How it was ranked:10 SaaS products compared. Each verdict is below.
Zendesk and Freshdesk stand out as the leading helpdesk ticketing systems on the market. Zendesk suits large enterprises requiring advanced customisation and omni-channel support capabilities. Meanwhile, Freshdesk is ideal for small to medium businesses seeking an intuitive, feature-rich platform with straightforward setup and excellent value for money.
Top 10 Helpdesk Ticketing Systems, compared
RANK
ENTRY
BEST FOR
SCORE
FROM
1
ZendeskZendesk was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2007 before relocating its headquarters to the United States.
Medium to large enterprises
95.0
$55/agent/month
2
FreshdeskFreshdesk is the flagship product of Freshworks, which went public on the NASDAQ in 2021.
Small to medium businesses looking for ease of use
92.7
Free
3
Help ScoutHelp Scout operates as a fully remote company with team members spread across the globe.
Growing businesses valuing a personal touch
90.3
$20 per user/month
4
Jira Service ManagementIt integrates natively with Jira Software to link support tickets directly to software bugs and tasks.
IT and software development teams
88.0
Free
5
IntercomIntercom pioneered the business messenger concept when it launched in San Francisco in 2011.
Growing tech companies and SaaS businesses
85.7
$39/month
6
Zoho DeskZoho Desk is part of Zoho Corporation, which famously funds its operations without venture capital.
Existing users of the Zoho ecosystem
83.3
$14/agent/month
7
HubSpot Service HubHubSpot was founded in 2006 by MIT graduates Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah.
Teams already using HubSpot CRM
81.0
Free
8
LiveAgentLiveAgent offers one of the largest numbers of built-in ticketing features in the industry.
Omni-channel support teams needing phone support
78.7
$15 per agent/month
9
FrontFront allows team members to comment internally on emails just like a social media thread.
Collaborative account management and support teams
76.3
$19 per person/month
10
KayakoKayako was originally founded in Europe before expanding its global operations.
Small and medium teams needing a customer journey view
A helpdesk ticketing system is software that collects customer inquiries from various channels like email, chat, and social media, converting them into trackable tickets to help support teams manage, prioritise, and resolve issues efficiently.
How much do helpdesk ticketing systems cost?
Prices vary widely depending on features and user counts. Many platforms offer limited free tiers for startups, while basic paid plans typically start around $15 to $25 per agent per month, scaling up for enterprise requirements.
Do I need technical skills to set up a helpdesk?
Most modern cloud-based helpdesk systems are designed to be user-friendly with drag-and-drop builders, requiring no coding skills for basic setup. However, advanced integrations and custom workflows may require IT assistance.
