Top 12 Freshdesk Alternatives for Enhanced Customer Support

If you're looking for the best Freshdesk alternatives, they're DevRev, Helpscout, Zendesk, and Salesforce.

In this article, we will dive deep into these tools, their pros, cons, pricing, and more - so that you can thoroughly analyze them and make an informed decision.

But, before we hop onto the Freshdesk alternatives, let's first understand:

What is Freshdesk?

When you think of customer support, one of the first companies that come to mind is Freshdesk.

This platform has helped companies improve their products by bridging the gap between companies and customers.

Freshdesk is a cloud-based software that has improved customer support.

Many companies and enterprises use Freshdesk because of its amazing features and great pricing.

Omnichannel support is one reason Freshdesk has come out on top.

It unites multiple communication channels, such as emails, chats, social media, and more, all on one platform.

Freshdesk also reduces repetitive work with its system of tracking and processing tickets.

It also has outstanding automation thanks to bots that handle repetitive tasks making customer support a breeze.

This makes monitoring opened tickets much easier.

You can understand where to allocate company resources to enhance customer satisfaction with analytics.

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Why should you look for alternatives to Freshdesk?

It's obvious that Freshdesk is a good choice for a customer support system.

But, it is important to understand the competition before choosing a platform.

Here are some reasons customers are looking for Freshdesk alternatives (curated from customer reviews, community forums, etc.)

• The advanced features of Freshdesk are only available on higher-pricing plans, which may not be affordable for everyone
• Some users find Freshdesk to be non-intuitive, making it difficult for them to use the tool
• The integration process on Freshdesk is a bit cumbersome and time-consuming
• A lot of users have shared their woes about how Freshdesk is overwhelming because of too many features, and is one of the popular reasons why they look for Freshdesk alternatives

Factors to consider while choosing a Freshdesk alternative

Freshdesk or its alternatives may not be the best fit for all businesses or users.

Hence, it is important to carefully evaluate the customer service software tools based on some key factors listed below:

• What's your budget for the customer support software?
• What industry do you belong to, and what's the tool that serves your niche the best?
• What are your goals and objectives, and which tool syncs with them?
• What are the features that you are looking for in your customer support tool?

Below is a list of 12 Freshdesk alternatives that are worth considering.

Each software is different, and this article will help you find the best one for your company.

Top Freshdesk alternatives comparison: A quick overview

Here’s a quick summary of Freshdesk alternative comparison.

Top 12 Freshdesk alternatives In 2023

1. DevRev

DevRev, one of the best Freshdesk alternatives, is changing how users interact with developers for the better.

Unlike the other companies in this space, DevRev is the only solution that connects customer conversations to tickets and issues, which ‌are then connected to product features.

Companies using DevRev often cite it as the only platform that truly enables product-led support, a new way to support customers more efficiently.

DevRev is typically used by product-led companies and has a rich set of APIs and automation tools that enable organizations to assign tickets and provide automatic updates to the customers while the work is being performed at the product features level.

The best part is that it is easy to get started.

You can use the PLuG SDK to integrate DevRev into your website or product.

This SDK allows users to interact with developers through a chat box.

The developer can then raise an issue or ticket depending on the severity of the problem.

DevRev acts as a OneCRM, a CRM that focuses on developers.

Developers listen to feedback and work on features that matter to users.

Developers have more ownership interest.

DevRev also has deep integration with popular tools like Slack, GitHub, and more

The above reasons make DevRev a necessary tool for technology startups that want to harness product-led growth.

2. Help Scout

Help Scout is a formidable Freshdesk alternative software used as a yardstick platform to compare other solutions.

Help Scout is a product targeted at the midsize and small businesses segment.

It is a straightforward product that even small teams can operate without complications.

Help Scout claims that over 80% of midsize businesses that start with Help Scout stick around for four or more years.

It has proved to be a reliable customer support software choice with a responsive and good support team.

Pros

• Help Scout allows businesses to communicate with their customers using multiple ways
• Allows businesses to gain insights on their progress using detailed reports
• Connect Help Scout to your favorite tools, CRMs, and automation software

Cons

• Help Scout does not offer phone support as a channel
• Help Scout does not currently support all languages, which is a drawback for businesses that operate in multiple countries

Pricing

As it offers basic functionality, it is relatively cheaper than other software, and you can start with just $20 a month.

3. Zendesk

Zendesk is one of the most popular Freshdesk alternatives.

With Zendesk Suite, you can access all features that make up a Help Desk service, such as:

• Ticketing
• Handling emails
• Enabling customer conversations over several channels like WhatsApp, chat, calls, SMS, etc.

Pros

• Open API allows for better customizability for your business needs
• Multi-channel support – Email support, live chat support, social media support
• Knowledge base portal and community forums that help you learn how to become a pro-Zendesk user

Cons

• It is quite expensive when compared to other tools. The Support Enterprise plan starts at $99 per agent/per month
• The Zendesk platform is not intuitive. That's why there is a learning curve, and you might need the assistance of a sales representative, which is one of the main reasons why its customers look for Zendesk alternatives.

Overall, Zendesk Suite is a solid product with features centered on ticket management, with some easy-to-set-up automation and workflows.

Pricing

Zendesk Suite Team (the basic option) starts at $49/month/agent.

4. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is a Help Desk option integrated with Salesforce Customer 360 Service.

It is one of the best Freshdesk alternatives.

Salesforce Service provides the following:

• Reports/Analytics
• Case management
• Omnichannel conversation support
• Automation and workflow
• AI-enabled chatbots.

Their enterprise features include field service (covering HelpDesk for mobile operations), omnichannel digital engagement, and employee service.

Pros

• Detailed performance metrics
• Multi-channel support
• Customize according to your needs

Cons

• Expensive
• Administrators, supervisors, and users must need the training to understand some of the application's features.

Pricing

Salesforce Service Cloud starts at just $25/month/agent for their basic ticketing, and their basic[ full package Service CRM starts at $75/month/agent.

5. Live Agent

LiveAgent is an online Help Desk solution for e-commerce businesses at the small and midsize levels.

The platform offers:

• Live chat applications
• Online self-service portals: You can have a live chat ready on your website on the first day.

We know LiveAgent for its excellent loading performance, thanks to its lightweight and simple running application.

WordPress websites have a direct integration available with Live Agent.

It is a ready-to-run application that comes with templates for everything.

Customer emails, Live chat solutions, and ticketing systems have templates, so you need not worry about the setup process, which is great for beginners.

Pros

• Integrations with all your favorite tools such as Zapier, MailChimp, Zendesk, etc.
• Live Agent keeps adding new helpful features
• You can use the Live Agent API
• Easy to use in large teams

Cons

• LiveAgent can be expensive, especially for small businesses or startups with limited budgets
• While LiveAgent provides basic reporting and analytics features, some users may find the options limited compared to other customer service software

Pricing

Live Agent pricing starts at $9/month, and you can have their Chat+Ticket platform at $29/month/agent

6. Intercom

Intercom is a self-proclaimed Engagement OS.

Intercom helps you communicate with your customer through multiple channels, including the product app.

In addition, Intercom has chatbots that can respond with automated messages to your customers.

Because of the omnichannel approach, all customer conversation data stays in one place, leading to better analytics, advanced lead generation, and management. This enables faster and better support thus streamlining the support process.

However, if you want to explore other tools, you can check out Intercom alternatives

Pros

• Easy setup
• Easily integrates with your website or system
• Great for the enterprise that needs a variety of features

Cons

• Bad customer support
• Expensive for smaller businesses. Add-on services are expensive.

Pricing

The starter pack starts at $80/month/agent.

7. Kayako

Kayako is a very popular Help Desk software and is considered one of the significant players in this arena.

According to their website, Kayako has many Fortune 500 companies as its clients, like FedEx, Toshiba, Sega, and others.

Similar to the others, Kayako has features like

• Ticketing
• Incident issues
• Complaint-handling
• Internal Help Desk

Pros

• Flexible pricing system
• High scalability
• Very intuitive design from dashboards, menus, and chats
• Can host Kayako on your own web server environment

Cons

• Infrequent upgrades
• Buggy
• Inadequate customer support

Kayako also prides itself on being a very secure product.

The data of your customers is always secure.

They have incorporated several layers of enterprise-grade security into their product, platform, and processes.

Pricing

Kayako is on the expensive side of things, which costs up to $125 / agent /month.

8. HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub is a cloud-based customer service platform for small to medium businesses.

It helps to manage contacts, requests, deals, appointment schedules, and more.

It is one of the best Freshdesk alternatives.

Key features include

• Reporting lead generation
• Marketing automation
• Conversion analytics.

It is an interesting option if you are already in the HubSpot CRM framework, as it behaves like an add-On.

It can also integrate with third-party services, like SurveyMonkey, Eventbrite, Zendesk, and more.

Pros

• Value for money
• Easy to use
• Great customer support

Cons

• No Split testing in lower packages
• Limited reporting
• You have to pay for continuous technical support

It's a simple software that comes with a lot of templates to make your workflows easier.

But, eventually, you might find that it lacks features and has limited reporting capabilities.

It is easy to start, but you should switch to a powerful, feature-heavy service as you scale.

Pricing

You can get started for free with limited capability, and their starter Pack starts at $20/month.

9. Kustomer

Kustomer is a pioneering CRM provider that provides a unique customer service CRM platform product.

The company built it with scale and volume in mind.

It offers very detailed and in-depth reports about customers, revealing additional insights.

Pros

• Kustomer incorporates automation and AI throughout the software. It optimizes your workflows with omnichannel experiences that makes personalized support possible
• This Freshdesk alternative's Omnichannel CRM makes transitions between tools and software simple and seamless. This support system allows you to understand and unify your customer data and make it more accessible for your support teams
• Kustomer IQ embeds AI throughout the platform to eliminate repetitive tasks, deflect simple questions, and power support experiences that satisfy customers.

Cons

• Not suitable for smaller businesses as it is expensive
• It is a single system built to handle many operations and thus integrates all of them under one roof

Pricing

Kustomer, while offering such prominent features, is a little on the pricey side. You can get started with $29 /month /agent.

10. Hiver

Hiver is a Help Desk software that enhances your Gmail.

It runs in the Google Workspace and can integrate with your Gmail inbox, so you don’t have to open a new tab or window.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Great customer support

Cons

• Limited features
• With Hiver, you can assign, track, and collaborate on customer emails and run the most advanced analytics and automationright from the very familiar Gmail interface.

As Hiver integrates so well with Google Workspace, most companies find it easy and handy. You can assign tasks, open queries, and transfer tickets internally.

Pricing

• You can get started at just $15/month/agent for their basic package.

11. Front

Front.com has been pushing for an innovative solution for a customer Desk solution.

Front wants to ensure that the flow of work for a user is as easy as sending an email. Its product UI is very similar to an emailing client, making it easy for new customers to get onboarded.

Pros

• - Multi-channel marketing support
• - Great for collaboration
• - Custom integrations: Slack, Asana, Salesforce, Github, etc
• - Flexible pricing.
• - Great customer support.

Cons

• Not great at scale.
• \Users can directly follow up on customers, generate responses and add team members to a conversation. It has an innovative personalization option, which improves responses from customers.

Pricing

• You can get started with their starter pack at just $19/month/agent.

12. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is one of the top choices for Help Desk Alternatives. Companies such as McAfee, Zomato, and Daimler use Zoho Desk.

It is also one of the most affordable Freshdesk alternatives.

Zoho is an established CRM company that has launched Zoho Desk for the Service Desk market. Zoho, as a company, has a lot of experience in creating and handling large customer-based products.

Pros

• Automate redundant tasks like tickets assignment SLAs and escalation, and workflows
• An AI-powered assistant that can chat with customers.
• Collect support tickets from email, social media, live chat, telephone, or web form

Cons

• No individual email tracking
• Tutorials are not that great, and you might need a Zoho advisor.

Pricing

You can get started with their basic feature-loaded product at just $9/month/agent, while their elite tier Enterprise option comes in at just $40/month/agent

Choosing the right Freshdesk competitor

In conclusion, Freshdesk is an efficient customer support software that has revolutionized customer support, but it may not suit all businesses.

Customers look for top Freshdesk alternatives for several reasons.

These include high-pricing plans, a non-intuitive user interface, a cumbersome integration process, and too many features.

Choosing the right Freshdesk alternative requires careful consideration of the budget, the industry niche, the company's goals and objectives, and the desired features.

Some of the top Freshdesk alternatives in 2023 include DevRev, Help Scout, Zendesk, and Salesforce, each with unique features and benefits that cater to specific business needs.

Conducting a thorough analysis of these tools' pros, cons, and pricing can help businesses make an informed decision and choose the best Freshdesk alternative that serves their needs.