Skip to content
ToolGPA

Alternatives · Help Desks

Zendesk alternatives

Zendesk compared with 12 alternatives: Freshdesk, Intercom, Zoho Desk, Help Scout, Front and 7 more.

Zendesk is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). 3 of the 12 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 8 more offer a free trial.

12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 17, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
ZendeskThis toolFree trial · from $19/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
FreshdeskFree trial · from $19/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
IntercomFree trial · from $29/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
Zoho DeskFree plan · from $7/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
Help ScoutFree plan · from $25/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
FrontFree trial · from $25/moTrial onlyWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
ChatbaseFree trial · from $32/moTrial onlyWeb
ChatwootFree plan · from $19/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
DeskproFrom $39/moNoWeb, iOS, Android
eDeskFree trial · from $39/moTrial onlyWeb
GorgiasFree trial · from $10/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
KommunicateFree trial · from $34/moTrial onlyWeb
LiveAgentFree trial · from $15/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android

Price against what you get

Zendesk starts at $19 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 1 of the 10 alternatives on this chart scores higher and starts lower: Zoho Desk.

Gorgias and LiveAgent start lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessZendeskFreshdeskIntercomZoho DeskChatbaseChatwootDeskproeDeskGorgiasLiveAgent

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
The full chart of help desk and live chat tools, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Zendesk

  1. Freshdesk

    Email ticketing help desk with a knowledge base and AI agents

    • Freshdesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually. Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Freshdesk also covers shared inbox.
    • Zendesk also covers live chat.

    Suits: Support teams that work mainly from email

    Freshdesk vs ZendeskFreshdesk pricing and details

  2. Intercom

    Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome

    • Intercom starts at $29 per seat / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Intercom also covers shared inbox.

    Suits: Software and app companies that support customers through in-app chat

    Intercom vs ZendeskIntercom pricing and details

  3. Zoho Desk

    Low-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users

    • Zoho Desk starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Zoho Desk has a free plan. Zendesk does not, though it has a free trial.

    Suits: Small teams wanting a free or low-cost ticketing system

    Zoho Desk vs ZendeskZoho Desk pricing and details

  4. Help Scout

    Shared inbox and help desk with a knowledge base and AI answers

    • Help Scout starts at $25 per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Help Scout has a free plan. Zendesk does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Help Scout also covers shared inbox, workflow automation and AI agents.
    • Zendesk also covers help desk, live chat, help center and AI support agent.

    Suits: Support teams moving off a shared Gmail or Outlook mailbox

    Help Scout vs ZendeskHelp Scout pricing and details

  5. Front

    Shared inbox and customer operations platform with AI and ticketing

    • Front starts at $25 per seat / month, billed annually. Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Only Front lists macOS and Windows apps.
    • Front also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.
    • Zendesk also covers reports, help desk, live chat, help center and AI support agent.

    Suits: Support and operations teams working shared addresses at volume

    Front vs ZendeskFront pricing and details

  6. Chatbase

    Build AI support agents trained on your content, priced by credits

    • Chatbase starts at $32 per month for 700 message credits, billed annually ($40 billed monthly). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Only Zendesk lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Zendesk also covers reports, live chat and help center.

    Suits: Businesses adding an AI agent to their website or messaging apps

    Chatbase vs ZendeskChatbase pricing and details

  7. Chatwoot

    Open-source support inbox you can self-host or use in the cloud

    • Chatwoot starts at $19 per agent / month, billing term not stated. Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Chatwoot has a free plan. Zendesk does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • Chatwoot also covers shared inbox.
    • Zendesk also covers reports and help desk.

    Suits: Teams that want to run their support inbox on their own servers

    Chatwoot vs ZendeskChatwoot pricing and details

  8. Deskpro

    Help desk for cloud or self-hosted use, with seat minimums

    • Deskpro starts at $39 per agent / month, billed annually (minimum 5 agents). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Deskpro is self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • Zendesk also covers reports.

    Suits: Organizations that must keep support data on their own servers

    Deskpro vs ZendeskDeskpro pricing and details

  9. eDesk

    Help desk for sellers on Amazon, eBay and online stores

    • eDesk starts at $39 per agent / month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Only Zendesk lists iOS and Android apps.
    • eDesk also covers shared inbox.
    • Zendesk also covers reports and help center.

    Suits: Sellers on Amazon, eBay or Walmart as well as their own web store

    eDesk vs ZendeskeDesk pricing and details

  10. Gorgias

    Ecommerce help desk priced by tickets, with a paid-per-use AI agent

    • Gorgias starts at $10 per month for 50 tickets, billed monthly. Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).

    Suits: Shopify and other online stores handling order questions

    Gorgias vs ZendeskGorgias pricing and details

  11. Kommunicate

    AI agents for chat, email and voice with live chat hand-off

    • Kommunicate starts at $34 per month for 250 conversations, billed annually ($40 billed monthly). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
    • Only Zendesk lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Zendesk also covers reports and help center.

    Suits: Teams putting an AI agent in front of an existing help desk

    Kommunicate vs ZendeskKommunicate pricing and details

  12. 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). Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).

    Suits: Teams that answer email, chat and phone from one help desk

    LiveAgent vs ZendeskLiveAgent pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Zendesk

  • Support Team covers email ticketing only; live chat, voice and a help center start at Suite Team, $55 per agent / month billed annually.
  • AI resolutions beyond the included allowance cost $1.50 each on a committed volume or $2.00 each pay-as-you-go.
  • Copilot, which adds Auto Assist and suggested first replies, is an add-on at $50 per agent / month billed annually.
  • Phone numbers and call minutes are billed as add-ons, and Suite Enterprise is sold only through the sales team.
Zendesk pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Zendesk?

The alternatives to Zendesk in this directory are Freshdesk, Intercom, Zoho Desk, Help Scout, Front, Chatbase, Chatwoot, Deskpro, eDesk, Gorgias, Kommunicate and LiveAgent. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Zendesk.

Is there a free alternative to Zendesk?

Yes. Zoho Desk, Help Scout and Chatwoot have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which Zendesk alternatives work on Windows?

The Zendesk listing does not include a Windows app. Front lists one.

Which Zendesk alternatives work on macOS?

The Zendesk listing does not include a macOS app. Front lists one.

Is there an open-source alternative to Zendesk?

Chatwoot is described as open source on its own site.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 4, 2026 to Oct 17, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.