Alternatives · Help Desks
Zoho Desk alternatives
Zoho Desk compared with 5 alternatives: Freshdesk, Zendesk, Help Scout, LiveAgent and Deskpro.
Zoho Desk has a free plan. Paid plans start at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly). 1 of the 5 alternatives is free or has a free plan. 3 more offer a free trial.
5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 17, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho DeskThis tool | Free plan · from $7/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Freshdesk | Free trial · from $19/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Zendesk | Free trial · from $19/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Help Scout | Free plan · from $25/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| LiveAgent | Free trial · from $15/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Deskpro | From $39/mo | No | Web, iOS, Android |
Price against what you get
Zoho Desk starts at $7 a month for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
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 Zoho Desk
- Free trial · from $19/mo
Freshdesk
Email ticketing help desk with a knowledge base and AI agents
- Freshdesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually. Zoho Desk starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
- Zoho Desk has a free plan. Freshdesk does not, though it has a free trial.
- Freshdesk also covers shared inbox.
- Zoho Desk also covers live chat.
Suits: Support teams that work mainly from email
- Free trial · from $19/mo
Zendesk
Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams
- Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). Zoho Desk starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
- Zoho Desk has a free plan. Zendesk does not, though it has a free trial.
Suits: Support teams handling email, chat and phone in one queue
- Free plan · from $25/mo
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). Zoho Desk starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
- Help Scout also covers shared inbox, workflow automation and AI agents.
- Zoho Desk also covers help desk, live chat, help center and AI support agent.
Suits: Support teams moving off a shared Gmail or Outlook mailbox
- Free trial · from $15/mo
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). Zoho Desk starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
- Zoho Desk has a free plan. LiveAgent does not, though it has a free trial.
Suits: Teams that answer email, chat and phone from one help desk
- From $39/mo
Deskpro
Help desk for cloud or self-hosted use, with seat minimums
- Deskpro starts at $39 per agent / month, billed annually (minimum 5 agents). Zoho Desk starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
- Zoho Desk has a free plan. Deskpro does not.
- Deskpro is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Zoho Desk also covers reports.
Suits: Organizations that must keep support data on their own servers
Limits worth knowing in Zoho Desk
- The Free edition stops at 3 users and email only, and Express stops at 5 users.
- A public knowledge base, the chat widget and WhatsApp start on Standard; telephony starts on Professional.
- Generative AI features such as smart replies need your own OpenAI API key; Zia's built-in AI starts on Professional.
- Light agents who only view and comment cost $6 a month each on Professional; Enterprise includes 50.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Zoho Desk?
The alternatives to Zoho Desk in this directory are Freshdesk, Zendesk, Help Scout, LiveAgent and Deskpro. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Zoho Desk.
Is there a free alternative to Zoho Desk?
Yes. Help Scout has a free plan alongside paid ones.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 17, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.