Best help desk software of 2024
Prioritize, track, and resolve support requests efficiently with help desk software. Discover the benefits of an AI-powered solution today.
A guide to the 13 best help desk software of 2024
Last updated September 4, 2024
Customer expectations are rising, and businesses need to implement systems that help their teams deliver outstanding customer experiences (CX). According to the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2024, 80 percent of customers expect chat agents and support representatives to assist them with everything they need. To achieve that, you need the right help desk software.
Help desk software empowers businesses to deliver more efficient and higher-quality service, whether managing customer conversations or handling IT support requests. Read on to learn about some options on the market so you can find the right fit for your needs.
More in this guide:
- What is help desk software?
- Help desk software comparison chart
- The 13 best help desk software
- Key features of help desk systems
- Benefits of using help desk tools
- How to choose the right help desk software
- Frequently asked questions
- Elevate your help desk with Zendesk
What is help desk software?
Help desk software is a tool designed to assist support teams in tracking, prioritizing, and resolving service queries from customers, employees, or business partners. The right help desk system empowers agents to collaborate on requests and personalize conversations across channels. Additionally, with AI and automation, help desk software can help teams automate resolutions, boost agent productivity, and optimize workflows.
Help desk software comparison chart
Below is a brief overview of the help desk options on the list, including starting prices, key features, and free trial length, if applicable.
Software | Starting price | Free trial | Key features |
---|---|---|---|
Zendesk | $55 per agent/month (billed annually) | 14 days |
|
HappyFox | $9 per agent/month (billed annually) | 14 days |
|
Help Scout | $22 per user/month (billed annually) | 15 days |
|
SolarWinds Service Desk | $39 per technician/month | 30 days |
|
Jira Service Management | $1650 per year (1–3 agents) | 7 days |
|
Salesforce Service Cloud | $25 per user/month | 30 days |
|
SysAid | Contact for pricing | Available |
|
Vivantio | $59 per user/month (billed annually) | 14 days |
|
Zoho Desk | $7 per user/month (billed annually) | 15 days |
|
Freshdesk | $15 per user/month (billed annually) | 14 days |
|
HubSpot Service Hub | $15 per seat/month (billed annually) | 14 days |
|
Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk | Free | Not applicable |
|
LiveAgent | $9 per agent/month (billed annually) | 30 days |
|
The 13 best help desk software
Next, we’ll dive into more comprehensive product overviews. Below, you’ll find expanded product descriptions, pros and cons, and other information that can help you make your selection.
1. Zendesk
Best for customer and employee service
![The omnichannel ticketing system in Zendesk, which is the best help desk software for the AI era.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/zendeskomnichannelticketingsystem.jpg)
Zendesk provides a comprehensive help desk solution for the AI era. Designed specifically for service teams, it prioritizes ease of use and scales to any use case, whether supporting customers, employees, or both.
Enable agents to provide fast, personalized service on any channel with the Zendesk Agent Workspace. This omnichannel ticketing system is fused with AI features like Agent copilot—a support agent’s second-in-command that can recommend what to say to customers, independently solve routine tickets like refund requests, and streamline the ticket resolution process.
Zendesk AI agents are pre-trained on over 18 billion real customer interactions and integrate with your business systems, enabling them to offer personalized support to complex customer requests like your human agents would. Generative AI can accelerate knowledge base content creation by helping you turn a few bullet points into a fully-fledged article. Routing and intelligence can automatically forward requests to the right agent based on their availability, workload, and expertise. Additionally, Zendesk QA can review 100 percent of your tickets to ensure your agents—both human and AI—are operating as efficiently as possible.
Zendesk seamlessly integrates with your existing tech stack and is easily customizable with the 1,500+ apps and integrations in the Zendesk Marketplace. Keeping your company and customer data is our top priority, and we have the compliance certifications and memberships to prove it.
Pricing: Plans start at $55 per agent/month. A 14-day free trial is available.
Explore more Zendesk pricing plans.
2. HappyFox
Best for marketing teams
![A ticket dashboard in HappyFox, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/happyfoxhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
HappyFox is a cloud-based IT help desk solution designed to help support teams deliver customer service. The help desk features a ticketing system that creates tickets from email, voice, live chat, messaging, social media, and web form requests and routes them to its shared inbox.
HappyFox’s help desk offers a few options for its self-service knowledge bases. These include an internal knowledge base for support teams and HR, an external knowledge base software for customers, and a multilingual knowledge base for global self-service.
Pros:
- Product support
- Customizable ticket forms
- Omnichannel support
Cons:
- Basic plan only supports three agents
- Large price jump from Basic plan to Team plan
Pricing: Plans start at $9 per agent/month, billed annually. A 14-day free trial is available.
Recommended reading: Learn how HappyFox integrates with Zendesk.
3. Help Scout
Best for collaboration
![A mailbox in Help Scout, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/helpscouthelpdesksoftware.jpg)
Help Scout offers a customer help desk that enables support teams to collaboratively manage customer conversations. The tool consolidates requests from email, live chat, self-service portals, and other channels into a shared inbox. All requests filter into this centralized location, where the system can tag, update, and assign tickets to agents or teams.
Other features of Help Scout’s help desk include a help center, live chat and messaging software, automation, custom workflows, pre-built reporting dashboards, and collaboration tools. Help Scout also offers integration options in their app marketplace.
Pros:
- Unified customer communications
- Conversation history
- Integrations
Cons:
- Limited features in the Standard plan
- Low amount of total integrations
Pricing: Plans start at $22 per user/month, billed annually. A 15-day free trial is available.
4. SolarWinds Service Desk
Best for enterprise service management
![An activity dashboard in SolarWinds Service Desk, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/solarwindsservicedeskhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
SolarWinds Service Desk can help users manage and track support tickets in one centralized interface. It features reporting tools that allow users to analyze business metrics and agent performance. It's also an incident management software, letting users manage tickets from different channels, including mobile apps, phone calls, and live chats.
Finally, SolarWinds’ ITSM system enables businesses to standardize their service requests and processes. It helps teams manage daily IT tasks, collaborate internally, and offer customer portals for self-service. SolarWinds also helps users automate ticket creation, escalation, and routing.
Pros:
- 24/7 chat support
- Licensing flexibility
- Multichannel communication
Cons:
- Advanced support is only available with the most expensive plan
- SLA limitations
Pricing: Plans start at $39 per technician/month. A 30-day free trial is available.
Recommended reading: Learn how SolarWinds integrates with Zendesk.
5. Jira Service Management
Best for project management
![An ITSM service desk ticket dashboard in Jira Service Management, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/jiraservicemanagementhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
Jira Service Management from Atlassian offers a help desk program for project management and customer service. The software features a self-service portal that offers customizable request forms and gives customers and employees a place to create requests, find answers, and get help.
Jira offers conversational ticketing, meaning agents have a single view of requests from email, chat, and its service desk. Users can triage, track, and route incoming requests to agents or teams and use bulk ticket actions to group similar tickets.
Pros:
- Conversational ticketing
- Full integration with Slack
- Tracking features
Cons:
- Free plan only supports three agents
- Advanced security capabilities are only available with the Enterprise plan
Pricing: Paid plans start at $650 per year for one to three agents. A free plan and a seven-day free trial are available.
Recommended reading: Learn how Jira Service Management integrates with Zendesk and how Zendesk vs. Jira compare.
6. Salesforce Service Cloud
Best for sales support
![A service performance dashboard in Salesforce Service Cloud, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/salesforceservicecloudhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer service platform that provides a single view of customer information and history. It features automated workflows, AI-powered productivity tools, and a single ticketing system for issue resolution.
Self-service options allow customers to find articles in the help center. Teams can build their help center via a no-code interface and customize it with their logo and branded colors. From there, the Einstein Service Agent chatbot can direct customers to relevant articles and solve problems.
Remember that Salesforce can be intricate, requiring a longer learning curve for first-time users. Salesforce isn't solely dedicated to customer experience, providing a comprehensive suite for sales and marketing. That means businesses seeking to enhance their customer service may find it easier to achieve their goals by opting for software specifically designed for CX.
Pros:
- Can link with sales processes
- Integrations
- Multichannel communication
Cons:
- The Basic plan is limited
- Self-service capabilities are only available in higher-tiered plan
Pricing: Plans start at $25 per user/month. A 30-day free trial is available.
Recommended reading: Learn how Salesforce integrates with Zendesk and how Zendesk vs. Salesforce compare.
7. SysAid
Best for codeless interface customization
![An active service records dashboard in SysAid, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/sysaidhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
SysAid's help desk software offers a suite of ITSM capabilities. The platform provides ticketing functionality, allowing users to log, prioritize, and track support requests. SysAid can help teams with asset management so businesses manage and monitor their IT assets throughout their life cycle.
The software includes a knowledge base with automation features to handle repetitive tasks, and its reporting and analytics tools provide metrics for help desk performance and customer support trends. SysAid is also customizable and offers integrations with third-party tools and applications.
Pros:
- Centralized IT assets
- Incident management
- Reporting features
Cons:
- Non-transparent pricing
- Automation is unavailable in the Basic plan
Pricing: Contact SysAid for pricing. A free trial is available.
8. Vivantio
Best for enterprise service management
![A customer database in Vivantio, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/vivantiohelpdesksoftware.jpg)
Vivantio's help desk software assists businesses with service management. Teams can integrate Vivantio with a support mailbox to automatically tag and categorize incoming emails. It also offers email templates for automated responses, ensuring customers receive acknowledgment.
The product’s portal widget builder features custom themes and designs, and the software’s searchable online knowledge base comes with custom forms and fields. Its help desk also features pre-built and customizable reporting and analytics dashboards and a report builder that allows teams to create custom charts to display data and metrics.
Pros:
- Transparent feature list
- 360-degree customer view
- Unlimited ticket types
Cons:
- SLA limitations
- Fewer amount of integrations than other options
Pricing: Plans start at $59 per user/month, billed annually. A 14-day free trial is available.
9. Zoho Desk
Best for mobile app issue resolution
![A ticket dashboard in Zoho Desk, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/zohodeskhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
Zoho Desk is a cloud-based help desk software that assists businesses with customer support operations. The platform offers a ticketing system, allowing users to create, categorize, and prioritize support tickets. Zoho Desk features a knowledge base so users have access to self-service resources. The software enables omnichannel support for communication channels, including email, phone, live chat, and social media.
Zoho’s help desk also features automation tools that allow users to set predefined rules and workflows for ticket routing. Additionally, its reporting and analytics tools track ticket volumes, response times, and agent performance. Zoho Desk offers integration with other Zoho applications and third-party tools.
Pros:
- Integrates with the wider Zoho system
- Customer reply editor
- Customer happiness ratings
Cons:
- The Basic plan can only support one brand
- Live chat is only available in the most expensive plan
Pricing: Paid plans start at $7 per user/month, billed annually. A free plan and a 15-day free trial are available
Recommended reading: Learn how Zoho integrates with Zendesk and how Zendesk vs. Zoho compare.
10. Freshdesk
Best for multichannel support
![A new ticket page in Freshdesk, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/freshdeskhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
The Freshworks cloud-based help desk tool, Freshdesk, serves as a centralized platform for support teams to manage and respond to customer requests. Its ticketing system consolidates requests from various channels into a shared team inbox.
It offers automation capabilities and customizable ticket fields to help categorize and route incoming customer inquiries and requests. Omniroute™ automatically assigns tickets based on support agent bandwidth, time-triggered automation performs actions based on the time since an action has been completed, and event-triggered capabilities can initiate actions based on pre-defined criteria. Additionally, users can define custom ticket statuses for greater visibility into the ticket's progress.
It's worth noting that the Freshworks platform comprises three systems: Freshdesk, Freshchat, and Freshcaller. Each system operates within its own workspace, requiring agents to navigate between multiple tabs to access customer information. This setup may impact customer service efficiency, potentially leading to delays and oversight of important information.
Pros:
- Team collaborations
- Analytics
- Can view multiple tickets at once
Cons:
- The free plan is limited to two agents
- Apps and integrations are only available in paid plans
Pricing: Paid plans start at $15 per agent/month, billed annually. A free plan and a 14-day free trial are available.
Recommended reading: Learn how Zendesk vs. Freshdesk compare.
11. HubSpot Service Hub
Best for teams using HubSpot’s CRM
![An email customer ticket in HubSpot Service Hub, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/hubspotservicehubhelpdesksoftware.jpg)
HubSpot Service Hub provides a single dashboard that lets your support team log, organize, and track all customer issues in one place. Agents can view customer data, ticket status, queue location, and the time it takes to resolve an issue. Reporting and analytics help you monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like ticket volume and first contact resolution time.
HubSpot Service Hub offers ticket routing and automation features that allow your team to automate tasks. The platform also automatically creates tickets when a customer submits a form, email, or chat.
Pros:
- Access to the wider HubSpot system
- Omnichannel messaging
- Can access HubSpot sales and marketing capabilities with the starter plan
Cons:
- The free plan is limited
- Customer feedback capabilities only available with the most expensive plan
Pricing: Paid plans start at $15 per seat/month, billed annually. A free plan and a 14-day free trial are available.
Recommended reading: Learn how HubSpot integrates with Zendesk and how Zendesk vs. HubSpot compare.
12. Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk
Best for teams looking for a free product
![A device inventory dashboard in Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/spiceworkdcloudhelpdeskahelpdesksoftware.jpg)
Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk is a web-based ticketing system designed to assist IT professionals in managing and tracking support requests. The platform allows users to create, prioritize, and assign tickets. Users can also set alerts and customize ticket attributes and rules to receive ticket activity and status notifications.
Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk supports email integration, automatically converting incoming customer emails into tickets. The software includes reporting tools for tracking ticket metrics, response times, and overall support performance.
Pros:
- The platform is completely free
- Product support
- Mobile app accessibility
Cons:
- Limited features
- Lacking integrations
Pricing: Spiceworks is free to use.
Recommended reading: Learn how Zendesk vs. Spiceworks compare.
13. LiveAgent
Best for live chat support
![A chat interface in LiveAgent, a help desk software.](https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/images/AMER/liveagenthelpdesksoftware.jpg)
LiveAgent is a help desk software that helps customer support teams manage inquiries across multiple communication channels. Its ticketing system supports channels like phone, email, live chat, knowledge base, and social media, routing tickets into a shared team inbox. Its chat software allows agents to provide live support and features a real-time typing view so support agents can see what the customer is typing before they hit send.
The software includes automation tools like pre-written responses and automated ticket routing. Additionally, LiveAgent provides a knowledge base for help center articles, FAQs, and self-service resources. The platform also offers collaboration tools, reporting and analytics software, and integrations with third-party applications.
Pros:
- Multichannel support
- 130+ ticketing features
- Call center capabilities
Cons:
- Fewer integrations than other options
- Limited features in the basic plan
Pricing: Plans start at $9 per agent/month, billed annually. A 30-day free trial is available.
Recommended reading: Learn how Zendesk vs. LiveAgent compare.
Key features of help desk systems
Here are a few key features to look for when comparing help desk software.
Omnichannel support
An omnichannel approach creates connected and consistent interactions across channels and touchpoints. With it, customers and employees can get convenient support over their preferred communication mediums, like Slack, Microsoft Teams, email, and live chat.
With Zendesk, context moves with the user from channel to channel and lives in the omnichannel Agent Workspace, which creates a unified view of conversation history and background information and can even bring in data from key business systems. Help desk software that prioritizes omnichannel service allows agents to deliver efficient, personalized service at scale.
Security
Help desk systems have access to a tremendous amount of confidential customer and employee information, and you need to be sure that information is safe. Comprehensive security features protect data and can help organizations achieve security compliance. Look for options like Zendesk with comprehensive compliance certifications and memberships to know your information is in good hands.
AI-powered self-service
Customers can become angry, frustrated, or stressed when they can’t complete simple tasks independently. Using customer service software with self-service capabilities allows them to quickly find relevant resources and resolve issues independently, reducing the number of support tickets.
Adding AI capabilities can supercharge the experience for your customers and employees. With AI, you can:
- Create and optimize new self-service articles through generative AI.
- Deploy AI agents to walk through and solve even the most complex user issues.
- Review existing content to identify knowledge gaps and articles that need to be updated.
- Provide advanced search capabilities that help your users find what they need faster.
With AI-powered software like Zendesk, you can empower customers and employees to help themselves. Just look at Unity, a development platform that used Zendesk AI-powered automations and self-service to save $1.3 million.
Workflow automation
Workflow automation uses technology to streamline business activities, eliminating the need for manual input. In the context of a help desk, workflows can help businesses establish predefined sequences of actions and rules that automate and guide the processing of support tickets.
For example, organizations can establish omnichannel routing to automatically direct customer or employee requests across multiple support channels, factoring in agent status, capacity, skill set, and ticket priority. Doing so can reduce wait times, increase agent productivity, and boost customer satisfaction.
Reporting and analytics
Help desk software that features reporting and analytics gives you fast access to valuable customer insights that can help you:
- Identify areas of improvement so you can provide better experiences.
- Monitor team and agent performance to see where they excel and where they need to improve.
- Understand your customers better so you can personalize interactions and improve their overall experience.
With a reporting and analytics solution that integrates data from every channel, you can measure how customers interact with your business and how you perform.
Apps and integrations
The right integrations can extend the functionality and capabilities of your help desk systems to get a 360-degree view of the customer and streamline your data across systems. This information can help you and your team gain a complete, accurate picture of your customers—and understand exactly what they need.
Consider help desk software that offers a variety of pre-built, third-party integrations. For example, the Zendesk Marketplace offers over 1,500 apps and integrations, complete with user reviews and ratings.
Benefits of using help desk tools
Help desk tools have benefits for customers and employees alike. Here are a few to consider.
Improved service efficiency
Help desk tools can streamline the process of providing fast and easy support options to internal and external customers. An omnichannel ticketing system, for example, consolidates customer requests and IT support tickets in a single location. This eliminates the need to toggle between systems and channels, enabling agents to deliver quick, efficient service.
Revamped service quality
Businesses can use help desk software to offer a higher standard of service. With this technology, teams can:
- Establish and maintain helpful knowledge bases.
- Reference information on customer and employee interactions to enhance personalization.
- Provide comprehensive, 24/7 support with chatbots and AI agents.
The result is a faster and more effective experience for customers and employees.
Boosted cost savings
Investing in help desk tools can lead to significant cost savings for businesses. Teams can take advantage of self-service resources and workflow automation to reduce the pressure on support teams, leading to labor cost savings.
Additionally, organizations can use help desk software to spot inefficiencies in their support processes, leading to more efficient service and less time wasted on unnecessary tasks. Take Degreed, for example. The learning experience platform uses Zendesk to increase automation and self-service—leading to $1M in cost savings.
Refined collaboration
Help desk tools foster better team collaboration by providing a centralized platform where all team members can access and update information. They also help support reps better understand the customer journey so they can focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience at every touchpoint.
It also gives HR and IT teams a comprehensive view of the employee journey, facilitating seamless employee service. With context and data, tracking software, reporting and analytics tools, and easy-to-automate workflows all in one place, your business will stay in sync.
Enhanced optimization
With help desk software, teams can quickly spot inefficiencies and implement improvement opportunities. For example, businesses can use these tools to track customer service key performance indicators (KPIs) like first reply time (FRT) or average resolution time. This information can help organizations stay agile and deliver outstanding service at every turn.
How to choose the right help desk software
With the right help desk system, support teams are equipped with all the tools they need to provide quick, effective service. Here are a few common things to consider when choosing a partner:
- AI and automation: Generative AI, AI agents, and more can take your customer and employee support to the next level. Choose help desk options like Zendesk that emphasize these technologies to help provide more effective support.
- Low total cost of ownership: The monthly fee isn’t the only cost associated with help desk software. Look for tools that can get you up and running quickly so you can realize the value of your investment as soon as possible. Also, choose an option with transparent pricing that doesn’t have endless add-ons.
- Fast ROI and ease of use: Help desk software with out-of-the-box functionality can help your business see a faster return on investment (ROI). Look for help desk software with an intuitive, agent-friendly interface, easy customization options, and simple admin. For example, cosmetics retailer Lush used Zendesk to achieve a 369 percent ROI in less than one year.
- Scalability and agility: Consider an open, flexible, and agile help desk solution that easily integrates with the rest of your tech stack and helps you make changes at the speed of your business. It should scale with you and evolve with your customer needs.
Be sure to factor in these variables and the features that matter most to you.
Frequently asked questions
![Stanley Black and Decker](https://d26a57ydsghvgx.cloudfront.net/product/Customer%20Story%20Images/stanley%20logo.png)
Stanley Black & Decker powers up Zendesk and drives a 5X boost in sales
"We wanted a solution that integrated all channels and that gave us the flexibility to implement in the way that we needed."
Orlando Gadea Ros
Global VP Customer Experience Transformation
Read customer storyElevate your help desk with Zendesk
The right help desk solution enables you to adapt to evolving expectations so you can continuously provide a great customer experience and employee service. That’s where Zendesk excels.
By infusing AI across the entire service experience, Zendesk can help unlock your support team’s potential. Our AI is purpose-built for customer service and can help your team resolve even the most complex customer interactions at every touchpoint. If you want to promote a hands-off CX experience, we can assist with that too by helping you write and update help center articles, and assist your users with 24/7 AI agent support. Not only that, but Zendesk is easy to use and easy to scale—meaning we can get you started quickly and be there for you as you grow.
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