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.
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.
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 assumption | Monthly labor at $8–$42/hour | Annual 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€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.
€29€27per 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.
€129€118per 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.
€399€366per 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.