Top 10 Zendesk Alternatives & Competitors

Best for: Teams that want a budget-friendly help desk with clear plans.

Freshdesk offers lower entry pricing and simpler setup than Zendesk, making it easier for small teams to configure queues, automations, and basic omnichannel support without jumping between complex enterprise menus.

Where it wins vs Zendesk (Pros):

• Lower starting price: Entry plans are often cheaper for smaller teams
• Straightforward setup: Admins can configure queues and automations quickly
• Omnichannel bundle option: Omnichannel plans roll chat, email, and phone into one subscription

Potential limitations (Cons):

• Fewer advanced workflows: Some complex routing and enterprise features sit in higher tiers
• Voice as an add-on: Full telephony requires extra products or bundles

Pricing: Paid plans from around $15/agent/month, billed annually for the Growth tier.

Best for: Product-led teams that lean heavily on chat and proactive support.

Intercom delivers strong in-app messaging and AI-first chat, giving product teams tools that Zendesk isn’t built around, like proactive tours, mobile messaging, and Fin AI for resolving common questions inside the product experience.

Where it wins vs Zendesk (Pros):

• Stronger in-app messaging: Native in-product chat and tours keep users inside your interface
• AI-first chat experience: Fin AI can resolve common queries before they reach agents
• Modern inbox: The workspace is tuned for fast chat and mixed-channel threads

Potential limitations (Cons):

• Pricing complexity: Costs scale per seat and per resolution, which can rise with volume
• Less traditional ticket focus: Teams that live in email-style queues may prefer a classic help desk

Pricing: Essential plan from about $29/seat/month when billed annually

Best for: Support teams that run primarily on email and docs.

Help Scout provides an email-like shared inbox and multiple help centers without requiring higher tiers, offering a simpler, more human support flow than Zendesk’s heavier ticketing environment.

Where it wins vs Zendesk (Pros):

• Email-first design: The inbox feels natural for teams moving from standard email
• Multiple help centers in all paid plans: You do not need the highest tier to manage more than one site
• Straightforward pricing: Plans are flat per user with clearly listed tiers

Potential limitations (Cons):

• Limited complex workflows: Deep automation and advanced routing are not its main focus
• No native calling: Phone support requires external telephony tools

Pricing: Standard plan from $25/user/month on annual billing.

Best for: Organizations already using, or planning to use, the Zoho suite.

Zoho Desk integrates deeply with Zoho CRM and operations tools, giving teams a native ecosystem connection that Zendesk requires external connectors for, especially across sales, support, and service data.

Where it wins vs Zendesk (Pros):

• Lower per-agent cost at entry tiers: Standard and Professional plans are priced competitively
• Tight CRM link: Native connection with Zoho CRM and the broader Zoho stack
• Strong multi-department support: Tools for SLAs, ticket sharing, and ownership across teams

Potential limitations (Cons):

• Learning curve: The interface and configuration can feel dense for smaller teams
• Telephony via add-ons: Full calling requires Zoho Voice or partners, not Desk alone

Pricing: Paid plans typically start around $14/user/month for Standard, with Enterprise plans in $40/user/month range on annual billing.

Best for: Teams that want a cloud phone system tied to their help desk and CRM.

Aircall brings strong voice features and CRM/helpdesk integrations, offering deeper calling capabilities than Zendesk’s built-in telephony and helping teams handle phone-heavy queues with less setup.

Where it wins vs Zendesk (Pros):

• Phone-first design: Calling features are deeper than what most help desks provide out of the box
• Strong integrations: Connects with major CRMs and support tools to log calls and surface context
• Simple softphone apps: Desktop and mobile apps make it easy for distributed teams to get started

Potential limitations (Cons):

• No native ticketing: You still need a separate help desk for email and case management
• Higher entry price: Essentials plans often start higher than some VoIP competitors and include seat minimums

Pricing: Essentials plan starts at about $30/user/month, with the Professional plan around $50/user/month on annual billing.

Best for: Sales-focused teams that need a power dialer and SMS together.

Kixie focuses on outbound calling, SMS, and local presence, serving sales workflows Zendesk doesn’t natively support. It’s suited for teams that need a dialer layered over CRM activity rather than a traditional ticketing environment.

Where it wins vs Zendesk (Pros):

• Dialer strength: Power dialing and local presence help teams reach more leads in less time
• Sales-first workflows: Built around outbound calls and follow-ups rather than classic ticket queues
• Tight CRM pairing: Designed to work closely with leading CRMs for logging and reporting

Potential limitations (Cons):

• Not a help desk: No native ticketing or full support workspace, so you still need a separate support tool
• Pricing not fully transparent: Detailed plan pricing often appears through sales or third-party reviews rather than the main site

Pricing: The Official site lists plans by tier without full public details.