13 alternatives to Freshdesk for more efficient customer support
Freshdesk has established itself as a major player in customer support, with an omnichannel platform that has won over thousands of businesses.
But let's be honest: despite its qualities, Freshdesk isn 't for everyone. Limitations on certain functionalities, rapidly escalating costs, or a sometimes rigid user experience... There are plenty of reasons to consider an alternative to Freshdesk.
👉 We've compared 13 Freshdesk alternatives for you: powerful software specializing in ticket management, collaborative workspaces, direct chat and real-time report integration.
What is Freshdesk?
Freshdesk is a customer support software developed by Freshworks. Its aim: to help companies centralize, automate and improve their customer interactions across all channels.
In concrete terms, it's an omnichannel platform that efficiently manages support tickets, direct chat, emails, calls and even social networks... all in a single workspace.
🛠️ Key features include:
- ticket management with automatic allocation ;
- self-service knowledge base;
- real-time reporting to monitor performance;
- integrations with leading CRM and collaboration tools;
- a seamless experience for every agent, thanks to an intuitive interface.
🎯 Freshdesk is particularly appealing to SMEs and growing businesses. But while its space-saving features are numerous, they are not always adapted to the specific needs of certain teams, particularly in terms of personalization, advanced reporting or complex employee management.
Freshdesk
Why consider an alternative to Freshdesk?
Freshdesk remains a solid solution, but it quickly shows its limitations as soon as customer support needs become more complex or specific. And it's often at this point that frustrations begin to mount, on both the support team and the customer side.
Costs spiraling out of control
On paper, Freshdesk looks affordable. But as soon as you leave the free or limited versions, the bill quickly climbs: up to €79 per agent per month.
As a result, as soon as you want a complete omnichannel experience, advanced ticket management or a personalized workspace, you have to go upmarket... and pay. Not ideal when managing a growing team or occasional workload peaks.
A powerful interface, but sometimes too rigid
The Freshdesk interface is clear, yes, but it lacks flexibility. Some workflows cannot be customized without technical expertise, and the agent area quickly becomes cluttered as the volume of tickets increases.
This is an obstacle for teams who want to adapt the tool to their way of working, create specific automations, or optimize their processing time without running up against technical limitations.
Reports that can't be fully exploited at no extra cost
The promise of real-time analysis is seductive, but in practice, Freshdesk reports lack depth without upgrading. To obtain detailed views of response times, performance per agent, or bottlenecks, you need to go through paid extensions or DIY with manual exports.
And what about integrating reports into BI or CRM tools? Here too, options remain limited, unless you pay for the highest plans.
Overly compartmentalized ticket management
Freshdesk follows a fairly classic ticket management logic, with a view by channel (email, chat, social networks...). But this compartmentalized approach can slow down agents in their day-to-day work, especially when it comes to cross-referencing customer interactions or managing multi-channel tickets.
Solutions such as Kustomer, Help Scout or Zendesk, on the other hand, enable data to be centralized in a single, more fluid and contextualized thread, which represents a real plus for improving customer relations and reducing processing errors.
Customer support not always exemplary
Let's face it: when you pay for a tool to improve your customer support, you expect it to be responsive, competent and available. Yet, according to many online reviews, Freshdesk's support is sometimes slow, unhelpful or hard to reach, especially on basic plans.
❌ That's the last straw, especially when your support team finds itself blocked... by its own support tool.
Comparative table of the 13 best Freshdesk alternatives
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 Service Cloud |  Zoho Desk | Freshdesk |  HappyFox |  Help Scout |  Service Hub |  Intercom |  JIRA Service Management |  Kustomer |  LiveAgent |  ProProfs Knowledge Base |  SysAid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For companies with 2 to 250 employees | For all companies | For companies with 2 to 5000 employees | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For companies with more than 1 employees |
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| Learn more about Service Cloud | Learn more about Zoho Desk | Learn more about Freshdesk | Learn more about HappyFox | Learn more about Help Scout | Learn more about Service Hub | Learn more about Intercom | Learn more about JIRA Service Management | Learn more about Kustomer | Learn more about LiveAgent | Learn more about ProProfs Knowledge Base | Learn more about SysAid |
Our top 13 alternatives to Freshdesk
HappyFox
HappyFox is an all-in-one customer support solution that appeals to companies looking for a simple, powerful and customizable tool. Unlike Freshdesk, HappyFox focuses on an ultra-fluid agent experience, with a streamlined workspace and no unnecessary functional overload.
🎯 It is aimed at medium to large support teams with a strong need for automation, intelligent ticket management and real-time reporting.
Its main asset is its clear, highly customizable interface, even for complex workflows. It features a robust omnichannel approach (email, phone, chat, social networks) and native integrations with key tools such as Salesforce, Slack or Jira.
💰 The pricing positioning is more upmarket: from €18.01 per agent per month, but the value for money is deemed excellent by users.
Here are the features that make HappyFox a particularly strong alternative to Freshdesk:
- automated ticket management with conditional rules and intelligent assignment ;
- real-time reports and customizable dashboards;
- an integrated knowledge base for enhanced self-service customer support;
- fine-tuned management of SLAs, alerts and escalations, ideal for large teams;
- an omnichannel approach: email, telephone, chat, social networks in a single flow;
- an interface designed to optimize day-to-day agent work;
- a wide range of integrations: Salesforce, Jira, Slack, and many others.
HappyFox
Help Scout
--Help Scout is a customer support software designed to provide a human, personalized and transparent experience. Unlike Freshdesk, which focuses on technical features, Help Scout prioritizes simplicity, clarity and long-term customer relationships.
🎯 Ideal for SMEs, startups and human-sized support teams, Help Scout centralizes email, direct chat and the knowledge base in a lightweight interface, while retaining powerful tools for ticket management and agent collaboration.
💰 Accessible to all thanks to its free offering, Help Scout offers good value for money, with all the essential features right from that first plan.
Here's why Help Scout is a simple, effective, customer-focused alternative to Freshdesk:
- a shared inbox with fluid customer interaction history ;
- discreet, context-sensitive direct chat (Beacon), integrated into the website;
- conversational ticket management, without technical jargon;
- an intelligent knowledge base for self-help;
- real-time reporting on performance, volumes and lead times;
- integrations with tools such as Slack, HubSpot, Jira, Shopify... ;
- a clear workspace that encourages collaboration between agents, without overload.
Help Scout
HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub is much more than just customer support software: it's a customer service tool integrated into the heart of the HubSpot ecosystem. It enables support teams to transform every customer interaction into an opportunity for improvement, thanks to ticket management connected to CRM, marketing and sales.
🎯 This platform is particularly appreciated by growing companies looking to unify their customer data while streamlining the work of agents. It offers a consistent customer experience, from the initial inquiry to the final report in real time.
💰 Pricing-wise, the paid version starts at €155 per agent per month, with a free (limited) version available for small teams.
Here's why HubSpot Service Hub is a popular alternative to Freshdesk among customer relationship-oriented companies:
- CRM-integrated ticket management for context-sensitive customer follow-up;
- a clear workspace, with a complete history of customer interactions;
- real-time reports and customizable dashboards;
- an intelligent knowledge base with automatic suggestions;
- an omnichannel inbox: email, direct chat, forms, WhatsApp, etc. ;
- powerful automation workflows to reduce agent workload;
- a rich library of integrations, including Slack, Jira, Salesforce, Zoom.
Service Hub
Intercom
Intercom is a customer support platform that focuses on automation, real-time messaging and proactive customer experience.Its DNA: intelligent direct chat, boosted by real AI, to engage visitors, automatically answer common questions, or transfer complex requests to human agents via a fluid, centralized workspace.
🎯 Where Freshdesk takes a more traditional approach focused on ticket management, Intercom is positioned as a modern, conversational solution designed for agile support teams.
💰 Intercom is aimed more at tech, SaaS or e-commerce companies , with a modular pricing model starting at €24.87 per agent per month.
Here's what makes Intercom an innovative alternative to Freshdesk, tailored for real time and performance:
- contextual direct chat, integrated into web pages or mobile apps ;
- an AI bot to automate responses and qualify requests;
- conversational ticket management with integrated follow-up;
- real-time reports on satisfaction, lead times and volumes;
- a dynamic knowledge base, connected to chat;
- automated campaigns to follow-up or inform customers;
- a solid layer of integrations: HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, Slack, etc.
Intercom
Jira Service Management
Unlike Freshdesk, which targets a more generalist use, Jira Service Management offers a rigorous approach to ticket management, with an ultra-complete prioritization, assignment and tracking system.
🎯 Developed by Atlassian, Jira is a particularly powerful service management solution for IT, DevOps and technical support teams. It's the preferred choice for companies that want to structure their customer support around ITIL processes, while retaining a high level of customization. Its knowledge base is directly integrated via Confluence, and workflows are fully configurable.
💰 Pricing starts with a 100% free plan, with advanced features right from the first subscription levels.
Here's why Jira Service Management stands out as a highly robust alternative to Freshdesk for technical environments:
- advanced ticket management with SLAs, automation rules and prioritization ;
- an agile workspace, adapted to incidents, requests, problems and changes;
- real-time reporting for performance and load monitoring;
- native integration with Confluence for the knowledge base;
- tight connectivity with Atlassian tools (Trello, Bitbucket, etc.);
- customizable customer portal for centralized requests;
- ideal tool for IT teams and internal employee management processes.
JIRA Service Management
Kustomer
Kustomer, now a Meta solution, is a customer support software that stands out for its "customer-centric" vision. Here, everything revolves around the customer timeline: a unified thread of interactions that enables each omnichannel agent to see the complete history, purchases, past tickets and channels used... at a glance.
Where Freshdesk separates channels and tickets, Kustomer merges them into a single interface. The aim? To offer a seamless, fluid customer experience, and enable ultra-personalized agent work.
💰 Pricing starts at €76.34 per agent per month, an investment clearly aimed at large teams or premium brands.
Here's what makes Kustomer particularly attractive as the best customer relations-oriented alternative to Freshdesk:
- a unified view of each customer: interactions, history, context, orders ;
- an omnichannel inbox including email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. ;
- in-context ticket management, with no fragmentation by channel;
- real-time reporting on performance and satisfaction;
- no-code automation to simplify workflows;
- native CRM integration with tools such as Shopify, Magento and Salesforce;
- embedded AI to suggest answers or pre-fill fields.
Kustomer
LiveAgent
LiveAgent is a complete customer support software that focuses on speed and versatility. It's one of the few solutions on the market to combine real-time chat, call center, ticket management and social networks in a single interface... at a very competitive price.
🎯 For small and medium-sized businesses that find Freshdesk too cumbersome or costly, LiveAgent is an agile alternative, with excellent value for money.
💰 The basic plan starts at €7.72 per agent per month, with features that are already very solid.
Here's why LiveAgent is among the best alternatives to Freshdesk for responsive teams:
- ultra-fast direct chat with proactive triggers ;
- centralized, multi-channel ticket management;
- real-time reports and customized statistical exports;
- a public and internal knowledge base;
- integrated call center module with call recording;
- compatibility with over 200 integrations, including Zapier and WordPress;
- an intuitive workspace for both novice and experienced agents.
LiveAgent
ProProfs Help Desk
Unlike Freshdesk, ProProfs Help Desk focuses on the essentials: centralizing requests, responding quickly, and keeping a clear record of every customer interaction. The interface is lightweight, easy to learn, and perfectly suited to companies that want a simple tool to structure their customer service without gasworks.
🎯 ProProfs Help Desk is customer support software designed for small teams who want to simplify ticket management without sacrificing service quality.
💰 Very affordable, ProProfs Help Desk starts at €17.15 per agent per month, with a limited free version.
Here are the key features that make ProProfs Help Desk an effective and affordable alternative to Freshdesk:
- a shared inbox to manage requests by email, chat or form ;
- quick and easy ticket management, with automatic prioritization;
- real-time reporting on support team performance;
- an integrated knowledge base for self-help;
- SLA alerts and escalations so you don't miss any urgent requests;
- integrations with tools such as Salesforce, Zoom, Slack or MS Teams;
- an excellent tool for streamlining agent work in an SME environment.
ProProfs Knowledge Base
Salesforce Service Cloud
Salesforce Service Cloud is the behemoth of B2B customer support. It connects service, sales, marketing and product support around a single customer view. The approach is resolutely analytical, with real-time reporting, AI tools and highly advanced ticket management logic.
🎯 Designed for large enterprises and complex organizations, this omnichannel platform integrates natively with the entire Salesforce ecosystem, making it a particularly powerful alternative to Freshdesk.
💰 On the budget side, you start at €25 per agent per month, but the value rises sharply with higher plans.
Here's why Service Cloud is a better alternative for high-volume businesses:
- omnichannel ticket management with advanced automation ;
- a 360° view of the customer, shared by all teams;
- large-scale, customizable real-time reporting;
- an AI engine for suggested responses and intelligent routing;
- a centralized, collaborative knowledge base;
- a fully customizable agent workspace;
- deep integrations with all Salesforce products and beyond.
Service Cloud
SpiceWorks
SpiceWorks Help Desk is a free solution that is very popular in the IT world. Unlike Freshdesk, SpiceWorks doesn't offer a sophisticated cloud platform or an advanced omnichannel approach, but it does the job perfectly for basic needs, including collaborator management and internal follow-up.
🎯 It's aimed above all at IT support managers and small technical teams who want simple ticket management, with no hidden costs.
💰 A significant advantage: the software is 100% free, with an advertising-based model.
Here's why SpiceWorks remains an alternative to Freshdesk to consider for technical teams or those without a budget:
- simple, efficient IT ticket management at no cost ;
- basic but useful real-time reports for follow-up;
- a customizable request portal for internal users;
- an internal knowledge base for technical FAQs;
- an active tech community with mutual support and best practice sharing;
- local installation possible to maintain control over the environment;
- a subscription-free customer support tool, ideal for small budgets.
SysAid
SysAid is an IT support management software focused on customer assistance, particularly used by in-house IT teams. Where Freshdesk aims to be a generalist, SysAid stands out for its ITIL-oriented approach, with a focus on technical ticket management, SLAs and employee management.
🎯 It will appeal to IT managers and technically demanding companies looking to structure their support around defined processes, while retaining a relatively intuitive interface.
💰 Pricing is modular depending on the modules required, often deemed competitive for in-house IT departments.
Here's what makes SysAid a logical alternative to Freshdesk for structured IT environments:
- incident, request and change management with integrated SLAs and escalations ;
- targeted IT knowledge base to accelerate resolution;
- customizable reports and dashboards to monitor performance;
- automation of workflows according to complex business rules;
- self-service portal for internal users;
- integration with Active Directory, LDAP and other directories;
- simple interface for centralized ticket management and internal IT monitoring.
SysAid
Zendesk
Zendesk is the most recognized customer support platform on the market. It offers a truly omnichannel platform, with a robust agent space, rich integrations and advanced analytical power; where Freshdesk sometimes remains too light.
🎯 It will suit growing or large companies that want a 360° customer view, a complementary structure to their CRM, and advanced tools for tracking, quality and team collaboration.
💰 Pricing starts at €19 per agent per month, but can go up to €169 in the Enterprise version.
Here are the key assets that position Zendesk as one of the best alternatives to Freshdesk:
- an omnichannel agent space with unified management of tickets, chat, email, calls and social networks ;
- workforce management tools for planning, monitoring and guaranteeing quality;
- comprehensive real-time reporting and integrated BI modules;
- more than 1,500 integrations available in the Zendesk ecosystem;
- embedded AI for proactive suggestions, routing and escalation;
- customizable interface according to teams, roles and business needs;
- ideal for scalable, multi-channel, structured customer support.
Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a cloud-based customer support management solution featuring a clear interface, native integrations with the Zoho ecosystem, and embedded AI. It's a more cost-effective and fluid alternative to Freshdesk for organizations already invested in Zoho.
🎯 It's aimed at SMEs and support teams who need to automate their ticket management processes, while retaining a good level of flexibility and performance visibility.
💰 Prices range from €7 to €40 per user per month, depending on the plan chosen.
Here's what makes Zoho Desk a compelling alternative to Freshdesk:
- Agent Mode, which automatically categorizes tickets according to priority, status and deadline ;
- Blueprint, an advanced workflow automation feature;
- Ticket Peek: a quick overview of tickets without opening them ;
- AI "Zia" for ticket classification, item suggestions and sentimental analysis;
- real-time reporting, tight integration with CRM, project and analytical tools;
- uncluttered interface to facilitate agent work and enhance the customer experience;
- ideal for Zoho organizations wishing to centralize support, CRM and project management.
Zoho Desk
How to choose the freshdesk alternative that's right for you?
Overview of the best Freshdesk alternatives
| Software | Positioning | Key strengths | Starting price |
| HappyFox | Medium-sized and large companies | Extensive automation, clear interface, complete omnichannel | From €18.01 / month |
| Help Scout | SMEs, startups | Simple interface, human support, integrated contextual chat | Free offer |
| HubSpot Service Hub | SMEs to large enterprises | Native CRM integration, automation, intuitive omnichannel box | Free offer |
| Intercom | SaaS, tech, e-commerce | Intelligent chat, AI, proactive customer experience | From €24.87 / month |
| Jira Service Management | IT teams, DevOps | ITIL management, powerful workflows, Confluence integration | Free offer |
| Kustomer | Customer-focused large enterprises | Unified customer timeline, integrated AI, native omnichannel | From €76.34 / month |
| LiveAgent | SMEs, e-commerce | Fast chat, integrated call center, excellent value for money | From €7.72 / month |
| ProProfs Help Desk | Small teams, SMEs | Simple interface, knowledge base, fast reporting | Free offer |
| Salesforce Service Cloud | Large enterprises | CRM power, AI, extended omnichannel, scalability | From €7.72 / month |
| SpiceWorks | IT teams, small organizations | Free, IT ticket management, local basis possible | Free offer |
| SysAid | Internal IT services | ITIL processes, knowledge base, internal portal | On quotation |
| Zendesk | Companies of all sizes | Pro interface, omnichannel, advanced analytics, integrated AI | From €19 / month |
| Zoho Desk | SMEs, Zoho users | CRM integration, AI (Zia), advanced automation | From €7 / month |
Criteria for selecting an alternative to Freshdesk
Choosing an alternative to Freshdesk is not simply a question of price. It's a strategic choice that has to match the reality of your company's customer support, the workload of your teams, and the customer experience you want to offer.
Here are the main criteria to consider when making the right choice:
- your ticket volume and complexity: think scalability and efficient ticket management;
- the expected level of automation: some tools (such as HappyFox, Jira or Zoho Desk) offer advanced support automation options;
- the channels to be managed (email, chat, social networks, telephone...): if you're working in omnichannel mode, check that the tool manages these flows in a unified workspace, without compartmentalization;
- integration with your existing tools: integrating reports, data and channels is essential to avoid silos;
- your monthly budget: keep an eye on the ratio of euros/month vs. functionalities;
- the type of team: anIT team will prefer tools like SysAid or Jira, while an e-commerce support team will prefer LiveAgent or Help Scout;
- ease of use: a clear interface, fluid onboarding and good support can make all the difference right from the start.
Good customer support starts with good software
Today, providing fast, personalized and seamless customer support is no longer an option, it's a condition of survival. Your teams need to be able to respond efficiently, your customers expect a frictionless experience, and your tools need to adapt to the way you work.
Freshdesk is a good starting point, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. Fortunately, there's no shortage of alternatives to Freshdesk: some more powerful, others more affordable, some designed for omnichannel, others for IT support or conversational experience.
Whether you're looking to improve your ticket management, optimize your workspace, reduce response times or align your tools with your business objectives, the key remains the same: choose a customer support solution that evolves with you.
Now it's your turn: compare, test, and find the best software for your team, your needs, and your budget.
Article translated from French