Who are Zoho's main competitors?
Zoho's main competitors include several customer service and support platforms that offer similar features and functionalities. Some of the prominent ones are:
Top Zoho Alternatives for 2025
Looking for alternatives to Zoho for your customer service needs? Here are some top free and paid options to consider:
HelpDesk
HelpDesk is a customer service software that enables businesses to provide personalized customer support. It offers features such as ticket management, automation, reporting, and integrations with other tools like LiveChat or ChatBot. HelpDesk aims to streamline customer communications and improve satisfaction through its user-friendly interface and customizable workflows. The platform is designed to help companies promptly manage and resolve customer inquiries and issues.
Key Features
Key HelpDesk features are ticket management, AI-powered tools, intuitive workflows, end-to-end system personalization, and customizable reporting features.
Pros of HelpDesk
The most important advantages of this tool are a user-friendly interface, seamless integration with other systems, and exceptional customer support.
Pricing
HelpDesk offers a 14-day free trial. After that, you can choose one of its plans.
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Zendesk
Zendesk is a customer service software company that provides a cloud-based customer service platform designed to help businesses build better customer relationships. Their platform includes tools for customer support like help desk ticketing or live chat. Zendesk aims to make it easy for companies to support their customers across multiple channels, including email, phone, chat, and social media. Their software is scalable and customizable to fit the needs of businesses of all sizes. Additionally, Zendesk offers analytics and reporting tools to help companies track and improve their customer service performance.
Key Features
Zendesk's key functionalities include multichannel support, AI-powered automation, workforce management, and customizable reporting and analytics tools.
Pros
The most important advantages of this tool are its ease of use, customizable options, and ability to centralize customer interactions for seamless customer service management.
Pricing
Zendesk offers a free trial of their customer service software for startups. Pricing information can be found at https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/.
Freshdesk
Freshworks is a cloud-based customer support software that assists businesses in managing customer interactions across various channels such as email, phone, chat, and social media. The Freshdesk platform equips businesses with tools to streamline and automate customer support procedures, enhancing efficiency and customer satisfaction. Freshworks provides a wide range of features, including ticketing, self-service portals, knowledge base management, and analytics, all designed to help businesses deliver personalized and effective customer support on a large scale.
Key Features
Key Freshworks features are ticketing system, automation, collaboration, reporting, and self-service options to streamline customer support operations.
Pros
The most important advantages of this tool include its easy-to-use interface, powerful features, and seamless integrations with various platforms.
Pricing
Freshworks offers a free trial for their tools. For pricing information, visit: https://www.freshworks.com/pricing/.
HappyFox
HappyFox is a customer support software company offering a help desk platform to streamline and automate customer service processes. It allows businesses to manage customer inquiries, tickets, and feedback from multiple channels in one centralized platform. Features include ticket management, automation, knowledge base management, reporting and analytics, and integration with other business tools. HappyFox aims to improve efficiency, reduce response times, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Key Features
Key HappyFox features are ticket management, live chat support, and knowledge base creation for seamless customer support.
Pros
The most important advantages of this tool include streamlining customer support workflows, providing a centralized platform for managing tickets, and offering robust reporting and analytics features to improve customer service efficiency.
Pricing
HappyFox offers a demo and free trial. For pricing information, visit their website at: https://www.happyfox.com/pricing/.
HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that offers tools to attract, engage, and delight customers. It includes marketing, sales, customer service, content management, and analytics tools to help businesses grow through insights, automation, and scalability. The focus is on inbound marketing strategies to attract and convert leads into loyal customers, making it a comprehensive solution for improving customer relationships and driving growth. Additionally, HubSpot's AI-powered customer platform connects marketing, sales, and customer service, enabling businesses to grow faster by focusing on their customers.
Key Features
Key HubSpot features are lead generation, email marketing automation, social media management, and customer relationship management.
Pros
The most important advantages of this tool are its ease of use, comprehensive features, and ability to streamline marketing, sales, and customer service processes.
Pricing
Yes, HubSpot offers a free trial for their software. You can find pricing information at: https://www.hubspot.com/pricing.
Kayako
Kayako is a customer service software company that provides a help desk and live chat platform for businesses to better communicate with and support their customers. The platform allows businesses to manage customer inquiries, provide self-service options, and collaborate internally to resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently. Kayako aims to help companies build stronger customer relationships by providing a seamless and personalized customer service experience.
Key Features
- Omnichannel support (live chat, email, social media, and phone).
- Collaboration tools to enhance team communication.
- Powerful analytics to track performance and customer satisfaction.
- Automated ticketing and routing.
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface.
- Strong reporting and analytics capabilities.
- Excellent for collaborative customer service teams.
Cons
- Limited integration options compared to other platforms.
- Some users find the setup process to be a bit complex.
Pricing
Starts at $15 per agent per month for the Basic plan. Free 14-day trial available.
Crisp
Crisp is a customer messaging platform that allows businesses to communicate with their customers through live chat, email, and social media channels. It offers chatbots, a knowledge base, and team inbox features to help businesses provide personalized and efficient customer support. Crisp also includes analytics and integrations with other tools to help companies improve their customer service and sales processes.
Key Features
- Multichannel customer messaging platform (live chat, email, SMS, social media).
- Knowledge base integration for self-service support.
- Shared inbox for team collaboration.
- Chatbot capabilities and automated workflows.
Pros
- Affordable and intuitive, especially for small to medium-sized businesses.
- Co-browsing feature allows real-time assistance.
- Scalable for businesses of various sizes.
Cons
- Fewer advanced features compared to enterprise-level tools like Intercom.
- Limited integrations with third-party platforms.
Pricing
Starts at $25 per month for the Pro plan.
Front
Front is a collaborative inbox for teams that consolidates all external communication channels into one platform. It enables teams to manage emails, chats, SMS, social media, and more in a single location, simplifying the process of addressing customer inquiries and collaborating seamlessly. Front is compatible with Slack, Salesforce, and Google Drive, streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity. With features such as shared inboxes, automation, and analytics, Front is designed to facilitate more efficient and effective team communication.
Key Features
- Shared inbox for team collaboration on customer communications.
- Supports email, chat, SMS, and social media in one platform.
- Workflow automation and routing rules to streamline operations.
- Detailed analytics for tracking team performance and customer satisfaction.
Pros
- Excellent for collaborative customer support teams.
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface.
- Strong focus on personalized customer communication.
Cons
- Limited advanced automation compared to other platforms.
- Can be costly for larger teams.
Pricing
The Starter plan starts at $19 per user per month. Enterprise pricing is available for large-scale operations.
Hiver
Hiver is a collaborative email management platform that allows teams to manage shared inboxes from their Gmail. It aims to streamline email communication, enabling teams to work together on resolving customer issues, managing sales leads, and collaborating on projects directly from their inbox. Hiver provides features such as email delegation, shared email templates, and email assignments to help teams collaborate effectively and increase productivity.
Key Features
- Transforms Gmail into a collaborative help desk.
- Shared inboxes for email collaboration.
- Automation for ticket assignments and follow-ups.
- Reporting tools to track team performance.
- SLA tracking and collision detection to avoid duplicate responses.
Pros
- Ideal for teams already using Gmail.
- No need for external software integration.
- Simple and intuitive to use.
Cons
- Limited features compared to full-fledged help desk solutions.
- Lacks multichannel support beyond email.
Pricing
The Lite plan starts at $15 per user per month. Free trial available.
Who should choose Zoho Desk and why?
Zoho Desk is a robust, AI-powered help desk software part of the Zoho ecosystem. It is designed to help businesses of all sizes manage customer inquiries efficiently across multiple channels. Zoho Desk’s affordable pricing, scalability, and integration capabilities make it popular for businesses aiming to deliver excellent customer service.
Who should choose Zoho Desk?
- Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs):
- Tidio offers affordable pricing plans and essential tools for businesses with limited budgets.
- Its intuitive interface ensures that even non-technical users can quickly set up and manage the platform.
- E-commerce businesses:
- With integration options for platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, Tidio is an excellent choice for online stores.
- Features like cart abandonment reminders, visitor tracking, and proactive chat help increase sales and conversions.
- Customer support teams:
- Tidio’s live chat, chatbot, and ticketing system make it a great tool for teams that want to provide quick, effective support across multiple channels.
- Automating repetitive tasks with chatbots allows teams to focus on resolving complex customer queries.
- Startups:
- Tidio’s free plan and affordable paid options allow startups to engage customers and scale operations without significant upfront costs.
- As startups grow, Tidio’s scalability ensures it can handle increased customer interaction volumes.
- Businesses looking for multichannel communication:
- Tidio enables communication through live chat, email, and Facebook Messenger, centralizing customer interactions in one platform.
- Its mobile app ensures that support teams can stay connected and responsive on the go.
- Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs):
- Zoho Desk offers budget-friendly pricing plans with a wide range of features, making it an excellent choice for SMBs with limited budgets.
- Its intuitive interface ensures that small teams can easily set up and manage the platform.
- Businesses using Zoho Suite:
- Zoho Desk integrates seamlessly with other Zoho applications, such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Analytics.
- Companies already using Zoho tools can benefit from the unified ecosystem to streamline operations.
- Support teams managing multichannel inquiries:
- Zoho Desk consolidates customer interactions from email, chat, social media, and phone into a single platform, making it ideal for teams handling multichannel support.
- Teams seeking automation and AI capabilities:
- With its Zia AI assistant, Zoho Desk offers intelligent features like sentiment analysis, ticket prioritization, and automated responses, allowing support teams to save time and focus on complex tasks.
- Remote teams:
- Zoho Desk’s cloud-based nature and mobile apps enable remote support teams to stay connected and responsive from anywhere
Why choose Intercom?
- Cost-effective: Offers affordable plans with powerful features, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.
- Scalability: Zoho Desk grows with your business, providing advanced tools and automation for growing teams.
- AI-powered features: Zia, Zoho Desk’s AI assistant, enhances productivity with workflow automation, sentiment analysis, and smart ticket recommendations.
- Customizable: Highly customizable dashboards, workflows, and ticket fields to meet specific business needs.
- Seamless integration: Works seamlessly with Zoho’s ecosystem and other popular third-party applications, enhancing team productivity.
- Comprehensive reporting: Advanced analytics and reporting tools provide insights into team performance and customer satisfaction, helping businesses make data-driven decisions.
How to transition smoothly to a HelpDesk tool
Transitioning to a new helpdesk tool can be challenging, but with careful planning and execution, you can ensure a smooth migration of your tickets and data.
Migrate for free from Zoho ticketing system
We're here to support you during the entire migration process, offering information about any related costs and, if possible, covering them for you.
