Help desk TCO calculator: the real 2-year cost
Per-agent pricing hides what you actually pay once your team grows and the free tier runs out. Set your team size today and where you expect to be in 24 months, and see the cumulative 2-year spend per vendor, ranked cheapest first.
Project your spend
Monthly billing modelled at ~20% above the advertised annual rate.
Over 24 months, Zoho Desk works out cheapest at $1,540, while Zendesk Suite lands at $9,900, a gap of $8,360.
| Platform | Free ceiling | First paid cliff | Year 1 | Year 2 | 24-month total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#01 | 3 users, permanent | Month 3 (Express) | $392 | $1,148 | $1,540 |
| 2 users, permanent | Paid from day one (Starter) | $930 | $1,770 | $2,700 | |
#03 | 2 agents, 6 months | Paid from day one (Growth) | $1,178 | $2,242 | $3,420 |
#04 | 5 users, permanent | Month 8 (Standard) | $825 | $2,950 | $3,775 |
#05 | No free tier | Paid from day one (Essential) | $1,798 | $3,422 | $5,220 |
| No free tier | Paid from day one (Suite Team) | $3,410 | $6,490 | $9,900 |
How this is calculated
Headcount ramps over 24 months
We grow your team linearly from today's size to your 24-month target, then sum the per-agent seat cost month by month. A team that doubles pays more in year 2 than year 1, which a single per-seat sticker price never shows.
Free tiers are modelled honestly
Zoho Desk (3 agents), HubSpot (2 users), and Help Scout (5 users) stay free permanently while you are under the cap, so small teams can read $0 for 24 months. Freshdesk Free is a 6-month program for 2 agents, so it flips to Growth at month 7 or sooner if you pass 2 agents.
Tier jumps are built in
Where a cheap entry tier caps out, the next tier kicks in automatically. Zoho Express ($7) covers up to 10 agents then moves to Standard ($14); Help Scout Standard ($25) caps at 25 users then Plus ($45). Zendesk and Intercom have no free tier, so they bill from day one.
Seat fees only
This compares per-agent subscription cost. Metered extras (Fin AI resolutions on Intercom, Freddy on Freshdesk, Zendesk Talk minutes, onboarding fees) sit on top and are covered on each vendor profile and the pricing page.
Per-agent prices verified against official vendor pricing pages June 2026. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor site before subscribing.