Isara vs Zendesk QA: independent intelligence layer vs a Zendesk add-on
Zendesk QA — formerly Klaus, acquired by Zendesk in February 2024 — is Zendesk’s quality assurance add-on: AutoQA on 100% of tickets, for human and AI agents, priced per agent on top of a Support or Suite plan. Isara is an independent conversation intelligence layer that works across Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk and more — per conversation, unlimited users, from $49/month. If your whole operation lives in Zendesk and you want native QA, Zendesk QA is the obvious add-on. If you want independent oversight — including of Zendesk’s own AI agents — that’s Isara.
Isara vs Zendesk QA at a glance
| Isara | Zendesk QA | |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s for | Independent conversation intelligence for support and CS teams | AI quality assurance add-on in Zendesk’s workforce engagement portfolio |
| Conversation coverage | 100% of conversations analysed | AutoQA claims 100% of ticket volume (new closed/solved conversations) |
| AI agent monitoring | Yes — monitors AI agents and human agents | Yes — auto-detects Zendesk AI agents; BotQA dashboard |
| Human agent QA | Performance scoring across every conversation (no manual scorecards to run) | Yes — autoscoring on 8 categories plus custom prompts, manual reviews, coaching |
| Pricing model | Per conversation, unlimited users | Per agent, as an add-on to a Zendesk Support or Suite plan |
| Entry price | $49/month, 1,500 conversations included | £23 per agent/month on Zendesk’s UK site — requires a Zendesk plan underneath |
| Seat costs | None — unlimited users on every plan | Purchased for every agent in the account |
| Contract length | Monthly — change or cancel any time | Displayed as paid yearly |
| Free trial | 30 days, no credit card | Sales-mediated — contact Zendesk to start a trial |
| Setup effort | Sign in with your helpdesk — read-only, no code, insights the same day | Add-on purchase via Zendesk; helpdesk connections sync every 4–6 hours |
| Integrations | Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Slack, Jira, Voice, API | Zendesk-native; connection docs exist for some non-Zendesk helpdesks, but buying it requires Zendesk |
Competitor information checked 17 August 2026 from the vendor’s own public website and documentation. If anything here is out of date, tell us and we’ll correct it.
Pricing: per conversation vs per agent, on top of Zendesk
Zendesk QA is sold as an add-on to a Zendesk Support or Suite plan, purchased for every agent in the account. On Zendesk’s UK site the QA add-on is listed at £23 per agent per month (paid yearly); Zendesk doesn’t display a standalone USD price on the pages we could verify. So a 25-agent team pays £575 a month for QA, on top of the underlying Zendesk plan, billed annually — and the cost scales with headcount whether or not conversation volume grows.
Isara prices by conversations, not people. A team handling 10,000 conversations a month pays $634.50 on Isara Growth ($99 base + 8,500 × $0.063), with unlimited users — QA leads, team leads, CS, product, compliance can all log in without changing the bill. 30-day free trial, no credit card, monthly billing, cancel any time.
Where Zendesk QA is the better choice
If your operation runs entirely on Zendesk, the case for the native add-on is real: one vendor, one bill, QA workflows inside the same admin surface, and automatic detection of Zendesk’s own AI agents. The per-agent price is published and reasonable for small teams, and the WEM bundle with Zendesk WFM is convenient if you want scheduling and QA together. Teams that want managed review workflows — assignments, calibration, coaching threads — tightly coupled to Zendesk tickets will find Zendesk QA the path of least resistance.
Where Isara is different
Independence. Zendesk QA is made by the same vendor whose helpdesk and AI agents it evaluates. Isara is an independent layer with no stake in how good your helpdesk — or its AI — looks. When AI agents answer in your name, independent verification is worth having.
Not tied to one helpdesk. Buying Zendesk QA requires a Zendesk plan. Isara connects to Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot, Freshdesk, Gorgias, voice and an API — useful if you run more than one channel today or don’t want your quality layer welded to your helpdesk choice.
Beyond QA scores. Isara reads every conversation for churn risk with revenue attached, compliance exposure, predicted CSAT, and product signals — not just agent-quality categories.
The commercial model. Per conversation, unlimited users, $49 to start, monthly, self-serve. No per-agent maths, no annual commitment, no procurement to run a trial.
Running Isara alongside Zendesk QA
Isara connects to Zendesk read-only — sign in with your Zendesk workspace and the sync starts the same day, with no code and nothing written back. That means you can keep Zendesk QA running exactly as it is and compare what each tool surfaces on the same tickets before deciding anything. Evaluation costs you a login, not a migration.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Klaus?
Zendesk announced its acquisition of Klaus in January 2024 and completed it that February. Klaus is now sold as Zendesk QA, an add-on within Zendesk’s workforce engagement management portfolio, and klausapp.com redirects to Zendesk’s site.
How much does Zendesk QA cost?
On Zendesk’s UK site the QA add-on is listed at £23 per agent per month (paid yearly), bought for all agents in the account, on top of a Zendesk Support or Suite plan. Isara starts at $49/month with 1,500 conversations included and unlimited users.
Do I need Zendesk to use Isara?
No. Isara connects to Zendesk, Intercom, HubSpot, Freshdesk, Gorgias, voice and an API. If you do use Zendesk, setup is a read-only sign-in with your existing workspace.
Does Isara replace Zendesk QA?
It can run alongside it. Isara is read-only and additive, so many teams evaluate both on the same conversations before deciding. Isara covers quality scoring plus churn, compliance and CSAT signals; Zendesk QA covers managed review workflows inside Zendesk.
Can Isara monitor Zendesk’s AI agents?
Yes. Isara analyses AI agent conversations with the same scrutiny as human ones — fabrications, off-policy promises, tone — and it’s independent of the vendor that built the AI.
How long does setup take?
Sign in with your helpdesk workspace, the read-only sync starts immediately, and insights arrive the same day. No code, no implementation project.
Independent oversight of your helpdesk — and its AI.
Connect Zendesk read-only in minutes. 30-day free trial, no credit card.