Looking for free Zendesk alternatives? You’ve come to the right place. Zendesk is the name to trust for reliable and easy-to-use help desk tools. Zendesk is a popular solution with hundreds of thousands of users.
Zendesk has a drawback for business beginners: its high cost. Zendesk can be expensive if you have a limited budget. You’re not out of luck, however.
Although free helpdesk tools don’t have as many advanced features or functionality as Zendesk, they can provide the basics you need to reach your target audience. We’ll be reviewing some of the best free helpdesk tools on the market today to help you decide if one is right for your needs.
What is Zendesk?
Zendesk provides a simple, all-in-one SaaS platform for increasing customer satisfaction. Zendesk is suitable for all types of businesses, including startups and well-known enterprises. It can empower support agents, send important notifications to supervisors, as well as help you manage support tickets more efficiently.
Zendesk is a top-rated customer communication tool. It combines everything: customer response templates, Android and iOS app access, website chat widget functionality and templates. Although Zendesk is a top-rated customer support software option, it is not the only one.
Zendesk, like many of the tools in this article has a limited solution if you wish to use the free service. You will not have access to the full suite of tools, but you can still use some extra features such as collision detection and automation. You will have access to tools for email, social, and ticketing.
Zendesk Pros
- Even the free plan has a great range of tools
- It is easy to use when you need to streamline multiple channels support
- Good for customer engagement
- Ticket tools make it easy to handle customer issues
- Collaboration tools for team members
Zendesk Cons
- It can be costly to go beyond the free plan
- Some features may not be available.
Who is Zendesk most effective for?
You can stick with Zendesk if you are looking for comprehensive help desk ticketing that requires minimal training. This is a popular help desk tool for good reasons. Although it’s very feature-rich and easy to use, it can become expensive over time.
HubSpot
HubSpot has been most often compared to Zendesk’s service management software. There are many tools available for sales, marketing and website building. HubSpot’s “Service Hub” is one component of its product portfolio. It’s a complete suite of services that are packaged in an easy-to use ecosystem.
The Service Hub is not as affordable as Zendesk. HubSpot offers a free helpdesk and ticketing system. This free service, although it is basic, allows you to track customer requests in one place, which helps your team stay organized.
It is easy to prioritize work, manage tickets and track solutions to problems. This will help you deliver better customer service. To access additional features such as a shared mailbox and real-time reports, you can upgrade to the full HubSpot help desk software. The paid HubSpot version can be more expensive than other options on the market.
Pros
- Great, simple interface for beginners
- Upgrades possible with the Service hub
- All emails and tickets accessible in one environment
- Tracking and full organization of customer requests
- Teams can use a central space
Cons
- Service is lacking in many advanced features
- Upgrades can be costly
Who is the best?
HubSpot is a great service for basic ticketing and keeping track of customer inquiries. HubSpot even allows you to access “goals” which can help you reach your goals, live chat, or team email. HubSpot is a multi-channel service that offers sales and marketing tools. However, premium packages will give you the best results.
Freshdesk
Freshdesk, like Zendesk and other tools for customer support, is also well-known. Businesses can easily collect valuable information about their customers through the easy-to use environment. The environment allows you to automate routine tasks and improve agents’ productivity. There is also an inbox that aligns with multiple customer service channels.
The Zendesk free plan is quite comprehensive. It includes insights into team performance, ticketing reports, as well as a mobile app. You can give customers self-service options, similar to HubSpot and other market-leading tools such as Freshdesk.
Freshdesk’s handy selection of tools is a great entry point to digital customer service. This allows you to spend less time switching between communication channels and more time engaging in important conversations. Although Freshdesk’s free tools won’t give you the same functionality as Salesforce (with Slack), it can still empower and enable your customer support teams.
Pros
- Support from Freshdesk is excellent
- Automating routine tasks
- Track customer information with a single inbox
- Support on the go with a mobile app
- Team performance insights
- Basic self-service available for end-users
Cons
- Not the best reporting features
- Access to better lead tracking tools requires a paid plan
Who is the best?
Freshdesk offers small businesses a rich, feature-rich solution that allows them to provide excellent customer service. It is simple to use and offers decent customer support, even for the free plan. It is easy to track conversations across social media channels and Freshdesk is one of the most user-friendly zendesk alternatives.
Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a dedicated helpdesk solution for customer service company. It makes it easy to track all customer interactions. Zoho Desk has more than 50,000 users around the world. Gartner ranked it among the top help desk tools worldwide in 2021. Customers agree that it improves employee and client experiences, so it can produce better results.
You get the full Zoho desk experience, which includes everything you need to manage customer conversations and workflow automation tools. You have access to self-service and live chat tools as well as artificial Intelligence for a more intelligent way to manage business conversations. The customer service software comes with many tools to improve customer relationships, especially if you are willing to upgrade to a paid plan.
Zoho Desk’s free plan includes a help desk, email ticketing and customer management. You also have your own knowledge base. Pre-defined SLAs will be provided, along with multilingual help desk and mobile apps. Support is available 5 days per week.
Pros
- Great for tracking omnichannel communications
- Mobile app access
- Pre-defined SLAs
- Good customer management
- Support for customer self service
- Multiple languages
Cons
- Only 3 ages are eligible for the free plan
- There are no advanced features such as community or social channels.
Who is the best?
Zoho Desk is a great option for those who have very basic helpdesk requirements and a small team. We are particularly impressed with the pre-defined SLAs and multi-language help desk.
LiveAgent
LiveAgent provides a simple solution to companies searching for support software. Companies of all sizes can interact with customers via the omnichannel system. The basic plan includes unlimited email addresses, a forum and customer portal, advanced reporting tools, APIs, and integrations.
LiveAgent offers more advanced packages that include call center support, call routing, transfers, video calling and instant chat for customers. You can also record calls. While LiveAgent might not be as well-known in the market than Zendesk it is extremely efficient if you are looking for rich customer service solutions.
LiveAgent’s free version allows smaller businesses to start investing in customer service. It’s important to note that the features offered by the free version are not as extensive as those available in the paid plans. You can upgrade your functionality at any time. The 7-day free plan includes ticket history, 1 email address and phone number, chat button, basic reporting, and a customer portal.
Pros
- All in one: Live chat, email, and phone
- It is very easy to use
- There are many pricing options available when you upgrade
- There are no contracts. You can cancel at any time.
- All features available for free trial
Cons
- The free plan is quite basic
- Interface out of date
Who is the best?
LiveAgent is a great option if you’re looking for ticketing solutions that combine basic ticketing with many extras such as call recording, email tracking, or live chat. It is very affordable and versatile. It’s possible to even create a self-service strategy.
Engagebay
Engagebay provides a simple tool for marketing, service and CRM technology. It is available in a single package. All the tools you need can be found in one package, or you can purchase your marketing, sales and other tools individually. Engagebay’s “Service Bay”, a free service, is available. This is an easy-to-use customer support desk.
Unsurprisingly, the Service Bay doesn’t offer as many features as Engagebay’s all-in-one package. However, you get basic help desk functionality and live chat software for tracking your conversations. Paid packages that go beyond simple ticket management and FAQs offer more advanced software solutions such as chatbots and additional reporting tools.
Engagebay allows business leaders to have a better understanding of their customers. Engagebay allows you to track client conversations across multiple channels and ensure that you are taking advantage of any lead opportunities. The paid plans include landing pages, email marketing and lead capturing tools. However, this service works best.
Pros
- Simple solution for beginners
- Upgrades are easy to access
- Many information about leads
- With no cost, live chat available
- Community support is a great asset
Cons
- There are limited ways to manage your service staff
- For beginners, very basic
Who is the best?
Engagebay is an excellent choice if your goal is to provide simple service. Although this help desk is not as sophisticated as other options, it will allow you to quickly jump into customer support via live chat.
The Best Zendesk Alternative
There are many tools available for customer service, asset management and relationship management. These include Happyfox, Jira and Kayako, as well as Help scout and Help scout. Finding the right solution that empowers your team and delights your customers is key to your success.
Consider what metrics you are looking for in a service management system. For example, customer satisfaction and response time. Also, how can you measure your performance over time. Consider how easy it will be to onboard new staff members into your software. Also, consider whether advanced features like a self service portal or self-service portals are possible.
Zendesk can offer a lot to companies when used correctly, but it will not be the best solution for all teams. There are many free versions of top software available. It’s worth looking into other options to see if they might be better suited for you.
To get the best tools, you might need to upgrade your free software. While free services can be great for beginners, many of these are intended to be an entry point for more advanced packages. When comparing Zendesk alternatives, keep in mind the cost and features of any Zendesk plan that is not free. It is best to plan for the future and be ready for what you need now.
