“Never get too comfortable. There’s always room for improvement or replacement.” – Anonymous.
Free Freshdesk alternatives are aplenty, but ultimately, you would be using only one of these to deliver excellent customer support service. Hey, wait a minute. Why do you need to look for the best Freshdesk alternative in the first place?
Isn’t Freskdesk loaded with a comprehensive set of features that empower the customer support teams with omnichannel bots, and self-service solutions for customer service?
Yes, it does, but that doesn’t mean that it is made for every customer support team. The thing is that not all customer support teams function in the same way. Therefore, even a robust cloud-based customer support tool like Freshdesk is not the right fit for everyone.
Some companies do not need all the bells and whistles, some companies need more simple-to-use tools, while some need customer support software that is more affordable.
So, if you’re digging deep to search for a suitable alternative to Freshdesk, then look no further. I have done that job for you, so you don’t have to spend your precious time researching for hours on the internet.
Before we discuss 15 top-rated Freshdesk competitors, however, let us first understand what Freshdesk is and why it is not the perfect customer support solution for everyone.
Table of Contents
What Is Freshdesk?
Freshdesk is a robust cloud-based customer service software and a help desk solution by Freshworks. Trusted by giants like DHL, Decathlon, and American Express, Freshdesk empowers customer support teams to resolve customer issues and requests across multiple platforms without the hassle.
With Freshdesk, you can streamline all your customer conversations in one place, automate your repetitive work, collaborate with other teams to resolve issues faster, and achieve a lot more.
Let’s find out why investing in the best Freshdesk substitute is the right decision for your customer support team and organization as well.
What Are Freshdesk Limitations?
Despite its robustness and popularity, a large number of users don’t want to use Freshdesk because it does not meet their functional and budgetary requirements. Let’s look at some of the most noticeable Freshdesk limitations that make most users look for an alternative.
- There is no SMS marketing facilitation.
- It lacks Instagram integration.
- Freshdesk is not a tool that you can set up in minutes and start resolving customer issues straightaway. The tool can be complicated in the beginning.
- Basic plans lack important help desk features, like team dashboards, chatbots, social signals.
- You need to invest in premium plans (which are expensive) to utilize all features.
- Internal collaboration is not as seamless as with some of the competitors to Freshdesk.
- Technical support is not among the best.
- The customer portal cannot be customized for every client.
- Automation is hard to set up and navigate.
- Core features are not advanced enough.
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15 Pocket-Friendly Freshdesk Alternatives That Deserve A Second Look
#1 DragApp
DragApp is one of the most popular free Freshdesk alternatives today. The reason why DragApp deserves your consideration is that this all-in-one workspace in Gmail eliminates the need to switch between the tools and run your entire workflow right from the inbox. You can start using all the features straight away by using a switch button in your Gmail. Using DragApp, your customer support teams can manage customers, close sales, and manage projects from a centralized location. Additionally, the software offers a Forever-free version for small teams on a restricted budget.
Features:
- Shared inbox
- Kanban boards
- Shared labels
- Workflow automation
- Email templates
- Integrations
- Drag features
- Delegation of tickets
Pros:
- Easy-to-manage inbox
- Flexible email usage
- Unified platform
- Google integration
- Easy to set up and install
- Intuitive interface
- Free and affordable pricing plans
- Simplicity
Cons:
- Limited functionality
- Integrations can slow the app down
- Lack of customization options
Pricing:
- Forever Free plan for individuals.
- The Plus plan is priced at $8/user/month.
- The Pro plan is priced at $12/user/month.
Reviews:
“The best feature of this app is the ability to place emails into specific to-do lists. I like that I can have my emails in columns that define how I wish to deal with them.” – Capterra
“Drag is effortless to install and to use. Simple to navigate, unlike other software.” – G2
#2 ProProfs Help Desk
ProProfs is a reliable and efficient Freshdesk alternative that can greatly benefit customer support teams across various industries. Designed to delight both employees and customers, ProProfs is a top-rated knowledge and teamwork software with robust ticket management features. All of its inventive features like ProProfs Chat, ProProfs Knowledge Base, and ProProfs Survey Maker come together to offer a seamless solution. Your customer support team can track and respond to all support conversations across different channels, like live chat, email query, or help center page. Also, you can measure customer experience with metrics, like NPS, CSAT, and FCR, etc.
Features:
- Training maker
- Knowledge base
- Qualaroo insights
- Survey maker
- Live chat
- Big contacts CRM
Pros:
- Reasonably priced for what you get
- Agent collision detection
- Encourage self-service with a knowledge base
- Chatbots to assist customers and generate more leads
- Use smart reports to monitor customer satisfaction
- Provide multi-channel support
- Automation improves the agent productivity
Cons:
- Limited templates
- Lack of customization options
- Average user interface
Pricing:
- The Forever Free plan with limited features.
- The Essentials plan is priced at $10/user/month.
- The Premium plan is priced at $15/user/agent.
Review:
“Gmail like interface makes it unique and incredibly easy to use.”- Capterra
“The ability to manage all the emails from our customer-facing ids helps our agents answer them faster.” – G2
#3 SpiceWorks
SpiceWorks is a strong and free Freshdesk alternative that is designed specifically for IT Help Desks. SpiceWorks is a cloud help desk that is already set up for you. All you need to do is sign up, and you’re ready to go. You don’t need any server procurement, setup, or maintenance costs to bear. Use Help Desk reports to access vital information, like ticket updates and labor by the organization. The software is free, and you can download files to your server. You can help your remote team members by starting a secure remote support session directly from your help desk tickets.
Features:
- IT tickets management
- Custom report management
- Email organization
- User portal customization
- Organization management
- Inventory online
Pros:
- High level of functionality
- Easy user portal customization
- Active Directory integration
- Easy creation of tickets
- Easy end-user experience
Cons:
- Outdated, slow mobile app
- Email templates can be hard to manage
- Does not support ITIL guidelines
Pricing: Completely Free
Reviews:
“The control and management of tickets is easy and intuitive.” – G2
“The biggest con is that if you have a “team” in your Spiceworks, it’s a bit of a pain to get the inventory cross-team.” – Capterra
#4 osTicket
osTicket is another well-equipped Freshdesk alternative that is counted amongst the best competitors. The software offers a comprehensive customer support package that is user-friendly, reliable, and can scale as your business grows. osTicket empowers customer support teams to connect with clients and customers any time, any place, and across any channel. This potent Freshdesk competitor accumulates all your customer interactions in one place, which allows you to create a productive and seamless workflow.
Features:
- Custom fields
- Custom columns and queues
- Ticket filters
- Agent collision avoidance
- Help topics
- Auto-responder
- Thread action
Pros:
- Robust customization
- Define ticket filters
- Automated help desk
- Reliable customer platform
- Dashboard reports
- Configurable automatic reply
Cons:
- No support for custom workflows for working on tickets
- Automation can be improved
- No time tracking for issues
- Lack of social media integration
Pricing:
- The Open Source plan is free.
- The Cloud-Hosted plan is $9/agent/month.
- The Virtual Appliance plan pricing is available on quote.
Reviews:
“Too difficult to install, it’s not abandonware, but it’s close, even when it can be modded and has some community behind it.” – Capterra
“It is easy to learn and does what you expect it to without any difficult learning curve.” – G2
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#5 Zammad
Zammad is a functional and effective open-source customer support system that is counted amongst popular Freshdesk alternatives. This help desk and ticketing software help businesses to connect all their communication channels, easily grant user rights and receive helpful reporting. Zammad boasts of many innovative features to manage seamless customer communication across various channels, like Twitter, Facebook, Chat, Email, etc. This effective software is considered one of the best Freshdesk alternatives due to its ease of usage, intuitiveness, and agility.
Features:
- Individual fields
- Immediate changes
- Customer interface
- Dashboard
- Live chat
- Multilingualism
- Dashboard
- Customer interface
Pros:
- Ease of usage
- Minimalistic interface
- Wide-ranging features
- Reliable information and support
- Multi-channel communication
- Self-service and instructions
- Automation through LDAP/Exchange
Cons:
- Confusing UI
- Installation takes time
Pricing:
- The Starter plan is priced at 5 Euros/agent/month.
- The Professional plan is priced at 15 Euros/agent/month.
- The Plus plan is priced at 24 Euros/agent/month.
Reviews:
“Perfect on-premise and open source helpdesk software.” – Capterra
“Web interface is not responsive, and miss a mobile-friendly version.”- G2
#6 Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a top-rated customer service software and Freshdesk alternative that offers powerful features as compared to Freshdesk and most of its competitors. Designed and built specifically to improve customer support agent productivity, Zoho Desk offers an automation-powered ticketing system that enables an easy assignment of tickets to the right agent. Both customer support agents and customers are informed automatically about the ticket progress. “Zia”, the artificial intelligence, is one innovative and standout feature of Zoho Desk that is especially helpful for customer service teams. Zia can help customers find solutions quickly, auto-tag tickets, and suggest relevant solutions from the Knowledge Base that can be used in ticket response.
Features:
- Ticket Management
- Zia
- Self-service
- Process Automation
- Agent Productivity
- Extensibility
- Customization
- Security
- Insights and Impact
Pros:
- AI support
- Easy ticket management
- Collaborate teams effectively
- Multi-channel Help Desk
- User friendly
- Social support integration
- Integrated help center approach
Cons:
- Customer support needs improvement
- Lacks compatibility on some Apple products
- Task automation needs improvement
Pricing:
- The Free plan is available.
- The Standard plan is priced at $12/agent/month, billed annually.
- The Professional plan is priced at $20/agent/month, billed annually.
- The Enterprise plan is priced at $36/agent/month, billed annually.
Reviews:
“The best part about Zoho Desk is its integrations within its own ecosystem of products and also with third-party software.”– G2
“I hated that I couldn’t sort tickets by account without creating a complex report. If you have the budget, look elsewhere.” – Capterra
Also read: Zoho Alternatives – 14 Tools Your Team Will Love
#7 HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot’s Service Hub is a solid alternative to Freshdesk. It offers chatbots, team email, and ticketing in its free plan, letting you try out these helpful features from scratch. As with HubSpot’s Sales and Marketing tools, the Service Hub is based on the idea of automating as much as possible, empowering your teams to be more productive and communicate more efficiently. You can integrate Service Hub with HubSpot’s free CRM or one of the 800+ third-party tools it supports.
Features:
- Help desk and ticketing
- VoIP Calling
- Live Chat
- Customizable knowledge base for customers
- Automate emails, responses, alerts, and more
- Third-party integrations
- Customer Portal
Pros:
- 24//7 Customer Service
- Easy to use interface
- Create customized reports
- Automation is easy to set up
- Fully Integrated CRM
Cons:
- Options can be overwhelming for first-time users
- Chatbox can get laggy when used with other extensions
- Free plan available.
- The Starter plan is priced at $45/month.
- The Professional plan is priced at $360/month.
- The Enterprise plan is priced at $1200/month.
Reviews:
“We use the ticketing software, the ticketing reporting dashboard and since it’s all interconnected to our CRM we can monitor the level of support each of our clients require. The knowledge hub has also come in handy as resources to clients post onboarding.” – G2
“Tickets come in through our website and our support team is automatically notified, the tickets are assigned a team member and populated on a nice workflow so no request falls through the cracks.” – Capterra
#8 Vision Helpdesk
Vision Helpdesk has emerged as a suitable Freshdesk alternative in recent times due to its all-in-one help desk platform that allows users to manage multiple channels, like calls, email, chat, web forms, Twitter, and Facebook in a single location. Vision Helpdesk offers three customer support solutions — help desk software, satellite desk, and service desk. This full-featured, cloud-based ticketing software solution can be used by businesses of all sizes across multiple industry segments. You can automate workflow and centralize the recording of multiple channels of customer support conversations.
Features:
- Ticket queues
- Ticket views
- Online ticket management
- Calendar and task management
- Time tracking
- Client management
- Reports and analytics
- Online issue tracking
Pros:
- Wide range of features to manage customer support
- Pioneering satellite help desk solution
- A single-staff portal can manage support for multiple products and brands
- Simplified multi-channel support
- Streamlined workflow
- A unified customer service platform
- Scalable
Cons:
- Not simple to integrate with other options
- Slow mobile app
- Clunky user-interface
- Steep learning curve
Pricing:
- The Starter Help Desk is priced at $12/agent/month, billed annually.
- The Pro Help Desk is priced at $20/agent/month, billed annually.
- The Satellite Help Desk is priced at $24/agent/month, billed annually.
- The Pro Service desk is priced at $32/agent/month, billed annually.
- The Enterprise Service Desk is priced at $48/agent/month, billed annually.
Reviews:
“I don’t like that the forums page is difficult to use.” – Capterra
“A clean, lightweight, but powerful helpdesk system.” – G2
#9 JitBit Help Desk
JitBit Help desk software is a strong competitor to Freshdesk these days. The software enables users to deliver awesome support to esteemed customers. JitBit help desk ticketing system is amazingly powerful and can be set up within minutes. The software has both SaaS and on-premise systems. JitBit is designed for easy deployment via cloud hosting and self-hosting. It actively allows users to track and manage incoming support request emails and their associated tickets. JitBit utilizes machine learning for task automation and allows you to concentrate more on customer service operations instead of tedious back-office tasks.
Features:
- POP3/IMAP/SMTP
- Customer Support Request Tagging
- Mobile help desk
- Two-way email integration
- Secure web-based interface
- File attachment support
- SSL Encryption
Pros:
- Simplified help desk efforts
- Better customer service
- Performance tracking
- Seamless integrations
- Live chat
- Knowledge base
Cons:
- Poor app
- Poor customer service
- Integrations are not easy
Pricing:
- The Freelancer plan is priced at $24.92/month, billed annually.
- The Startup plan is priced at $58.25/month, up to 4 users, billed annually.
- The Company plan is priced at $108.25/month, up to 7 users, billed annually.
- The Enterprise plan is priced at $208.25/month, up to 9 users, billed annually.
Reviews:
“Lack of social media integration, but you hack your own using Zapier.”- Capterra
“Easy to set up and use.” – G2
#10 HappyFox Help Desk
HappyFox is an all-in-one help desk ticketing system that provides faster and better support for your customers. This simple and affordable help desk software is a leading Freshdesk alternative and is trusted by industry-leading companies for providing exceptional customer support every day. A practical help desk and customer support software solution, HappyFox helps to eliminate chaos and streamlines your support process with a solid support ticket system, self-service knowledge base, and community forums.
Features:
- Ticketing system
- Canned actions
- Task management
- Help desk reports
- Asset management
- Automation
- Knowledge base
- Live chat
Pros:
- Efficient ticket management system
- Easy to set up and use
- Visually pleasant, highly customizable dashboard
- In-depth reporting and analysis capability
- Assist customers from anywhere
- Flexible
Cons:
- Lack of features
- Can be expensive for startups
- Can be complex to use for less tech-savvy customers
Pricing: All plans require a minimum of 5 users. Pricing is available on quote.
Reviews:
“Easy to use and customize. Changed our processes for the better.” – G2
“Not easy to understand who received what (when a part of a grouping/team). Easy to get lost in the software.” – Capterra
#11 Sys Aid
SysAid is a notable Freshdesk alternative and a highly scalable help desk software solution for large-sized IT support teams. It is a powerful combination of asset management tools and a reliable help desk. The tool offers a host of powerful features and includes a robust service request management module, mobile device management, IT asset management, chat, mobile apps, and industry benchmarking functionality. You can use this tool to create a knowledge base with how-to solutions that your employees and customers can use.
Features:
- Knowledge base
- Ticket management
- Help desk integration
- Automation
- Monitoring
- Hardware/software inventory management
- Patch management
- Self-service portal
Pros:
- Flexible It Help Desk and Asset Management platform
- Remote asset management
- Asset management, anytime, anywhere
- Easy to set up
- Solid control over assets
- Easy incident management
- Improved IT productivity
- Reduced implementation and integration costs
Cons:
- User interface could require some getting used to
- Dashboard navigation involves many tabs, windows, and lists that could be tiresome for some users
Pricing: Prices are available on quote
Reviews:
“The mobile access is my biggest problem with the software.”– Capterra
“An average help desk software solution.” – G2
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#12 Atera
Atera is a beautiful and simple RMM (remote monitoring management) software that is designed for MSPs and IT professionals. From remote monitoring & management to powerful ticketing and customer satisfaction surveying, Atera provides you with an inclusive platform that streamlines all your IT management and monitoring processes in a centralized location. Atera is easily accessible from mobile, tablet, and desktop and can monitor any number of workstations and servers. Since Atera is a SaaS-based software, this effective Freshdesk alternative perfectly suits SMBs as it is available in affordable, pocket-friendly pricing plans.
Features:
- All-in-one MSP software
- Remote monitoring and management
- Remote access
- Professional Services Automation
- Integrations
- Network discovery
- Contracts and SLA
Pros:
- One-stop RMM solution for MSPs
- Single dashboard operation
- Technician management from a mobile device
- Unlimited workstation and server devices
- Staff onboarding made easy
- Powerful scripting
- Top-notch security
Cons:
- Clunky ticketing system
- Steep learning curve
- File size limitation
Pricing:
- The Pro plan is priced at $79/technician/month.
- The Growth Plan is priced at $119/technician/month.
- The Power plan is priced at $149/technician/month.
Reviews:
“Atera makes it simple to support our customers with an interface that is easy to manage and use.” – Capterra
“Clean, crisp, and easy to use web interface. It allows one place to do it all.” – G2
#13 Intercom
Intercom is counted as the closest Freshdesk competitor and the most reliable customer support platform. It is highly inventive and uses user intelligence and behavioral targeting to enable organizations to derive more value and more intelligence from customer communication. The software gives you valuable insights into the users of your product and provides tools to send personal communicators. You can leverage Intercom to send targeted, in-app messages and behavior-driven emails. Intercom offers an innovative way to acquire, engage, and retain customers. It especially comes in handy for your sales, marketing, and support teams for connecting and communicating with customers, which, in turn, help your business expand.
Features:
- A/B testing
- Audience segmentation
- Customer user profiles
- Message tagging
- Issue resolution
- Rich message composer
- User event tracking
Pros:
- Live segments and filters
- Capture more leads
- Rich user and company profiles
- Real-time metrics
- Triggered messages
- Custom bots to connect customers with the right agents
Cons:
- Customer support tickets are not listed on their website
- Limited integrations
- New functionality is difficult to understand
Pricing:
- The Starter plan is priced at $79/month.
- The Product Tours plan is priced at $199/month.
Reviews:
“So I would say, I am glad we are using the system because it is definitely an excellent tool I can’t imagine having without.” – Capterra
“We love the fact that we can incorporate Intercom into our products and online properties natively.” – G2
#14 Front
Front is your centralized hub for all things related to customer communication. This tool offers an easy-to-use ‘Universal Inbox’ to manage conversations across various channels like email, SMS, chat, Twitter, and more. This close Freshdesk competitor combines the usability of the email inbox with the automation and insights of a CRM. Team members from all departments can collaborate to send replies faster, keep messages organized, and maintain a personal touch. No matter the size of the team, Front works equally well for all to scale their communication without compromising on quality.
Features:
- Unified inbox
- Autoresponders
- Real-time notifications
- Multi-channel management
- Social media integration
- Email tracking
- Custom integrations
- Real-time analytics
Pros:
- Seamless integration
- Minimal learning curve
- Advanced features
- Real-time collision detection
- Excellent support team
- Flexible pricing
Cons:
- Bulky dashboard
- Compatibility issues
- Technical glitches
Pricing:
- The Starter plan is priced at $19/month, up to 10 members.
- The Prime plan is priced at $49/month, up to 50 members.
Reviews:
“The best feature about Front is the ability to communicate with both my internal and external teams without having to forward a bunch of emails.” – Capterra
“Front is super easy to use and allows teams to work together.”- G2
#15 Zendesk
Zendesk is a popular Freshdesk alternative and a robust cloud-based customer service platform that helps to promote seamless communication between the company and its customers. Though Zendesk is an efficient tool, it is not as affordable as other tools listed in this article. Expensive pricing plans is the main reason why so many small-scale organizations and startups look for Zendesk alternatives. Zendesk helps sales, support, and customer support teams engage with their customers better by accumulating all customer information in a single location. It offers a lot of tools, including helpdesk, email marketing, live chat, and customer engagement.
Features:
- Live chat
- Help center
- AI-powered bots
- Knowledge management
- Agent workspace
- Collaboration tools
- Routing and Intelligence
- Analytics and Reporting
- Single customer view
Pros:
- An all-in-one lead generation and customer service platform
- A lot of customization options
- Powerful reporting and analytics
- Robust integration with third-party applications and systems
- Supports multiple languages
- Packed with advanced features
Cons:
- Expensive pricing plans
- Not an ideal ticket management system for ecommerce and small businesses
- Steep learning curve
- Best features only available at higher pricing tiers
Pricing:
- The Suite Team plan is priced at $49/agent/month/billed annually.
- The Suite Growth plan is priced at $79/agent/month/billed annually.
- The Suite Professional plan is priced at $99/agent/month/billed annually.
Reviews:
Capterra: “You only get to use premium features in expensive plans.”
G2: “It is advantageous when classifying the type of email, such as open, pending, and resolved, can provide a prompt reply and return to edit.”
The Final Thought
If you are looking for the most suitable software platform that can fulfill your exact needs you would find that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Initially, you want to weigh your requirements and expectations, and moving forward you will have to analyze the features and functionalities of each of the top-selling 15 Freshdesk competitors listed in this write-up.
The tool that offers exactly the features you need at an affordable price can be termed as the right fit for your customer support team. Fortunately for you, all the tools mentioned in this list come with a free trial, so it is easier for you to make an educated selection. Good luck!
FAQs
What is Freshdesk used for?
Freshdesk is a SaaS platform or web-based Customer support software helping businesses to manage inbound and outbound chats, emails, tickets and social media.
Why Look For Freshdesk Alternatives?
Freshdesk is one of the most popular customer support software solutions. It offers a lot of features that are not available in other solutions. However, there are some cases when you may need to look for an alternative to Freshdesk.
Which is better Freshdesk or Zendesk?
Zendesk is a little more expensive than Freshdesk, but it has more features. It also has an app that you can use to manage your customer service from your phone or tablet. Freshdesk is cheaper, but it doesn’t have as many features as Zendesk does.
How to Choose the Right Freshdesk Competitor?
If you are looking for a customer service software, then you should look at Zendesk, Desk.com, and Salesforce Service Cloud. If you are looking for a help desk software, then you should look at Zoho Desk and Atlassian Jira Service Desk.
