If you’re in the tech, web or SaaS industries, you’ve probably encountered the same age-old problem: what’s the best way to manage a huge library of support content?
So many websites come with hundreds of articles, tutorials, videos and FAQs, all carefully crafted over the years, and often needing to be migrated, updated and maintained. It’s a time-consuming job for copywriters, and an even bigger task for web teams managing it all behind the scenes.
Not to mention the user experience – endless scrolling, clunky expand/collapse menus and search boxes that don’t always deliver the right results. It’s functional, but is it really the best we can offer website visitors in 2025?
With tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI assistants now capable of holding natural, helpful, on-brand conversations, it raises the question:
Do we really need to maintain a traditional support centre, or is it time to let AI take the lead?
Let’s explore whether AI chatbots are the right fit for supporting your website visitors, and compare the best options on the market right now.
What do AI chatbots need to offer?
Different AI chatbots offer a range of capabilities, but here’s what’s essential:
Understands natural language
Chatbots need to act like true AI, not just provide options for customers to click through. Customers should easily be able to communicate with the AI chatbot using natural language, and the chatbot should ideally be able to communicate in a range of languages.
On-brand communication
Your chatbot must reflect your branding. This means using the right tone of voice, understanding your brand’s style, and using specific branded phrases when necessary.
Easy setup and intuitive features
Your chatbot should be able to easily connect to your existing knowledge base or crawl information from the support page. At the same time, it must include an intuitive interface for setting up logic automation – for example, forwarding a case or integrating with a CRM system.
Safety and trustworthiness
Accuracy and safety are crucial. The information your chatbot provides to customers must be reliable and secure at all times.
Our top 3 AI chatbots for customer support
After scoring the leading AI chatbots against our four essential criteria, these three chatbots stand out as the best solutions for businesses looking to transform their online customer support:
Intercom Fin AI
Communication in natural language: 5/5
Unlike basic chatbots that offer pre-programmed responses, Fin AI agents are powered by Claude, which allows it to understand complex customer queries in natural language. It supports bilingual conversations out of the box. It follows the context of conversations, and provide detailed explanations without requiring customers to navigate through decision trees.
On-brand communication: 5/5
The platform allows extensive customisation of tone, style and messaging. You can train it to use specific brand terminology, adjust the personality from formal to casual, and even incorporate company specific phrases. The AI learns from your existing support content and maintains your brand voice across all interactions.
Easy setup and intuitive features: 4/5
Setup is straightforward, with Fin AI automatically ingesting your existing knowledge base and Help Centre articles. The platform offers an intuitive interface for creating custom workflows and automations. However, the full setup requires some technical knowledge, and the pricing model might be complex for smaller teams to manage.
Safety and trustworthiness: 4/5
Fin AI provides high-level security with strong data protection. All data is encrypted when sent and stored using military-grade 256-bit encryption. The platform has special AI safety features to prevent wrong answers and inappropriate responses. It meets GDPR privacy rules and gives confidence scores for each answer. Support teams can review sensitive conversations before they go live.
Zendesk Answer Bot
Communication in natural language: 4/5
Zendesk’s Answer Bot leverages machine learning to understand customer intent and provide relevant responses. While not as conversationally advanced as Fin AI, it excels at understanding context and can handle complex multi-turn conversations. The platform supports multiple languages, though multilingual capabilities require additional configuration.
On-brand communication: 4/5
Zendesk offers solid branding customisation options, allowing you to adjust tone, style and messaging to match your brand. The platform includes templates for different industries and use cases. While not as flexible as Fin AI in terms of personality customisation, it provides consistent, professional communication that maintains brand standards.
Easy setup and intuitive features: 5/5
This is where Zendesk truly shines. The platform offers seamless integration with existing Zendesk environments, making it incredibly easy to set up for teams already using Zendesk. The interface is intuitive, with drag-and-drop workflow builders and pre-built automation templates. Knowledge base integration is automatic, and the platform can crawl your support documentation with minimal setup.
Safety and trustworthiness: 5/5
Zendesk offers the strongest data protection features. All messages are encrypted when sent and stored using bank-level security. Enterprise customers can use their own encryption keys for extra control. The platform meets strict security standards like SOC2 and PCI DSS for regulated industries. It includes detailed activity logs, two-factor authentication, and can automatically hide sensitive information like credit card numbers. Perfect for companies that need the highest security levels.
Tidio
Communication in natural language: 3/5
Tidio’s AI chatbot, powered by their Lyro AI, offers decent natural language processing capabilities. While not as sophisticated as Fin AI or Zendesk, it can understand customer intent and provide relevant responses. The platform supports multiple languages but may require more manual configuration for complex bilingual scenarios. It works well for straightforward support queries but may struggle with highly technical or nuanced questions.
On-brand communication: 4/5
Tidio provides good customisation options for branding, including the ability to adjust tone, style and visual appearance. The platform offers various personality settings and allows you to incorporate brand specific language. While not as advanced as the other two platforms, it provides sufficient flexibility for most small- to medium-sized businesses.
Easy setup and intuitive features: 5/5
Tidio wins on ease of use and setup simplicity. The platform is designed for non-technical users, with a visual chatbot builder that requires no coding knowledge. Knowledge base integration is straightforward, and the platform can quickly crawl your existing support content. The interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy to create complex workflows and automations.
Safety and trustworthiness: 3/5
Tidio provides basic security that works well for smaller businesses. All messages are encrypted when sent to protect customer data. The platform follows GDPR privacy rules and offers basic two-factor login. However, it lacks advanced security features like detailed activity logs or special compliance certifications. This makes it suitable for small- to medium-sized businesses but may not meet the needs of larger companies or those in highly regulated industries like healthcare or finance.
The final verdict
Choose Intercom Fin AI if: you need the most advanced AI capabilities and have the budget for premium features. Perfect for companies that prioritise sophisticated conversations and have complex support needs.
Choose Zendesk Answer Bot if: you want enterprise-grade reliability with excellent integration capabilities, especially if you’re already using Zendesk or need robust security features.
Choose Tidio if: you want a user-friendly solution that’s easy to set up and manage, ideal for smaller teams or businesses that need effective AI support without complexity.
Is your website where it needs to be? Embrace Marketing is a specialist outsourced marketing agency. We’re a unique hybrid, as our team combines both in-house and agency skills and expertise. Email hello@weareembrace.com for an initial chat.
This latest thinking article was written by:
Atkins Ko
Digital and Website Design Manager