# AI helpdesk software: what to look for before you buy

> An ungated buyer guide: what makes a helpdesk AI-native instead of a ticket queue with a bot bolted on, six tests to tell them apart, and Intercom vs SupportWire pricing.

## The short answer

AI helpdesk software is a support inbox where an AI agent answers and resolves conversations first, and people take the ones that need judgment in the same thread. The AI is the product, not a bot added to a ticket queue. Short definition: [AI helpdesk](/dossier/ai-helpdesk).

## AI-native vs bolt-on

- **Where the AI sits:** in front of the inbox, answering first, vs beside the ticket queue as an add-on.
- **What it reads:** one set of sources shared by AI and humans vs a separate bot setup.
- **When it stops:** hands over in the same thread with a summary vs a new ticket where the customer repeats themselves.
- **Pricing:** per resolution, built into the plan, vs a separate AI add-on on top of seats.
- **Improvement:** corrections and source gaps feed back in vs flows rebuilt by hand.

## Buyer scorecard

Test: one inbox, handover in place, shared sources, billing unit (resolved conversations, not touched ones), AI in the base plan, and whether corrections stick. To judge the AI agent itself, use the [AI support agent playbook](/ai-support-agent-playbook.md).

## Pricing

SupportWire One is $19 per seat per month, 50 AI resolutions included, then $0.49 each. The page compares this with Intercom plus Fin using list prices and a 3-seat, 1,000-resolution example; run your own numbers in the [Intercom pricing calculator](/free-tools/intercom-pricing-calculator).

See also: [Kal, the AI agent](/ai.md), [Compare](/compare.md), [Alternatives](/alternatives.md), [Pricing](/pricing.md)

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Source: https://supportwire.ai/ai-helpdesk-software
SupportWire. Resolution is the job.
Sign up: https://app.supportwire.ai/signup