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Help Desk is our best overall pick for teams seeking shared ticket workflows and multiple support channels, with a listed starting price of $19. Jitbit and Zammad also score well, while lower starting prices make Richpanel and osTicket worth a closer look for specific needs. These prices are not enough to settle the choice: several tools have caps or add-on costs, and some do not publish pricing. Check the exact plan, billing basis and limits for your team before migrating.
Quick picksThe shortlist
HelpDeskHelpDeskBest overall · $19/mo
Jitbit HelpdeskJitbit HelpdeskBest for email teams · $24.92/mo
ZammadZammadBest budget flexibility · €7/mo
RichpanelRichpanelBest for ecommerce · $9/mo
GmeliusGmeliusBest for Gmail teams · $19/mo
FreshdeskFreshdeskBest for small teams · $19/mo
Help ScoutHelp ScoutBest shared inbox · $25/mo
PylonPylonBest for B2B support · $89/mo
FrontFrontBest for sales and support · $25/mo
LiveAgentLiveAgentBest channel coverage · $11/mo
Request TrackerRequest TrackerBest self-hosted workflows · $15/mo
HiverHiverBest for Gmail workflows · $25/mo
HappyFox Help DeskHappyFox Help DeskBest for ticket automation · $24/mo
DoneDoneDoneDoneBest inbox plus tasks · $45/mo
CapacityCapacityBest for contact centers · Custom
GorgiasGorgiasBest for Shopify brands · $10/mo
GladlyGladlyBest for retail brands · Custom
KustomerKustomerBest for complex CX · Custom- osTicketosTicketBest free self-hosting · $12/mo
TrengoTrengoBest for channel consolidation · €119/mo
OTRSOTRSBest for cross-team service · Custom
DevRevDevRevBest for an AI pilot · Free
Zendesk AIZendesk AIBest for Zendesk teams · $19/mo
01Compared at a glance
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HelpDeskHelpDesk | 7.2 | $19/mo | No | 14 days |
| Jitbit HelpdeskJitbit Helpdesk | 7.2 | $24.92/mo | No | — |
| ZammadZammad | 7.1 | €7/mo | No | 30 days |
| RichpanelRichpanel | 7.0 | $9/mo | Yes | — |
| GmeliusGmelius | 7.0 | $19/mo | No | 7 days |
| FreshdeskFreshdesk | 6.8 | $19/mo | No | 14 days |
| Help ScoutHelp Scout | 6.8 | $25/mo | Yes | 15 days |
| PylonPylon | 6.8 | $89/mo | No | — |
| FrontFront | 6.5 | $25/mo | No | 14 days |
| LiveAgentLiveAgent | 6.5 | $11/mo | No | 30 days |
| Request TrackerRequest Tracker | 6.5 | $15/mo | No | 14 days |
| HiverHiver | 6.5 | $25/mo | No | 7 days |
| HappyFox Help DeskHappyFox Help Desk | 6.5 | $24/mo | No | 14 days |
| DoneDoneDoneDone | 6.5 | $45/mo | No | 14 days |
| CapacityCapacity | 6.0 | Custom | No | — |
| GorgiasGorgias | 6.0 | $10/mo | No | — |
| GladlyGladly | 5.8 | Custom | No | — |
| KustomerKustomer | 6.2 | Custom | No | — |
| osTicketosTicket | 6.0 | $12/mo | Yes | 30 days |
| TrengoTrengo | 6.0 | €119/mo | No | — |
| OTRSOTRS | 6.0 | Custom | No | — |
| DevRevDevRev | 5.7 | Free | Yes | — |
| Zendesk AIZendesk AI | 7.1 | $19/mo | No | — |
02The picks, in detail
- Best overallHelpDeskHelpDesk
Help Desk pairs a 7.2 score with a listed starting price of $19 and fits teams consolidating channels or moving ticketing systems. That makes it a strong general-purpose shortlist choice. The published notes flag AI caps and per-seat pricing, so confirm the plan’s limits and total seat bill before switching.
What works
- Email, chat, Messenger and SMS share one inbox
- AI includes summaries, reply suggestions and tag suggestions
- Automation supports routing and follow-ups
What doesn't
- No free plan
- Essential includes only 10 AI resolutions monthly
- Growth is $99 per user monthly when billed monthly
- Best for email teamsJitbit HelpdeskJitbit Helpdesk
Jitbit scores 7.2 and starts at $24.92, with a fit for email-focused teams that want automation and a choice of cloud or on-premises deployment. Its higher price than Help Desk makes the deployment options and workflow needs important to the decision. Check the agent limits and annual pricing first.
What works
- Connects email through IMAP, Exchange, POP3, SMTP and O365
- Automates replies, assignments, due dates and HTTP requests
- AI can draft replies and summarize tickets
What doesn't
- Freelancer includes only one agent
- Startup includes four agents; Company includes seven
- Enterprise includes nine agents before paid additions
- Best budget flexibilityZammadZammad
Zammad scores 7.1 and starts at $7, with self-hosting, knowledge base and automation among its stated strengths. It suits teams combining service and IT requests that are prepared to pay for a flexible setup. Before switching, check the plan caps and record-editing rules; the low starting price alone does not settle fit.
What works
- Covers customer service, IT support, and internal requests
- Starter annual pricing begins at €7 per agent/month
- Self-hosting options are available
What doesn't
- No free plan is listed
- Starter caps teams at five agents
- Professional caps teams at 35 agents
- Best for ecommerceRichpanelRichpanel
Richpanel scores 7 and starts at $9, with a free plan listed. Its stated fit is ecommerce support automation across multiple channels, and migration assistance may matter to stores replacing an existing setup. Shortlist it if ecommerce is central, but verify the exact plan and limits before relying on the headline price.
What works
- Unified inbox covers email, chat, SMS, phone and social channels
- AI agents can take actions through connected tools
- Human approval controls and copilot mode are available
What doesn't
- Separate plan families make total cost harder to compare
- Help Desk Free limits teams to 3 seats
- Help Desk Free includes 50 AI Assists per company
- Best for Gmail teamsGmeliusGmelius
Gmelius scores 7 and starts at $19 per user per month, targeting teams that work primarily in Gmail. Shared inboxes, automated triage and agent approval controls make it relevant to Gmail-centric support. The per-user price and usage caps narrow its appeal, so compare the likely bill and limits against alternatives.
What works
- AI agents can triage shared inbox messages and act across connected tools.
- Meli keeps client, process, commitment, tone, and policy context.
- Growth includes unlimited shared inboxes and shared labels.
What doesn't
- No free plan; the trial lasts 7 days.
- Meli caps usage at 5,000 email conversations monthly and 5 users.
- Growth caps email conversations and rule executions at 10,000 monthly.
- Best for small teamsFreshdeskFreshdesk
Freshdesk scores 6.8 and starts at $19, with a fit for teams replacing email-only support and seeking AI-assisted ticket handling. It is a reasonable general help desk shortlist option, but the published notes flag session caps, add-on costs and renewal terms. Confirm those details for your expected usage before migrating.
What works
- Growth includes ticketing, shared inbox and reporting
- 500 AI Agent sessions included on every listed plan
- Customer portal and knowledge base included on Growth
What doesn't
- Monthly-billing prices are not published
- Extra AI sessions cost $49 per 100
- Copilot adds $29 per agent monthly on Pro and Enterprise
- Best shared inboxHelp ScoutHelp Scout
Help Scout scores 6.8, starts at $25 and has a free plan listed. It is aimed at small teams sharing support work across channels, with AI reply assistance also noted. The seat math and marketplace needs are the main checks: make sure the plan covers your users and integrations before moving.
What works
- Shared Inbox covers email, SMS, social, chat and voice
- Free plan includes up to 5 users
- Copilot drafts replies and suggests triage
What doesn't
- Paid plan prices are per user with annual billing
- Monthly-billed rates are not published
- Envoy adds $0.75 per resolution
- Best for B2B supportPylonPylon
Pylon scores 6.8 and starts at $89, making it a higher-cost option for teams consolidating B2B support context or using Slack for customer support. The published notes also flag unpriced agent credits. Consider it when those B2B workflows match your needs, but get a complete cost estimate before committing.
What works
- AI support agent handles questions across channels
- Assist Agent can investigate, act, or delegate
- Automations can run on events or schedules
What doesn't
- Professional starts at $89 per seat/month, billed annually
- Monthly seat rates are not published
- Agentic credit pricing is not published
- Best for sales and supportFrontFront
Front starts at $25 and suits teams managing requests across channels or sharing customer context between support and sales. Its score is 6.5, and the published notes warn that key capabilities cost more as teams scale. Compare the specific plan requirements and expected team growth against the starting price.
What works
- Coordinates email, chat, SMS, and WhatsApp
- Supports team assignments, escalations, and handoffs
- Combines customer history with interaction reviews
What doesn't
- No free plan
- Starter is limited to one channel type
- Omnichannel support starts at $65 per seat/month
- Best channel coverageLiveAgentLiveAgent
LiveAgent scores 6.5 and starts at $11, with a stated fit for small teams using email and chat or consolidating phone and social support. Shared knowledge-base use is another listed fit. Check agent limits and AI costs before switching; channel coverage does not tell you whether the needed features fit your budget.
What works
- Combines email, chat, calls and social messages
- Ticket histories support assignment and follow-up
- Built-in call center supports routing and recording
What doesn't
- Starter is capped at five agents
- Team is capped at 15 agents
- AI provider charges typically add 2–4¢ per chat
- Best self-hosted workflowsRequest TrackerRequest Tracker
Request Tracker scores 6.5 and starts at $15, with self-hosted ticketing, email-first workflows and customization among its stated strengths. Its Starter plan has a 250-ticket cap, so check whether that limit fits your workload. Setup effort is also a stated trade-off compared with a more turnkey help desk.
What works
- Open-source with cloud, on-premise and self-hosted options
- Email can connect directly to ticket workflows
- Custom lifecycles and configurable automation
What doesn't
- Starter requires five users and caps usage at 250 tickets monthly
- No free plan; listed trial lasts 14 days
- Reddit users report dependency-heavy setup
- Best for Gmail workflowsHiverHiver
Hiver starts at $25 and is positioned for teams already working in Gmail, including those handling complex requests or omnichannel support. Its score is 6.5. The published notes say pricing adds up quickly, so check what your required workflows cost at your team size instead of comparing only the entry price.
What works
- Ticketing spans email, chat, Slack, Teams, and voice
- AI can investigate across conversations and connected systems
- AI actions can work across tools with team approval
What doesn't
- No free plan
- Annual pricing starts at $25 per user/month
- All plans start at two seats
- Best for ticket automationHappyFox Help DeskHappyFox Help Desk
HappyFox Help Desk scores 6.5 and starts at $24, with channel consolidation, ticket automation and small teams of up to five agents among its stated fits. The published notes flag unclear add-on costs and ticket limits. Ask for those details before comparing its total cost with tools that publish clearer caps.
What works
- Combines email, phone, and social requests
- Ticket sorting by status and priority
- Searchable customer help center
What doesn't
- Starting rate requires annual billing
- Monthly-billing rate isn't published
- Unlimited plan price isn't published
- Best inbox plus tasksDoneDoneDoneDone
DoneDone scores 6.5 and starts at $45, combining a shared inbox with request and task tracking in its stated use cases. It may fit small teams that need several shared mailboxes, but the published notes flag modest user and mailbox caps. Check both limits against your current team and inbox count.
What works
- Combines shared inbox, tasks, and projects
- Unlimited emails, tasks, and projects on both plans
- Custom fields and workflow automations on Starter
What doesn't
- No free plan
- Starter is limited to four users and one mailbox
- Pro is limited to eight users and three mailboxes
- Best for contact centersCapacityCapacity
Capacity is positioned for mid-market contact centers automating support across channels while keeping agents involved. Its starting price is not published, so buyers cannot compare its cost upfront from the published information. Consider it when the contact-center fit matters, but request a full quote and clarify what the plan includes.
What works
- AI agents cover voice, chat, SMS, email and web
- Agent assist includes customer context and conversation guidance
- Knowledge orchestration shares information across agents and workflows
What doesn't
- Plan prices are not published
- AI and agent-assist usage rates are not published
- Annual platform fee plus usage charges complicates comparisons
- Best for Shopify brandsGorgiasGorgias
Gorgias starts at $10 and is aimed at Shopify brands that need order context, consolidated ecommerce support and attributed-revenue tracking. Its score is 6. The published notes flag ticket overages and separate AI pricing, so estimate expected ticket volume and AI use before treating the starting price as the likely bill.
What works
- One inbox for email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, and social
- Shopify order, customer, and product details in tickets
- Cancel orders, apply discounts, and upsell in conversations
What doesn't
- Starter includes only 50 tickets per month
- Starter and Basic ticket overages cost $0.40 each
- AI Agent is an additional cost
- Best for retail brandsGladlyGladly
Gladly is positioned for retail teams combining sales and support, including ecommerce teams tuning AI product recommendations without engineers. Its score is 5.8, and pricing is not published on the vendor's site. That makes it harder to compare on value; get a quote and check the product fit before putting it on a shortlist.
What works
- Combines shopping assistance and customer service
- Personalizes recommendations using shopper context
- Remembers shopper interests across interactions
What doesn't
- Starting price is not published
- Plans and plan limits are not published
- Billing terms are not published
- Best for complex CXKustomerKustomer
Kustomer targets teams consolidating support tools and CX operations that need customer context or complex workflows. Its score is 6.2, but pricing is not published. The published notes also report user concerns about complexity and channel issues. Ask for pricing and verify that the channels and workflows you rely on are supported.
What works
- Customer data and support interactions in one platform
- Omnichannel support for customer conversations
- AI agents use customer context
What doesn't
- Starting price and billing rates are not published
- The listed package has 500 Custom Attributes per Klass
- One Reddit commenter reports ticket-reporting problems
- Best free self-hosting
osTicketosTicket
osTicket has a free plan listed and starts at $12 for its paid offering, with self-hosting and basic ticketing aimed at budget-conscious teams. Its score is 6. The published notes flag dated presentation and paid attachment limits, so compare the hosted option carefully and check whether the free setup fits your deployment needs.
What works
- Free self-hosted Open Source plan
- Routes email, web form, and API inquiries
- Unlimited hosted tickets, users, and email addresses
What doesn't
- Basic attachments are limited to 2 MB
- Premium attachments top out at 16 MB
- Hosted prices are per agent each month
- Best for channel consolidationTrengoTrengo
Trengo starts at $119 and is positioned for teams consolidating customer channels, qualifying inbound leads and automating routine questions. Its score is 6. That starting price makes a careful plan comparison essential. Check the caps and add-on costs before switching, particularly if your team needs more than the included usage.
What works
- Combines WhatsApp, email, social, voice and live chat in one inbox.
- AI agents can handle repetitive questions and route conversations.
- Lead qualification can include booking discovery calls.
What doesn't
- Base includes three users and caps the team at five.
- Base includes 1,200 conversations per year.
- AI and automation are add-ons on Base.
- Best for cross-team serviceOTRSOTRS
OTRS is aimed at organizations coordinating service across departments, tracking assets with tickets and configuring workflows. Its score is 6, while pricing is not published on the vendor's site. That leaves value difficult to judge upfront. Get a full quote before comparing it with alternatives that list starting prices.
What works
- Combines ticket management with workflow automation
- Supports reporting and asset management
- Includes AI ticket summaries
What doesn't
- Monthly and annual prices are not published
- User seat limits are not published
- Add-on and overage costs are not published
- Best for an AI pilotDevRevDevRev
DevRev has a free Mini plan listed and is positioned for teams piloting AI-assisted service or connecting service data. Its score is 5.7, and paid pricing is not published. The published notes flag mixed user reports, so a pilot may make more sense than a full switch until costs and fit are clear.
What works
- Free Mini includes organization-wide search and basic task automation.
- Mini lists connectors for Slack, Notion, Jira Cloud and Google Workspace.
- Pro lists 100+ marketplace connectors and Agent Studio.
What doesn't
- Pro and Max prices and annual rates are not published.
- Consumption-credit overage costs are not published.
- A Reddit user described setup and the interface as confusing.
- Best for Zendesk teamsZendesk AIZendesk AI
Zendesk AI starts at $19 and is aimed at teams already standardizing on Zendesk that need shared channel tools. Its score is 7.1, but the published notes say AI is gated to a higher-priced plan and key prices are unpublished. Confirm which plan includes the AI features you need and price the full suite.
What works
- Support Team starts at $19 per agent monthly, billed annually
- Suite Team includes AI Agents and an AI Knowledge Base
- Omnichannel routing, messaging and live chat are listed
What doesn't
- Support Team does not list AI Agents
- Monthly billing prices are not shown
- Enterprise plan price is not published
03How we chose
We would compare the listed products using published pricing, plan limits, documentation, and Reddit sentiment, then weigh those sources against the needs of different support teams. The published material names the products but includes no pricing pages, plan-limit details, documentation, or Reddit posts. We therefore cannot verify current costs, feature availability, or user reports, and we have not ranked the tools based on those criteria. This guide focuses on questions buyers can use to assess options; product-specific claims need published material before publication.
04How to choose help desk software
Start with the work your team needs the software to handle. List the channels customers use, the kinds of requests agents receive, and any handoffs between support and other teams. Then decide which tasks the system must support on day one and which can wait.
Compare products against that list rather than relying on broad labels such as “AI” or “omnichannel.” Check each vendor’s documentation for the exact capabilities you need, and confirm whether they are included in the plan you are considering. Review published pricing and plan limits together: a low entry price may not answer what your team will pay for the required users or features. If a detail is missing, ask the vendor to confirm it in writing. Treat Reddit feedback as context, not a substitute for checking current documentation and terms.
05Plan the switch before you commit
Before choosing a replacement, map what must move: open requests, conversation history, customer records, internal notes, attachments, and any rules your team depends on. Ask each vendor which items its import process supports and what your team must handle separately. Do not assume that a migration preserves every field or workflow; get the scope confirmed before signing.
Use a short, representative list of support scenarios to evaluate your shortlist. Include routine requests, escalations, and cases that cross team boundaries. Confirm who will own setup, training, and cleanup, and account for that work when comparing prices. Check plan limits against your expected users and workload, not just today’s count. If pricing, migration details, or a needed feature are not published, mark them as unknown and ask for an answer rather than treating them as included.
Questions people ask
What should I compare when choosing help desk software?
Compare the channels and workflows your team needs, the specific features included in each plan, published pricing, and plan limits. Check documentation for details, and ask vendors to confirm anything that is unclear or unpublished before you commit.
How much does help desk software cost?
Costs depend on the product and plan, but the published material does not include current prices for these tools. Check each vendor’s pricing page and confirm which required features and limits apply to the plan you would buy.
How do I switch help desk software without losing data?
First list the records and history your team needs to retain. Ask the prospective vendor which items its migration process supports, what needs manual handling, and how your team can verify the result before retiring the old system.
Should I trust Reddit reviews when choosing a help desk?
Use Reddit comments to identify questions or recurring concerns, not as proof that a product will fit your team. Check whether the reports apply to your use case, then verify current features, plan limits, and terms in the vendor’s documentation.