Best AI model for customer support replies
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The verdict
- Scores 67 on support, #12 of 30 models we track for this job.
- $0.43 per 1,000 replies.
- Also the cheapest model that passes our test for this job.
- Scores 97 on support, the highest of 30 models we track for this job.
- $7.00 per 1,000 replies: the extra $6.58 per 1,000 buys 30 more points.
- Reads up to 1,049K tokens at once.
A support reply needs to follow your rules, keep the thread straight and sound like a person. It is also the job you run thousands of times a month, so a few cents per reply adds up fast.
How we tested
Until our own support tasks run, the support score blends two Arena measures: how well a model follows instructions and how well it holds a multi-turn conversation. A reply is about 1,500 tokens in (the customer’s message, some history and your instructions) and 400 out.
Scores are provisional until our own test rig runs these tasks. A model “passes our test” for this job at a score of 55 or more.
Scores and cost at your volume
| Model | Score | Passes | 1k replies a month | 10k replies a month | 100k replies a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon | 97 | Yes | $7.00 | $70.00 | $700 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | 90 | Yes | $14.00 | $140 | $1400 |
| Claude Opus 5 | 84 | Yes | $17.50 | $175 | $1750 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 | 83 | Yes | $35.00 | $350 | $3500 |
| Muse Wonder | 79 | Yes | $14.00 | $140 | $1400 |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | 78 | Yes | $2.63 | $26.25 | $263 |
| Kimi K3 · open | 73 | Yes | $10.50 | $105 | $1050 |
| Qwen3.8 Max | 72 | Yes | $5.40 | $54.00 | $540 |
| Muse Spark 1.3 | 71 | Yes | $3.58 | $35.75 | $358 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | 69 | Yes | $7.00 | $70.00 | $700 |
| GLM-5.3 · open | 67 | Yes | $3.86 | $38.60 | $386 |
| GLM-5.3-Flash · open | 67 | Yes | $0.43 | $4.25 | $42.50 |
One reply is about 1,500 tokens in and 400 out, at list prices. Try your own numbers in the cost calculator.
Who should pick something else
- If replies go out without a person checking them, pay for the premium pick: the gap shows up in edge cases, not averages.
- If you must keep customer data on your own servers, use the open-weights pick and host it yourself.
- If you answer under 1,000 tickets a month, cost hardly matters; take the best overall pick.
Questions
How much does an AI support reply cost?
Usually well under a cent per reply on mid-priced models. The table below shows the monthly bill at your volume for every model we track.
Can a cheap model handle support?
For routine questions with clear policies, often yes. The budget pick is the cheapest model whose support score passes our bar.
Changes to this guide
- 25 Oct 2026: First version, on provisional scores from Arena and Epoch AI.