Hesk vs UVdesk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, UVdesk grades higher than Hesk: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hesk grades higher on value for money. UVdesk grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and 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
UVdesk
Open-source help desk for online stores with hosted Pro and Enterprise
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 UVdesk if
- Fits if you sell online and want a help desk tied to your store
- Works for a developer who can run a PHP app on their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as the free edition is self-managed
- Tight if you're one person on hosted, because it needs at least 2 agents
- Watch out: the pricing page shows Pro and Enterprise feature lists in short form, so check the plan comparison
- Watch out: full portal customization and unlimited mailboxes need Enterprise at $15 an agent
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAHeskFair | 2.6GPAUVdeskGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BHosted Pro is $8 per agent a month billed annually, but sold in a minimum of 2 agents, so the floor is $16 a month, inside the cheapest quarter ($19). One person pays that. |
| 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. | BThe open-source edition is free with unlimited agents, and Pro and Enterprise have a 30-day trial. Self-hosting means you pay for the server. |
| 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 aimed at ecommerce sellers, with ecommerce integrations, agent reports and a form builder on Pro. The pricing page shows the feature lists only in short form. |
| 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, and the free edition is a PHP app you install and keep running yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations on record. | BWeb only, with 8 listed integrations. No phone or desktop app on record. |
| Best for | a small team wanting a plain ticket system | an ecommerce help desk you can host yourself |
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 UVdesk. 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. UVdesk starts at $8 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
UVdesk scores higher and starts $21.99 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 35 score higher than Hesk for less, and 3 score higher than UVdesk 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
- UVdesk is open source, according to its own site.
- Hesk also covers ticketing.
- UVdesk also covers shared inbox and forms.
At a glance
| Hesk | UVdesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud) | $8 per agent / month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Hesk Free: install it on your own PHP/MySQL server at no cost; you handle hosting, updates and backups. | UVdesk Open Source: free to download and host on your own server, with unlimited agents. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of Pro and Enterprise |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Hesk | Webkul Software Pvt Ltd |
| Price read from | hesk.com | uvdesk.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.
UVdesk
- Hosted plans need at least 2 agents.
- Free open-source installs are self-managed: you run the server and updates.
- The pricing page shows the Pro and Enterprise feature lists in short form, so check the plan comparison before choosing.
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.
UVdesk
- Ticket management
- Email, website forms and marketplace messages become tickets, with workflow rules, saved replies and agent privileges.
- Ecommerce order lookup
- Apps fetch order details from stores such as Magento, Shopify, OpenCart, PrestaShop and WordPress so agents see the order beside the ticket.
- Marketplace channels
- Connects marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Flipkart, plus mailboxes like Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail.
- Form builder
- Design contact, feedback and suggestion forms for a website; the form builder app comes with Pro.
- Knowledgebase
- A knowledgebase is part of the product; the Enterprise plan makes it unlimited.
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.
UVdesk
Open Source$0
Free forever with unlimited agents. You host it on your own server and manage it yourself.
Pro$8
per agent / month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly)
Hosted, minimum 2 agents. Adds ecommerce multichannel integration, agent performance reports, form builder and file viewer apps, and data import.
Enterprise$15
per agent / month, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)
Hosted, minimum 2 agents. Adds full portal customization, unlimited mailboxes and an unlimited knowledgebase.
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.
UVdesk
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hesk or UVdesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hesk starts at $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud), and UVdesk starts at $8 per agent / month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Hesk or UVdesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hesk and UVdesk have a free plan.
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.