B2B SOFTWARE · SWITCH COSTS
What does it cost to switch from A to B?
In money and in days. Pick the tool you use; the map shows every alternative as a station. Distance equals migration effort, which we score in public.
Now: Zendesk Suite Team ≈ $9,900 a year for 15 agents. Cheapest plan of each alternative that fits; check feature parity before deciding.
| Alternative | Cheapest plan that fits | Per year | vs now | Days (range) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Desk | Standard | $2,520 | −$7,380 | not scored | |
| Freshdesk | Growth | $3,420 | −$6,480 | 5–12 | |
| Help Scout | Standard | $4,500 | −$5,400 | 6–13 | |
| Intercom | Essential | $5,220 | −$4,680 | 6–14 | |
| Front | Professional | $11,700 | +$1,800 | 6–13 |
Zoho Desk Help desk from Zoho with a free plan for 3 agents.
Standard: $14 × 15 seats × 12 months = $2,520
Effort for this move is not scored yet: no documented export/import path checked.
Source: zoho.com/desk/pricing.html · checked 2026-11-10 · Zoho Desk alternatives
Freshdesk Per-agent help desk with the Freddy AI agent sold in sessions.
Growth: $19 × 15 seats × 12 months = $3,420
Effort scores (1 easy, 5 hard): export 3 · import 2 · permissions 3 · integrations 3 · training 2. Total 13 → 5–12 days at 15 seats. Rubric.
Source: freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Full Zendesk → Freshdesk page
Help Scout Shared-inbox help desk with a flat per-user price and pay-per-resolution AI.
Standard: $25 × 15 seats × 12 months = $4,500
Effort scores (1 easy, 5 hard): export 3 · import 3 · permissions 3 · integrations 3 · training 2. Total 14 → 6–13 days at 15 seats. Rubric.
Source: helpscout.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Full Zendesk → Help Scout page
Intercom Messenger-first help desk with the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
Essential: $29 × 15 seats × 12 months = $5,220
Effort scores (1 easy, 5 hard): export 3 · import 3 · permissions 3 · integrations 3 · training 3. Total 15 → 6–14 days at 15 seats. Rubric.
Source: intercom.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Full Zendesk → Intercom page
Front Shared inbox for support teams with seat caps on lower plans.
Professional: $65 × 15 seats × 12 months = $11,700
Effort scores (1 easy, 5 hard): export 3 · import 3 · permissions 3 · integrations 3 · training 2. Total 14 → 6–13 days at 15 seats. Rubric.
Source: front.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-10 · Full Zendesk → Front page
Days are a range from a self-scored rubric (five factors), not a measured project time. Costs are list prices; the estimator compares the cheapest plan that fits your seat count, so check feature parity. How we score.
Start from the tool you want to leave
Help desk
E-signature
CRM
Accounting
Email marketing
Project management
Team chat
HR
Hand-checked move pages
11 switches have a full page with export and import documents linked from the vendors themselves, a step list and an effort score:
Not another launch list
36 tools, all high-ticket B2B (help desk, e-signature, CRM, accounting, email). No free-for-all submissions, no star ratings. Each cost carries its source URL and check date. About SwitchLine.
Vendor promotions we saw on pricing pages: /switch-offers/.