Helpdesk software helps businesses to support their customers efficiently. Companies can manage customer queries from multichannel (email, ticket, phone, social media, etc.) and provide accurate support within SLAs.

With the advancement of self-service and AI-powered solutions, customers can solve the minor issues on their own by following guided instructions. Modern helpdesk software tracks tickets and uses AI to categorize tickets, allocate to relevant agent, escalate due tickets, auto-reply and much more.

Businesses using traditional helpdesk methods face several challenges, such as customers having to wait long times for problem resolution and a lack of scalability. Helpdesk software simplifies the task by automating part of the resolution process.

Based on hands-on testing, Geekflare team has listed below the best helpdesk software based on customization options, add-ons available, unique features, and pricing plans.

  • Freshdesk – Best Overall
  • Zendesk – Best for Comprehensive Customer Support
  • Zoho Desk – Best for Small to Medium Business
  • Jira Service Management – Best for IT Teams
  • Front – Best for Collaborative Email-Based Customer Support
  • Jitbit Helpdesk – Best for Email Ticketing Systems
  • Salesforce – Best for Scalable Customer Service Solutions
  • InvGate – Best for Streamlined IT Support
  • Gorgias – Best for Ecommerce Businesses
  • HappyFox – Best for a Unified Help Desk Experience
  • Help Scout – Best for Email Management
  • HelpCrunch – Best for Multi-Channel Customer Communication
  • Hiver – Best for Gmail-Based Customer Service
  • Kustomer – Best for Omnichannel Customer Service CRM
  • Gladly – AI-Powered Customer Service
  • Show moreShow less

You can trust Geekflare

Imagine the satisfaction of finding just what you needed. We understand that feeling, too, so we go to great lengths to evaluate freemium, subscribe to the premium plan if required, have a cup of coffee, and test the products to provide unbiased reviews! While we may earn affiliate commissions, our primary focus remains steadfast: delivering unbiased editorial insights, and in-depth reviews. See how we test.

Freshdesk

Freshdesk

Best Overall

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Customization
    High
  • Target Audience
    B2B and B2C Companies
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Email, 24/5 Phone
$15/month
Free Plan
Start Freshdesk Trial

About Freshdesk

With integrated ticketing, a comprehensive free plan for up to 10 agents, and the option to choose your data center location (even without upgrading), Freshdesk is our pick for the best overall cloud-based helpdesk software.

Freshdesk has a team inbox that lets users track support tickets across all platforms. It’s also possible to make custom ticket statuses. Users in and outside the main organization can use Freshdesk via shared ownership.

Teams using Freshdesk can make canned responses to quickly answer frequently asked questions. Moreover, the app has a scenario automation tool that allows users to automate repetitive actions. Agent collision alerts stop users from working on a ticket that someone else already is.

Freshdesk integrates with Slack, Salesforce, Jira, and over 1,000 other apps.

Over 60,000 companies use Freshdesk, including Hamleys, Thomas Cook, and 7-Eleven.

Freshdesk Features

  • Key feature

    Time-triggered automation for ticket maintenance.

  • Key feature

    Suggest ticket fields for prioritization and categorization.

  • Key feature

    When customers reply with “thank you”, Freshdesk detects that the issue is solved; users can then stop these tickets from being reopened.

  • Key feature

    Convert email tickets to knowledge base articles.

  • Key feature

    Linking between forum topics and tickets.

Freshdesk Pros/Cons

  • Advantage

    A free plan with ticket dispatch features (e.g. routing and prioritizing tickets) and 24/7 email support for up to 10 agents

  • Advantage

    More efficient workflows thanks to the “thank you” ticket-closing feature

  • Disadvantage

    Some Reddit users have complained that the analytics are too complicated

  • Disadvantage

    Access to marketplace apps isn’t possible with a free plan

Freshdesk Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/Agent Offerings
Free$0Ticket trend reports, knowledge base, round-the-clock email assistance, max. 10 agents
Growth $15Automation tools (e.g. escalations), custom email server, custom SSL
Pro$49Up to 5,000 collaborators, customizable roles and reports, customer journey tools, customizable metrics
Enterprise$79Skill-based routing, hierarchical knowledge base features, restrict IP ranges
Zendesk

Zendesk

Best for Comprehensive Customer Support

Geekflare rating score 4 out of 5
4
|
  • Customization
    High
  • Target Audience
    B2B and B2C Companies
  • Customer Support
    Ticketing, Email, SMS, Live Chat
$19/agent/month
Free Trial
Explore Zendesk

About Zendesk

Zendesk offers prebuilt integrations and quick responses. It is intelligently designed to cut down on customer care agent time and save the company money. For this reason, it’s the best helpdesk software for comprehensive customer support.

Zendesk has AI agents that work round the clock; users can tailor conversations to ensure that the advice these agents give is more accurate.

Zendesk has automation features that teams can enhance with pre-canned responses. The app also has a real-time dashboard and allows users to quickly collect customer feedback. Zendesk users can leverage tools like social media, chatbots, and surveys to improve customer involvement.

Channel unification is possible via the agent workspace, and it’s also possible to track conversation updates here. App integrations include Trustpilot Reviews, AssetSonar, and Microsoft Teams for Support. To further customize the app, free and paid themes are available.

Zendesk is used by 100,000+ customers, including Uber, Finnair, and Xero.

Zendesk Features

  • Key feature

    A conversation extension that helps customers complete purchases without leaving their chat.

  • Key feature

    Light Agents to let users comment privately, without needing to pay for additional monthly users.

  • Key feature

    Skills-based routing so that agents with specialty knowledge can solve problems that match their expertise.

  • Key feature

    Automatic ticket creation.

  • Key feature

    A range of reports to monitor your progress, such as viewing tickets created by channel.

Zendesk Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Customize your workspace with free and paid themes

  • Advantage

    Digital onboarding for all paid plans

  • Disadvantage

    Multilingual support and content is only available with high-end plans

  • Disadvantage

    CSAT ratings are not available with all plans

Zendesk Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/agentOfferings
Support Team$19Ticketing system, Customer details and conversation history, Business rules
Suite Team$55AI agents, 1,000+ apps and integrations, pre-defined responses
Suite Growth$89SLAs, CSAT ratings, multilingual support, list your business hours
Suite Professional$115HIPAA enabled, choose data location, side conversations to contact teammates while staying in the same ticket
Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

Best for Small to Medium Business

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Customization
    High
  • Target Audience
    B2B Tech Companies
  • Customer Support
    Email, Phone, or Chat, 24/7 for Premium Plans
$14/month
Free Trial
Explore Zoho Desk

About Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is the best helpdesk software for small to medium-sized businesses, thanks to features like process automation and multichannel ticket management.

Teams can benefit from 50% quicker deployment compared to many similar tools, and integrate the software with 200+ apps. Integrations include Slack, G Suite, Jira, and Zapier.

Teams using Zoho Desk can customize their workspaces and tickets with templates. The app also offers the option to customize statuses throughout the whole ticketing process.

Zoho Desk also provides GDPR compliance. Other helpful features include an integration with Zoho CRM. Based in India, Zoho has over 100 million global users.

Zoho Desk Features

  • Key feature

    Customized data modules where users can change the currency, whether they want to use percentages or decimals, etc.

  • Key feature

    Anomaly notifications so that agents can identify abnormal ticketing activity.

  • Key feature

    Reply editors.

  • Key feature

    Collaborative file sharing and meeting spaces.

  • Key feature

    Live customer happiness ratings.

Zoho Desk Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    High-level data customization

  • Advantage

    Integrates well with Zoho’s other tools, such as Zoho CRM

  • Disadvantage

    Advanced dashboards aren’t available with a Standard plan

  • Disadvantage

    Lack of Live Chat feature unless you have an enterprise subscription

Zoho Desk Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/userOfferings
Standard$145 advanced web forms, 20 tags per ticket, product-based ticket tracking, instant messaging
Professional$23Agent collision detection, ticket templates, ticket sharing and ownership
Enterprise$40Maximum of 50 tags per ticket, live chat, guided conversations
Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management

Best for IT Teams

Geekflare rating score 4.4 out of 5
4.4
|
  • Customization
    Moderate
  • Target Audience
    IT Teams
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Tickets
$19.04/month
Free Forever Plan
Start Jira Free Plan

About Jira

Even with a free plan, Jira Service Management (JSM) users get an embedded knowledge base and pre-configured ITSM templates. These, along with multi-region data residency, real-time incident monitoring, and advanced alerting, makes JSM one of the best helpdesk software for IT, dev and engineering teams.

Up to 3 agents can use the free version of Jira Service Management, and paid plans support up to 20,000 users. Pricing varies; each plan gets cheaper as you add more agents.

Jira Service Management and integrates with Salesforce, New Relic, Jenkins, Slack, and gives you an option to build custom add-ons with their REST API for unlimited integration.

You can use JSM for various use cases like managing work across the company, change management, incident management, implementing self-service knowledge base, managing IT assets configuration and more. Jira is scalable and leading it ITSM software.

Jira Service Management Features

  • Key feature

    PIRs to identify root issue causes.

  • Key feature

    Change management tools that let users automate approval workflows based on CAB procedures and other metrics.

  • Key feature

    Incident escalation policies.

  • Key feature

    Customize your help center by adding your company URL.

  • Key feature

    Problem scopes to identify customer issues that keep occurring.

Jira SM Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Between 99% and 99.5% uptime SLAs for Premium and Enterprise subscriptions

  • Advantage

    Per user, per month pricing gets cheaper as you add more agents

  • Disadvantage

    Atlassian Intelligence isn’t available with a Standard plan

  • Disadvantage

    Unlimited automation allowances are only available with an Enterprise subscription

Jira Service Management Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/agentOfferings
Free$03 agents, multichannel support (email, portal, chat), knowledge base, change management.
Standard$19.04Best for less than 50 agents, branded help center, 9-5 regional support, alerts, incident escalation, unlimited email notifications
Premium$47.82Best for less than 250 agents, AI-powered service and operations, 24/7 support for critical issues, 99.9% uptime SLA.
EnterpriseCustomCross-product analytics and insights, 24/7 support for all issues, 99.95% uptime, unlimited automations, 150 sites
Front

Front

Best for Collaborative Email-Based Customer Support

Geekflare rating score 4.6 out of 5
4.6
|
  • Customization
    Moderate
  • Target Audience
    B2B Support Teams
  • Customer Support
    Email, Live Chat, Video (High-End plans)
$19/month
Explore Front

About Front

Front offers a full view of consumer data next to each message. The service connects with SMS, email, WhatsApp, and more. Teams using the tool can also create multiple team inboxes. These are just some of the reasons why Front is the best helpdesk solution for collaborative, email-based customer support.

The Front app lets teams assign ownership to ensure that customer issues are quickly cleared, and it’s also possible to use metrics like satisfaction scores, SLA breaches, and average reply times. Dashboards are customizable.

Front also has metrics like messages sent per agent. The app also has message categorization. The API allows for custom integrations.

Teams can integrate Front with Aircall, Asana, ClickUp, and other tools.

Front Features

  • Key feature

    A percentage-based overview that outlines each conversation stage.

  • Key feature

    Automatic message transferring based on keywords and other parameters.

  • Key feature

    Workload-balancing tools for better resourcing.

  • Key feature

    Customer inquiry insights to determine audience perceptions.

  • Key feature

    AI article translation to help customers in different languages.

Front Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Five-second cancelation window for sending messages

  • Advantage

    Automatic task transfers to different departments, which allows tickets to get closed quicker

  • Disadvantage

    CRM and Zapier integrations are only available with a Growth plan or higher

  • Disadvantage

    You need at least 20 seats and a Scale plan for onboarding and solution design

Front Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/seatOfferings
Starter$19Omnichannel shared inboxes, knowledge base, live chat, 10-seat maximum
Growth$5920 workflow automation rules, Zapier integrations, conversation summaries, CSAT and SLA analytics
Scale$9Multiple team workspaces, AI message drafting
Premier$229Video conferencing assistance, Premier Onboarding
Jitbit Helpdesk

Jitbit Helpdesk

Best for Email Ticketing Systems

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Customization
    Limited
  • Target Audience
    IT Teams
  • Customer Support
    Knowledge Base, Online Ticketing
$29/month
Free Trial
Explore Jitbit

About Jitbit

Jitbit can turn incoming emails into tickets where needed and send replies, which – among other features – makes Jitbit the best helpdesk software for email ticketing systems.

Jitbit integrates with Jira, GitHub, Active Directory, MS Exchange, Dropbox, and other tools like ChatGPT and Basecamp. Teams that need further integrations can add these via Zapier.

Both SaaS and “on-premises” versions of Jitbit are available. 

Jitbit Features

  • Key feature

    Ticket scheduling (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) for maintenance tasks.

  • Key feature

    Delayed ticket reminders.

  • Key feature

    In-app screen capturing to add further information and context to tickets.

  • Key feature

    Filtering features to sift through spam and messages that don’t require attention (i.e., automatic out-of-office responses).

  • Key feature

    Automatic response generation via the use of language-learning models (LLMs).

Jitbit Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Better security thanks to anti-spam message automation

  • Advantage

    Unlimited storage and all core features for every plan

  • Advantage

    Very fast set-up; it should take around 30 seconds to use at most

  • Disadvantage

    Limited features outside of email ticketing

  • Disadvantage

    Jitbit lacks a comprehensive knowledge base

Jitbit Helpdesk Pricing

PlanMonthly CostOfferings
Freelancer$29Unlimited storage, custom domain, all core features, iOS and Android apps
Startup$694 agents
Company$129Downloadable backups, 7 agents
Enterprise$249Faster support, HIPAA compliance, the option to hide “powered by Jitbit” if preferred
Salesforce

Salesforce

Best for Scalable Customer Service Solutions

Geekflare rating score 4.2 out of 5
4.2
|
  • Customization
    High
  • Target Audience
    B2B Companies
  • Customer Support
    24/7 for Premier Support Plans
$25/month
Free Trial
Explore Salesforce

About Salesforce

Multiple pricing options, AI-powered chatbots, and omnichannel reporting features make Salesforce the best helpdesk software for scalable customer service solutions.

Salesforce has email templates for easy response crafting, and its Einstein tool offers predictive and generative AI to simplify communication further. Salesforce also has a $2/month self-service add-on that lets customers find their answers before needing to contact support.

The app uses AI-powered recommendations for enhanced efficiency, planning, insights, and knowledge management tools. It’s also possible to get unified voice and messaging via AI, which integrates across multiple channels.

Teams using Salesforce can use thousands of apps to improve workflows and get to conclusions quicker, such as Q-assign and Email to Case Premium by Vicasso. Some tools require an extra fee.

Salesforce has 150,000+ customers, including T-Mobile, Spotify, and Amazon Web Service.

Salesforce Features

  • Key feature

    Enhanced messaging is available for $75 extra per user per month.

  • Key feature

    A visual remote assistant to limit the number of reopened tickets.

  • Key feature

    Unified voice and messaging (Einstein 1 Service plan only).

  • Key feature

    Opportunity Tracking tools to potentially cross-sell to satisfied customers.

  • Key feature

    Offline access (Enterprise plan and above).

Salesforce Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Email auto-response features are available with all plans

  • Advantage

    Multiple customization options, such as email templates and custom profiles/layouts

  • Disadvantage

    The app can be very difficult to use for beginners

  • Disadvantage

    No free plan is available, only a free trial.

Salesforce Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/userOfferings
Starter Suite$25Knowledge management, case management, email auto-response
Pro Suite$100 Omni-channel routing, case email escalation rules, service console apps
Enterprise$165Einstein Bots (for an additional fee), case swarming, help center
Unlimited$330Einstein Bots included, service catalog
Einstein 1 service$500Authenticated portal, customer community features, enhanced messaging and feedback management included
InvGate

InvGate

Best for Streamlined IT Support

Geekflare rating score 4.6 out of 5
4.6
|
  • Customization
    Moderate
  • Target Audience
    IT Teams
  • Customer Support
    24/7 for Critical incidents
$17/agent/month
Explore InvGate

About InvGate

InvGate has a modern user interface (UI) with a focus on urgent requests, making it easier for agents to prioritize tasks. Complete ticket visibility, quick access to the knowledge base, and automatically-created subtasks are some of the other reasons why InvGate is the best helpdesk software for streamlined IT support.

InvGate has customizable dashboards and cross-analysis for important metrics. It’s also possible to analyze tickets by creation source and customer groups.

Teams can integrate InvGate with 6,000+ apps via Zapier, such as Gmail, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook. Other InvGate integrations include Amazon Web Services and TeamViewer. The app is used by organizations like Toyota, PwC, and NASA.

InvGate Features

  • Key feature

    Predictive suggestions.

  • Key feature

    Automatic subtask creation for IT requests.

  • Key feature

    Linking related requests to solve similar issues more quickly than would otherwise be possible.

  • Key feature

    The option to share dashboards with customers.

  • Key feature

    Software license optimization and planning.

InvGate Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Gamification to improve team motivation

  • Advantage

    IT Asset Control add-ons

  • Disadvantage

    Not suitable for non-IT teams as all of its features and solutions are specifically optimized for teams of this kind

  • Disadvantage

    Only available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese; can be a problem for international teams with staff not proficient in these languages

InvGate Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/agentOfferings
Starter$17Max. 5 agents, self-service portal
Pro$406-50 agents, project automation
EnterpriseCustomOn-premise hosting, custom number of agents
Gorgias

Gorgias

Best for E-commerce Business

Geekflare rating score 4.7 out of 5
4.7
|
  • Customization
    Moderate
  • Target Audience
    Ecommerce Businesses
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Email and Chat
$10/month + Ticket Charges
Free Trial
Explore Giorgias

About Gorgias

Gorgias serves stores using Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, and claims that you can automate up to 60% of your CX. For these reasons, Gorgias is the leading ecommerce helpdesk software.

Gorgias is an AI-powered customer experience platform for ecommerce businesse. It connects with over 100 business apps like Aircall, Shopify, Loop, ShipBob, etc. They offer three main product modules:

Helpdesk – all-in-one help system to support customers.

Automate – auto-respond, personalization, pre-built actions and virtual AI agent.

Convert – enrich shopping journey to convert into repeat customers.

Over 15,000 E-commerce brands use the service, including Steve Madden and Olipop.

Gorgias Features

  • Key feature

    Personalized E-commerce campaign creation to increase sales (e.g., recommending products to shoppers).

  • Key feature

    On-site campaign creation for better sales conversions.

  • Key feature

    Automatic help center creation.

  • Key feature

    Customizable live chats.

  • Key feature

    1:1 strategy sessions to help users determine where they need to improve their products and services.

  • Key feature

    Gorgias Academy with resources about growing and managing an E-commerce business more successfully.

Gorgias Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    You don’t have to pay for every ticket you receive

  • Advantage

    You don’t have to pay per number of guests or agents

  • Disadvantage

    Limited analytics features compared to some of the other helpdesk solutions on the market

  • Disadvantage

    Some users have complained that Gorgias is difficult to customize

Gorgias Pricing

SubscriptionMonthly Cost Offerings
Starter$1050 billable tickets, 3 user seats, $0.40 per extra ticket after using the allowance
Basic$60300 tickets per month, 500 users, $40 for 100 extra tickets
Pro$3602,000 tickets per month, $36 for 100 extra tickets, Magento integration
Advanced$9005,000 monthly tickets, $36 for 100 extra tickets
HappyFox

HappyFox

Best for a Unified Help Desk Experience

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Customization
    High
  • Target Audience
    B2B Customer Support
  • Customer Support
    24/5 Email (Team), 24/7 Phone (Enterprise)

About HappyFox

HappyFox is the best software for a unified helpdesk experience, thanks to easy-to-access queue overviews, pinned tickets, ticket statuses, and the ability to draw conversations from email and social media.

HappyFox uses ticket threads to give a quick conversation and action overview. Moreover, the app has canned actions and lets users answer with canned responses for common queries.

The service also offers agent-based pricing and subscriptions for unlimited agents (the latter is better suited to bigger teams).

HappyFox Features

  • Key feature

    Customizable queues to show open tickets based on status, category, etc.

  • Key feature

    A Quick Reply feature for quicker customer interaction.

  • Key feature

    Private notes to discuss how to solve tickets without leaking sensitive information.

  • Key feature

    IP address restrictions to stop unwanted users from accessing the app.

  • Key feature

    A Bulk Action tool to group related tickets.

  • Key feature

    In-app private notes to help agents get more clarity from coworkers if needed.

  • Key feature

    Ticket-pinning for easy access to the most important ones.

  • Key feature

    A Smart Rules engine to eliminate unnecessary workflows that could cause delays.

HappyFox Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Per agent and unlimited agent plans are available

  • Advantage

    Available in 35 languages

  • Disadvantage

    No instant free trial is available; you have to book a demo

  • Disadvantage

    Limited custom fields for contact groups

HappyFox Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/agentOffering
Basic$9Omnichannel ticket creation, SLA management, knowledge base
Team$49Custom email and domain, customized ticket queues, 24/5 email support
Pro$99Agent collision, task and asset management, ticket scheduling
EnterpriseCustom 2TB attachment storage, all-time reporting history, audit logs
Help Scout

Help Scout

Best for Email Management

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Customization
    Limited
  • Target Audience
    Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Email Support
$22/month
Free Trial
Explore Help Scout

About Help Scout

Help Scout has multitasking features, AI summaries, and urgency tags and folders, making it the best helpdesk solution for email management.

Help Scout has collision detection, meaning that agents won’t respond to the same messages. Analytics metrics like new conversations, messages received, and replies sent help teams analyze their performance.

Team members can view how many conversations they’ve had per day (as well as how many chats they’ve missed overall). Users get AI drafting and assistance tools, the latter of which can change text tones and correct spelling and grammar.

Over 12,000 teams within companies like Honey, Buffer, and Compass use the tool.

Help Scout Features

  • Key feature

    Team grouping for several in-app aspects, such as reporting and automations.

  • Key feature

    Quarterly team training to ensure that agents’ skills stay sharp and that they can use Helpdesk more effectively.

  • Key feature

    A Beacon widget to deliver more accurate help for specific requests (e.g. FAQ pages).

  • Key feature

    Customer satisfaction scores broken down via email and chat.

  • Key feature

    View how many messages were resolved the first time around, as well as overall response times.

Help Scout Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Workflow automation is available with all plans and not just the more expensive ones

  • Advantage

    Round-the-clock support via email and chat all day, six days of the week

  • Disadvantage

    25-user monthly limit on Standard plans

  • Disadvantage

    Limited number of shared inboxes (2-25 depending on the chosen plan)

Help Scout Pricing

PlansMonthly Cost/UserOfferings
Standard$22API, in-app messaging (add-on), beacon help widget
Plus$44Custom reports, Sales, Jira, and HubSpot apps, AI summarization
Pro$65Advanced API access, quarterly team training, enterprise security
HelpCrunch

HelpCrunch

Best for Multi-Channel Customer Communication

Geekflare rating score 4.8 out of 5
4.8
|
  • Customization
    Limited
  • Target Audience
    Mid-Sized Companies
  • Customer Support
    Live Chat
$12/agent/month
Free Trial
Explore HelpCrunch

About HelpCrunch

HelpCrunch is the best helpdesk software for multichannel communication because it integrates with the likes of Telegram and Slack, plus several other messaging apps. Moreover, it supports replying from anywhere and instant follow-ups within the mobile app.

Integrations via Zapier and Zoho are also available. Companies can get assistance from HelpCrunch’s team of professionals with product deployment and training.

HelpCrunch Features

  • Key feature

    Comprehensive customer data, such as how many total payments they’ve made.

  • Key feature

    Send one-off email updates via the app for important information, in addition to event announcements.

  • Key feature

    Multi-channel chatbot builders that you can create without coding experience.

  • Key feature

    WYSIWYG editor where you can optimize knowledge base articles for SEO.

  • Key feature

    Website and in-product pop-up builders.

HelpCrunch Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    No credit card is required for the free trial

  • Advantage

    Personal onboarding assistant, including for the free trial

  • Disadvantage

    Emails require an extra monthly fee (and there’s a limit of 50,000 per month)

  • Disadvantage

    Multilingual knowledge base is not available with a Basic plan

HelpCrunch Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/agentOfferings
Basic$1220 AI editor requests, 1 widget, 15 messenger channels
Pro$20Multilingual knowledge base, advanced customization and automation, high-priority live chat support
Unlimited $495Unlimited widgets, 100 messenger channels, unlimited chatbot flows
Hiver

Hiver

Best for Gmail-Based Customer Service

Geekflare rating score 4.6 out of 5
4.6
|
  • Customization
    Moderate
  • Target Audience
    B2C Email Support Teams
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Chat and Email
$19/month
7-day Free Trial
Start Hiver Trial

About Hiver

With Gmail integration, shared email boxes, automatic task delegation, and email prioritization, Hiver is the best helpdesk software for Gmail-based customer service.

Teams can send customer satisfaction surveys to ensure that users remain happy. In addition to Gmail, Hiver integrates with over 6,000 apps via Zapier, including Salesforce, Slack, Google Calendar, and Asana.

Over 10,000 businesses use Hiver, including Kiwi.com, Upwork, and Epic Games.

Hiver Features

  • Key feature

    Phone conversation logging to help agents solve problems quicker and understand what they should do for similar future issues.

  • Key feature

    24/7 support on all plans, meaning that users can choose a subscription based on features rather than support.

  • Key feature

    Add conversation followers so that stakeholders can keep an eye on how each ticket is progressing.

  • Key feature

    Customizable task visibility to fine-tune open tasks based on individual needs.

  • Key feature

    Collaboration without needing to forward or CC.

Hiver Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Chat and email onboarding assistance is included for all plans

  • Advantage

    SLAs for all plans

  • Disadvantage

    The software sometimes has a few bugs and can take a long time to load

  • Disadvantage

    Slow new feature releases compared to other helpdesk software tools

Hiver Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/userOfferings
Lite$191 SLA policy and violation reminder, triggered and conditional workflow automation, notes and mentions, 2 shared email inboxes
Pro$49Harvey AI for auto-email closing and summarization, CSAT surveys, 5 shared inboxes, Salesforce integration
Elite$79Custom build hours, success manager, skill-based auto-assignment, quarterly team training
Kustomer

Kustomer

Best for Omnichannel Customer Service CRM

Geekflare rating score 4.5 out of 5
4.5
|
  • Custmization
    Limited
  • Target Audience
    B2C Businesses with Multiple Platforms
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Chat and Email

About Kustomer

Kustomer has voice provider integration and consolidates live chat, social media, SMS, voice, and email within a single system. This, combined with a workflow debugger, sentiment tracking, and multilingual support, make it the best helpdesk solution for omnichannel customer service.

The company claims that its KIQ AI customer service bot can improve business efficiency by 45%, and it has features AI responses and code-free configuration, along with intent detection. On top of that, Kustomer says that KIQ can enhance agent efficiency by 65%.

Teams can integrate Kustomer with Shopify, Magento, Amazon Connect, Aircall, and various other apps. It’s also possible to build apps.

Kustomer Features

  • Key feature

    Snooze conversations until a customer responds.

  • Key feature

    Two-way translations to ensure that everyone is understood.

  • Key feature

    Customizable push notifications for important customer updates, such as delays to a product delivery.

  • Key feature

    Customer handoff summarization so that agents can continue the conversation without needing to start from scratch.

  • Key feature

    Conversation, object, and event analysis.

Kustomer Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Users have praised the app’s user-friendliness

  • Advantage

    Easy merging of customer data from multiple touchpoints via the workspace

  • Disadvantage

    8-seat minimum

  • Disadvantage

    Rigid pricing; only one option available for both plans

Kustomer Pricing

PlanMonthly Cost/UserOfferings
Enterprise$89Multilingual support, language detection, sentiment analysis, 20 languages, up to 25 brands, 100 custom workflows
Ultimate$139SAML SSO, allowed IP ranges, live agent audits, all languages, up to 300 brands, 150 custom workflows
Gladly

Gladly

AI-Powered Customer Service

Geekflare rating score 4.7 out of 5
4.7
|
  • Customization
    Moderate
  • Target Audience
    B2C Brands
  • Customer Support
    24/7 Help Desk
Custom Pricing
Explore Gladly

About Gladly

Gladly is the best helpdesk software for AI-powered customer service; it has tools like AI-powered Q&As and pre-trained AI models.

Teams using Gladly can access conversation timelines. Moreover, the app has real-time channel insights such as completed, active, and outgoing statistics for email, chat, and voice.

Capacity overviews are also available to help teams allocate resources more effectively. Moreover, users can use quick filters to view agent activity and more.

Gladly integrates with dozens of apps, such as Magento, Big Commerce, Magento, and Qualtrics. Its offerings are much smaller than many other helpdesk solutions in this respect, but there are still some big names included.

Gladly Features

  • Key feature

    Revenue-tracking to determine financial success across all platforms.

  • Key feature

    Percentage-based SLA success views.

  • Key feature

    Cross-channel answer publishing to solve more requests in a shorter timeframe.

  • Key feature

    A People Match feature that pairs customers with agents based on personalized metrics (e.g. history with the company).

  • Key feature

    Conversation and performance trends.

Gladly Pros and Cons

  • Advantage

    Create custom apps in Gladly

  • Advantage

    Easy to switch between different messaging channels, such as SMS and social media

  • Disadvantage

    No premium-level support unless you get the Superhero Package

  • Disadvantage

    Minimum of 45 users for the Superhero Package

  • Disadvantage

    The Hero package doesn’t have custom reporting

Our Picks of Best Helpdesk Software Comparison

Below is a comparison of the helpdesk software discussed above.

Helpdesk Software Name
Price/Month
Key Features
Target Audience
Explore
Freshdesk

Freshdesk

4.5
/5
$15
Time-triggered ticket maintenance automation, forum topic and ticket linking
B2B and B2C companies
Jitbit Helpdesk

Jitbit Helpdesk

4.5
/5
$29
Delayed ticket reminders, spam message filtering
IT Teams
Salesforce

Salesforce

4.2
/5
$25
Visual remote assistant, customer cross-selling identification
B2B companies
Zendesk

Zendesk

4
/5
$19
Light Agents, automatic ticket creation
B2B and B2C companies
Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

4.5
/5
$14
Live CSAT scores, anomaly notifications
B2B tech companies
Front

Front

4.6
/5
$19
Percentage-based overviews, workload-balancing tools, AI article translation
B2B support teams
InvGate

InvGate

4.6
/5
$17
Automatic subtask creation for IT requests, software license optimization and planning
IT Teams
Gorgias

Gorgias

4.7
/5
$10 + Ticket Charges
Customizable live chats, on-site campaign creation
eCommerce businesses
Happy Fox

Happy Fox

4.5
/5
$9
Smart Rules engine, Quick Reply feature, ticket-pinning
B2B customer support
Help Scout

Help Scout

4.5
/5
$22
Beacon widget, team grouping, quarterly team training
Small and medium-sized businesses
HelpCrunch

HelpCrunch

4.8
/5
$12
Pop-up builders, one-off email updates
Mid-sized companies
Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management

4.4
/5
$19.08
Root issue cause identification, incident escalation policies, change management tools
IT Teams
Hiver

Hiver

4.6
/5
$19
Add conversation followers, phone conversation logging, task visibility customization
B2C email support teams
Kustomer

Kustomer

4.5
/5
$89
Conversation-snoozing, customer handoff summarization, customizable push notifications
B2C businesses with multiple platforms
Gladly

Gladly

4.7
/5
Custom
Agent/customer matching, cross-channel answer publishing
B2C brands

What is Helpdesk Software?

Helpdesk software is used by support teams to answer customer requests and solve issues that may arise. It can take the form of an IT ticketing system or B2C-facing assistance, but software of this kind can also be designed to help B2B companies solve issues with their customers.

Features You Should Look For in Helpdesk Software

Below are some features you should look for when you purchase a helpdesk software.

Ticket Management

Whether it’s for internal teams or customers, ticket management will help teams perform tasks more effectively. Besides task creation, it’s also important to look for prioritization and customization features. That way, it’ll become much easier to do everything in the right order.

Automation

Automation saves time on menial tasks and allows agents to spend more time focusing on how they solve customer requests. Trigger automations (i.e. when an item is moved) are some of the most common ones, and some apps let you set up custom rules.

Omnichannel Support

Customers interact with brands across email, social media, website forms, and in many other places. So, it’s crucial that omnichannel support is offered in any helpdesk software you choose. Integrations with instant messaging apps (e.g. WhatsApp) and social media (e.g. Instagram) are also essential.

Self-Service Portal

Self-service portals let customers find the answers to their problems quicker. As a result, agents can spend their time dealing with more important requests.

Reporting and Analytics

Your chosen helpdesk software should include reporting and analytics that can help your team improve its results. For example, you’ll want to look at average resolution times and try to reduce how long it takes to respond to requests.

What Are the Benefits of Helpdesk Software?

Helpdesk software offers 5 main benefits as listed below.

  1. Enhanced Productivity. Because teams can automate manual tasks and common responses, agents will be more productive. Moreover, the company will receive higher CSAT ratings due to its ability to solve problems quickly.
  2. Data and Analytics. Integrated data and analytics can help agents improve their personal workflows and enhance areas of weakness. If metrics like response time are off the mark, your company can also determine where they need to plug gaps and hire more staff.
  3. Cost Efficiency. Helpdesk software solves problems quicker, which will result in teams being able to move forward without allocating more resources than is necessary. Many are also available for monthly or annual subscriptions.
  4. Enhanced Customer Experience. Teams using helpdesk software will solve problems quicker and help customers reach the right conclusion more quickly. So, they will be happier and more likely to demonstrate brand loyalty.
  5. Knowledge Management. Helpdesk solutions let teams organize everything in a unified knowledge base, which is beneficial for customers and support agents alike.

How to Choose the Right Helpdesk Software

Everyone has different needs when picking the right helpdesk software. For example, startups may want a FREE ticketing system but still need to consider scalability. Below is a list of factors to consider while choosing a helpdesk software.

  • Identify Your Needs. Think about the number of team members you have and your business model. It’s also a good idea to consider the types of metrics you want to have available. Some helpdesk solutions are only designed for specific industries (e.g. Gorgias is for eCommerce businesses), so you should also keep this in mind.
  • Key Features to Consider: Ticket customization and integrations are crucial to think about. Moreover, you should think about whether you need unified interfaces and document-sharing features.
  • Consider Scalability. Some software has a minimum number of agents, and others have maximum allowances for emails and automation runs. Think about what you’ll need as your team grows.
  • Test and Evaluate. Many helpdesk solutions have a free trial, and it’s well worth taking advantage of these before committing to a purchase.
  • Automation/AI Capabilities: Some helpdesk software offers AI and automation with all plans, but it’s only available with premium subscriptions in other instances.

What Is the Difference Between Helpdesk and CRM Software?

Helpdesk software is designed to improve customer support and answer specific requests. On the other hand, CRM software manages relationships at a more fundamental level and not just for customer support.