Forethought
by Forethought · San Francisco, USA · Founded 2017
Resolution, triage and agent assist in one
Overview
Forethought splits the support problem into three products that work together: Solve resolves tickets autonomously, Triage classifies and routes what it cannot, and Assist drafts replies for human agents on the rest. That layered approach means value does not depend on a high autonomous resolution rate — even tickets the agent cannot close get routed better and answered faster, which is a more honest model of how support actually improves. It runs on Zendesk, Salesforce and Freshdesk. Contracts start in the tens of thousands annually, and like other AI-only vendors it needs a helpdesk underneath.
Our verdict
The most realistic model of how support actually improves: some tickets get resolved, the rest get routed and answered better. That makes ROI less dependent on hitting a high autonomy rate than with vendors selling deflection alone. Pricing is opaque and it still needs a helpdesk underneath.
Best for
Support teams wanting triage and agent assist alongside deflection rather than deflection alone.
Avoid if
You want simple per-resolution pricing you can model in advance.
Pros
- Value does not hinge on a high autonomous resolution rate
- Triage improves routing on tickets AI cannot close
- Runs on Zendesk, Salesforce and Freshdesk
Cons
- No published pricing, annual contracts only
- Requires a separate helpdesk underneath
- Three-product structure complicates scoping and comparison
Key capabilities
Frequently asked questions
What are Solve, Triage and Assist?
Forethought's three components: Solve resolves tickets autonomously, Triage classifies and routes what it cannot, and Assist drafts replies for human agents on the remainder.
How much does Forethought cost?
Forethought does not publish pricing. Annual contracts are quoted by ticket volume, with entry deals in the tens of thousands and enterprise agreements reaching around $200,000 per year.
Does Forethought replace my helpdesk?
No. It layers on top of Zendesk, Salesforce, Freshdesk or Intercom, so you keep paying for the helpdesk underneath — factor that into any cost comparison.