Looking to move out of Zendesk? I can relate.
Zendesk, with its extensive features and integrations, has long been a popular choice for customer service teams. However, bigger and more feature-packed doesn't always mean better. Sometimes, a tool that offers the right combination of functionality, simplicity, and affordability can deliver a more seamless customer experience and be easier for your team to use.
In this blog post, we will explore some of the best alternatives to Zendesk that cater to specific business needs. Whether you're an e-commerce company, a small business, a SaaS startup, or a growing customer support team, we have identified a range of Zendesk alternatives for you.
Short on time? My conclusion is that the best three Zendesk alternatives are Gorgias (for ecommerce), Freshdesk (for similar functionality but at a lower cost), and either Help Scout or Dixa for companies that want something powerful but simpler than Zendesk.
Curious how I got to this conclusion? Keep reading!
Here are the best Zendesk alternatives according to our research.
Best Zendesk alternative for e-commerce companies.
Gorgias is help desk software that doesn't try to be a one-size-fits-all platform. Instead, it is specifically designed for e-commerce brands, offering easy integrations with Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce, along with some highly targeted features that you won't find in other platforms.
Key features of Gorgias include a shared inbox for email, live chat, social media, voice, and SMS interactions, which serves as a single help desk for an unlimited number of online stores. The platform also allows users to modify orders or subscriptions and process refunds directly within the help desk.
Gorgias enables monitoring of the percentage of "Where is my order?" inquiries and can activate auto-replies or self-service options if the volume exceeds a certain threshold. Moreover, it automates ticket tagging and routing based on customer sentiment or intent.
The platform also provides support performance statistics, including channel and tag heat maps, to identify the busiest days and times for customer issues.
Pricing: Starting at $10-$60 per month for 50-300 tickets per month.
Related Reading: Gorgias vs. Zendesk Showdown: Which One Wins In 2023?
Test drive Gorgias for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best wallet-friendly Zendesk alternative
Just as feature-rich as Zendesk, Freshdesk comes in at a much lower price point than Zendesk — Freshdesk even has a free plan — making it a more affordable option for small businesses.
Freshdesk functions as a one-stop shop for customer support teams. The cloud-based platform features a multi-channel help desk, customizable knowledge base, chatbots, and a ticketing system, all wrapped up in a clean and simple interface.
Freshdesk's key features include email, social media, and live chat support requests — all consolidated into a single-view inbox.
For larger teams, it has bulk functionality for assigning, responding to, and closing tickets, plus rich ticketing features like sub-tasks, comments, prioritization by SLA, notifications, and multi-owner assignments.
Preformatted canned responses for frequently asked questions help streamline support interactions, and auto-assigned emails, chats, and calls are based on available bandwidth.
Freshdesk offers key integrations with popular tools such as Slack, Google Suite, Microsoft Teams, and Office 365. These integrations allow for seamless collaboration and communication within the support team and with customers.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $15 per user per month.
Related Reading: The 8 Best Freshdesk Alternatives and Competitors in 2023
Test drive Freshdesk for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best Zendesk alternative for SaaS companies and startups.
Help Scout's core value is that it's designed to be a tool you can use to deliver more personal support, and that customer-centric value is apparent not only in its features but also in the way the entire product is designed.
For example, tickets in Help Scout are referred to as "Conversations," and relationship data is captured and organized in easily accessible customer profiles. Help Scout also emphasizes usability with a clean and intuitive interface.
Some key features of Help Scout include a shared multi-channel inbox with a real-time request queue for inbound messages. Tickets can be assigned to both teams and individuals.
The platform also offers a canned response library, allowing agents to insert answers to frequently asked questions in their replies with just a few clicks. Additionally, a ticket sidebar displays relevant customer information, such as previous interactions, company and account details, and notes.
Help Scout also provides automated workflows for tasks like assigning and tagging tickets and notifying managers. Furthermore, the platform features a widget-ized self-service portal that can be embedded on any page, allowing customers to start a live chat if they cannot find the answer they are looking for.
Help Scout integrates with various platforms, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Mailchimp, Zapier, and Google Apps.
Pricing: Starting at $20 per user per month.
Related Reading: 8 Best Help Scout Alternatives and Competitors [2023 Guide]
Test drive Help Scout for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best Zendesk alternative for growing customer support teams
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Dixa is another fantastic Zendesk alternative that is worth considering. With its user-friendly platform, you'll enjoy an omnichannel experience, intuitive agent workspace, smart tools, and powerful analytics. It's the ideal choice for businesses looking to level up their customer service game.
As an up-and-comer in the support software world, Dixa brings together all the essential tools—voice, chat, email, and social channels—under one roof. Plus, it's packed with handy features like customer satisfaction surveys, in-depth analytics, chatbot creation, and a quality assurance tool.
And don't worry about integrating with your other tools: Dixa has you covered with integrations with platforms like Salesforce, Shopify, Jira and Zapier. If your team or product is growing fast, Dixa is a great Zendesk alternative that's powerful, but simpler than Zendesk.
Pricing: Starting at $39 per agent per month.
Test drive Dixa for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best Zendesk alternative for companies that use other HubSpot tools.
If your company is already using HubSpot's customer relationship management or marketing automation tools, you should definitely consider exploring its customer support platform, Service Hub.
HubSpot Service Hub not only offers seamless integration with other HubSpot products, but it also combines essential features for smooth customer support, such as a shared multichannel inbox. Additionally, it provides more unique features like Kanban-style ticket management and screen-recording responses.
Some of the key features of Service Hub include a single-view dashboard for email, social media, and live chat requests. It also allows agents to send video responses and screen recordings directly from tickets, which is perfect for addressing complex or technical problems — or when a customer is unavailable for a live call.
The platform has drag-and-drop ticket organization and Kanban boards to visualize the ticket pipeline. Furthermore, it offers a customer portal where customers can connect with support, independently track and manage their own tickets, view ticket status, and access the knowledge base. Lastly, Service Hub provides SLA management with automation and reporting abilities.
Service Hub has key integrations with various platforms such as HubSpot CRM, Hootsuite, Pandadoc, Zoom, and Vidyard.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $45 per month for two users.
Related Reading: The 7 Best HubSpot Alternatives and Competitors in 2023
Test drive HubSpot Service Hub for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best Zendesk alternative for non-support teams.
Front is a shared inbox tool that serves as a one-stop-shop for customer messaging, including email, live chat, and social media.
With a Gmail-inspired design, Front combines a familiar inbox-style interface with powerful omnichannel functionality, automated workflows, internal collaboration tools, and detailed analytics to monitor support team performance and customer satisfaction.
Key features of Front include a shared inbox that centralizes customer messages, allowing support teams to access all their communication channels in one place. Users can also utilize tags and filters to manage messages and have the option to snooze and close tickets.
Omni-channel support is essential for exceeding customer demands, making this one of the most popular Front app features. The platform also offers inbox conversations, enabling users to tag team members on customer messages directly within the shared inbox, making it easier to assign emails, collaborate on responses, and share conversations for coaching and feedback.
Front also provides templates for users to create canned responses to common questions, both individually and as a team, reducing repetitive replies. Additionally, the platform offers no-code automation, allowing users to create if-then workflows to trigger actions across different channels, including routing and escalating messages.
Finally, Front supports "round-robin" assignments, automatically assigning messages randomly so employees cannot cherry-pick which customers they would like to respond to.
Front integrates with various platforms, including Aircall, Asana, Facebook, HubSpot, Intercom, HelpDocs, and Jira.
Pricing: Starting at $19 per seat per month.
Related Reading: Who Wins Between Zendesk & Front?
Test drive Front for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best Zendesk alternative for chat-focused organizations.
Intercom positions itself as an Engagement OS — a platform that connects businesses with their customers wherever they are. Instead of managing multiple channels, Intercom provides teams with a unified inbox across chat, email, and more.
Key features of Intercom include live chat and bots, which are widely used across websites to connect customers with customer support agents, FAQs, and automated responses to commonly asked questions.
The platform also offers an inbox that consolidates all customer communication into one simple-to-use interface. This Intercom Inbox allows businesses to create workflows that help automate customer journeys and tasks, such as directing customers to relevant knowledge base articles.
Additionally, Intercom provides app developers with a powerful toolkit to build messaging directly into their apps, enabling them to send product update alerts, offer support, or promote new deals or products at the right place and time, all while maintaining a consistent user experience.
The platform also features a knowledge base that allows businesses to create a centralized repository for quickly answering customer questions. Furthermore, Intercom's Product Tours feature enables developers to design rich, interactive onboarding experiences that reduce friction points for new users and accelerate their time-to-value.
Intercom integrates with various platforms, including Salesforce, WhatsApp, Instagram, Slack, Facebook, Statuspage, and Twitter.
Pricing: Starting at $74 per month.
Related Reading: Help Scout vs Intercom: Which Is Better?
Test drive Intercom for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best Zendesk alternative for small eCommerce shops.
Tidio stands out as a fantastic Zendesk alternative, specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses that focus on e-commerce and sales. With its primary goal to boost sales through exceptional customer service, Tidio utilizes powerful AI chatbots and conventional support tools. The platform offers a range of features, including live chat, pre-chat surveys, conversation ratings, event tracking, and widget customization.
What makes Tidio a great choice is its ease of setup, user-friendly interface, and a visual chatbot editor that comes with premade templates for creating automations and triggers. The platform's AI chatbot functionality allows businesses to scale with a smaller team.
Tidio also offers multi-channel support, integrating with Facebook, Instagram, and various third-party platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Squarespace.
Pricing: Starting at $19 per month.
Related Reading: Best Tidio Alternatives
Best Zendesk alternative for B2C businesses.
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Trengo is another great alternative to Zendesk , offering a versatile all-in-one communication platform that consolidates customer interactions across various channels such as instant messaging, email, social media, and telephone. With a unified omnichannel approach, businesses can scale support, marketing, and sales without compromising customer experience. Trengo provides powerful automation, collaboration features, and integration with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Lightspeed.
Trengo also offers comprehensive reporting for monitoring customer satisfaction and performance. Despite requiring a minimum of 5 users per plan and lacking depth in chatbot creation and customer portal support, Trengo's advantages, such as creating help centers, engaging website visitors, and providing a unified platform for team communication, make it a compelling choice.
Pricing: Starts at $90 per month
Test drive Trengo for free using TestBox and compare it side-by-side with other popular customer support tools.
Best Zendesk alternative for enterprise companies that have outgrown Zendesk
If you're looking for a Zendesk alternative, you might want to consider Salesforce Service Cloud. It's got all the bells and whistles, like omnichannel customer support, built-in AI, and automation features. Your customers can easily connect with agents across different channels, and tools like Einstein help boost productivity and provide personalized service. Plus, Service Cloud plays nice with your existing systems and offers pre-built integration apps, so there's minimal disruption.
One of the best things about Salesforce Service Cloud is its scalability. As your business grows, it can handle the extra demand and keep your customers happy. It's got a whole suite of tools, including case management, support ticketing, knowledge base, routing and escalation, and queue management, giving you everything you need to succeed in customer service.
Pricing: Starting at $25 per agent per month
Best Zendesk alternative for companies that use other Zoho products.
Having multiple products under one brand umbrella, like Zoho's 45+ products, simplifies integration and support for your team. Zoho Desk stands out as a robust help desk solution and Zendesk competitor, featuring a comprehensive ticketing system, self-service knowledge center, and an AI-enabled chatbot, Zia, with advanced functionality.
Key features include multichannel support, in-app calls, ticket conversion, and collision detection. Zia impresses with its ability to direct customers to knowledge base articles, track chats, identify sentiment, and alert managers of unhelpful solutions. The platform also offers an advanced response editor with snippets and shortcuts for efficient customer interactions.
Zoho Desk integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM, G Suite, Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams for smooth collaboration and communication.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $7 per user per month.
Based on my analysis, here are my top three recommendations:
There are dozens of Zendesk competitors out there to consider, and the process of buying software is rarely fun. Endless demos, gated products, and non-stop phone calls. And after all that, there’s no guarantee that you’ll feel confident in your decision. It’s not a great use of your time.
However, testing and comparing different tools side-by-side will help you evaluate customer service software faster, and in the end, you’ll be more confident with your choice. TestBox allows you to test and compare the top customer support software solution side-by-side—for free. Start testing software now!
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Oh and did we mention it’s free? Because it is.
