Hesk vs Jitbit Help Desk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hesk grades higher than Jitbit Help Desk: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hesk grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Jitbit Help Desk grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hesk
PHP help desk you host yourself, or a flat-fee cloud version
Jitbit Help Desk
Ticketing system with cloud plans and a self-hosted license
Which one is for you
Pick Hesk if
- Fits if you want a basic ticket system with no per-agent fee
- Works for a team with a server and someone to run it
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you have no server or tech help, because the free edition includes no hosting, installation or backups
- Too light for a team that wants automation and integrations, as none are on record
- Watch out: a licence only removes branding links and adds support, it unlocks no features
- Watch out: on Hesk Cloud, email-to-ticket is off by default and you must contact Hesk to turn it on
Pick Jitbit Help Desk if
- Fits if you are a team of up to 9 agents that wants a hosted help desk
- Works for IT teams that also want asset tracking
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as the hosted edition has only a trial
- Tight if you grow, with hosted plans capped at 1, 4, 7 and 9 agents and extra agents on Enterprise at $29 each
- Watch out: self-hosted updates and support last 12 months, and renewing costs 50% within 60 days of expiry and 80% after
- Watch out: self-hosted AI features are a $999 add-on and need version 11.22 or newer
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAHeskFair | 2.2GPAJitbit Help DeskFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ACloud is $29.99 a month for up to 10 agents, about $6 a seat for a team of five, under 60% of the $19 where support tools start. The self-hosted licences are $49.99 and $199.99 once. | CFreelancer is $24.92 a month for 1 agent on annual billing, between the $19 and $29 of the support middle. Startup is $58.25 for 4 agents. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free edition costs nothing to install on your own PHP and MySQL server. You handle hosting, updates and backups, so it is free only if you have a server. | C21-day free trial of the hosted desk, no card needed. No free plan. |
| Features | CTickets, a built-in knowledge base, self-hosted or cloud, language packs. Some cloud-only modules, such as escalation and surveys, cannot move to a self-hosted install. | CTicketing, a knowledge base, canned responses, AI features, assets, a custom domain and apps. Agent counts are capped on each hosted plan. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. The free edition needs a PHP and MySQL server and you run the install. | CNo store rating on record. Email, forms and rules take setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations on record. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with 5 integrations on record. |
| Best for | a small team wanting a plain ticket system | a small team wanting a hosted ticket system |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hesk and Jitbit Help Desk. How we grade
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. Jitbit Help Desk starts at $24.92 a month and scores 2.3.
Jitbit Help Desk scores higher and starts $5.07 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 35 score higher than Hesk for less, and 14 score higher than Jitbit Help Desk for less.
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
Where they differ
- Jitbit Help Desk also covers live chat.
At a glance
| Hesk | Jitbit Help Desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud) | $24.92 per month for 1 agent, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Hesk Free: install it on your own PHP/MySQL server at no cost; you handle hosting, updates and backups. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 21-day free trial of the hosted help desk, no card needed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Hesk | Jitbit |
| Price read from | hesk.com | jitbit.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Jitbit Help Desk
- The cloud edition has no free plan, only a 21-day trial.
- Hosted plans cap the agent count: 1, 4, 7 and 9, with extra agents on Enterprise at $29 each.
- Self-hosted updates and support last 12 months; renewing costs 50% of the plan price within 60 days of expiry, 80% after.
- The self-hosted AI features are a separate add-on at $999 one-time, and need version 11.22 or newer.
Key features
Hesk
- Ticket management
- Customers submit tickets that staff track, assign and answer, with canned responses and automatic assignment to cut repeat typing.
- Built-in knowledge base
- A self-help knowledge base sits alongside the ticket form so customers can find answers before they write in.
- Self-hosted or cloud
- Run it on your own PHP/MySQL hosting, or choose Hesk Cloud in a US, EU or Australian data center.
- Flat pricing without per-agent fees
- Cloud plans set a staff limit (10, 50 or 200 agents) and a flat monthly or yearly price, rather than charging each agent.
- Cloud-only modules
- Cloud Pro and MAX add escalation, survey and recurring-ticket modules; the site says some modules are not available self-hosted.
- Language packs
- The site lists packs for more than 35 languages that can be enabled in the admin settings.
Jitbit Help Desk
- Ticketing by email and chat
- Two-way email integration turns messages into tickets, and a live chat widget on the website feeds the same queue.
- Knowledge base and canned responses
- A knowledge base module and reusable canned responses reduce repeat answers, with tagging and ticket categories for organizing work.
- AI features
- Hosted plans from Startup up include unlimited AI credits, and the self-hosted edition offers an add-on for AI replies drawn from your knowledge base.
- Asset management
- Asset tracking sits alongside tickets, and the self-hosted pricing page lists Active Directory, SAML/SSO and an API on every plan.
- Mobile apps and custom domain
- Free iOS and Android apps send push notifications for new chats and emails, and every hosted plan can use your own domain.
Plans
Hesk
Hesk Free$0
Self-hosted help desk and knowledge base on your own server, with Powered by Hesk links shown.
Hesk Cloud$29.99
per month for up to 10 agents, billed monthly
Hosted by Hesk with 10 GB of uploads, unlimited tickets and a statistics module. $299 a year if prepaid.
Hesk Cloud Pro$49.99
per month for up to 50 agents, billed monthly
Adds escalate and survey modules and recurring tickets, with 50 GB of uploads. $499 a year if prepaid.
Hesk Cloud MAX$99.99
per month for up to 200 agents, billed monthly
Everything in Pro for large teams, with 200 GB of uploads. $999 a year if prepaid.
Website License$49.99
one-time, one self-hosted installation
Removes the Powered by Hesk branding and adds a year of email support; unlocks no new features.
Advanced License$199.99
one-time, five self-hosted installations
Branding removal on five installations and five years of support from the Hesk team.
Jitbit Help Desk
Freelancer$24.92
per month for 1 agent, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
One agent with unlimited storage, a custom domain and the mobile apps.
Startup$58.25
per month for up to 4 agents, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)
Four agents, plus unlimited AI credits.
Company$108.25
per month for up to 7 agents, billed annually ($129 billed monthly)
Seven agents, downloadable backups and the option to hide the Powered by Jitbit link.
Enterprise$208.25
per month for up to 9 agents, billed annually ($249 billed monthly)
Nine agents with $29 for each extra, expedited support, and HIPAA compliance with a BAA.
Self-hosted$2,490
one-time for 10 agents, with 12 months of updates
Perpetual license on your own servers at $249 per agent; every feature is included in every tier.
Ways to pay less
Hesk
- Annual discount
Prepay a year of Hesk Cloud and save
Annual prepayment costs $299 (Cloud), $499 (Pro) or $999 (MAX), which the page says saves $60, $100 and $200 against monthly billing.
Jitbit Help Desk
- Annual discount
Lower monthly rate on annual billing
Annual billing lowers each hosted plan, for example Freelancer from $29 to $24.92 a month and Enterprise from $249 to $208.25.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hesk or Jitbit Help Desk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Jitbit Help Desk is cheaper to start with: $24.92 a month, against $29.99 a month for Hesk. Hesk starts at $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud), and Jitbit Help Desk starts at $24.92 per month for 1 agent, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Hesk or Jitbit Help Desk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hesk has a free plan. Jitbit Help Desk does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Hesk and Jitbit Help Desk run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Jitbit Help Desk lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.