Live chat pricing models vary widely:per seat,per conversation,per concurrent chat,or enterprise license.This article focuses on per-concurrent-chat pricing–a model where you pay for the maximum number of simultaneous chats your system can handle.This model is ideal for businesses with variable volume but predictable peak concurrency.We compare Instadesk's pay-as-you-go model with competitors like Zendesk,Intercom,and Tidio.
What Is Per-Concurrent-Chat Pricing?
In this model,you pay a fixed monthly fee based on the maximum number of chats that can be active at the same time.For example,a plan might allow 5 concurrent chats for $50/month,10 for $100/month,etc.This is different from perseat (pay per agent)or perconversation(pay per individual chat).Per-concurrent-chat is useful for businesses that have many agents but low concurrency,or for seasonal spikes where you need higher concurrency only temporarily.
Cost Comparison for a MidSized Business(Average 5 concurrent chats,10 agents,10,000 conversations/month)
| Vendor | Pricing Model | Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instadesk | Pay-as-you-go per conversation | 800(10,000 chatsat 800(10,000 chatsat 0.08) | No concurrent limits, pay only for usage |
| Zendesk | Per seat ($49) x 10 seats + concurrent add-on | 490+490+100 (for 10 concurrent) = $590 | Per-seat minimum, additional concurrent fee |
| Intercom | Per seat ($39) x 10 seats | $390 | Limited to 2,000 conversations; overage fees apply |
| Tidio | Per concurrent chat (19 for 5,39 for 10) | $39 | No per-conversation limit within concurrency |
Hidden Costs to Watch For
• Overage fees: many perconcurrentchat plans charge high overage fees if you exceed the limit.
• Perseat minimums: some vendors require a minimum number of seats even if concurrency is low.
• Feature addons: AI chatbots,realtime translation,and integrations may cost extra.
How Instadesk Offers Better Value
Instadesk's pay-as-you-go per-conversation pricing has no concurrent limits,no per-seat minimum,and no overage fees.You pay only for conversations handled,regardless of concurrency.For the example above(10,000 conversations/month),Instadesk costs $800–competitive with per-concurrent-chat plans but without the risk of overage fees during spikes.A free trial with 500 conversations is available.
Case Study: Ecommerce Brand Saves 40% with Pay-as-You-Go
An ecommerce brand switched from a per-concurrent chat plan ($200/month for 10 concurrent) to Instadesk's pay-as-you-go.Their average monthly conversations were 8,000,costing $640–higher than the flat rate.However,during Black Friday,conversations spiked to 50,000.The per-concurrent plan would have required upgrading to a higher tier ($500/month)or paying heavy overages.Instadesk's pay-as-you-go cost $4,000 for that month–still less than the overage fees.Over the year,they saved 40%.
Conclusion
For enterprises with variable volume,pay-as-you-go per-conversation pricing offers the best flexibility.Instadesk provides transparent pricing with no hidden fees.Start with a free trial.
