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Customer Service Outsourcing Cost: Compare Rates

Customer service outsourcing cost can range from $8–$49 per hour globally or $0.50–$1.75 per inbound call minute. The right comparison depends on whether you are buying staffed availability, completed cases or software that handles some questions from your own content.

$8–$49Hourly outsourcing
$0.50–$1.75Inbound calls
EUR 0–399Software plans

Compare support costs by billing model

Outsourcing rates buy human coverage or completed work; momo plans buy software access and an included allowance of AI conversations. These are different units, not like-for-like staffing prices.

momoCustomer service outsourcing
Hourly staffed supportFlat plan fees in EUR include a set number of AI conversations; no staffed hours are included.$8–$42 per hour in one hourly pricing estimate; billed for agent availability, even when the queue is quiet.
Global hourly rangeFree is EUR 0; paid plans are EUR 29, EUR 129 or EUR 399 per month.$8–$49 per hour globally; location, language, coverage hours, agent count and expertise affect the quote.
Inbound call minutesThe live channels are website widget, email and Slack; phone coverage is not included.$0.50–$1.75 per inbound call minute, depending on country and service.
Resolved ticketThere is no per-resolution fee or credit-pack charge; plans have included conversation allowances.$1–$7 per resolved ticket in one estimate; providers may define “resolved” differently.
Shared or dedicated teamPlans include specified agent and team-member limits, not outsourced agents.Shared teams pool capacity across clients; dedicated teams cost extra for closer brand alignment and product knowledge.
Monthly allowancePaid plans include 500, 2,000 or 6,000 AI conversations per month; Free includes 30 one-time conversations.Fixed monthly bundles may include volume thresholds; check the contract for the scope and overage terms.

Outsourcing rates are estimates, not quotes. Confirm currency, coverage, included services and billing rules with a provider.

Plan details

Free

Free costs EUR 0. It includes 30 AI conversations as a one-time allowance, one agent and one team member, a website widget, the helpdesk inbox, basic analytics, and 2 MB of knowledge across up to 10 sources. The widget carries a momo badge. A conversation can contain up to 10 AI replies on Free. This is a way to try a software-based front line, not a monthly outsourcing allowance or a substitute for a person scheduled to answer calls.

Starter

Starter costs EUR 29 per month or EUR 319 per year. The yearly amount equals 11 times the monthly price. It includes 500 AI conversations per month, one agent, two team members, the website widget and email channel, a helpdesk inbox and Help Center, basic analytics, and 20 MB of knowledge across up to 50 sources. There is no momo badge. Paid conversations can hold up to 25 AI replies. These limits describe AI use and team access; they do not buy a dedicated or shared human agent.

Growth

Growth costs EUR 129 per month or EUR 1,419 per year. It includes 2,000 AI conversations per month, three agents, five team members, a Slack channel, API, Zapier and webhooks, advanced analytics, and 100 MB of knowledge across up to 200 sources. It may suit a team that wants more AI capacity and the listed connections, while keeping people available in the shared inbox for cases that need them.

Scale

Scale costs EUR 399 per month or EUR 4,389 per year. It includes 6,000 AI conversations per month, 10 agents, 10 team members, API, Zapier and webhooks, advanced analytics, and 500 MB of knowledge across up to 1,000 sources. The plans are flat fees with included conversation allowances. There is no per-resolution fee or credit pack. No outsourced staffing, phone service, or provider onboarding is included in these software plan prices. Before choosing, compare the included allowance with your own expected conversations and decide who will handle tickets when the AI is unsure.

EUR 29

A flat plan fee is not a staffing quote

Starter is EUR 29 per month and includes 500 AI conversations. It does not buy 500 human-resolved cases or scheduled agent coverage. The distinction matters when comparing a software budget with an outsourcing proposal.

Budget software and human coverage as separate parts of support.

Worked budget

Estimate labor before comparing software

A transparent hourly example starts with the published hourly estimate of $8–$42 per staffed hour. For illustration, assume each agent is billed for 160 hours per month, the full-time monthly-hours assumption used in a cost calculation. This is arithmetic on the rate and hours, not a provider quote; the chosen rate does not establish a region, service scope or contract.

Staffing assumptionMonthly labor at $8–$42/hourAnnual labor at the same hours and rates
One agent, 160 hours/month$1,280–$6,720$15,360–$80,640

These five-agent totals are calculated by multiplying the one-agent range by five; they illustrate labor arithmetic, not a provider quote. | Ten agents, 160 hours each/month | $12,800–$67,200 | $153,600–$806,400 |

The annual figures multiply the monthly labor totals by 12 and assume the same hours and hourly rates continue throughout the year. They do not include one-time setup, extra technology, training or management costs. Quotes may also have minimum-hour commitments, shift coverage requirements, rounding rules or peak pricing, so the invoice can differ from simple hourly arithmetic.

Compare those labor totals with software on its own terms: the monthly momo plans are EUR 0, EUR 29, EUR 129 and EUR 399. Annual paid billing is EUR 319, EUR 1,419 and EUR 4,389. The currencies and work purchased differ, and AI conversations are not equivalent to staffed hours. A software plan may be worth evaluating when many questions can be answered from approved business content and a human inbox can handle the exceptions. Outsourced agents remain the relevant budget for scheduled human coverage, including phone support. For a broader view of where automation can fit, see what to automate and keep human.

momo plans and included limits

Choose by monthly AI conversation allowance, knowledge capacity and team access; these are software plans, not outsourced agent packages.

Included: Helpdesk inbox included on every plan, including Free. · AI answers draw on your own knowledge and cite sources when the answer is confident. · When the AI is not confident, the visitor is told it is not sure and a ticket is opened for the team.

Free

Try momo with real visitors.

€0 forever

  • 30 AI conversations, one-time
  • 1 agent, 1 team member
  • Website widget
  • Helpdesk inbox
  • Basic analytics
  • 2 MB of knowledge, 10 sources

Starter

One agent, steady traffic.

€29per month

  • 500 AI conversations / month
  • 1 agent, 2 team members
  • Website widget and email
  • Helpdesk inbox and Help Center
  • Basic analytics
  • No momo badge
  • 20 MB of knowledge, 50 sources

Growth

More agents, more channels.

€129per month

  • 2,000 AI conversations / month
  • 3 agents, 5 team members
  • Slack, Shopify, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
  • API, Zapier and webhooks
  • Advanced analytics
  • 100 MB of knowledge, 200 sources

Scale

High volume, every channel.

€399per month

  • 6,000 AI conversations / month
  • 10 agents, 10 team members
  • Every channel
  • API, Zapier and webhooks
  • Advanced analytics
  • 500 MB of knowledge, 1,000 sources

Need more resources or custom solutions? Contact us for Enterprise plans

Outsourcing cost questions

Check the billing unit and service scope before treating two support quotes as comparable.

What is the typical cost per minute for inbound call center services?

One estimate puts inbound call center pricing at $0.50–$1.75 per minute, depending on the country and service required. That is a call-minute rate, not an agent’s hourly wage: ask what call handling, wait time and other service components the quote covers.

How much does an outsourced customer service agent cost per hour?

A global estimate gives a range of $8–$49 per hour, while another hourly model estimate gives $8–$42. Location, language, coverage, expertise and contract terms can affect the rate, so compare quotes against the same hours and scope.

Is per-agent or per-resolution pricing better for complex support?

Per-agent pricing buys a defined amount of human availability and can support deeper product familiarity, but may leave you paying for quiet hours. Per-resolution pricing ties cost to completed cases, but the provider’s definition of “resolved” matters, especially for complex cases that escalate or receive repeat contacts.

What hidden costs should I check in an outsourcing quote?

Ask whether setup, software, equipment, training and transition work are included. Also check minimum billed hours, shift requirements, time rounding, peak rates, quality monitoring and the terms for ending or changing the arrangement; these items are not consistently included across estimates.

How do shared and dedicated outsourced support teams differ?

A shared team pools capacity across clients and may cost less, with less customization. A dedicated team is assigned more closely to your business and may provide tighter brand alignment and product knowledge at a higher price. Confirm the coverage hours, training, management and scope in the quote.

Try a software front line before adding staff

Start free to answer questions from your own content, with citations for confident replies and a human inbox for conversations that need your team.