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Customer Support

Papercups vs Zendesk: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Papercups and Zendesk. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Papercups starts at Custom pricing and Zendesk starts at $19/mo. Compare all 11 pricing tiers side by side.

Last updated: August 24, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated August 24, 2026
Try Papercups freeTry Zendesk freePrice updated 6d ago

Papercups vs Zendesk: Quick Pricing Facts

FeaturePapercupsZendesk
Starting PriceCustom pricing$19/mo
Number of Plans110
Free TierYesNo
Pricing Modelopen-sourceper-seat
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Papercups and Zendesk are both priced at Custom pricing, making them equally accessible Customer Support tools. Together they offer 11 pricing plans with 26 features compared, so the best choice comes down to which features match your needs.

Papercups stands out with a free plan for getting started. Papercups uses open-source pricing while Zendesk uses per-seat pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Customer Support needs.

Pricing Plans
Papercups
Papercups
Try free
Zendesk
Zendesk
Try free
Tier 1
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Open-source live chat
  • Self-hosted
Start with Free
MonthlyAnnual20% off annual
Custom pricing
Start with MonthlyAnnual20% off annual
Tier 2
-
Support Team
$19/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Email and ticketing system
  • Ticket routing
  • Prebuilt analytics dashboards
  • Pre-written responses
  • Customer context
  • Automations and triggers
Start with Support Team
Tier 3
-
Suite Team
$55/monthCheapest
Includes
  • AI AI Agents
  • AI Knowledge Base
  • AI Action Builder
  • Omnichannel routing
  • Messaging and live chat
  • Telephony
Start with Suite Team
Tier 4
-
Suite ProfessionalPopular
$115/monthCheapest
Includes
  • AI Admin Copilot
  • AI App Builder
  • AI Writing Tools
  • AI Quick Reports
  • Skills-based routing
  • IVR phone tree
Start with Suite Professional
Tier 5
-
Suite Enterprise + Copilot
Custom pricing
Includes
  • AI Intelligent Triage
  • AI Auto Assist
  • AI Generative AI for Voice
  • Approval workflows
  • Sandbox environment
  • Custom agent roles
Start with Suite Enterprise + Copilot
Tier 6
-
Copilot
$50/monthCheapest
Start with Copilot
Tier 7
-
Workforce Engagement Bundle
$50/monthCheapest
Start with Workforce Engagement Bundle
Tier 8
-
Contact Center
$83/monthCheapest
Start with Contact Center
Tier 9
-
How can we help? Contact us.
Custom pricing
Start with How can we help? Contact us.
Tier 10
-
Terms of Use
Custom pricing
Start with Terms of Use

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Try Papercups freeFree plan availableTry Zendesk freeFrom $19/mo
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Papercups

Open-source live chat widget for websites

View all Papercups plans

Zendesk

Customer service and engagement platform with ticketing

View all Zendesk plans

What Reviewers Say

Frequently Asked Questions: Papercups vs Zendesk

How many pricing plans does Papercups have vs Zendesk?
Papercups offers 1 pricing plan, while Zendesk offers 10 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Papercups or Zendesk offer a free plan?
Papercups offers a free plan, while Zendesk does not. If budget is a concern, Papercups lets you get started at no cost.
What is the most popular Zendesk plan?
The Suite Professional plan is Zendesk's most popular tier, priced at $115/mo. Key features include AI Admin Copilot, AI App Builder, AI Writing Tools.
Does Papercups or Zendesk offer custom enterprise pricing?
Zendesk offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Papercups lists all its pricing publicly.
What pricing models do Papercups and Zendesk use?
Papercups uses a open-source pricing model, while Zendesk uses per-seat pricing. The right model depends on your team size and usage patterns.
How do Papercups and Zendesk compare for Customer Support?
Both Papercups and Zendesk are Customer Support tools. Papercups offers 1 plan starting at Custom pricing, while Zendesk offers 10 plans starting at $19/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Customer Support needs.
AI Recommendations

Sources

  1. Papercups Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
  2. Zendesk Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page

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