mojolin
menu

Best software · Customer support

10 Best Help Desk Software of 2026

This list is for support leads choosing a ticketing tool that pulls email, chat and phone requests into one queue. We compared documented features and published prices for 10 help desks. Zendesk and Freshdesk lead for general support teams, Help Scout is the simplest for small email and chat teams, and Gorgias, Jira Service Management and Kustomer serve narrower needs: online stores, engineering-heavy support and large contact centers.

By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 6, 2026 · 10 tools compared · Prices checked on vendor pages, latest November 6, 2026

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

Mojolin is self-funded How we score

Zendesk is our top pick when phone matters as much as email and chat: its Suite plans include built-in voice with IVR, and plans start at $19 per agent per month billed yearly. Freshdesk is the best value for small and mid-size teams, with the Freddy AI Agent included from the same $19 price. If your company already runs on HubSpot, Service Hub keeps tickets on the same CRM record as sales and marketing, and it has a free plan to start.

Top picks

Best overall

Zendesk

8.6 / 10

Support teams of 10 or more agents that handle email, chat and phone together and need routing, SLAs and reporting.

Read the review →

Runner-up

Freshdesk

8.4 / 10

Small and mid-size teams that want a capable ticketing tool at a low per-agent price.

Read the review →

Also great

HubSpot Service Hub

8.3 / 10

Teams already using HubSpot for sales or marketing that want support tickets on the same customer record.

Read the review →

Comparison table

#ToolPricingScore
1ZendeskSupport Team $19 per agent per month billed yearly ($25 monthly); Suite Team $55; Suite Professional $115; Suite Enterprise by quote8.6
2FreshdeskGrowth $19 per agent per month billed annually; Pro $55; Enterprise $89; 20% saving on annual billing8.4
3HubSpot Service HubFree plan at $0; Starter from $20 per seat per month ($10 offer for new customers); Professional from $100; Enterprise from $1758.3
4Help ScoutFree plan for 5 users; Standard $25 per user per month billed annually; Plus $45; Pro $75; annual billing saves 16%8.2
5IntercomEssential $29 per seat per month ($19 for new customers); Advanced $85; Expert $132; Fin AI Agent $0.99 per outcome8.1
6Zoho DeskFree edition for 3 users; paid Express, Standard, Professional and Enterprise editions per user (see vendor pricing, USD check pending)8.0
7FrontStarter $25 per seat per month billed annually (up to 10 seats); Professional $65 (up to 50 seats); Enterprise $1057.9
8GorgiasStarter $10 per month billed monthly for 50 tickets; Basic $60 per month for 300 tickets; Pro and Advanced for higher volume; AI Agent extra7.7
9Jira Service ManagementFree for 3 agents; Standard $21.50 per agent per month; Premium $55.28; Enterprise by quote; annual billing saves up to 17%7.6
10KustomerNo public prices; quotes after an assessment and demo; voice and WhatsApp pay as you go (USD check pending)7.4

Scoring weights

Every tool gets three editorial scores out of 10, from vendor documentation, product pages and the published price. The overall score is the weighted average below, the same method on every list. Full method

Features40%
Ease of use30%
Value30%

The full ranking

  1. Rank 1 · Best overall

    Zendesk

    A ticketing platform that brings email, messaging, phone and social requests into one agent workspace, with AI agents on every plan.

    zendesk.com

    8.6

    out of 10

    Best for: Support teams of 10 or more agents that handle email, chat and phone together and need routing, SLAs and reporting.

    Zendesk is the most complete pick when one team answers email, chat and phone. Its ticketing brings those channels plus social messages into a single workspace, and Suite plans add messaging, a help center and Zendesk's own voice product with toll-free and international numbers and voicemail. Suite Professional adds skills-based routing and an IVR phone tree, which is what larger phone queues tend to need. AI agents for messaging are part of the Suite and Support plans, and extra automated resolutions are sold on top.

    The entry plan is cheap at $19 per agent per month billed yearly, but Support Team is closer to email ticketing than a full contact center, so most teams with chat and phone land on Suite Team at $55 or Suite Professional at $115. Copilot for agents is another $50 per agent. If you need every channel from one vendor and plan to grow the team, Zendesk is the safe choice; smaller email-first teams can spend less elsewhere.

    Standout feature

    Native voice with IVR, so phone tickets sit next to email and chat without a separate telephony product.

    Use cases

    • Support teams of 10 to 100 agents

      Run email, chat and phone queues in one workspace

      Outcome: One ticket history per customer across channels

    • Teams with phone support

      Set up IVR menus and skills-based routing

      Outcome: Calls reach the right agent the first time

    • Startups

      Apply for the Zendesk startup program

      Outcome: Up to 2 years of Zendesk at no cost

    Key features

    • Ticketing that combines email, messaging, phone and social channels
    • AI agents for messaging included on Suite and Support plans
    • Voice with toll-free and international numbers, voicemail and IVR phone trees on Suite Professional
    • Help center with community forums and generative search
    • SLA policies, skills-based routing and custom agent roles

    Pros

    • Covers email, chat and phone natively, without a separate phone vendor
    • Clear per-agent pricing with a 20% saving on annual billing
    • Qualified startups can get up to 2 years of Zendesk free

    Cons

    • Support Team is email ticketing only; messaging and voice start on Suite plans
    • Copilot is a $50 per agent per month add-on
    • IVR and skills-based routing need Suite Professional at $115
  2. Rank 2 · Runner-up

    Freshdesk

    Freshworks' help desk with a shared inbox, customer portal, knowledge base and the Freddy AI Agent on every paid plan.

    freshworks.com

    8.4

    out of 10

    Best for: Small and mid-size teams that want a capable ticketing tool at a low per-agent price.

    Freshdesk gives a small support team a proper ticketing system for the same entry price as Zendesk, with more included at that tier. Growth, at $19 per agent per month billed annually, covers the shared inbox, a customer portal with a knowledge base, analytics, roles and the Freddy AI Agent with the first 500 sessions included. Extra AI sessions cost $49 per 100, and day passes let part-time helpers answer tickets without a full seat.

    The Pro plan at $55 is where most growing teams end up, because it adds intelligent routing, multiple SLA policies, a multilingual help desk and custom dashboards. Enterprise at $89 adds skill-based routing, a sandbox and audit logs. The pricing page frames Growth around email support, so teams that run heavy chat or phone queues should confirm those channels during the 14-day trial, which unlocks every Enterprise feature. For budget-conscious teams, Freshdesk is the best balance of price and depth.

    Standout feature

    Every plan includes 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions, so automation starts at the $19 tier.

    Use cases

    • Small support teams

      Move a shared Gmail inbox into tickets

      Outcome: Clear ownership and response times

    • Seasonal businesses

      Buy day passes for temporary agents

      Outcome: Extra capacity without full seats

    • Teams with repeat questions

      Publish a knowledge base and turn on the AI Agent

      Outcome: Fewer simple tickets reach agents

    Key features

    • Ticketing and shared inbox with threads and tasks
    • Freddy AI Agent with 500 sessions included on every plan
    • Customer portal and knowledge base for self-service
    • Intelligent routing and multiple SLA policies on Pro
    • Skill-based routing, sandbox and audit logs on Enterprise

    Pros

    • $19 entry price includes an AI agent allowance
    • Day passes let occasional agents work tickets for a few dollars
    • The 14-day trial opens the full Enterprise plan

    Cons

    • Growth is framed around email; check your chat and phone needs before buying
    • Freddy AI Copilot costs $29 per agent per month extra
    • Multiple SLA policies and routing need Pro at $55
  3. Rank 3 · Also great

    HubSpot Service Hub

    Customer service software on HubSpot's CRM, with ticketing, live chat, a help desk workspace and AI agents.

    hubspot.com

    8.3

    out of 10

    Best for: Teams already using HubSpot for sales or marketing that want support tickets on the same customer record.

    HubSpot Service Hub makes the most sense when your company already runs on HubSpot. Tickets, chats and calls attach to the same contact and company records that sales and marketing use, so an agent can see open deals and past campaigns before replying. The free plan includes ticketing and a team email inbox, and Starter, from $20 per seat, adds live chat, multiple ticket pipelines and simple automation.

    The serious help desk features live on Professional at $100 per seat: the help desk workspace, a knowledge base, custom objects and the Customer Agent, which resolves email and chat questions with AI. HubSpot also lists call tracking with IVR phone trees and SLA management for phone and ticket queues. Enterprise at $175 adds skill-based routing. That jump from Starter to Professional is the main cost to plan for. Pick Service Hub if a shared CRM matters more to you than the lowest price per agent.

    Standout feature

    Tickets live on the same CRM record as deals and marketing activity.

    Use cases

    • B2B companies on HubSpot

      Route support tickets on the shared CRM

      Outcome: Account managers see open issues before calls

    • Small teams

      Start on the free plan with ticketing and team email

      Outcome: A help desk at no cost

    • Growing service teams

      Add the Customer Agent on Professional

      Outcome: Round-the-clock answers on chat and email

    Key features

    • Free ticketing and team email
    • Live chat and multiple ticket pipelines on Starter
    • Help desk workspace, knowledge base and Customer Agent on Professional
    • Call tracking with IVR phone trees, routing and transfers
    • SLA management and customer feedback surveys

    Pros

    • Free plan with ticketing and no credit card
    • Support history sits next to deals and marketing data in one CRM
    • Customer Agent answers email and live chat around the clock

    Cons

    • Knowledge base and the help desk workspace need Professional at $100 per seat
    • The $10 Starter price is an introductory offer
    • Skill-based routing is limited to Enterprise at $175
  4. Rank 4

    Help Scout

    An email-style shared inbox with live chat, a knowledge base and AI answers, built for teams that value a personal tone.

    helpscout.com

    8.2

    out of 10

    Best for: Small teams that mostly answer email and chat and want a tool new agents learn in a day.

    Help Scout is the easiest help desk on this list to roll out. Conversations look like email rather than numbered tickets, so customers get replies that feel personal and agents need little training. The free plan covers 5 users, one inbox and one Docs site, which is enough for a founder-led team. Standard, at $25 per user per month billed annually, adds multiple inboxes, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, several knowledge bases and a basic SLA policy.

    The gap is phone support: Help Scout lists phone and voice as available only through integrations such as Aircall, so call-heavy teams will run two tools. Plus at $45 adds round robin routing and integrations with Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot, and AI Answers are billed at $0.75 per resolution with a trial period. For small email and chat teams that care about tone and speed of setup, Help Scout is the friendliest choice.

    Standout feature

    A free plan for 5 users plus an interface that reads like email.

    Use cases

    • Founder-led startups

      Run support on the free plan

      Outcome: A shared inbox for up to 5 people at no cost

    • Ecommerce and SaaS teams

      Add live chat and WhatsApp on Standard

      Outcome: Chat and email in one queue

    • Teams with a help center

      Publish Docs and embed Beacon

      Outcome: Customers find answers before writing in

    Key features

    • Shared inboxes that look and work like email
    • Live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger on Standard
    • Docs knowledge base sites and the Beacon support widget
    • AI Answers and the Envoy assistant at $0.75 per resolution
    • Round robin routing and SLA policies

    Pros

    • Free plan covers 5 users, 1 inbox and 1 Docs site
    • Clean interface that needs little training
    • Standard includes chat, SMS and social messaging

    Cons

    • Phone and voice only through integrations
    • Advanced routing and Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot integrations need Plus
    • Reporting history is limited on lower tiers
  5. Rank 5

    Intercom

    A messenger-first help desk with the Fin AI Agent built in, priced per seat plus $0.99 per resolved conversation.

    intercom.com

    8.1

    out of 10

    Best for: SaaS and app companies that want AI to answer most chat and email questions before an agent steps in.

    Intercom is the help desk to choose when you expect AI to do most of the first-line work. Every plan includes the Fin AI Agent at $0.99 per outcome, and Intercom only counts an outcome when the customer confirms the answer or leaves without asking for a person. Fin works across email, live chat and phone, and hands off to agents in the inbox. All plans also include unlimited live chat, support email, in-app chats, banners and tooltips, which suits software companies with a product to support.

    Seats start at $29 per month on Essential, with a lower price for new customers, and rise to $85 on Advanced and $132 on Expert, where SLAs, SSO and multibrand Messenger live. Phone, SMS, WhatsApp and email campaigns are billed per use. That mix of seats and usage makes Intercom one of the harder tools to budget, but for chat-heavy products where Fin can take a large share of questions, it can reduce how many agents you hire.

    Standout feature

    Fin AI Agent is billed only for conversations it resolves.

    Use cases

    • SaaS support teams

      Let Fin answer product questions in the in-app messenger

      Outcome: Agents focus on complex cases

    • Startups

      Apply for the Early Stage program

      Outcome: Large discount and a year of Fin

    • Teams on another help desk

      Run Fin on top of the current tool

      Outcome: AI answers without migrating

    Key features

    • Fin AI Agent answers email, live chat, phone and more
    • Unlimited live chat, support email, in-app chats, banners and tooltips on all plans
    • Copilot assistant for agents at $29 per agent per month
    • Workflows and automation on Advanced
    • SLAs, multibrand Messenger and HIPAA support on Expert

    Pros

    • Fin is billed only when it resolves a conversation
    • Strong in-app and website messenger for software products
    • 14-day trial includes all features, Fin and add-ons

    Cons

    • Phone, SMS and WhatsApp are pay-as-you-go on top of seats
    • Costs rise with both seats and AI volume
    • SLAs need the Expert plan at $132 per seat
  6. Rank 6

    Zoho Desk

    Zoho's multichannel help desk with email, social, messaging, telephony and the Zia AI, priced per user with a free edition.

    zoho.com

    8.0

    out of 10

    Best for: Cost-conscious teams, especially those already using Zoho apps, that need email, chat and phone in one tool.

    Zoho Desk covers more channels per dollar than most help desks, and it starts with a free edition for three users that handles email ticketing. Paid editions add features in steps: Express covers email, social media, web forms, workflows and AI agents that can run on your own OpenAI key or Zoho's model. Standard adds a live chat widget, instant messaging on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Telegram, a knowledge base and community forums. Professional brings telephony integrations with toll-free numbers, the Zia AI and Blueprint automation.

    The trade-off is complexity: five editions with long feature lists make it harder to know what you are buying, and some items, such as the bot in the self-service widget, sit on Enterprise. The interface is dense compared with Help Scout or Freshdesk. Zoho shows prices by region, and we could not confirm the USD amounts from our location. Teams already on Zoho CRM get the most from it.

    Standout feature

    A free edition plus email, messaging and telephony in one per-user product.

    Use cases

    • Teams on Zoho CRM

      Link tickets to CRM accounts

      Outcome: Support and sales share customer context

    • Small teams

      Start on the free edition

      Outcome: Email ticketing for 3 users at no cost

    • Phone support desks

      Connect a telephony provider on Professional

      Outcome: Inbound and outbound calls logged as tickets

    Key features

    • Email, social media and web form ticketing from the Express edition
    • Live chat widget and WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Telegram messaging on Standard
    • Telephony integrations with toll-free numbers on Professional
    • Zia AI and Blueprint process automation on Professional
    • Knowledge base, community forum and customer happiness ratings

    Pros

    • Free edition with 3 users for email ticketing
    • Phone support through telephony integrations on Professional
    • AI agents can use your own model key or Zoho's LLM

    Cons

    • Chat with a bot in the self-service widget needs Enterprise
    • Many features are split across five editions
    • USD prices are not shown to every region, so check the US page
  7. Rank 7

    Front

    A collaborative shared inbox with ticketing, built for teams that handle customer work over email and messaging.

    front.com

    7.9

    out of 10

    Best for: Account management and B2B support teams that run customer conversations from shared email inboxes.

    Front sits between a shared inbox and a full help desk. Conversations arrive in team inboxes that look like email, and agents can assign, comment and tag without leaving the thread, which suits B2B teams where account managers and support share the same customers. Starter at $25 per seat per month billed annually gives up to 10 seats a shared inbox with ticketing, AI Topics, 10 automation rules and a public knowledge base.

    Professional at $65 adds omnichannel support across email, SMS and social, macros, advanced analytics, multiple workspaces and SSO. Phone calls and voicemails come through integrations such as Aircall and Dialpad rather than built-in voice. The Autopilot AI agent starts at $0.39 per conversation and Copilot is $20 per seat on the lower plans. Front works best for teams whose support is relationship-driven and email-heavy; high-volume consumer support teams usually get more from Zendesk or Freshdesk.

    Standout feature

    Ticketing that keeps the look and speed of email for collaborative teams.

    Use cases

    • B2B account teams

      Share client inboxes across support and account managers

      Outcome: No lost threads between teams

    • Operations teams

      Assign and comment on emails internally

      Outcome: Fewer forwarded emails and reply-all chains

    • Growing support teams

      Add SMS and social on Professional

      Outcome: More channels in the same inbox

    Key features

    • Shared inbox and ticketing system
    • Omnichannel email, SMS and social channels on Professional
    • Customer portal with ticket forms and a knowledge base
    • Autopilot AI agent from $0.39 per conversation
    • Calls and voicemail through integrations such as Aircall and Dialpad

    Pros

    • Feels like email, so account teams adopt it quickly
    • Copilot, QA and CSAT included on Enterprise
    • 14-day trial of the Professional plan

    Cons

    • Starter is limited to one channel type and 10 seats
    • Voice relies on third-party integrations
    • Copilot is a $20 per seat add-on below Enterprise
  8. Rank 8

    Gorgias

    A help desk for online stores, priced by ticket volume rather than per agent, with Shopify and other ecommerce integrations.

    gorgias.com

    7.7

    out of 10

    Best for: Shopify and ecommerce brands that want order data inside every ticket and unlimited agent seats.

    Gorgias is built around online stores, and that focus shows in the details. The help desk pulls in orders from Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, so agents can see what a customer bought and where it is before replying, and its AI Agent can take actions such as cancelling an order or applying a discount. Email, chat, social and a help center share one queue, and voice and SMS can be added to any plan.

    Pricing is by tickets, not agents. Starter costs $10 a month billed monthly for 50 tickets, Basic is $60 a month for 300 tickets, and every ticket past the limit costs $0.40. That works well for a small store with seasonal staff, but costs climb with volume and the AI Agent is billed separately. Gorgias does little for B2B or software companies, so only pick it if your customers buy from an online store.

    Standout feature

    Priced by ticket volume with unlimited agents, which suits stores with seasonal staff.

    Use cases

    • Shopify brands

      See order and shipping details inside tickets

      Outcome: Faster replies to where-is-my-order questions

    • Stores with seasonal peaks

      Add agents without buying seats

      Outcome: Holiday staff at no seat cost

    • Growing DTC brands

      Let the AI Agent cancel or edit orders

      Outcome: Routine requests close without an agent

    Key features

    • Email, chat, social and help center in one help desk
    • Shopify, Shopify Plus, WooCommerce and BigCommerce integrations
    • AI Agent that can cancel orders and apply discounts
    • Voice and SMS add-ons for any plan
    • Revenue attribution analytics

    Pros

    • Pricing is per ticket volume, not per agent
    • Order details from the store sit next to each ticket
    • Free trial with no credit card

    Cons

    • Built for ecommerce, so B2B and SaaS teams get little from it
    • Each ticket past the plan limit costs $0.40
    • Voice and SMS are paid add-ons
  9. Rank 9

    Jira Service Management

    Atlassian's service desk for IT, internal and customer requests, with a portal, knowledge base and links to Jira engineering work.

    atlassian.com

    7.6

    out of 10

    Best for: Support teams that escalate many tickets to engineers working in Jira, and internal IT or HR service desks.

    Jira Service Management is the best pick when support tickets often turn into engineering work. Requests come in through a customer portal with request types and SLAs, and agents can link them to Jira issues so the support team sees fix status without chasing developers. It also handles internal IT and HR requests, with alerts, on-call schedules and incident templates for operations teams. The free plan covers three agents and unlimited customers.

    Standard costs $21.50 per agent per month at the default team size shown, Premium $55.28, and annual billing saves up to 17%. Customers are never licensed, only agents. The trade-off is that the product is shaped around tickets and portals, not live chat or phone queues, and configuring request types, workflows and automation takes more admin time than Help Scout or Freshdesk. For software companies already on Jira, the link to engineering usually outweighs that.

    Standout feature

    Tickets link directly to Jira issues, which keeps support and engineering on the same record.

    Use cases

    • Software companies on Jira

      Escalate bugs from tickets to Jira issues

      Outcome: Support sees engineering status in the ticket

    • Internal IT teams

      Run an employee request portal with SLAs

      Outcome: Tracked, measurable internal requests

    • Small teams

      Start free with 3 agents

      Outcome: A service desk at no cost

    Key features

    • Customer portal with request types and SLA metrics
    • Embedded knowledge base that suggests articles to customers
    • Alerts, on-call schedules and incident templates
    • Unlimited customers on every plan, licensed per agent
    • Rovo AI credits included per user

    Pros

    • Free plan for 3 agents
    • Escalations link straight to Jira issues for engineering
    • Customers are not licensed, only agents

    Cons

    • Built around request portals more than chat or phone
    • Setup and admin take more effort than lighter help desks
    • Per-agent price changes with team size
  10. Rank 10

    Kustomer

    An AI-powered customer service platform built around a customer timeline, covering chat, email, text, voice, Slack and forms.

    kustomer.com

    7.4

    out of 10

    Best for: Large consumer brands with high conversation volume that want one customer view across every channel.

    Kustomer is aimed at large consumer brands that handle tens of thousands of conversations a month. Its platform organizes each customer as a timeline of every chat, email, text, call and order, so an agent sees the full history in one place. Kustomer lists omnichannel messaging across chat, email, text, voice, Slack and online forms, plus Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Business and TikTok Shop. Routing, SLA management, custom objects and several AI assistants for workflows and search are part of the package.

    The drawback is cost transparency. Kustomer does not publish prices; you complete an assessment and a sales team builds a quote, while voice and WhatsApp are billed as you go. Some channel setups may need a statement of work and an implementation fee. That makes it a poor fit for a small team, but a reasonable shortlist candidate for an enterprise support operation that wants voice and messaging on the same customer record.

    Standout feature

    Every channel, including voice and SMS, lands on a single customer timeline.

    Use cases

    • Large retail brands

      Handle chat, email, text and voice on one timeline

      Outcome: Agents see every past interaction

    • Contact centers

      Route conversations and tasks by queue with SLAs

      Outcome: Balanced workloads across teams

    • Brands selling on social

      Answer Instagram, WhatsApp and TikTok Shop messages

      Outcome: Social requests in the main queue

    Key features

    • Omnichannel messaging across chat, email, text, voice, Slack and online forms
    • Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Business and TikTok Shop channels
    • Conversation and task routing with SLA management
    • Custom objects and an insights pane for customer data
    • AI assistants for workflows, search and knowledge

    Pros

    • Voice, SMS and transcription available in the same platform
    • Customer data model with custom objects for complex businesses
    • SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR compliance listed

    Cons

    • No published prices
    • Some channel setup may need a statement of work and implementation fee
    • More than a small team needs

Buying guide

How to choose

List the channels you need on day one

Write down how requests reach you today: email, website chat, phone, WhatsApp or social. Zendesk, HubSpot Service Hub, Zoho Desk and Kustomer handle phone inside the product, while Help Scout and Front connect to phone systems such as Aircall through integrations. If phone is a big share of your volume, a built-in voice channel saves you running and paying for two tools.

Check which plan actually includes those channels

Entry prices are often for email ticketing only. Zendesk adds messaging and voice on Suite plans, Front's Starter plan covers one channel type, and Zoho Desk puts telephony on Professional. Compare the plan that includes your channels, not the cheapest plan on the page.

Choose a pricing model that matches your team

Most help desks charge per agent per month. Gorgias charges by ticket volume with unlimited agents, which suits stores with seasonal staff, and Jira Service Management never licenses customers, only agents. Freshdesk also sells day passes for occasional agents. Estimate your agents and monthly tickets, then price both models.

Budget for AI on top of seats

AI agents are now part of most help desks, but they are billed differently: Intercom charges $0.99 per resolved conversation, Help Scout $0.75 per resolution, Freshdesk includes 500 sessions then sells more, and Zendesk includes a small monthly allowance. Agent-assist tools such as Copilot are usually another per-seat add-on.

Run a trial with real tickets

Every vendor here with public pricing offers a free plan or a 14 to 15 day trial. Forward a week of real email, connect your chat widget and route a test phone line if you can. Watch how long it takes a new agent to find a customer's history and reply, and confirm SLA timers and routing behave the way you expect.

Frequently asked questions

+What is help desk software?

Help desk software turns customer requests from email, chat, phone and social channels into tickets that a team can assign, track and answer. Most tools add a knowledge base for self-service, SLA timers for response times and reports on volume and satisfaction.

+What is the best help desk software for small teams?

Help Scout is the easiest to start with, with a free plan for 5 users and Standard at $25 per user per month billed annually. Freshdesk is the stronger value if you need more depth, starting at $19 per agent per month billed annually with an AI agent included.

+Which help desks include phone support?

Zendesk includes voice with toll-free numbers and IVR on Suite plans, HubSpot Service Hub lists call tracking with IVR phone trees, and Zoho Desk adds telephony on its Professional edition. Help Scout and Front handle calls through integrations such as Aircall and Dialpad, and Gorgias sells voice as an add-on.

+Is there a free help desk?

Yes. HubSpot Service Hub has a free plan with ticketing and team email, Help Scout is free for 5 users and one inbox, Zoho Desk has a free edition for 3 users, and Jira Service Management is free for 3 agents. Each limits automation and reporting compared with paid plans.

+How much does help desk software cost?

Per-agent plans on this list start between $19 and $29 per month: Zendesk and Freshdesk at $19 billed annually, HubSpot Starter at $20, Jira Service Management at $21.50, Help Scout and Front at $25 and Intercom at $29. Gorgias starts at $10 a month for 50 tickets, and Kustomer quotes on request.

About this list

Updated November 6, 2026 by the Mojolin research desk. Mojolin is self-funded

Questions or corrections: editorial@mojolin.com

More best software lists