees) can be real downsides.
This is where alternative AI agent builders like eesel AI really shine. eesel AI offers a robust, flexible, and cost-effective solution that connects with Zendesk but helps you get around many of these common limitations. With eesel AI, you get lots of options for training data, advanced customization to truly match your brand, predictable pay-per-interaction pricing, and thorough testing capabilities. If keeping costs under control, setting up smarter workflows, and having advanced features are big priorities for your business, eesel AI delivers on all fronts without the hidden fees or scaling headaches.
Ready to enhance your Zendesk support with AI?
Don’t let manual tasks and growing ticket volumes slow your team down. Looking into a powerful AI agent builder can truly change the game for your support operations, making them faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective.
If you’re looking for an AI solution that works seamlessly with Zendesk but gives you more flexibility, advanced features, and predictable pricing than the native tools, eesel AI is definitely worth checking out.
Visit the eesel AI website to learn more about how we can help you automate and optimize your customer support. You can book a personalized demo to see eesel AI in action and chat about your specific needs, or jump right in and start a free trial today – no credit card required! Partner with eesel AI and discover how powerful and accessible AI support can be.
