Cloud Humans vs Zendesk
Updated on: January 29, 2026 • By: Bruno Cecatto • Reading time: 6 min
Quick answer
If you want to truly use AI without relying on engineering or consulting, WhatsApp is a relevant channel (or would you like it to be) Cloud Humans tends to be the simplest, cheapest, and most efficient choice in Brazil.
Zendesk still works well for larger companies that have a significant budget, teams that are already very accustomed to the tool, and operate mainly via email or traditional chat.
Summary
If your goal is to use AI to reduce service volume → Cloud Humans.
If you need to operate WhatsApp in an advanced way → Cloud Humans.
If your CX team lacks much engineering support → Cloud Humans.
If this is the first AI tool for support that you are going to implement → Cloud Humans.
If you already have the entire operation set up in Zendesk and have no intention of using WhatsApp → it might make sense to stick with Zendesk.
If cost is not an issue and you can afford high amounts → it might make sense to stick with Zendesk.
If your biggest fear is unpredictable costs over time → Cloud Humans.
Recommended next step: run an automation potential diagnosis before deciding on any tool. Cloud Humans itself analyzes for free and does not force you to use the product before deciding
Why are so many companies in Brazil looking for an alternative to Zendesk?
I talk every week with CX directors who have used Zendesk for 5, 6, 7 years.
Almost nobody hates the tool.
But almost everyone feels it wasn't built for Brazil's current reality:
WhatsApp as the main channel doesn't work easily;
AI taking over the front line (Zendesk's alternative is expensive and harder to pilot);
CX teams wanting more autonomy, without depending on engineering (Zendesk's solution to work well requires devs).
Price: where the difference shows up first
Zendesk has a pricing model full of variations: plans, modules, add-ons, channels, apps, and limits that make the cost grow over time.
At Cloud Humans, the model is simple:
Pricing in reais, with no exchange-rate variation
No multiple plans and no hidden catches
No need to buy extra modules to do the basics
No long contracts to get better terms
You pay for actual usage and the result generated.
In Zendesk, any new need becomes:
an upgrade of plan, purchase of an add-on, or an external app
The starting price seems okay. But after 12 months it is rarely the same.
At Cloud Humans, you use the full product from the start, with a clear, single price.
No surprises. No “asterisks”.
At Cloud Humans, the logic is different:
Criterion | Zendesk | Cloud Humans |
Currency | Dollar or very expensive BRL | Reais, predictable |
Plans | Several, with limitations | Full product from the start |
Add-ons | Frequent | Not needed |
Consulting | Required | In-house team included |
Most customers who migrate from Zendesk to Cloud Humans report a significant cost reduction in the very first month.
AI: who can operate without depending on engineering?
This is a part that few people talk about.
The Zendesk AI exists. But, in practice, it requires technical configuration, consulting, and advanced knowledge of the platform.
The Cloud Humans AI was designed for:
CX, Operations, and Product teams to configure on their own.
No code.
No third parties.
No complexity.
This completely changes the speed of operation evolution.
WhatsApp: where the difference becomes obvious
WhatsApp is the main customer service channel in Brazil.
Zendesk was not designed for this.
To do something more advanced, you usually need to:
Zendesk + another provider + limitations. Not to mention the price, which gets very expensive when you activate this channel there.
At Cloud Humans, WhatsApp is native.
Customers use it for:
Active campaigns and proactive messages
Real coexistence: system and cell phone at the same time, with multiple numbers (which is a Meta update that Cloud Humans updated to allow companies to operate with any WhatsApp number in the system and in the WhatsApp app on the cell phone (or computer) at the same time,
CSAT with a native button inside WhatsApp
Real frontline automation with AI
These are not details. This changes the entire operation.
Assisted implementation and close local support
While Zendesk is a global platform with a 100% self-serve strategy or paying heavily for third-party consulting, Cloud Humans acts as your team's specialized local partner.
With Cloud Humans, you gain access to a private group on Slack directly with the Cloud team (even without access to Slack)
Generally, up to 95% of inquiries are answered on the same day (csat ~97%)
Dedicated Account Manager who comes to understand your operational needs wellLocal team closely monitoring your operations
Cloud Humans has created its own team to ensure rapid implementation, close monitoring, and continuous evolution of your operation, without tying the client to extra costs and lengthy projects.
When does keeping Zendesk still make sense?
Being honest.
If your operation is:
Mostly email
No intention to use WhatsApp
Technical team accustomed to the tool
No restriction on costs or expenses
No major focus on AI or with a dedicated technical team to implement AI
The cheapest test before deciding on any tool
Before switching tools, I always recommend the same thing:
Get a free, no-obligation automation potential assessment with Cloud Humans
In 2 days, it’s possible to estimate:
How much AI would take over
How much this would reduce human workload
How much this would impact cost
How much it would cost to implement and maintain
No opinions. Just data.
That’s how most of our clients decided to migrate.
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