Sierra vs Decagon Cost Comparison 2026 (Both Quote-Only)
With both vendors quote only, what is publicly known and how should a buyer compare them?
Both are top-tier CX-agent specialists with no published rate. Sierra emphasises outcome-based per-resolution pricing in marketing; Decagon publishes neither a rate nor a pricing page. Compare them by running the same RFP against both, asking each for cost per resolved case at your forecast volume.
Side by side
Sierra
Sierra AI: quote only. Markets outcome-based per-resolution pricing. Founded by former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor.
Where Sierra wins
- Strong outcome-based marketing posture
- Forward-deployed engineer model in many deals
- Branding wins large logos in retail and travel
Decagon
Decagon AI: quote only. No published rate or pricing page; ask whether the unit is the conversation or the resolution.
Where Decagon wins
- Per-conversation and per-resolution units can both be put on the table
- Active in fintech and e-commerce buying motions
Feature heatmap
Green = included on the cheapest published plan. Amber = partial or add-on. Red = not included. Grey = quote only, cannot confirm.
| Feature | Sierra | Decagon |
|---|---|---|
| Published rate | ✗ | ✗ |
| Outcome-based unit explicitly marketed | ✓ | ◐ |
| Forward-deployed engineer model | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-serve trial path | ✗ | ✗ |
Side-by-side quote playbook
Run identical RFPs against both vendors, hold all variables constant (resolution definition, conversation volume, SLA, channels), and ask each for fully-loaded cost per resolved case at your forecast volume. If one quotes outcome-based and the other quotes annual-platform-plus-usage, ask both to normalise to cost-per-resolution at your projected resolution rate. Refuse to sign without a side-by-side normalisation table.
Switching cost
If you are on the wrong one
Switching CX-agent vendors is dominated by the integration layer (knowledge base ingestion, CRM connectors, action APIs) rather than the agent runtime. Plan 8 to 12 weeks for a swap once contracts are signed.
How to validate before signing
Run a fixed test corpus across both vendors for at least 30 days, log per-interaction cost in both systems, and confirm the unit of billing (conversation, resolution, message, task) matches your accounting model before committing to an annual deal.