Alternatives · Help Desks
Hesk alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded Hesk alternative is Zammad (2.8 GPA). It's also the best free one.
Hesk compared with 8 alternatives: osTicket, FreeScout, UVdesk, Zammad, LiveAgent and 3 more.
Hesk has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud). 5 of the 8 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 3 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Hesk sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| HeskThis tool | Free plan · from $29.99/mo | Yes | Web |
| osTicket | Free plan · from $12/mo | Yes | Web |
| FreeScout | Free | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| UVdesk | Free plan · from $8/mo | Yes | Web |
| Zammad | Free plan · from €7/mo | Yes | Web |
| LiveAgent | Free trial · from $15/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Faveo Helpdesk | Free plan · from $6/mo | Yes | Web |
| Jitbit Help Desk | Free trial · from $24.92/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| SupportPal | Free trial · from $29.95/mo | Trial only | Web |
Price against what you get
Hesk starts at $29.99 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 7 of the 8 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: FreeScout, UVdesk, Zammad, LiveAgent, Faveo Helpdesk, Jitbit Help Desk and 1 more.
osTicket starts lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Hesk
osTicket
Open-source support ticketing, self-hosted or as a cloud edition
- osTicket starts at $12 per agent / month, for the cloud-hosted edition (billing basis not stated).
- osTicket is open source, according to its own site.
- osTicket also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.
- osTicket does not cover help center and ticketing, which Hesk does.
Suits: Teams with a server and an admin who want ticketing with no license fee
FreeScout
Free open-source help desk and shared mailbox you host yourself
- FreeScout is free.
- FreeScout also lists iOS and Android apps.
- FreeScout is open source, according to its own site.
- FreeScout also covers shared inbox and live chat.
- FreeScout does not cover ticketing, which Hesk does.
Suits: Teams that want a free help desk and can run their own server
UVdesk
Open-source help desk for online stores with hosted Pro and Enterprise
- UVdesk starts at $8 per agent / month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly).
- UVdesk is open source, according to its own site.
- UVdesk also covers shared inbox and forms.
- UVdesk does not cover ticketing, which Hesk does.
Suits: Online sellers who need orders shown next to support tickets
Zammad
Open-source help desk, hosted in Germany or run on your own server
- Zammad starts at €7 per agent / month, billed annually (€9 billed monthly).
- Zammad is open source, according to its own site.
- Zammad also covers shared inbox and live chat.
- Zammad does not cover help center and ticketing, which Hesk does.
Suits: Teams that must keep ticket data in Germany or on their own servers
LiveAgent
Help desk with email tickets, live chat, call center and AI agents
- LiveAgent starts at $15 per agent / month, billed annually ($19 billed monthly).
- LiveAgent has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Hesk.
- LiveAgent also lists iOS and Android apps.
- LiveAgent also covers reports, live chat and AI support agent.
- LiveAgent does not cover ticketing, which Hesk does.
Suits: Teams that answer email, chat and phone from one help desk
Faveo Helpdesk
Help desk and service desk, cloud-hosted or self-hosted
- Faveo Helpdesk starts at $6 per agent / month, billed annually ($7 billed monthly).
- Faveo Helpdesk is open source, according to its own site.
- Faveo Helpdesk also covers workflow automation and reports.
- Faveo Helpdesk does not cover help center, which Hesk does.
Suits: Small teams that fit a free plan limited to 2 agents
Jitbit Help Desk
Ticketing system with cloud plans and a self-hosted license
- Jitbit Help Desk starts at $24.92 per month for 1 agent, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
- Jitbit Help Desk has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Hesk.
- Jitbit Help Desk also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Jitbit Help Desk also covers live chat.
Suits: Small teams that want a hosted help desk priced by agent count
SupportPal
Self-hosted help desk with flat pricing and unlimited agents
- SupportPal starts at $29.95 per month, self-hosted license for unlimited operators.
- SupportPal has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Hesk.
- SupportPal also covers shared inbox.
Suits: Teams that must keep help desk data on their own server
Limits worth knowing in Hesk
- The free edition includes no hosting, installation, backups or email-to-ticket setup; the license does not cover them either.
- A license only removes branding links and adds support; it activates no new features.
- Cloud-only features such as the escalate and survey modules cannot be exported to a self-hosted install.
- Email-to-ticket on Hesk Cloud is switched off by default and has to be enabled by contacting Hesk.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Hesk?
The alternatives to Hesk in this directory are osTicket, FreeScout, UVdesk, Zammad, LiveAgent, Faveo Helpdesk, Jitbit Help Desk and SupportPal. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Hesk.
Is there a free alternative to Hesk?
Yes. FreeScout is free to use. osTicket, UVdesk, Zammad and Faveo Helpdesk have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Hesk alternatives work on Android?
The Hesk listing does not include an Android app. FreeScout, LiveAgent and Jitbit Help Desk list one.
Which Hesk alternatives work on iOS?
The Hesk listing does not include an iOS app. FreeScout, LiveAgent and Jitbit Help Desk list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Hesk?
osTicket, FreeScout, UVdesk, Zammad and Faveo Helpdesk are described as open source on their own sites.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Nov 2, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.