AI credits calculator for helpdesk cost planning
Estimate how many AI credits your support team needs each month for AI triage, sidekick reply drafts, and auto-resolve. Use it as an AI support cost calculator before automation becomes part of the daily queue.
AI triage and sidekick drafts each use 1 credit per action.
AI auto-resolve uses 2 credits per attempt because it is customer-facing automation.
Manual inbox work, editing drafts, canned responses, and normal replies do not spend AI credits.
Classify topic, urgency, sentiment, language, and routing before agents open the queue.
Prepare a grounded draft, summary, or suggested answer for a human to review.
Attempt a safe customer-facing resolution with sources, confidence checks, and escalation.
Start from a scenario
Estimated monthly usage
830
AI credits per month
Recommended plan
Pro
$29.99/mo, 1,000 AI credits, 15 seats
Plan utilization: 83%
No top-up needed for this estimate.
How the AI credits estimate works
The calculator models monthly support volume against the AI workflows most small teams adopt first: triage on incoming tickets, sidekick drafts for human-reviewed replies, and auto-resolve for narrow routine questions. The estimate is intentionally conservative. It counts auto-resolve by attempt, not only by successful resolution, because a safe system should spend work deciding when not to answer.
Credit formulas used by the calculator.
| Workflow | Formula | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| AI triage | Monthly tickets × triage coverage × 1 credit | Makes the queue easier to read before agents choose what to answer first. |
| AI sidekick drafts | Monthly tickets × draft usage × 1 credit | Prepares replies and summaries while keeping humans in control of the final answer. |
| AI auto-resolve | Monthly tickets × auto-resolve coverage × 2 credits | Attempts customer-facing automation only when sources and guardrails allow it. |
Example monthly usage scenarios
Use these examples to sanity-check the calculator. They are not quotas; they show how ticket volume and automation depth affect monthly AI support cost.
Common AI helpdesk credit estimates.
| Scenario | Tickets/month | Workflow mix | Estimated credits | Likely fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean queue | 125 | 100% triage, 30% drafts, 5% auto-resolve | ~176 credits | Starter usually has room. |
| Growing support | 500 | 100% triage, 35% drafts, 15% auto-resolve | ~825 credits | Pro is the natural starting point. |
| Automation-heavy | 1,200 | 100% triage, 55% drafts, 30% auto-resolve | ~2,580 credits | Business plus a small top-up, or reduce automation scope. |
What does not spend AI credits
Reading, assigning, searching, filtering, and replying manually.
Editing an AI sidekick draft before sending it.
Using canned responses or saved snippets.
Viewing customer history, notes, and previous conversations.
Keeping the shared inbox open after the monthly credit allowance is used.
How to reduce AI support cost without slowing the team
The goal is not to spend the fewest credits. The goal is to spend credits where they reduce repeated work without increasing risk.
Use AI triage broadly because it makes every queue easier to scan.
Limit sidekick drafts to topics where agents often rewrite the same answer.
Use auto-resolve only on topics with strong knowledge base coverage and low escalation risk.
Improve weak articles before regenerating more drafts from the same bad source.
Track reopen rate and draft edits by topic so credits move toward workflows that actually help.
Where to go next
After estimating credits, compare the plan allowance against the support workflow you want to run.
Pricing
Compare Starter, Pro, Business, included credits, seats, ticket limits, and top-up packs.
Learn moreAI helpdesk guide
Learn how triage, sidekick drafts, auto-resolve, and escalation fit together in a support workflow.
Learn moreAI credits glossary
Understand what credits are, what costs one or two credits, and what remains free.
Learn moreCustomer support comparisons
Compare Protodesk’s credit model against helpdesk tools that price AI by resolution, seat, or add-on.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Try Protodesk free for 7 days
Connect your first inbox, invite your team, and see AI triage, sidekick drafts, and auto-resolve with 300 trial credits. No credit card required.