W
WVapi vs Zendesk AI
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
V
Choose Vapi if…
- you want a free plan to start with
- you need an API to build on
- you're in its core audience: developers, customer support teams
Z
Choose Zendesk AI if…
- you're in its core audience: customer support teams, contact centres
Side by side
Feature Vapi Zendesk AI
Pricing modelFreemiumFree trial
Starting price$29/mo—
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
Trains AI on your contentYes—
Data retentionDepends on customer config; free plan 14 days raw data; deleted on request—
Security and complianceSOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSSSOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, HIPAA
Model choice—
Custom agent builder—
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb
CategoryAI AgentsCustomer Support
CompanyVapi Inc.Zendesk, Inc.
Based inUnited StatesUnited States
Founded——
Part of——
Key features
V Vapi
- Configurable voice, conversation flow and telephony
- Call testing and simulation before going live
- Real-time call monitoring and observability
- Built-in AI conversation guardrails
- Twilio, Vonage, Telnyx and Vapi SIP telephony
- Model providers passed through at cost
- SSO, OAuth and RBAC access controls
- SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI compliance
Z Zendesk AI
- Autonomous AI agents for multi-step requests across channels
- Copilot that suggests next-best actions to agents
- AI knowledge base built from a knowledge graph
- AI action builder for connected business systems
- AI quality assurance with coaching recommendations
- Intelligent triage and auto assist on Enterprise
- Omnichannel routing for chat, messaging, email and voice
- 1,800+ apps and integrations in the marketplace
Plans and prices
From each vendor's site. Prices change — confirm before buying.
Vapi
No Success Package$0 to start, $0.05/min hosting
Core$29
Pro10% of Vapi hosting fee, $999/mo minimum
PremierCustom
Zendesk AI
Support Team£15/agent/mo billed yearly (£20 monthly)
Suite Team£45/agent/mo billed yearly (£59 monthly)
Suite Professional£89/agent/mo billed yearly (£115 monthly)
Suite Enterprise + CopilotCustom
Copilot add-on£40/agent/mo billed yearly
Strengths and limitations
Vapi
- $5 free credits and no minimum minutes to start
- Model provider costs passed through with no markup
- Unlimited agents on every plan
- SOC 2, HIPAA and PCI compliance
- The hosting fee and provider costs add up; the page estimates $82–$129 for 1,000 minutes
- HIPAA compliance is a $2,000/month add-on
- The free tier has no support SLA and allows only 4 concurrent calls
- Pro requires a $999/month minimum
Zendesk AI
- 14-day free trial of Suite Professional with Copilot included
- AI agents included from the Suite Team plan
- Eligible startups can use Zendesk free for up to 2 years
- Marketplace of 1,800+ apps and integrations
- Copilot costs extra (£40/agent/month, billed yearly)
- Automated resolutions beyond the included allowance are billed per resolution
- Enterprise pricing is only available through sales
- No free plan
More comparisons
Other options to consider
WW
Free trial
S
SS
From $79/mo
I
IAI customer agent that resolves support, sales and ecommerce conversations
From $49.50/mo
I
From $49.50/mo
I
AI customer agent that resolves support, sales and ecommerce conversations
Customer SupportAPI
F
FHelpdesk ticketing with AI agents and agent copilot for customer service teams
From $19/mo
F
From $19/mo
F
Helpdesk ticketing with AI agents and agent copilot for customer service teams
Customer Support
G
GG
From $10/mo
T
TT
From $24.17/mo
T
AI customer service and live chat that answers questions and drives store sales
Customer SupportAPI
Built from each vendor's public website; we haven't tested them hands-on. Editorial policy