Text Essential: $19/User/Month—What Happens After 10 AI Resolutions?

Verdict

Text Essential currently costs **$19 per user per month on annual billing**, or **$228 per user for a prepaid year**. Monthly billing is $25 per user, so holding the published rates constant makes the annual option $72 less per user across 12 months. The buying decision is not just the seat price: Essential includes only **10 AI resolutions per month**, and each additional 50-resolution package is currently **$49.50**.

Essential makes sense for a small team that needs live chat, inbox, ticketing, workflows and one AI agent, but expects light AI resolution volume. If AI regularly resolves more than 10 conversations monthly, estimate refill packs before choosing annual billing.

The $19 headline is per user and prepaid annually

The annual rate is $19 per user per month, paid for 12 months upfront. That is $228 for one user, $684 for three users and $2,280 for ten users before tax or add-ons. Monthly billing is $25 per user; one unchanged seat would total $300 over 12 months.

Essential currently includes one AI Agent, 10 AI resolutions, five reply suggestions, five AI text edits, 50 tracked live visitors, 10,000 API calls, three proactive campaigns, 10 custom skills, AI Copilot, inbox and ticketing, workflow automation, business channels and Shopify selling. Conversation and file history is limited to 60 days on Essential; Growth lists unlimited history and higher operating allowances.

What one AI resolution means

Text counts one AI resolution when the AI Agent directly solves at least one customer question. Multiple solved questions in the same conversation still count as one resolution. A transfer to a human without answering a question does not count. Test chats, spam and irrelevant or incomplete answers also do not count. A successfully completed Custom Skill can count when it directly fulfills the request.

This is not a speed or quality benchmark. It is the vendor's billing definition. Review the AI resolution metric during the trial and classify your real conversations before projecting cost.

After 10 resolutions, a 50-pack costs $49.50

Text's detailed pricing says that exceeding the included allowance can trigger a 50-resolution refill for $49.50, equal to $0.99 per resolution. The Help Center says extra packs apply only to the current billing cycle, unused resolutions do not roll over, and the base allowance resets in the next cycle.

There is an important wording ambiguity. A broad helpdesk-pricing paragraph says Text does not charge per ticket or per resolution, while the detailed AI pricing and Help Center describe paid AI-resolution refills. For budgeting, treat ordinary tickets as unlimited under the seat plan but treat AI Agent usage beyond the included 10 as chargeable according to the detailed refill terms. Confirm automatic refill settings in Billing before launch.

A team expecting 60 AI resolutions in a month would need the included 10 plus one 50-pack, making the one-seat monthly economic layer $19 plus $49.50 on annual billing, before tax. That is a planning example, not a guaranteed invoice.

Essential includes 10,000 API calls per month. The current pricing page lists an extra 100,000-call package at $29.50. Marketplace apps can have separate fees, and sales tax or VAT can apply.

Growth costs $79 per user per month annually and includes 200 AI resolutions, 20,000 API calls, 30 proactive campaigns, 400 tracked live visitors, 10 AI Agents, unlimited chat history and team reports. Do not upgrade by headline feature count alone: compare the expected number of seats, AI resolutions, API calls, visitors and campaigns.

Trial, renewal and cancellation boundaries

Text offers a 14-day trial without a credit card. Because no card is collected, the trial does not automatically charge if you never purchase.

A paid annual subscription is prepaid for 12 months and renews automatically unless canceled before renewal. Current terms say unused time is not refunded or credited. Downgrades—including fewer users, a lower plan, shorter billing cycle or fewer AI-resolution packages—take effect at the next renewal. Text directs customers to contact support to cancel.

Buyers on older LiveChat plans should verify migration and current subscription terms separately. This article covers the current Text Essential offer, not every legacy LiveChat license.

Market context

Freshdesk Growth and Zendesk Support Team are each currently listed at $19 per agent per month on annual billing, but their channel and AI usage structures differ. Freshdesk advertises 500 free Freddy AI Agent sessions for trial use before paid session packs; Zendesk separates its basic Support tier from higher Suite and usage features.

Intercom Essential starts at $29 per seat per month annually and Fin is $0.99 per outcome. Help Scout Standard is $25 per user per month annually. Zoho Desk Standard is shown at $14 per agent per month annually on current official comparison pages. These are price-and-scope references, not support quality or AI performance rankings.

Next step

Use the no-card trial with a representative set of real conversations. Record how many chats count as AI resolutions, API calls, tracked visitors and campaigns. Before annual prepayment, check Billing for automatic refill behavior, expected tax, marketplace fees, renewal date and the support cancellation process.

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