Pricing Models Compared: Per-Seat vs Per-Resolution vs Flat-Rate
Support automation pricing can be complex. Here’s a simplified comparison of common pricing units for SMB helpdesk platforms:
| Vendor | Pricing Model | Price Unit | AI Charge | Volume Caps/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corebee | Flat-rate | $99 per month per workspace | None | Unlimited AI conversations and teammates |
| Chatwoot | Per-seat + AI credits | $19-$99 per agent per month (annual) | $20 per 1,000 AI credits | AI credits limit automation volume |
| DelightChat | Ticket-based | $29-$299 per month per plan (ticket cap) | $5-$10 per 100 ticket overage | Caps tickets per plan |
| Re:amaze | Per-seat + per-resolution | $29-$69 per agent per month | $0.85 per AI resolution | Starter capped at 500 responses |
| Gorgias | Per-resolution | $0.90-$1.00 per AI resolved conversation | None | No per-seat fee but charges per resolution |
| Help Scout | Per-seat + per-resolution | $25-$75 per user per month | $0.75 per AI resolution | Per-seat multiplies cost |
| Crisp | Flat-rate + AI credits | $45-$295 per workspace | AI credits limit automated convos | Seats charged separately |
Prices verified as of September 2026 from each vendor’s official pricing pages.
How Per-Seat Pricing Works and Its Cost Impact
Per-seat pricing means you pay for every agent who uses the platform. For example, Chatwoot charges $19 to $99 per agent per month depending on the plan, with AI credits sold separately. Help Scout and Re:amaze also charge per user, with AI features billed on top per resolved conversation.
This model is straightforward if your team is small and stable. But as your team grows, your monthly bill increases linearly. If you add AI automation that deflects or resolves more conversations, you might pay extra per resolution or per AI credit consumed.
For example, a 10-agent team using Re:amaze at $49 per agent plus $0.85 per AI resolution will see costs rise as automation volume grows. The per-seat fee ensures a steady base cost, but the per-resolution charge means automation can increase your bill.
Per-seat pricing fits teams wanting predictable agent costs and who do not expect large spikes in automation volume. But it can penalize growth or heavy automation use.
How Per-Resolution Pricing Works and Its Cost Impact
Per-resolution pricing charges based on the number of customer issues the AI resolves, regardless of team size. Gorgias charges $0.90 to $1.00 per resolved conversation with no seat fees. This means your bill scales directly with automation volume.
This model suits teams with fluctuating or small headcount but high ticket volume. If your AI resolves many tickets, your costs increase. Conversely, if volume drops, your bill falls.
The downside is less predictable monthly costs. You may find bills spike during sales or product launches when tickets surge. Also, per-resolution pricing does not charge for agents, so adding teammates does not increase costs directly.
Corebee’s Flat-Rate Pricing: How It Works and When It Saves You Money
Corebee charges a flat $99 per month per workspace. This includes unlimited AI conversations and unlimited teammates. There are no per-seat fees and no per-resolution charges.
This pricing model means your bill stays the same whether you have 1 or 50 agents, and whether your AI resolves 100 or 10,000 conversations. It removes the penalty for team growth and automation success.
Corebee’s AI reads your website and knowledge base in minutes. It answers common questions instantly across chat, email, and WhatsApp. When the AI cannot resolve an issue, it hands off to a human agent in a unified inbox. This handoff is configurable so you control when the bot stops and escalates.
For small Shopify brands or DTC companies with fluctuating volume, Corebee’s flat price ensures predictable costs and no surprises. You can add teammates freely and let automation scale without increasing your monthly bill.
Learn more on Corebee’s pricing page.
Real-World Scenario: Growing Shopify Brand with 15 Support Agents
Imagine a Shopify brand with 15 agents handling 5,000 monthly tickets. They want to automate common questions and reduce agent load.
- Using per-seat pricing like Chatwoot at $39 per agent, the base cost is $585 per month. Adding AI credits for automation raises the bill further as automation volume grows.
- Using per-resolution pricing like Gorgias at $0.90 per resolved conversation, if AI resolves 3,000 tickets, that adds $2,700 monthly on top of any base fees.
- Using Corebee’s flat $99 monthly rate, the brand pays the same regardless of agent count or conversation volume.
In this case, Corebee’s model saves thousands as the team grows and automation scales. The brand avoids paying per agent or per AI resolution.
AI Handoff and Escalation: When to Stop Automation and Route to Humans
Automation works best when it handles routine issues and escalates complex cases. Most platforms let you configure handoff triggers.
Corebee’s AI stops when it hits a confidence threshold or detects a query outside its knowledge base. It then routes the conversation to a human in the shared inbox. This ensures customers get accurate answers and agents focus on high-value tasks.
Platforms with per-resolution pricing often charge only for AI-resolved tickets. This encourages automation but can risk customer frustration if bots answer incorrectly. Per-seat pricing platforms may charge for all tickets handled by agents, regardless of automation.
Configuring handoff properly balances automation efficiency and customer satisfaction while controlling costs.
Pricing and Plans Compared: Corebee vs Competitors
| Vendor | Base Price (Monthly) | AI Pricing | Seats Included | Caps or Limits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corebee | $99 per workspace | None | Unlimited | None | Flat rate, unlimited AI conversations and teammates |
| Chatwoot | $19-$99 per agent (annual billing) | $20 per 1,000 AI credits | Per agent | AI credits limit automation | Scales with team size and AI usage |
| DelightChat | $29-$299 per plan (ticket capped) | $5-$10 per 100 ticket overage | Unlimited | Ticket caps per plan | Best for WhatsApp + Shopify D2C |
| Re:amaze | $29-$69 per agent | $0.85 per AI resolution | Per agent | Starter capped at 500 responses | AI costs add to per-seat fees |
| Gorgias | No base fee, pay per resolution only | $0.90-$1.00 per AI resolution | N/A | None | No per-seat fee, costs scale with automation volume |
| Help Scout | $25-$75 per user | $0.75 per AI resolution | Per user | None | Per-seat multiplies cost |
| Crisp | $45-$295 per workspace | AI credits limit automated convos | Seats extra | AI credits limit automation | Per workspace with separate seat fees |
Prices verified September 2026 from vendor pricing pages.
Which Buyers Should Choose Per-Seat Pricing?
Per-seat pricing suits teams that:
- Have a stable, predictable number of agents.
- Prefer paying a fixed cost per agent regardless of ticket volume.
- Use AI sparingly or have low automation volume.
- Want straightforward budgeting based on headcount.
Examples include small SaaS companies with dedicated support agents or agencies with fixed teams.
Which Buyers Should Choose Per-Resolution Pricing?
Per-resolution pricing fits teams that:
- Have fluctuating ticket volumes with a small or variable team.
- Want to pay only for automation that actually resolves tickets.
- Can tolerate variable monthly costs based on AI usage.
- Prefer to avoid per-agent fees.
This is common for startups or brands with seasonal spikes in support volume.
Which Buyers Should Choose Corebee’s Flat-Rate Pricing?
Corebee’s flat-rate pricing works best for:
- Shopify and DTC brands with growing or fluctuating teams (1-50 agents).
- Support teams wanting predictable monthly costs regardless of team or volume.
- Businesses that want to scale automation without increasing bills.
- Teams that want to add unlimited teammates without extra seat fees.
- Companies that want unlimited AI conversations without per-resolution charges.
Corebee’s model removes the penalty for growth or automation success, making it easier to budget and scale support.
When Per-Resolution or Per-Seat Models May Cost More
If your AI automation improves and resolves more tickets, per-resolution fees increase your bill. If your team grows, per-seat fees multiply your base cost.
For example, with Gorgias at $1 per AI resolution, resolving 5,000 tickets costs $5,000. With Help Scout at $45 per agent for 10 agents plus $0.75 per AI resolution, costs add up quickly.
Corebee’s flat $99 monthly fee remains steady, which can save thousands as your support operation scales.
Summary: Which Pricing Model Saves More?
- Per-seat pricing is simple but grows with your team size.
- Per-resolution pricing scales with AI automation volume, making costs variable.
- Corebee’s flat-rate pricing keeps costs fixed regardless of team or resolution volume.
- For small to medium Shopify or DTC brands with 1-50 agents, Corebee offers a predictable, scalable cost model that supports growth and automation without surprise fees.
Choosing the right model depends on your team size, ticket volume, and how much you plan to automate. Corebee’s flat price is a strong choice if you want to avoid per-seat taxes and per-resolution meters.