How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Freshdesk Growth costs 19 dollars per agent a month billed annually, with Pro at 55 dollars, and Freddy Copilot adds 29 dollars per agent, so AI costs stack fast.
- Zoho Desk Professional at 23 dollars per agent a month billed annually gives a 10 agent team a 230 dollar monthly bill, the lowest in this list for a mid tier plan.
- Help Scout Plus at about 38 dollars per user a month billed annually suits email first small teams, with AI resolutions at 0.75 dollars each.
- Intercom at 29 dollars per seat a month plus 0.99 dollars per Fin outcome suits product led teams that resolve inside their app messenger.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Zendesk | Large omnichannel teams | $55 per agent/month | No |
 Help Scout | Email-first small teams | $25 per user/month | Yes |
 Intercom | In-app messaging and AI resolution | $29 per seat/month | No |
 Zoho Desk | Budget teams and Zoho users | $14 per agent/month | Yes |
 HubSpot Service Hub | HubSpot CRM teams | $7 per seat/month | Yes |
 Front | Collaborative shared inbox | $25 per seat/month | No |
 LiveAgent | Multichannel on a budget | $15 per agent/month | No |
 Gorgias | Shopify and ecommerce support | $10 per month | No |
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The best Freshdesk alternatives
Starting price$55 per agent/month
Free planNo
Zendesk suits large teams with several support tiers that need omnichannel support, deep reporting and a large app marketplace. Suite Team costs 55 dollars per agent a month billed annually, Suite Professional 115 dollars, with 5 or 10 automated resolutions per agent a month included, then 2.00 dollars each, or 1.50 dollars committed.
Copilot adds 50 dollars per agent, pushing a 10 agent Professional team to 1,650 dollars a month, and there is no free plan beyond a 14 day trial. For a large team that needs Zendesk depth and already has admin resources, it remains the enterprise default, but small teams should weigh the cost carefully.
What we like- Deepest omnichannel support, reporting and app marketplace
- Suite Team at 55 dollars, Professional at 115 dollars
- Jira on every plan
Watch out for- No free plan, only a 14 day trial
- Copilot adds 50 dollars per agent
- Professional for 10 agents costs 1,150 dollars a month, 1,650 dollars with Copilot
#2Help Scout
Best for: Email-first small teams4.4/5 on
G2 (431 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit helpscout.com
Starting price$25 per user/month
Free planYes
Help Scout is the simple email first pick for small teams: a shared inbox that feels like email, not a ticket queue, with a free plan for 5 users and 1 inbox. Standard costs 25 dollars per user monthly, about 21 dollars billed annually, while Plus costs 45 dollars monthly, about 38 dollars annually, giving a 10 agent team about 380 dollars a month on annual billing plus 0.75 dollars per AI resolution.
Jira and Linear integrations sit on Plus and Pro, so small teams on Standard lose engineering links. For an email first small team that wants simplicity over omnichannel depth, Help Scout is the pick.
What we like- Simple email first shared inbox
- Free plan for 5 users and 1 inbox
- AI resolutions at 0.75 dollars each, cheaper than Intercom per outcome
Watch out for- Standard at 25 dollars monthly, about 21 dollars annual
- Plus at 45 dollars monthly, about 38 dollars annual
- Jira and Linear only on Plus and Pro
#3Intercom
Best for: In-app messaging and AI resolution4.5/5 on
G2 (3,918 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit intercom.com
Starting price$29 per seat/month
Free planNo
Intercom fits teams that prioritize AI first resolution inside their product: customers message from inside the app, Fin AI Agent resolves common questions, and human agents handle the rest across chat, email, phone, WhatsApp, SMS and social. Essential costs 29 dollars per seat a month billed annually, with Advanced at 85 dollars, and Fin outcomes at 0.99 dollars per conversation.
The per outcome model rewards high automation but punishes teams whose questions resist automation, and there is no free plan beyond a 14 day trial. For a product led SaaS team, Intercom is the pick.
What we like- Support inside your product messenger
- Fin AI Agent resolves with strong automation
- Channels include chat, email, phone, WhatsApp and SMS
Watch out for- Essential at 29 dollars per seat a month billed annually, 39 dollars monthly
- Fin outcomes cost 0.99 dollars each
- Advanced for 10 seats costs about 850 dollars a month plus outcomes
#4Zoho Desk
Best for: Budget teams and Zoho users4.4/5 on
G2 (8,002 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$14 per agent/month
Free planYes
Zoho Desk is the budget pick: Standard costs 14 dollars per agent a month billed annually, Professional 23 dollars, giving a 10 agent team 230 dollars a month on Professional, far below Zendesk Professional at 1,150 dollars or Freshdesk Pro at 550 dollars. A free plan covers 3 users, and Zia AI arrives on Professional and up.
Express at 7 dollars annual is limited to 5 users, and the interface is less polished than Zendesk. For a tight budget team or a Zoho ecosystem user, Zoho Desk is the pick.
What we like- Cheapest mid tier in this list at 23 dollars Professional
- Free plan for 3 users
- Zia AI on Professional and up
- Jira on Standard and up
Watch out for- Express at 7 dollars annual is limited to 5 users
- Interface is less polished than Zendesk
- Advanced AI agents need Enterprise or token pricing
#5HubSpot Service Hub
Best for: HubSpot CRM teams4.4/5 on
G2 (2,922 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit hubspot.com
Starting price$7 per seat/month
Free planYes
HubSpot Service Hub suits companies running HubSpot CRM, since tickets connect directly to contacts, deals and customer history without integration work. A free plan covers 2 users, Starter starts from 7 dollars per seat a month, and Jira Cloud is available on every plan.
Professional costs 90 dollars per seat a month on an annual commitment plus 1,500 dollars one time onboarding, so 10 seats run 900 dollars a month plus onboarding, and AI Customer Agent resolutions use usage based credits. For a HubSpot native team, Service Hub is the pick, but budget for the Professional jump.
What we like- CRM connected tickets with full customer history
- Free plan for 2 users
- Starter from 7 dollars per seat a month
Watch out for- Professional costs 90 dollars per seat a month on annual commitment plus 1,500 dollars onboarding
- 10 seats on Professional cost 900 dollars a month plus onboarding
- AI credits are usage based
#6Front
Best for: Collaborative shared inbox4.7/5 on
G2 (2,511 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit front.com
Starting price$25 per seat/month
Free planNo
Front replaces the ticket queue with a collaborative inbox, suiting account and success teams that live in shared email. Assignment, internal comments and collision detection keep teams from double replying, and Autopilot AI costs 0.05 to 0.89 dollars per conversation depending on complexity.
Starter costs 25 dollars per seat a month billed annually, there is no free plan, and ticket depth trails Zendesk for complex workflows. For a team that wants email collaboration without ticket overhead, Front is the pick.
What we like- Collaborative inbox replacing the ticket queue
- Shared email for account and success teams
- Autopilot AI from 0.05 to 0.89 dollars per conversation
Watch out for- Starter at 25 dollars per seat a month billed annually
- No free plan
- Ticket depth trails Zendesk for complex workflows
#7LiveAgent
Best for: Multichannel on a budget4.5/5 on
G2 (1,537 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit liveagent.com
Starting price$15 per agent/month
Free planNo
LiveAgent offers a help desk plus a built in call center at 15 dollars per agent a month billed annually, covering email, chat, phone, social and forum in one tool. That native voice calling, bundled into the base plan, beats rivals that charge extra for phone, and the price undercuts most alternatives here.
There is no free plan beyond a trial, AI is a basic chatbot rather than a full agent, and the interface feels dated. For a budget team that needs voice plus tickets in one cheap plan, LiveAgent is the pick.
What we like- Help desk plus built in call center
- Multichannel coverage including chat, phone, social and forum
- 15 dollars per agent a month billed annually
Watch out for- No free plan, only a trial
- AI is a basic chatbot, not a full agent
- Interface feels dated next to Intercom or Front
#8Gorgias
Best for: Shopify and ecommerce support4.6/5 on
G2 (569 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit gorgias.com
Starting price$10 per month
Free planNo
Gorgias is the strongest fit for Shopify stores, because order data, tickets and revenue tracking live in one helpdesk, and ticket volume pricing can beat per seat pricing for teams with many part time agents or seasonal staff. The entry plan costs 10 dollars a month for 50 tickets, with AI Agent resolutions at 0.50 to 1.00 dollars each.
The entry ticket allowance is small, and the ecommerce focus suits other industries less. For a Shopify store where order context decides ticket speed, Gorgias is the pick.
What we like- Shopify order data built into every ticket
- Ticket volume pricing suits many part time agents
- AI Agent at 0.50 to 1.00 dollars per resolution
Watch out for- 10 dollars a month covers only 50 tickets
- Ecommerce focus suits other industries less
- No free plan, only a trial
How we chose
We compared published per agent prices, free tier terms, AI costs and channel coverage from vendor pricing pages and independent comparisons checked in September and October 2026, and we weighed 10 agent team math, since per agent prices look small until multiplied. We noted where prices conflict across sources, such as Help Scout Standard at 25 versus 30 dollars monthly, rather than inventing a single figure. No tool was credited with hands-on testing, and no satisfaction scores beyond published comparisons were invented for this guide.
What to check before you pick
Start with the 10 agent math, not the entry price: Zoho Professional at 230 dollars, Help Scout Plus at about 380 dollars, Freshdesk Pro at 550 dollars, Intercom Advanced at 850 dollars and Zendesk Professional at 1,150 dollars a month show how fast the same team size diverges. Then add AI costs: Freshdesk Copilot at 29 dollars per agent plus 49 dollars per 100 sessions, Intercom Fin at 0.99 dollars per outcome, Help Scout at 0.75 dollars per resolution, and Zendesk Copilot at 50 dollars per agent, since metered AI can add hundreds a month at volume.
Next, check the Freshdesk specific friction that pushes teams to switch: AI sold separately and metered, the old 10 agent free plan replaced by a 1 to 2 seat trial for six months, phone at 15 dollars per agent through Freshcaller, and contact packs from 100 dollars a month. Finally, trial the top two with real tickets for two weeks, measuring first reply time and resolution rate, since the best helpdesk is the one your agents actually use daily.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Freshdesk alternative for a small team?
Zoho Desk for budget, at 14 dollars Standard and 23 dollars Professional, or Help Scout for email first simplicity, with a free plan for 5 users. Both undercut Freshdesk Pro at 55 dollars per agent.
Why do teams leave Freshdesk?
AI sold separately and metered, the free plan shrinking to a short trial, phone and contact pack add ons, and performance lags plus awkward child ticket workflows as volume grows, according to published comparisons.
Which alternative has the cheapest AI?
Help Scout at 0.75 dollars per AI resolution, versus Intercom Fin at 0.99 dollars per outcome and Freshdesk at 49 dollars per 100 sessions plus Copilot seat fees. Jitbit includes AI in its flat team price, which suits small teams that automate heavily.
Is Zendesk worth switching to from Freshdesk?
For large omnichannel teams with admin resources, yes, thanks to deeper reporting and marketplace breadth. For small teams, Zendesk Professional at 1,150 dollars for 10 agents is hard to justify against Zoho at 230 dollars or Help Scout at 380 dollars.
Which alternative is best for Shopify stores?
Gorgias, with Shopify order data built into every ticket and ticket volume pricing that suits seasonal and part time teams. Freshdesk and Zendesk both handle ecommerce, but neither matches Gorgias order context.
Do any alternatives offer a free plan?
Yes: Help Scout free for 5 users and 1 inbox, Zoho Desk free for 3 users, and HubSpot Service Hub free for 2 users. Zendesk, Intercom, Front, LiveAgent and Gorgias offer trials only.
Sources we checked (4)
- https://www.jitbit.com/saas-helpdesk/zendesk-alternatives/
- https://helply.com/blog/best-help-desk-software-for-saas
- https://www.spotsaas.com/blog/best-help-desk-software
- https://kayako.com/tools/freshdesk-alternatives/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.