Why does Hobson cost the same however much the AI does?

Hobson plans are priced by conversations, with drafting and auto-send included. Most helpdesks charge a fee for each conversation their AI resolves, so their bill rises as the AI does more.

What does “% resolved by AI” mean?

The share of conversations the vendor’s AI closes on its own, which is what per-resolution fees charge for. Start with 30 to 50% if you’re not sure.

Is Hobson always cheaper?

No. For very small stores, cheaper options exist, such as Gorgias Starter at $10 a month for 50 tickets or Help Scout’s free plan for up to 5 users. The case for Hobson is a predictable bill from about 1,000 conversations a month upwards.

Helpdesk cost calculator

Enter your monthly conversations, the people answering them and how much you expect AI to resolve. See what each helpdesk would cost at its listed prices, in pounds, with the line items shown.

Updated 11 October 2026. Competitor prices checked on each vendor’s own site.

Conversations a month

People answering

% resolved by AI

Billing

400 conversations resolved by AI each month. Copy the page address to share these numbers.

Hobson Growth

£149 a month

Growth plan, up to 1,000 conversations, unlimited seats. Drafting and auto-send included. Drafting pauses at the limit; no overage.

Front Professional
≈ £162
- 3 seats × $65US$195
- 400 Autopilot conversations × $0.05US$20
- Seat price billed annually; the monthly price isn’t used here.
Help Scout Standard
≈ £282
- 3 users × $25US$75
- 400 AI Answers resolutions × $0.75US$300
Re:amaze Pro
≈ £347
- 3 seats × $49US$147
- 370 AI resolutions × $0.85 (30 included)US$315
Intercom Fin Essential
≈ £363
- 3 seats × $29US$87
- 400 Fin outcomes × $0.99US$396
- Seat price as listed on the pricing page; a separate monthly price isn’t shown there.
Gorgias Basic plan
≈ £414
- Basic plan, 300 tickets includedUS$60
- 300 extra tickets × $0.40US$120
- 370 AI Agent interactions × $1.00 (30 included)US$370
Richpanel Per seat
≈ £419
- 3 seats × $119US$357
- AI at about $0.20 per conversation ($200 minimum)US$200
eDesk Growth
≈ £498
- 3 users × $89US$267
- 400 AI resolutions × $0.99US$396
- Seat price billed annually; the monthly price isn’t used here.
Zendesk Suite Team
£678
- 3 agents × £59£177
- 385 automated resolutions × £1.30 (15 included)£501

Conversations a month

People answering

% resolved by AI

Billing

400 conversations resolved by AI each month. Copy the page address to share these numbers.

Hobson Growth

£149 a month

Growth plan, up to 1,000 conversations, unlimited seats. Drafting and auto-send included. Drafting pauses at the limit; no overage.

Front Professional
≈ £162
- 3 seats × $65US$195
- 400 Autopilot conversations × $0.05US$20
- Seat price billed annually; the monthly price isn’t used here.
Help Scout Standard
≈ £282
- 3 users × $25US$75
- 400 AI Answers resolutions × $0.75US$300
Re:amaze Pro
≈ £347
- 3 seats × $49US$147
- 370 AI resolutions × $0.85 (30 included)US$315
Intercom Fin Essential
≈ £363
- 3 seats × $29US$87
- 400 Fin outcomes × $0.99US$396
- Seat price as listed on the pricing page; a separate monthly price isn’t shown there.
Gorgias Basic plan
≈ £414
- Basic plan, 300 tickets includedUS$60
- 300 extra tickets × $0.40US$120
- 370 AI Agent interactions × $1.00 (30 included)US$370
Richpanel Per seat
≈ £419
- 3 seats × $119US$357
- AI at about $0.20 per conversation ($200 minimum)US$200
eDesk Growth
≈ £498
- 3 users × $89US$267
- 400 AI resolutions × $0.99US$396
- Seat price billed annually; the monthly price isn’t used here.
Zendesk Suite Team
£678
- 3 agents × £59£177
- 385 automated resolutions × £1.30 (15 included)£501

Assumptions

List prices as shown on each vendor’s pricing page on 11 October 2026, excluding VAT, voice, SMS and add-ons.
US dollar prices are converted at £1 = $1.33. Your card’s rate will differ.
Each vendor uses the plan named in its row. For Gorgias we pick the cheapest plan once extra tickets and AI interactions are added.
Conversations resolved by AI are not counted as Gorgias billable tickets, which keeps the Gorgias figure as low as the listed prices allow.
Drafting add-ons such as Copilot are left out, although Hobson includes drafting. This favours the other tools.
Where a vendor lists only an annual seat price, that price is used on both billing options and the row says so.
Hobson uses the smallest plan that covers your conversations. Hobson’s AI drafting pauses at the plan limit; there are no overage charges.

Want the detail for one tool? Read Hobson vs Gorgias, Hobson vs Zendesk or Hobson vs Intercom Fin, or see Hobson’s pricing.

Questions

Sources

Gorgias pricing, checked 11 October 2026
Gorgias on the Shopify App Store (4.3 from 705 reviews), checked 11 October 2026
Zendesk UK pricing, checked 11 October 2026
Intercom pricing, checked 11 October 2026
Help Scout pricing, checked 11 October 2026
Richpanel pricing (updated 28 July 2026), checked 28 July 2026
Front pricing, checked 11 October 2026
eDesk pricing, checked 11 October 2026
Re:amaze pricing, checked 11 October 2026
Macha, Gorgias complaints, checked 11 October 2026
Shopify App Store reviews, checked 11 October 2026
Intercom community feedback, checked 11 October 2026

Prices are list prices excluding VAT, voice, SMS and add-ons unless shown, and can change at any time. Check the vendor’s own page before you decide. Gorgias, Zendesk, Intercom Fin, Help Scout, Richpanel, Front, eDesk and Re:amaze are trade marks of their owners. Hobson is not affiliated with them. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@hobson.support and we’ll correct it.

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