17 Best Freshdesk Alternatives Heading Into 2025 (Updated)

Brian Lastovich 25 min

Let me guess — you’re having second thoughts about Freshdesk.

Well, if it’s any consolation, you’re not alone.

While Freshdesk has long been a popular choice for customer support software, many businesses are discovering that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to managing customer relationships.

For example, check out this user’s complaints about the platform’s usability.

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For some other people, it’s issues with Freshdesk’s features or perhaps the pricing structure doesn't align with your growing business needs.

[*].

From clunky user interfaces to limited customization options, even industry standards can fall short of your specific requirements.

That’s why we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to the best Freshdesk alternatives in 2024.

Whether you’re looking for more advanced automation capabilities, better value for money, or simply a fresh approach to customer service, you’ll find options that might be a better fit for your team.

Top 17 Freshdesk Alternatives to Consider in 2025

1. Kustomer

Kustomer is an omnichannel customer service software designed to manage high volumes of customer interactions while delivering personalized support at scale.

It does this by centralizing all customer interactions (purchase history, support tickets, etc.), allowing agents to view and respond to inquiries from multiple channels, including chat, email, phone, SMS, and social media.

This 360-degree view helps agents deliver personalized support by understanding each customer’s history and preferences.

Compared to Freshdesk, Kustomer offers personalized automation tools that handle repetitive tasks like ticket routing and inquiry resolution.

For example, with ‘Kustomer IQ’ businesses can manage large volumes of support requests with minimal human input. This isn’t ‘just another automation’ — rather, it intelligently routes issues based on complexity and urgency, ensuring customers receive the most appropriate response.

With this, agents can focus on more complex or high-value interactions, improving overall service quality.

Key Features and Functionalities of Kustomer

Kustomer Timeline. Provides agents with a complete view of all interactions, purchases, and support activities related to a specific customer. This timeline aggregates data from every channel, ensuring that agents have the context they need to deliver personalized service. The timeline displays detailed information, such as previous conversations, order history, and notes, in a single chronological view.

💡Related Video → The Kustomer Timeline | Product Video

Omnichannel Communication. Manages customer interactions across multiple channels from one unified inbox. Whether a customer reaches out via email, chat, phone, SMS, or social media, agents can view and respond to inquiries without switching between tools or losing context.

Workflow Automation. Enables teams to build automated workflows for common customer service tasks, such as ticket routing, follow-up emails, and task assignment.

Kustomer IQ. It uses machine learning to analyze customer behavior, predict outcomes, and recommend next steps for agents. Kustomer IQ can also suggest responses to common inquiries, automate routine tasks, and provide insights into customer trends.

Knowledge Base Integration. The knowledge base is linked to Kustomer’s AI chatbots, which can suggest relevant articles or guides based on the customer’s inquiry.
Sentiment Analysis. Built-in sentiment analysis feature that evaluates the tone of customer messages in real-time, allowing agents to identify when a customer is frustrated or dissatisfied. This helps prioritize sensitive issues, enabling agents to quickly address negative experiences before they escalate.

Real-Time Reporting and Analytics. Offers advanced reporting on response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction. The platform provides customizable dashboards that offer real-time insights into team performance, customer behavior, and service trends, helping managers optimize workflows and ensure high-quality support.
Self-service Options. This is an integrated portal that enables customers to find answers independently through AI chatbots and an organized knowledge base.

Why Do Companies Choose Kustomer Over Freshdesk?

Companies that have made the switch from Freshdesk to Kustomer often prioritize three things: personalization, seamless customer experience, and robust integration capabilities.

While Freshdesk offers a range of basic customer service tools, Kustomer takes a different approach, shifting the focus from handling individual tickets to managing entire customer journeys.

Unified Customer View

Kustomer’s core advantage lies in its ability to provide a 360-degree view of customers.

Unlike Freshdesk, which follows a more traditional ticket-based approach, Kustomer brings all customer interactions—whether from email, chat, or social media—into one unified timeline.

This comprehensive view allows customer service agents to better understand customer behavior, preferences, and needs in real time. The result is quicker resolutions and more personalized customer experiences, a necessity in today’s customer-driven marketplace.

Sergi Mendez, Global Head of Live Operations, Glovo, puts it like this —

“Kustomer is the only customer service solution that meets our needs as a global delivery app. Previously, we used three separate applications to support our customers, couriers, and partners. Now, Kustomer lets us manage those relationships in one platform and ensures each conversation is sent to the right agent.”

💡Read Case Study → How Glovo Automatically Resolved Up to 84% Of Requests While Maintaining a High Global Satisfaction Rating

Contextual Conversations for Better Personalization

Another reason Kustomer is preferred over Freshdesk is its focus on contextual conversations.

Freshdesk’s ticketing system limits customer interactions to isolated incidents. Kustomer, on the other hand, organizes interactions as part of a broader context, allowing agents to provide personalized and human-like responses.

Agents can access a history of interactions across different channels, making conversations more relevant and eliminating redundant back-and-forth exchanges. This level of personalization leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Gary McGrath, Success Operations Manager, Paddle says it best —

“The team’s reaction to Kustomer has been fantastic. Before, they were always having very awkward conversations with customers and always apologising for getting back to them really late. They were trying their best to deliver good customer service, but the tool we had was bad, so as you can imagine, that’s quite frustrating.”

💡Read Case Study → How Paddle Increased Service Level Attainment by 80%, and Achieved 99% CSAT.

Seamless Omnichannel Experience

Kustomer excels in providing a true omnichannel experience, supporting native integrations with platforms such as social media, messaging apps, and voice channels.

This allows customers to engage with businesses on their preferred platforms without disruption in service.

Freshdesk, while also offering multichannel support, often relies on external integrations, which can create a fragmented experience.

This makes Kustomer’s ability to manage omnichannel conversations from a single platform a more cohesive and flexible choice for businesses looking to provide seamless customer support.

According to Heather Kunert, Head of Customer Experience, Comrad —

“One thing that my team and I really love about Kustomer is just that holistic view of the customer,” [...] It’s just so nice because that means we don’t duplicate effort. Plus, we have that history of everything that went back and forth with the customer.”

💡Read Case Study → How Comrad Achieved 40% Increase in Return Customer Rate and 26% Higher Average Order Values (AOV)

What Real Customers Are Saying About Kustomer

“We always use Kustomer as it is really helpful for us agents as it is our way to leave internal notes for every interaction which can be seen as well by the next agent who will assist the customer.” (Read full review).
“As a team leader in our organization, Kustomer is very easy to navigate and its overall functionality is truly amazing. We use it on a daily basis since it’s integrated with our other tools.” (Read full review).

“What I like best about Kustomer is the easy navigation of every conversation ticket, the side panel tools, plus the capability to use pre-made email macros for quick messaging to customers.” (Read full review).
“Kustomer is customizable and the most user-friendly option we have seen, and we have tried them all. Plus, it is not overly expensive for everything that you get. They were with us every step of the way with implementation.” (Read full review).
“I’ve noticed that Kustomer is generally quite speedy when loading, which is a big plus. Using the platform is a breeze, and it offers some great features that are especially important to me, like those handy desktop notifications!” (Read full review).

Join leading brands who’ve made the switch — Start your Kustomer journey

2. Zendesk Support Suite

Zendesk Support Suite is a comprehensive platform that offers businesses a multi-channel approach to customer support, integrating email, live chat, social media, voice, and messaging into a unified interface.

The platform enhances customer service operations, providing teams with the tools needed to manage inquiries from multiple sources. By centralizing all customer interactions, Zendesk ensures that agents can track, manage, and resolve issues quickly, improving overall customer satisfaction.

Additionally, Zendesk features a customizable ticketing system which helps businesses streamline their support processes. This includes automated ticket assignment, escalation triggers, and pre-defined response templates.

Key Features of Zendesk Support Suite

Zendesk Guide. This is a self-service feature that allows businesses to create a repository of FAQs, how-to articles, and troubleshooting guides. Customers can access this information to resolve their issues independently, reducing the number of support tickets.

Macros and Automation. Macros enable agents to create pre-defined responses that can be applied to tickets with a single click, while automation rules trigger specific actions based on ticket conditions.

Side Conversations. Allows agents to collaborate with internal teams or external partners without leaving the ticket interface. Agents can open side conversations within a ticket to get input from other departments, such as IT or legal, without disrupting the main support thread.

What Are Some Limitations of Zendesk Support Suite?

Poor Customer Support Response. Response times are slow both from Zendesk Support and account managers, creating frustration with their overall service responsiveness [*].
UI and SMS Integration Issues. Two main issues: The admin sidebar keeps collapsing during use, disrupting workflow efficiency. SMS integration creates separate user profiles and tickets for the same customer, forcing agents to switch between multiple views and breaking the unified conversation experience [*].
High Implementation Barriers & Mobile Performance. Zendesk is challenging for startups due to its complex setup requiring IT expertise and an additional budget for customization and training. The mobile app performance is also poor, with noticeable slowdown issues [*].

Zendesk Support Suite Pricing

Zendesk pricing can get quite complex. Here is the simplified version:

Support Team. $19 per agent/month.
Support Professional. $55 per agent/month.
Support Enterprise. $115 per agent/month.

Who is Zendesk Support Suite a Good Fit for?

For companies needing a multi-channel approach

If a business interacts with customers on multiple channels, Zendesk allows agents to manage all interactions from a single platform, making it easier to track and respond promptly.

3. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is a cloud-based helpdesk solution that enables support teams to manage, prioritize, and resolve customer tickets from a single platform.

The platform centralizes customer inquiries from multiple channels and presents them to agents in one interface, along with relevant customer data and interaction history. This unified view allows agents to offer personalized support, improving resolution times and customer satisfaction.

In addition to multichannel support, Zoho Desk features a built-in AI assistant called ‘Zia’ — that uses machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to automate routine support tasks.

Zia helps with ticket classification, priority setting, and sentiment analysis, while also suggesting relevant knowledge base articles for agents to use when resolving customer inquiries.

Key Features of Zoho Desk

Work Modes for Agents. Categorizes tickets into different views based on their priority, status, or due time, helping agents focus on the most urgent and relevant tickets first.

Blueprint. This is Zoho Desk’s workflow automation feature that allows businesses to design and automate their support processes. It ensures that tickets follow a predefined path from creation to resolution, streamlining tasks like ticket assignment, follow-ups, and escalation.
Ticket Peek. Enables agents to preview the contents of a ticket without fully opening it. This feature saves time by letting agents quickly assess ticket urgency and context before deciding on the next course of action.

What Are Some Limitations of Zoho Desk?

Complex Implementation & Poor Documentation. Zoho Desk’s advanced customization and automation features have a steep learning curve with unclear documentation, requiring significant time investment and frequent support contact to implement properly [*].
Limited AI Chatbot Functionality. The AI chatbot implementation is restricted by requiring users’ own ChatGPT API key, and the knowledge-base chatbot alternative performs poorly with unclear training options [*].
Overwhelming Interface & Mobile Limitations. The platform interface is complex and overwhelming for new users, while the mobile app lacks key features available in the desktop version. Performance issues arise with large data volumes, and non-Zoho integrations are challenging [*].

Zoho Desk Pricing

Standard. $20 per user/month.
Professional. $35 per user/month.
Enterprise. $50 per user/month.

Who is Zoho Desk a Good Fit for?

For companies using the Zoho ecosystem

Zoho Desk integrates seamlessly with other Zoho apps, making it ideal for businesses already using tools like Zoho CRM, Zoho Analytics, and Zoho Projects. This integration improves workflows and data-sharing across platforms.

4. HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub enables customer service teams to track, prioritize, and resolve customer inquiries through an intuitive ticketing system.

Integrated with HubSpot CRM, it gives support agents a 360-degree view of each customer, including their interaction history, previous support tickets, and account details.

Businesses can also use the management tools on the platform to create a self-service knowledge base, collect customer feedback through surveys, and automate service workflows to ensure faster response times.

For example, the platform features a ‘customer portal’ feature that allows customers to track the status of their support tickets, access their previous inquiries, and manage ongoing conversations with support teams.

Key Features of HubSpot Service Hub

Conversations Inbox. Unifies all customer communications, including emails, live chats, social media messages, and more, into one space. It allows teams to track, manage, and collaborate on customer queries.
Live Chat and Chatbots. The live chat capabilities allow businesses to engage with customers in real-time directly from their website. Meanwhile, the chatbots automate responses to common queries, qualify leads, and route customers to the appropriate agents when necessary.
Knowledge Base. Enables businesses to create a self-service library of articles, guides, and FAQs that customers can access to resolve issues on their own.

What Are Some Limitations of HubSpot Service Hub?

Feature Paywalls & Basic Reporting. Essential features like bulk duplicate cleanup require additional upgrades even on paid plans, while the basic version’s reporting capabilities are too simple to provide meaningful insights [*].
Privacy & Access Control Issues. Healthcare providers face limitations due to HubSpot’s broad access model, making it challenging to handle sensitive information without extensive setup [*].
Complex Automation & Ticket Organization. Users struggle with implementing automation and reporting tools, while the ticket hub can become disorganized with high volumes, leading to buried tickets [*].

HubSpot Service Hub Pricing

Free. $0 per month/seat.
Starter. $20 per month/seat.
Professional. $100 per month/seat.
Enterprise. $150 per month/seat.

Who is HubSpot Service Hub a Good Fit for?

For companies focused on inbound marketing and customer retention.

As part of the HubSpot ecosystem, the Service Hub integrates seamlessly with HubSpot’s CRM, Marketing, and Sales Hubs. This integration supports businesses that want to improve customer engagement, satisfaction, and retention as part of a cohesive customer journey.

5. HelpScout

HelpScout is a customer service platform designed to help businesses provide personalized, high-quality customer support across multiple channels.

Unlike traditional ticketing systems, HelpScout offers a more human-centric approach, with its email-based help desk solution and a shared inbox that allows teams to collaborate efficiently on customer inquiries.

HelpScout also integrates email support, live chat, knowledge base creation, and customer relationship management into a single platform. This all-in-one solution is geared toward businesses that prioritize delivering a personalized, empathetic, and streamlined customer service experience.

Key Features of HelpScout

Shared Inbox. Agents can assign, prioritize, and respond to emails or queries, ensuring no message is overlooked. The platform also supports private notes, allowing agents to communicate internally without involving the customer.

Docs (Knowledge Base). Allows businesses to build a fully integrated knowledge base where customers can find answers to common questions on their own. Agents can easily link knowledge base articles in their email responses, and the system tracks article performance.

Beacon. This feature can be embedded on a website or app, giving customers instant access to both live chat and helpful articles from the knowledge base. It also intelligently suggests relevant content based on the customer’s query.

What Are Some Limitations of HelpScout?

Limited Export Functionality. Users cannot download CSV files of emails after applying tag filters [*].
Email Management Constraints. Changing reply-to email addresses or managing multiple CC’d recipients in tickets is cumbersome, lacking flexible email handling features [*].
Documentation Formatting Challenges. HelpScout’s document editor struggles with basic formatting needs, particularly with spacing, numbering systems, and image alignment, making it difficult to create proper documentation [*].

HelpScout Pricing

Standard. Starts from $75 per month for 100 contacts.
Plus. $Starts from $200 per month for 100 contacts.
Pro. Starts from $850 per month for 100 contacts.

Who is HelpScout a Good Fit for?

For teams that prefer a simple, user-friendly interface.

Help Scout’s clean design and intuitive setup allow support teams to start quickly without complex onboarding. This is beneficial for teams that need an effective tool without a steep learning curve.

6. Intercom

Intercom is a customer communication platform designed to help businesses interact with customers through personalized, context-rich conversations across multiple channels.

It offers conversational marketing tools that help businesses convert leads into customers, while its customer support features allow agents to assist customers via live chat, email, and in-app messaging.

Intercom also enables businesses to create targeted campaigns that can be delivered through chat, email, or push notifications, helping businesses nurture leads and engage with existing customers at scale.

Key Features of Intercom

Intercom Messenger. Customizable chat widget that can be embedded on websites and apps. It allows businesses to engage visitors in real-time through live chat, with the option to send messages based on customer behavior, such as spending time on a particular page.
Fin AI. Uses artificial intelligence to handle routine customer queries automatically. It can also answer frequently asked questions, guiding users through tasks, and even route complex issues to human agents.

Outbound Messages. Enables businesses to send targeted outbound messages via email, in-app messages, or push notifications based on user behavior, demographics, or lifecycle stage.

What Are Some Limitations of Intercom?

Search Function Limitations. The search functionality is unreliable, making it difficult to find specific conversations even when searching with precise identifiers like names or email addresses [*].
Post-Startup Pricing Inflation. The steep price increase after the startup program's 95% discount period forces companies to downgrade from valuable features and tools to manage costs [*].
AI Email Threading Issues. Intercom’s AI assistant (Fin) lacks email threading capabilities in support conversations, creating disorganized communication flows despite its otherwise useful features [*].

Intercom Pricing

Essential. $29 per seat/month.

Advanced. $85 per seat/month.
Expert. $132 per seat/month.

Who is Intercom a Good Fit for?

For businesses that prioritize automation and proactive communication.

Intercom’s automation features, including chatbots and automated workflows, allow teams to streamline common inquiries and provide personalized support even during high-demand periods. This makes it ideal for businesses looking to automate routine tasks while enhancing customer outreach and engagement.

7. LiveAgent

LiveAgent is an all-in-one help desk and customer service platform that unifies customer interactions from multiple channels into a single platform, allowing support teams to manage and respond to inquiries in real-time.

For example, the platform features an advanced ticketing system that automatically converts customer messages into tickets which can be tracked, prioritized, and assigned to agents.

LiveAgent also offers a built-in community forum functionality that allows customers to interact, share solutions, and reduce support ticket volume.

Key Features of LiveAgent

Real-Time Live Chat. Enables businesses to provide real-time support directly from their website or app. This widget can be customized and embedded on web pages, allowing customers to initiate chats with support agents.

Call Center Integration. Allows businesses to manage phone-based support from the same interface as other communication channels. Calls are automatically logged as tickets, and agents can access complete customer interaction histories during calls.

Hybrid Ticketing System. Converts all customer interactions into support tickets, regardless of the channel they come from. Whether a customer reaches out via email, live chat, or social media, each interaction is tracked as a ticket that can be prioritized, assigned, and resolved efficiently.

What Are Some Limitations of LiveAgent?

Limited Communication Features. Customer communication features lack specificity, and poor notification visibility impacts response times negatively [*].

Interface & Email Sync Issues. The complex interface creates navigation challenges for new users, while slow email synchronization with Outlook slows down real-time customer support. Unexpected feature changes without notice also disrupt workflow [*].
Mobile App & Integration Problems. The mobile app performs poorly for on-the-go management, and limited direct CRM integrations force teams to use third-party integration solutions to create efficient workflows and eliminate data silos [*].

LiveAgent Pricing

Small. $15 per agent/month.
Medium. $24 per agent/month.
Large. $39 per agent/month.
Enterprise. $59 per agent/month.

Who is LiveAgent a Good Fit for?

For e-commerce teams.

With features like real-time live chat and call center integration, LiveAgent is well-suited for e-commerce businesses that require responsive, round-the-clock customer service to handle high volumes of customer inquiries.

8. Front

Front is a collaborative customer communication platform designed to bring email, messaging, and internal team collaboration into one unified inbox.

Unlike traditional email clients (e.g., Gmail) or customer service desk solutions, Front focuses on combining the familiarity of email with powerful collaborative tools, allowing teams to manage both internal and external communication from a single interface.

It eliminates the unnecessary internal back-and-forths by letting team members comment on messages, assign tasks, and share drafts within the inbox, ensuring faster resolution of customer inquiries.

Front also features a rule-based automation system. This enables teams to automate repetitive tasks such as routing conversations to specific agents, categorizing messages, or setting up auto-responses. The platform also integrates with various CRM systems, allowing users to sync customer data directly into the inbox for contextual responses.

Key Features of Front

Shared Inboxes. Front’s shared inbox allows multiple team members to access and manage the same email or messaging channel. Teams can collaborate in real-time, comment on conversations internally, and assign tasks without leaving the email thread.

Teammate @Mentions and Comments. Enables internal team collaboration within individual conversations through comments and mentions. By tagging a teammate or leaving notes directly within the message, team members can discuss customer inquiries without sending separate emails or messages.
Team Inboxes and Custom Workflows. Allows businesses to create multiple team inboxes for different departments or groups (e.g., sales, support, billing). This enables teams to manage specific customer interactions relevant to their roles, while customizable workflows ensure that conversations are routed to the correct inbox automatically.

What Are Some Limitations of Front?

Inflexible Contract Terms & Support. The company shows unwillingness to renegotiate contracts for unused user licenses, particularly impacting small businesses, while providing poor account management support despite claiming to be small-business friendly [*].

Calendar & Rule Creation Constraints. The system has limitations with calendar event forwarding for non-creators, and rule creation can be inconsistent with search filters, not matching expected results [*].
Limited Message & Tag Management. Users can’t edit scheduled messages without completely redoing them, and the sidebar has limited visibility for multiple tags [*].

Front Pricing

Starter. $19 per seat/month.
Growth. $59 per seat/month.
Scale. $99 per seat/month.
Premier. Contact Front for more information.

Who is Front a Good Fit for?

For companies focused on personalized customer interactions.

With Front’s integration of CRM data and customer history into each conversation, teams can deliver tailored responses quickly, making it suitable for companies aiming to enhance personalization in their customer communications.

9. HappyFox

HappyFox is an all-in-one help desk and customer support platform designed to help support teams manage tickets across multiple channels.

Its primary function is to streamline customer communication through a unified ticketing system that centralizes all interactions in one place, ensuring that no customer inquiry is missed. It also offers features such as custom ticket views, automated workflows, and advanced routing mechanisms to optimize ticket management.

HappyFox also provides advanced automation capabilities, allowing businesses to set up rule-based triggers for ticket assignment, priority escalation, and SLA management. In addition, its smart ticket queues prioritize urgent or overdue tickets, ensuring that time-sensitive requests are handled appropriately.

Key Features of HappyFox

Canned Actions. These are predefined responses and actions that help agents respond to common customer queries quickly. These can include pre-formatted responses, ticket status updates, or automated follow-up messages.

Self-Service Knowledge Base. This is a customizable knowledge base feature that allows companies to create and publish help articles, FAQs, and guides.
Smart Rules. Enables conditional logic to automate more complex processes based on predefined criteria, such as time-based triggers or customer behavior.

What Are Some Limitations of HappyFox?

CC and Ticket Visibility Problems. Users experience system freezes when using CC functionality, and there are visibility issues with tickets opened by other team members [*].
Restricted Smart Rules Functionality. Even at the enterprise level, smart rules have limited triggers and actions, particularly lacking support for custom fields [*].
Complex Implementation Process. The setup process, especially email configuration, is more complicated and time-consuming than initially presented in demos [*].

HappyFox Pricing

Basic. $9 per agent/month.
Team. $49 per agent/month.
Pro. $99 per agent/month.
Enterprise PRO. Contact sales.

Who is HappyFox a Good Fit for?

For teams needing organized ticketing.

HappyFox provides a user-friendly ticketing system that simplifies tracking, prioritizing, and resolving support requests.

10. ProProfs (Help Desk)

ProProfs is a comprehensive help desk and knowledge management solution designed to streamline customer support and employee training.

It automates key processes such as ticket assignment, categorization, and prioritization, enabling teams to focus on resolving high-priority issues efficiently. ProProfs is also highly scalable, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small teams to large enterprises.

Additionally, the platform’s knowledge base system serves as a self-service resource, enabling businesses to create and manage articles, FAQs, and documentation. This significantly reduces the volume of inbound support tickets by empowering users to find solutions on their own.

Key Features of ProProfs

Live Chat. Enables businesses to provide real-time support to customers. Agents can quickly resolve issues through live chat, while chats can be converted into tickets if further assistance is required.

Survey and Feedback Tools. Integrates with customer satisfaction (CSAT) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys, which allow businesses to gather direct feedback from customers after each interaction.

Automated Ticket Assignment. Offers automation tools that assign tickets to agents based on predefined rules. Tickets can be assigned by priority, department, or specific agent availability.

What Are Some Limitations of ProProfs?

Limited ITSM Capabilities. While adequate for basic IT ticketing, the tool lacks comprehensive ITSM functionality needed for more complex operations [*].
Poor Integration Ecosystem. The platform offers very limited third-party integration options, restricting workflow automation and tool connectivity possibilities [*].
Missing Ticket Management Features. Lacks essential features like ticket merging capability, which would help consolidate multiple tickets from the same customer and improve agent collaboration efficiency [*].

ProProfs Pricing

Free. $0 per user/month.
Team. $39.99 per user/month.

Who is ProProfs a Good Fit for?

For businesses that need a customizable knowledge base.

ProProfs allows extensive customization of knowledge bases to align with branding and organizational needs, making it a good solution for teams that prioritize a tailored customer support experience.

11. Groove (GrooveHQ)

Groove is a helpdesk software designed to streamline customer support operations by integrating email management, ticketing, and knowledge base functionalities into a simple, easy-to-use platform.

The platform’s core offering is focused on providing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with an intuitive, user-friendly interface that helps teams manage customer inquiries across multiple channels without the complexity often found in larger helpdesk solutions.

In addition to ticketing, Groove offers a self-service knowledge base that enables customers to find answers to their questions independently, reducing the volume of incoming support requests.

Key Features of Groove

Canned Replies (Pre-Written Responses). Allows agents to create common responses to frequently asked questions, which can be inserted into customer conversations.

Collision Detection. Alerts agents when another team member is viewing or responding to the same inquiry. This feature reduces the chances of sending multiple responses to the same customer and ensures better team coordination.
Live Chat Integration. This is a widget that integrates with the shared inbox, ensuring that all live chat conversations are tracked alongside email and social media inquiries. Agents can manage all interactions from one interface, improving response times and delivering a seamless customer experience.

What Are Some Limitations of Groove?

Limited Conversation Control. Users can’t selectively include parts of conversations in responses or forwards, forcing them to either share entire threads or switch to other platforms like Outlook, creating disjointed discussions [*].

Thread Management Limitations.
- Only allows replies to the last thread.
- Cannot reverse merged tickets.
- Forwarded emails remain in original threads causing confusion.
- Closed tickets are difficult to locate due to date-based filing.
- Poor visibility of internal notes and CSAT replies [*].

Basic Contact Management Issues. The platform lacks a comprehensive address book system for managing contacts across multiple email associations [*].

Groove Pricing

Standard. $16 per user/month.
Plus. $36 per user/month.
Pro. $56 per user/month.

Who is Groove a Good Fit for?

For startups that value affordability and easy setup.

With Groove’s simple interface and emphasis on customer communication, it’s suitable for teams that prioritize personalized support and direct relationships with customers, rather than requiring an extensive feature set.

12. Spiceworks

Spiceworks is a comprehensive IT help desk and network management platform designed to support IT teams in managing and troubleshooting technical issues efficiently.

Originally built as a tool for IT professionals, Spiceworks offers a cloud-based solution for managing IT tickets, tracking hardware and software assets, monitoring network activity, and facilitating IT operations across businesses of all sizes. It provides a user-friendly interface and a wide range of features that allow IT teams to address technical problems, automate workflows, and streamline internal IT support.

Spiceworks is highly customizable, with numerous integrations and plug-ins available to extend its functionality. It also includes a community-driven knowledge base where IT professionals can share expertise and access resources.

Key Features of Spiceworks

User Portal. Allows end-users to submit tickets, check the status of their requests, and browse the knowledge base for common solutions.
IT Asset Management. Enables businesses to track all hardware and software assets within their network. IT teams can monitor details such as device age, warranty status, software versions, and license expirations.
Network Monitoring. Allows IT teams to monitor the status of critical devices, such as servers, routers, printers, and other network infrastructure. The monitoring system provides real-time data on uptime, performance, and potential issues like overheating or network congestion. Alerts can be set up to notify IT teams when thresholds are exceeded, allowing for proactive intervention.

What Are Some Limitations of Spiceworks?

Limited Reporting Capabilities. Insufficient reporting options with minimal customization features for data analysis [*].
User Experience Frustrations. Since the tool is free, there’s a heavy presence of ads, which impacts user experience [*].
Mobile & Integration Limitations. Mobile app lacks desktop features, with delayed email notifications and challenging third-party system integration capabilities [*].

Spiceworks Pricing

Free to use.

Who is Spiceworks a Good Fit for?

For IT-teams with limited budgets.

Spiceworks provides its core features for free, making it a valuable choice for businesses that need a cost-effective support and IT management solution without compromising on functionality.

13. Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management, developed by Atlassian, is a comprehensive IT service management (ITSM) platform that enables teams to manage and deliver customer and employee services efficiently.

Built on Jira’s core issue-tracking capabilities, JSM offers a highly customizable platform to streamline service requests, incidents, problems, and change management.

It integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian tools (Jira Software, Confluence, and Bitbucket), making it an ideal solution for organizations already leveraging Jira for project management and development workflows.

The platform is designed to improve collaboration between IT teams and other departments through automation, real-time tracking, and powerful reporting tools. Its flexibility allows teams to tailor workflows to their specific needs, whether handling internal IT tickets or managing external customer support.

Key Features of Jira Service Management

Incident and Problem Management. Incidents can be logged and tracked as tickets, and the platform provides automated escalation rules to ensure that high-priority incidents are resolved quickly. The Problem Management functionality allows teams to investigate the root causes of incidents, track recurring problems, and implement long-term solutions to prevent future incidents.

Service Request Management. Allows teams to manage customer or internal requests for services, such as password resets, software installations, or access permissions.

Change Management. This feature helps businesses manage and track changes to their IT infrastructure, ensuring that changes are approved, documented, and implemented with minimal disruption.
- JSM integrates with Confluence and Opsgenie to facilitate the coordination of change requests, approval processes, and automated notifications. This feature also allows teams to link changes to incidents and problems to understand their impact on operations.

What Are Some Limitations of Jira Service Management?

Cross-Project Management Difficulties. Tracking multiple team-managed projects is challenging as epics don’t overlap across different projects in Jira, making progress monitoring complicated [*].
Navigation & Communication Gaps. New users struggle to locate past tickets and collaborator information, while the absence of an internal chat feature delays communication by forcing reliance on client comment responses [*].
Limited Out-of-Box Configuration. The platform lacks pre-configured process options, requiring extensive custom building, with development limitations making it primarily suitable for existing Atlassian users with basic ITSM needs [*].

Jira Service Management Pricing

Offers a free plan for up to three (3) agents.

Standard. $19.04 per agent/month.
Premium. $47.82 per agent/month.
Enterprise. Contact sales.

Who is Jira Service Management a Good Fit for?

For teams that need extensive customization and integration capabilities.

JSM offers flexible workflows, customizable fields, and numerous integration options, enabling teams to tailor the platform to meet specific operational needs and connect it with other tools in their tech stack.

14. Kayako

Kayako is an omnichannel customer service platform that streamlines communication across email, live chat, social media, and other channels into a single, easy-to-manage help desk. It’s ideal for businesses that prioritize personalized and responsive customer support.

Kayako’s features a shared inbox that brings all customer conversations into one place, allowing support teams to collaborate seamlessly by sharing notes, assigning tickets, and tracking interactions in real-time. The platform’s user-friendly interface makes it accessible for both small teams and larger enterprises seeking to enhance their support workflows.

Key Features of Kayako

Kayako Messenger. Enables businesses to communicate with customers through Kayako’s Messenger tool, which integrates live chat, social media, and email into one continuous thread.

Customer Journey Tracking. Provides agents with a full view of the customer’s journey, including past interactions, website behavior, and previous purchases.

Collaborators. Allows agents to collaborate with team members or departments outside the customer support team by inviting them to contribute to tickets as collaborators.

What Are Some Limitations of Kayako?

Auto-Refresh Functionality Missing. The system lacks native auto-refresh capabilities for new tickets, forcing users to rely on third-party browser plugins for basic functionality updates [*].
Unethical Pricing & Contract Practices. Significant pricing increases (200%+) were implemented without notice, along with forced license repurchasing and manipulated contract dates, leading to customer exodus despite product functionality [*].
Technical Bugs & System Errors. System errors cause duplicate responses and priority assignment issues, resulting in increased time needed to resolve and close tickets [*].

Kayako Pricing

Essential. $39 per agent/month.
Professional. $99 per agent/month.
Enterprise. Contact sales.

Who is Kayako a Good Fit for?

For companies that need multi-channel support with a unified view of customer interactions.

Kayako centralizes communication from channels like email, live chat, and social media, allowing support teams to access a complete history of customer interactions, which is valuable for providing consistent, efficient support.

15. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is an enterprise-grade customer service and support platform designed to help businesses deliver personalized and efficient customer service at scale.

Built on Salesforce’s CRM system, Service Cloud offers a unified platform for managing customer interactions, ensuring seamless communication across multiple channels, and self-service portals.

The platform provides comprehensive tools for case management that track customer inquiries from initial contact through resolution, allowing support teams to manage, prioritize, and automate workflows.

With AI-powered features like Einstein AI, Service Cloud helps agents resolve cases faster by suggesting relevant knowledge articles and next best actions.

Additionally, its real-time analytics and reporting capabilities give managers insights into key metrics like customer satisfaction, agent performance, and overall service efficiency.

Key Features of Salesforce Service Cloud

Einstein AI for Service. Analyzes historical data to recommend the best solutions for agents and suggests next steps to resolve cases faster. It also powers bots that handle routine inquiries, reducing the workload on agents and enabling faster response times.
Service Cloud Voice. Enables agents to handle phone calls directly from the platform, with all call data automatically logged into the CRM. Agents can see customer interaction history during calls, allowing them to provide personalized support. The feature also includes transcription and AI-powered recommendations to help agents during live interactions.

Field Service Management. Supports scheduling, dispatching, and real-time tracking of field agents, ensuring that on-site customer service requests are handled efficiently. The platform provides technicians with mobile access to case details, inventory, and customer information, enabling them to resolve issues on the spot.

What Are Some Limitations of Salesforce Service Cloud?

Messaging Session Technical Issues. Multiple problems plague messaging sessions including duplicate management units, error statuses, file size limitations, and unreliable user transfer capabilities [*].
Navigation & Customization Complexity. The platform’s extensive features create a steep learning curve for new users, particularly those without Salesforce experience, making initial setup time-consuming [*].
Email Case Management Limitations. Mail-to-Case functionality lacks intuitive sorting by most recent email received, requiring workarounds and custom solutions to track current customer interactions [*].

Salesforce Service Cloud Pricing

Starter Suite. $25 per user/month.
Pro Suite. $100 per user/month.
Enterprise. $165 per user/month.
Unlimited. $330 per user/month.
Einstein 1 Service. $500 per user/month.

Who is Salesforce Service Cloud a Good Fit for?

For large enterprises with high customer service demands.

Salesforce Service Cloud offers powerful tools like Einstein AI for automated responses, predictive analytics, and workflow automation, making it a good choice for large businesses looking to scale efficiently by automating repetitive tasks and improving service quality through AI insights.

16. Gladly

Gladly is a customer service platform designed to prioritize conversations and relationships over traditional ticketing systems.

Unlike most enterprise help desk solutions, which focus on managing individual tickets, Gladly organizes customer interactions into a continuous conversation, regardless of the channel.

This customer-centric approach allows agents to manage all communication—whether through email, phone, chat, social media, SMS, or messaging apps—within a single platform, offering a unified view of each customer’s history and preferences.

With built-in collaboration features, automated workflows, and real-time analytics, Gladly helps businesses scale their customer service operations without sacrificing quality or personalization.

Key Features of Gladly

People-Matching. Matches customer inquiries with the best available agent based on factors like agent expertise, previous interactions, and the nature of the request.

Built-in Voice. Gladly offers integrated voice support, eliminating the need for third-party tools. Agents can manage phone conversations alongside other channels within the same platform, and the calls are automatically linked to the customer’s conversation history.
Self-Service Portal. Allows businesses to create a self-service knowledge base where customers can find answers to common questions and resolve issues on their own. The knowledge base is integrated into the omnichannel platform, meaning that agents can also pull articles to share with customers during live interactions.

What Are Some Limitations of Gladly?

Email Integration & Attachment Handling. Unknown email addresses sometimes fail to appear in Gladly, while attachment management is complex, requiring unnecessary downloading and saving steps instead of direct copy-paste functionality [*].
Channel Switching Problem. The system fails to properly redirect between communication channels (email, chat, SMS), causing response delays and incorrect rule-based routing of interactions [*].
Complicated Call Transfer Process. The call transfer process lacks a directory of common transfer numbers, requiring manual phone number entry for each transfer [*].

Gladly Pricing

Hero Package. Starts at $180 per hero/month.
Superhero Package. Starts at $210 per hero/month.

Who is Gladly a Good Fit for?

For businesses looking to increase customer retention.

Gladly is built around the customer, not the ticket, which allows agents to see a complete history of interactions, enabling more personalized and relationship-focused support, perfect for companies aiming to foster customer loyalty.

17. TeamSupport

TeamSupport is a customer support tool built specifically to cater to B2B organizations, offering tools that help manage complex client relationships and streamline the support process.

Unlike typical customer service solutions, TeamSupport promotes collaboration across departments, with features that allow teams to track the lifecycle of issues, prioritize responses, and gain comprehensive visibility into customer accounts.

A standout feature of TeamSupport is its Customer Database, which enables users to access detailed client profiles, view historical interactions, and monitor customer health. This feature integrates with other CRM tools to keep data synchronized and current, providing insights into each customer’s usage trends and satisfaction levels.

Key Features of TeamSupport

Watercooler. Allows agents and teams to collaborate internally on customer tickets, share knowledge, and discuss solutions without involving the customer. Agents can leave private notes, tag team members, and use discussion threads to gather input from colleagues or escalate issues efficiently.
Customer Distress Index (CDI). Scores customers based on recent interactions, issue frequency, and satisfaction levels, giving teams a sense of customer satisfaction trends.
Customer and Company Database. Allows support teams to manage customers on both an individual and company level. The customer database organizes customer details, ticket history, and account information, while the company database provides insights into an organization’s overall health, open issues, and past interactions.

What Are Some Limitations of TeamSupport?

Session Management Issues. Automatic web-based logoff after inactivity disrupts workflow, requiring constant system refreshes to maintain access during command usage and searches [*].
Extensive System Design Flaws. Poor system design limits data representation options, while bug fixes and feature requests face extensive delays. API reliability issues and failed sales promises regarding Dynamics 365 integration have required significant internal development time to compensate.
File Size Restrictions. 25MB video size limit hinders content-sharing capabilities, which is particularly problematic for remote computer control scenarios requiring larger file transfers [*].

TeamSupport Pricing

Chat Support. $29 per agent/month.
Essential Support. $39 per agent/month.
Professional Support. $45 per agent/month.
Enterprise Support. Contact sales.

Who is TeamSupport a Good Fit for?

For businesses needing collaborative support tools.

TeamSupport offers features like ticket collaboration, internal notes, and shared workspaces, enabling support agents to work together more effectively on various customer issues, which is beneficial for teams that require cross-departmental support.

Kustomer — The #1 Freshdesk Alternative

Remember those frustrating moments?

Your team switching between countless tabs trying to piece together customer histories.
Hours lost to manual tasks that should be automated.
Customer conversations falling through the cracks.

We’ve all been there – realizing our current tools just aren’t cutting it anymore.

This is exactly why Kustomer has become the go-to Freshdesk alternative for many businesses.

Instead of ‘band-aid’ solutions, Kustomer offers what modern support teams actually need: a single, intuitive platform that brings everything together.

Why Choose Kustomer?

Simple — Kustomer adapts to your unique needs, not the other way around.

Imagine your agents having every customer interaction, purchase, and detail right at their fingertips – no more frantic searching or asking customers to repeat themselves.

Picture automation that actually works, taking care of routine tasks while your team focuses on what matters most: building genuine connections with customers.

The best part? Kustomer’s AI capabilities work silently in the background — routing tickets intelligently, suggesting responses, and spotting trends before they become problems.

Whether you’re a growing startup drowning in support tickets or an enterprise looking to streamline operations, Kustomer scales seamlessly with your ambitions. And with their dedicated support team by your side, the transition is smoother than you might expect.

Fresh out of options with Freshdesk? Discover what Kustomer can do 👈