Zoho Desk
Low-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users
Zoho Desk report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for a cheap ticketing help desk for small teams
Zoho Desk is the cheapest proper help desk in this category: free for up to 3 people doing email support, then $7 a user. The higher plans add chat, a knowledge base, phone and a help center in 40+ languages. The catch is how much sits behind Standard and Professional, and its smart AI replies need your own OpenAI key.
Who Zoho Desk is for
- Great if you're a small team that wants a free or very cheap ticketing system
- Handy when you already use Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps
- Good for teams that want phone, chat and email support on one plan, from Professional
Who Zoho Desk is not for
- Tight if you stay free, since it's 3 users and email only
- Skip it if you want built-in AI replies on a cheap plan, as they need your own OpenAI key
- Pricey if lots of people just need to look in, as light agents are $6 a month each on Professional
Why Zoho Desk gets a 3.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyExpress is $7 a user a month billed yearly ($9 monthly), the lowest start among help desks here and under 60% of the cheaper quarter. Standard, which adds chat and a knowledge base, is $14, still in the cheaper quarter.
- BFree plan and trialFree for up to 3 users doing email ticketing from one support address, with no cap on tickets in the listing. A tiny team could live on that, but there's no knowledge base, automation or AI. Paid plans have a 15-day trial with no card.
- BFeaturesTickets from email, social, web forms, chat and WhatsApp, a knowledge base and community forum, AI agents, workflows, Blueprints, phone with IVR and multi-brand help centers. Across the plans, it covers the whole job.
- AEase of use4.7 from 1,636 App Store ratings for the agent app, the top band. Email tickets on the free plan are easy to start with, and the bigger features can wait until you need them.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android, tied into Zoho CRM, Analytics, SalesIQ and Cliq, plus Salesforce, Slack, Jira, Zapier and Google Chat. There's no desktop app, so it stops at a B.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Zoho's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/zoho-desk#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/zoho-desk.svg" alt="Zoho Desk: 3.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Zoho Desk stands among help desk and live chat tools
Zoho Desk's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 19 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 18 of 19) and worst on platforms and integrations (B, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 0 of the 18 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 20 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Zoho Desk’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 16 of 19, level with 3
- BFree plan and trialAbove 18 of 19
- BFeaturesAbove 9 of 19, level with 10
- AEase of useAbove 18 of 19, level with 1
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 19, level with 15
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 19 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Zoho Desk, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Zoho Desk you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.4 is higher than 19 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade. It costs $84 a year.
What you could make
- Help desk, help center and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Zoho CRM, Zoho SalesIQ and Zoho Analytics among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Zoho Desk’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Zoho Desk?
Zoho Desk is a ticketing help desk from Zoho that turns email, social posts, web forms and, on higher plans, chat and phone calls into tickets for a support team. It is priced per user, with a free edition for up to three users, and links to Zoho CRM and the rest of Zoho's apps.
Zoho Desk has a free plan. Paid plans start at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- Small teams wanting a free or low-cost ticketing system
- Businesses already using Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps
- Teams that need phone, chat and email support on one plan
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- Multichannel ticketing
- Email, social posts, web forms and, from Standard, chat and messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram and LINE all become tickets.
- Knowledge base and help center
- A public knowledge base and community forum from Standard, a help center in 40+ languages on Professional and one per brand on Enterprise.
- AI agents and Zia
- AI agents run on Zoho's model or your own key with up to 30M free tokens a month. Zia's built-in AI starts on Professional.
- Automation
- Workflows and escalation rules from Express, with Blueprints for step-by-step processes and round-robin assignment on Professional.
- Phone and IVR
- Professional connects telephony providers for inbound and outbound calls; Enterprise adds a multi-level IVR.
- Zoho app links
- Ties into Zoho CRM, Analytics, Projects, SalesIQ and Cliq, plus Salesforce, Slack, Jira and Zapier.
Zoho Desk pricing
- Starts at
- $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Free edition: email ticketing for up to 3 users with one support email address. No knowledge base, automation, SLAs or AI features.
- Free trial
- 15-day free trial of any paid plan, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Email ticketing for up to 3 users with one support email address. |
| Express | $7per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly) | Up to 5 users. Email, Instagram, Facebook and X tickets, web forms, AI agents, workflows, escalations and contact management. |
| Standard | $14per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) | Unlimited users. Adds a live chat widget, WhatsApp and other messaging apps, an answer bot, a public knowledge base, a community forum and custom reports. |
| Professional | $23per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly) | Adds phone support through telephony providers, Zia AI, Blueprints, departments, round-robin assignment, a help center in 40+ languages and webhooks. |
| Enterprise | $40per user / month, billed annually ($50 billed monthly) | Adds Zoho SalesIQ live chat, guided conversations, skill-based assignment, IVR, multi-brand help centers, custom modules, a sandbox and 50 free light agents. |
Read from zoho.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Zoho Desk before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave up to 34% with yearly billing
Zoho Desk's pricing page says yearly billing saves up to 34%: Professional is $23 per user a month billed annually against $35 billed monthly.
Stated on zoho.com - NonprofitSpecial pricing for nonprofits
The pricing FAQ says Zoho offers special pricing to nonprofit organizations. The discount is not stated on the page.
Stated on zoho.com - EducationSpecial pricing for educational institutions
The pricing FAQ says Zoho offers special pricing to educational institutions. The discount is not stated on the page.
Stated on zoho.com
How people rate the Zoho Desk app
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars85%
- 4 stars8%
- 3 stars3%
- 2 stars1%
- 1 star3%
1,636 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Zoho CRM
- Zoho SalesIQ
- Zoho Analytics
- Salesforce
- Slack
- Jira
- Zapier
- Google Chat
Zoho Desk alternatives
- Zoho Desk vs Freshdesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
- Zoho Desk vs Zendesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
- Zoho Desk vs Help Scout
Free plan · from $25/mo
- Zoho Desk vs LiveAgent
Free trial · from $15/mo
- Zoho Desk vs Deskpro
From $39/mo
Common questions
Is Zoho Desk free?
Zoho Desk has a free plan. Free edition: email ticketing for up to 3 users with one support email address. No knowledge base, automation, SLAs or AI features. Paid plans start at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
How much does Zoho Desk cost?
Zoho Desk lists 5 plans. Free: $0. Express: $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly). Standard: $14 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly). Professional: $23 per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly). Enterprise: $40 per user / month, billed annually ($50 billed monthly). Prices were read from zoho.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does Zoho Desk work on?
Zoho Desk is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Zoho Desk offer any discounts?
Zoho Desk publicly lists the following: Save up to 34% with yearly billing; Special pricing for nonprofits; Special pricing for educational institutions.
How is Zoho Desk rated?
Zoho Desk's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1,636 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Zoho Desk have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Zoho Desk is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Zoho Desk have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Zoho Desk is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Zoho Desk open source?
Zoho Desk is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does Zoho Desk integrate with?
Zoho Desk's listing names Zoho CRM, Zoho SalesIQ, Zoho Analytics, Salesforce, Slack, Jira, Zapier and Google Chat. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Zoho Desk have a student discount?
Special pricing for educational institutions. The pricing FAQ says Zoho offers special pricing to educational institutions. The discount is not stated on the page.
Does Zoho Desk have a free trial?
Yes. 15-day free trial of any paid plan, no credit card required.
Who makes Zoho Desk?
Zoho Desk is made by Zoho Corporation.
What are the alternatives to Zoho Desk?
The closest alternatives to Zoho Desk in our directory are Freshdesk, Zendesk, Help Scout, LiveAgent and Deskpro. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Zoho Desk.
How does Zoho Desk compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Zoho Desk's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 19 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade. It stands best on ease of use (A, above 18 of 19) and worst on platforms and integrations (B, above 0).
Is Zoho Desk good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Zoho Desk A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $7 a month for each person, against a middle price of $24.17 for the category: 0 of the 18 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Could I make my own version of Zoho Desk?
To replace Zoho Desk you would be making an AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.4 is higher than 19 of the 19 other help desk and live chat tools we grade. It costs $84 a year. What you could not make: An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles. A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.