Decagon vs Sierra (2026)
A head-to-head on price, free access, and staying power. Both live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026.
The verdict, first
What each one is
Decagon
What sets it apart Agent Operating Procedures: natural-language workflow definitions that support teams author to control agent behavior without engineering tickets.
Founded in 2023, Decagon operates AI agents that resolve customer support conversations across chat, email, and voice, handing off to human staff when a request falls outside their scope. The distinguishing piece is Agent Operating Procedures: natural-language workflow definitions that support teams write to shape agent behavior without routing changes through engineering. Pricing is quoted through sales on a usage basis, billed either per conversation or per resolution, and there is no free tier. It is aimed at consumer-facing enterprises in sectors such as retail, financial services, travel, and health.
Sources Decagon homepage (product, channels, AOPs, Watchtower, target industries) · Decagon blog: Pricing the AI Agent Economy · Microsoft for Startups: Decagon building the AI concierge
Sierra
What sets it apart Outcome-based pricing: customers are charged when an agent achieves a defined result (a resolved conversation, a saved cancellation), and unresolved conversations usually carry no charge, in contrast to seat- or conversation-based licensing.
Founded in 2023 by Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor, Sierra builds AI agents that enterprises deploy for customer service across voice, chat, email, and WhatsApp; the agents connect to backend systems such as CRM and order management so they can complete a task like processing a return or filing an insurance claim rather than only answering questions. Its distinguishing choice is pricing: customers are billed on outcomes, paying when an agent resolves a conversation or saves a cancellation, and in most cases owing nothing when a conversation goes unresolved. Sierra does not publish rates and sells through enterprise contracts that generally include setup and integration work, so it fits large organizations with the backend complexity and budget to justify a custom deployment.
Sources Sierra - Product overview (vendor) · Sierra - Outcome-based pricing for AI Agents (vendor blog) · TechCrunch - Bret Taylor's Sierra raises $350M at a $10B valuation · Featurebase - Sierra AI Pricing 2026
Side by side
| Metric | Decagon | Sierra |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | Custom | Custom |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Founded | 2023 | 2023 |
| Best for | enterprise | enterprise |
| Status | Live | Live |
ALL FIGURES = LOWEST PAID MONTHLY PLAN · STATUS & PRICE VERIFIED JUL 21, 2026
Where they differ
Price
At least one of these is quote-based rather than a public monthly price - check current plans via the links. Verified Jul 21, 2026.
Free access
Neither offers a permanent free tier - both are paid after a limited trial. A permanent free tier lowers the risk of committing before you have validated the fit.
Track record
Decagon has been operating since 2023; Sierra since 2023. For a tool you build a business process on, a longer survival record matters.
Questions of record
Decagon or Sierra - which is better in 2026?
Is Decagon cheaper than Sierra?
Does Decagon or Sierra have a free tier?
Are Decagon and Sierra still maintained?
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