7 Best Zendesk Alternatives & Competitors

If Zendesk’s hefty pricing is cramping your small business style, it’s time to explore alternatives. 

Freshdesk shines as our top pick, packing in some amazing features without burning a hole in your wallet. 

Curious to learn more? Stick around to find out more about the other Zendesk alternatives to know how it can level up your customer support game.

1. Freshdesk

Best for: Renowned as the go-to help desk solution for smaller businesses, Freshdesk boasts multiple pricing options tailored to fit various budgets, making it the gold standard in affordability and functionality.

Pricing: Free – $95/agent/mo

Freshdesk, crafted by Freshworks, stands apart from the company’s enterprise solution, Freshservice, catering specifically to small businesses.

This user-friendly platform is packed with a plethora of features geared towards facilitating swift and seamless customer support.

Features

• Ticket Dispatch: Ensure that every customer query lands in the hands of the appropriate team for prompt resolution and streamline ticket management to enhance overall support. 
• SLA Management: Define specific business hours to align with your organization’s operational schedule and improve accountability and customer experience by adhering to service level agreements consistently.
• Custom Reports: Tailor reports and dashboards to extract meaningful insights unique to your business and customize reporting to track key metrics and performance indicators relevant to your business objectives.
• Audit Log: Stay updated in real-time on all activities and modifications made within the platform. Available exclusively on the enterprise plan.

Freshdesk vs. Zendesk

Criteria	Freshdesk	Zendesk
Best For	Customer support teams and small businesses	Businesses that need detailed, advanced reporting and analytics
Standout Feature	Internal task management	Zendesk Explore
Pricing	Free – $95/agent/mo	$25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Conclusion

Freshdesk is a great choice for businesses looking to get started with a comprehensive customer engagement and support solution.

It’s best suited for those who already use Freshcaller as the integration of both takes your customer support to the next level.

Start 14-day free trial of Freshdesk today

Try Freshdesk for free

2. Gorgias

Best for: If your business falls within the realm of e-commerce and fits the criteria, Gorgias offers a straightforward and effective support desk option worth considering.

Pricing: $10/mo – $900/mo

Gorgias specializes in providing support exclusively for e-commerce vendors, focusing primarily on small to mid-sized operations.

While its scope is narrow, catering specifically to this niche, Gorgias excels in delivering a well-crafted solution with distinct features.

Features

• Unlimited Social Media Channel Support: Seamlessly manage customer inquiries across various social media platforms and enjoy the flexibility of handling unlimited social media channels within the Gorgias platform.
• Support Reporting: Gain valuable insights into support performance through comprehensive reporting. This includes access to live statistics to monitor support metrics and track key performance indicators in real-time.
• Workflow Automation: Increase efficiency and productivity with workflow automation such as macros, rules, intent, and sentiment detection by automating repetitive tasks to save time and resources while maintaining consistency in support processes.
• Extensive Customer Service: Access resources such as the Gorgias Academy to enhance agent training and skills development. Receive support via email and chat, with dedicated office hours and a designated Success Manager for personalized assistance and guidance.

Gorgias vs. Zendesk

Criteria	Gorgias	Zendesk
Best For	eCommerce businesses looking to scale omnichannel customer support	Businesses that need detailed, advanced reporting and analytics
Standout Feature	Ticketing interface based off email client aesthetic	Zendesk Explore
Pricing	$10/mo – $900/mo	$25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Conclusion

Gorgias is focused on excelling in one specific area: providing top-notch help desk support tailored for small to mid-sized e-commerce businesses.

With a robust core feature set and compatibility with a variety of apps, Gorgias efficiently meets the support needs of e-tailers in this category.

Sign up for Gorgias for free

Try Gorgias for free

3. HubSpot Live Chat

Best for: This alternative is best for startups, freelancers, and smaller-sized companies looking to get started with a free option and then scale their businesses through customizable modules.

Pricing: Free – $90/user/mo

HubSpot Live Chat is a component integrated into HubSpot CRM and elevates customer experience, satisfaction, and sales by providing a convenient means for customers to reach out to you.

You get a free starting option and flexible pricing plans to accommodate your needs as they grow.

Features

• Live Chat Widget Integration: Seamlessly integrate the live chat widget into your website, enabling real-time communication with visitors. Provide instant support and assistance to customers browsing your site.
• ChatBot Available: Implement a chatbot to automate responses and handle common queries, freeing up your team’s time for more complex issues. You can also customize the responses and workflows to align with your brand voice and customer needs.
• Real-Time Visitor Tracking: Gain valuable insights into visitor behavior and preferences with HubSpot’s real-time tracking capabilities. This can help identify hot leads and prioritize engagement based on visitor interactions, improving conversion rates and sales effectiveness.
• 100+ Integration Library: Integrate HubSpot Live Chat with your existing CRM, email marketing software, analytics tools, and more to streamline operations and enhance productivity.

HubSpot Live Chat vs. Zendesk

Criteria	HubSpot Live Chat	Zendesk
Best For	Smaller companies looking to start with a free solution	Businesses that need detailed, advanced reporting and analytics
Standout Feature	Free live chat widget integration	Zendesk Explore
Pricing	Free – $90/user/mo	$25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Conclusion

Trusted by countless organizations, HubSpot’s robust features empower seamless customer interactions, nurturing leads, and driving conversions like never before.

It’s best suited for companies already leveraging HubSpot for CRM and lead generation.

Get HubSpot Live Chat for free

Try HubSpot Live Chat for free

4. Zoho SalesIQ

Best for: It’s a good software to consider for businesses of any size looking for an affordable solution.

Pricing: Free – $25/user/mo

The Zoho ecosystem presents a comprehensive range of business software solutions that cover various applications.

Zoho SalesIQ is an adaptable and cost-effective chatbot solution within the ecosystem suitable for businesses of any scale.

Features

• Integration With Zoho Ecosystem: Seamlessly integrate Zoho SalesIQ with other Zoho applications, facilitating a cohesive workflow across your organization to enjoy streamlined data sharing and centralized management of customer interactions. 
• Canned Replies: Utilize pre-written responses to common queries with canned replies, enabling swift and consistent customer support. Save time and effort by quickly deploying canned responses.
• Visitor-Side Chat History: Provide a seamless experience for website visitors by enabling them to view their chat history directly from the visitor side. This empowers visitors to pick up conversations where they left off.
• Chat Translations: Break down language barriers and cater to a global audience with chat translations, allowing agents and visitors to communicate effectively in their preferred language, regardless of linguistic differences.

Zoho SalesIQ vs. Zendesk

Criteria	Zoho SalesIQ	Zendesk
Best For	Companies already taking advantage of the Zoho ecosystem	Businesses that need detailed, advanced reporting and analytics
Standout Feature	Codeless Bot Builder	Zendesk Explore
Pricing	Free – $25/user/mo	$25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Conclusion

Zoho offers a valuable array of tools, featuring an AI-powered chatbot at an accessible price point. It’s an ideal choice for those seeking sales tools, CRM solutions, and chatbot functionality.

Sign up for Zoho SalesIQ for free today

Try Zoho SalesIQ for free

5. Front

Best for: It’s perfect for companies that have extensive, regular, and non-synchronous communication needs with their customers.

Pricing: $29/mo – $79/mo

Front is a versatile customer relationship management platform designed to empower support, sales, and account management teams to provide outstanding service efficiently, even when dealing with large volumes of interactions.

Features

• Diverse Channels: Front consolidates all customer interactions, allowing seamless management of support tickets across various platforms including emails, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp within a single interface.
• Team Collaboration: Facilitating efficient teamwork, Front provides a private conversation space for agents within each chat, encouraging collaboration.
• Automation Capabilities: Front’s automation features include email auto-assignment for streamlined processes, pre-made responses for frequently asked questions, and automated client data collection, optimizing efficiency.
• Analytics: You can use Front’s reporting tool to gain holistic insights for enhancing team productivity, improving customer satisfaction, refining the customer experience, and managing workload and team performance effectively.

Front vs. Zendesk

Criteria	Front	Zendesk
Best For	Small businesses, customer support and customer success teams	Businesses that need detailed, advanced reporting and analytics
Standout Feature	Centralizes all consumer conversations on different platforms	Zendesk Explore
Pricing	$29/mo – $79/mo	$25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Conclusion

While Front doesn’t offer phone support, it’s a stellar platform for consolidating communication across all channels.

If phone support isn’t a necessity and you’re in the market for a live chat platform with superb management capabilities, Front could be the perfect fit for your needs.

6. Help Scout

Best for: It’s best used by startups, as well as established enterprises, seeking to enhance communication channels and boost conversion rates.

Pricing: $25/user/mo – $50/user/mo

Help Scout is a customer service platform centered on a collection of tools crafted for facilitating customer interactions.

Its standout features include a collaborative inbox, knowledge base, support across multiple channels, and live chat software driven by AI.

Features

• Shared Inboxes for Email, Live Chat, and Social: Collaborate effectively with your team using shared inboxes that centralize email, live chat, and social media communications. 
• Advanced Permissions: Assign specific roles and permissions to team members based on their responsibilities and level of access required. You can also customize access levels to safeguard confidential data and ensure compliance with security protocols.
• Automated Workflows: Automate actions such as assigning tickets, sending notifications, and updating statuses based on predefined rules and triggers. Reducing manual intervention will free up time for your team to focus on more strategic activities.
• HIPAA Compliance: Ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations when handling sensitive customer information by opting for the Pro plan. Safeguard patient data and maintain confidentiality with features and protocols.

Help Scout vs. Zendesk

Criteria	Help Scout	Zendesk
Best For	Businessed requiring centralized, all-round AI-powered live chat	Businesses that need detailed, advanced reporting and analytics
Standout Feature	Integrated solution for agents	Zendesk Explore
Pricing	$25/user/mo – $50/user/mo	$25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Conclusion

Help Scout is an email-centric solution featuring pop-up notifications and live chat functionality, catering to solopreneurs, small businesses, and enterprise-level organizations alike, all while accommodating varying budgets. 

Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible to users of all levels, and it boasts over a hundred valuable integrations along with API support for enhanced flexibility and functionality.

Start 15-free trial of Help Scout

Try Help Scout for free

7. ProProfs Live Chat

Best for: Widely utilized by startups, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and e-commerce websites, it offers a range of customer support, data analytics, communication, and visitor tracking features.

Pricing: Free – $99/mo

ProProfs Live Chat is a real-time customer support software designed to address inquiries on your website instantly. It seamlessly integrates with your site, ensuring prompt responses to all queries.

Features

• Assignment Management: Efficiently distribute incoming chats among your team members using assignment management tools. Streamline workflow and ensure prompt responses by assigning chats based on agent availability, expertise, or workload.
• Visitor Banning: Maintain control over your chat environment by blocking unwanted or abusive visitors. This also enhances security and protects agents from harassment or spam. 
• Agent Scheduling: Optimize agent availability and workload management with agent scheduling features. Coordinate agent shifts and breaks efficiently to ensure continuous coverage and responsiveness to visitor inquiries.
• Visitor Targeting: Personalize the customer experience and drive engagement with targeted messaging based on visitor behavior and characteristics. Segment visitors based on specific criteria.

ProProfs vs. Zendesk

Criteria	ProProfs Chat	Zendesk
Best For	Great for startups looking for a flexible free option to kick off with	Businesses that need detailed, advanced reporting and analytics
Standout Feature	Best free plans on the market	Zendesk Explore
Pricing	Free – $99/mo	$25/user/mo – $149/user/mo

Conclusion

ProProfs Chat is an excellent tool for engaging with leads and customers instantly, alleviating the burden of individually responding to every inquiry.

With its user-friendly interface and customizable options, you can effortlessly tailor interactions to meet specific needs.

Sign up to ProProfs Chat for free today!

Try ProProfs for free

Which Zendesk alternative should you use?

Choosing the perfect software to meet your live chat demands is crucial, and the Zendesk alternatives we’ve explored offer distinct advantages tailored to diverse company needs.

Your decision should align with your specific operational requirements, whether you’re seeking intuitive platforms ideal for startups or comprehensive systems tailored for larger corporations.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Zendesk alternatives, empowering you to make a well-informed choice:

1. Freshdesk
2. Gorgias
3. HubSpot Live Chat
4. Zoho SalesIQ
5. Front
6. Help Scout
7. ProProfs Chat