Best tools · Customer Support
Best help desk software
Ticketing and shared inbox for support teams. 5 tools in this list, 2 with a free plan.
How this list is ranked. Tools are ordered by how strongly they are built for this job (as tagged in VERILO’s catalogue), then by editorial score and editor rating. Affiliate relationships and featured status are never inputs.
- 01
Zendesk
Built for itEnterprise-grade help desk with ticketing, messaging, voice and a help center on per-agent pricing.
4.5From $19/moFree trial- This is a core use case of the product.
- Includes AI agents, Workflow automation, API access
- 02
Help Scout
Built for itEmail-style shared inbox, knowledge base and chat widget for support teams, priced by contacts helped.
4.3From $50/moFree plan- This is a core use case of the product.
- Includes AI assistant, Workflow automation, API access
- 03
Freshdesk
Built for itTicket-based help desk from Freshworks with per-agent plans, a knowledge base on every tier and a 14-day trial.
4.1From $19/moFree trial- This is a core use case of the product.
- Includes AI assistant, Roles & permissions, Workflow automation
- 04
Intercom
Good at itChat-first customer service platform with a shared inbox, help center and the Fin AI agent.
4.4From $29/moFree trial- Well supported, though not the product's main focus.
- Includes AI agents, Workflow automation, API access
- 05
Crisp
Good at itAll-in-one customer messaging platform with live chat, shared inbox and chatbots, priced per workspace.
3.9From $45/moFree plan- Well supported, though not the product's main focus.
- Includes AI agents, Workflow automation, API access
How to choose
Start with the channel your customers actually use. Zendesk and Freshdesk are ticketing systems built around email and web forms, with Zendesk adding chat, voice and messaging in its Suite. Intercom and Crisp start from chat. Help Scout keeps support feeling like email, with a shared inbox rather than a ticket queue.
Then check how you will be billed. Zendesk, Freshdesk and Intercom price per agent or seat, Help Scout by contacts helped with unlimited users, and Crisp per workspace with a set number of seats — so the cheapest option depends on whether you have many staff or many customers.
Price the features you will need in a year, not on day one. SLAs, skills-based routing and advanced reporting are commonly gated behind higher tiers, and AI agents are increasingly billed on top of seat fees.
Common questions
- Which help desk tools have a free plan?
- None of the help desk tools with checked pricing has a free plan. Zendesk (14 days), Freshdesk (14 days) and Intercom (14 days) offer a free trial instead. Pricing for Help Scout and Crisp has not been checked against the vendor in the last 90 days, so they are not included.
- How much does help desk software cost?
- The entry paid plans as each vendor lists them, checked against its pricing page: Freshdesk Growth at $19 per user a month, Zendesk Support Team at $19 per user a month and Intercom Essential at $29 per user a month. Some vendors quote the annual-billing rate, and seat minimums, higher tiers and add-ons all change the real cost, so price the plan you actually need. Pricing for Help Scout and Crisp has not been checked against the vendor in the last 90 days, so they are not included.
- Do I need a ticketing system or a shared inbox?
- A shared inbox is enough while a few people answer email together and nobody needs formal SLAs; Help Scout is built for that. Once you need queues, routing rules, SLAs and reporting across several channels, a ticketing system such as Zendesk or Freshdesk earns its setup time.
- Which help desk suits a small team?
- Freshdesk's entry plan includes a knowledge base and sets up quickly, Help Scout suits a handful of staff who want an email-like inbox with unlimited users, and Crisp suits chat-first startups on a flat budget. Zendesk is built for support teams of ten or more agents handling high volumes.
Choosing between the top two?
See Zendesk and Help Scout side by side on pricing, free plans, ease of use and features.
Compare Zendesk vs Help Scout5 tools compared. Each listing shows when its information was last reviewed; prices can change, so check the vendor’s pricing page before you decide.