The best alternatives to Zoho Desk to grow in 2025

If you’re searching for a customer service tool that goes beyond what Zoho Desk offers, you’re in the right place. While Zoho Desk integrates well with the broader Zoho ecosystem and provides essential support features, some businesses may need more advanced capabilities, flexibility, or scalability. Here’s a comprehensive guide to some of the best alternatives to Zoho Desk.

What is Zoho Desk?

Zoho Desk is a help desk software that allows businesses to manage customer support tickets, streamline workflows, and analyze performance through AI-powered insights. It’s especially effective for teams already using Zoho products, as it integrates seamlessly with the rest of the suite, including Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics.

Why look for Zoho Desk alternatives?

While Zoho Desk is a solid choice for many businesses, it’s not always the perfect fit. Some users find its interface less intuitive than other tools, and its customization options may be limited for handling complex workflows. If your business requires deeper third-party integrations, advanced automation, or specialized features like order tracking or multi-channel support, exploring alternatives can provide the functionality you need to grow.

Best Competitors and alternatives to Zoho Desk per industry in 2025

1. Outvio Desk

Best for: eCommerce and 3PL

Outvio is the only help desk built to solve all the challenges of eCommerce. It empowers businesses to resolve customer problems quickly and deliver personalized communication at every stage of the order journey. Whether automating global shipping, managing returns, or handling tracking updates, Outvio simplifies complex processes.

With tools like automated notifications, live chat, AI-powered personalization, and self-service portals, Outvio ensures smooth operations. Its carrier integrations and automation features minimize manual work, making it easier to meet customer expectations and scale your business.

Main features

• Manage customer inquiries, orders, deliveries, and returns in a single platform
• Integrated voice system specialising in eCommerce call centres
• AI-driven workflows automatically handle order delays, lost shipments, and refund requests
• Customers and agents can track shipments in real time without needing third-party tools
• Simplifies return requests, automates approvals, and keeps customers updated
• Handles emails, live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook messages in one inbox
• Connects directly with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and other systems

Pricing: A small fee per processed order with unlimited tickets, agents and voice calls included

2. Freshdesk

Best for: Small & midsize businesses

Freshdesk offers an intuitive platform for handling customer support across chat, email, social media, and more. Its gamification tools motivate agents, and automation features like canned responses and ticket routing save time on repetitive queries.

Freshdesk is particularly effective for businesses that handle a high volume of inquiries across multiple channels. It simplifies communication while maintaining strong reporting tools to track team performance and improve workflows.

Main features

• Provides omnichannel support for email, chat, phone, and social media
• Utilizes AI-powered chatbots to automate responses
• Facilitates agent collaboration with the "Team Huddle" feature

Freshdesk: Plans range from $15 per agent/month $795 per agent/month

3. Re:amaze

Best for: SaaS companies

Re:amaze brings together email, chat, social media, and SMS into a single platform, enabling efficient, centralized support. Proactive messaging tools let you notify customers about issues like shipping delays or confirmations for returns, fostering transparency and trust.

This platform excels at simplifying multichannel communication, making it a great choice for businesses that want to provide seamless customer experiences without juggling multiple tools.

Main features

• Consolidates email, live chat, social media, SMS, and voice support into a single dashboard
• Offers integrated live chat with proactive engagement tools
• Provides real-time customer monitoring and engagement

Pricing: Starts at $29/user/month (Basic) and goes up to $69/user/month

4. Kustomer

Best for: Startups

Kustomer combines CRM capabilities with support features, giving agents a complete timeline of customer interactions. This enables highly personalized service for tasks like resolving order issues or addressing repeat concerns.

Kustomer’s automation workflows ensure that critical tasks—such as escalating a complaint or following up on unresolved tickets—are handled promptly, keeping your team proactive and customers satisfied.

Main features

• Provides a customer-centric platform integrating data from various sources
• Offers automated workflows to streamline processe
• Features sentiment analysis to prioritize and tailor responses

Pricing: Two seat-based plans: Enterprise at $89/user/month and Ultimate at $139/user/month.

5. Zendesk

Best for: Healthcare and enterprise

Zendesk is a robust, scalable platform that simplifies ticket management with AI and automation. It’s well-suited for businesses managing complex workflows, including multi-channel inquiries and detailed order tracking.

Zendesk also offers extensive integrations with third-party tools, allowing you to build a highly customized support system tailored to your operational needs.

Main features

• Advanced ticketing system with customizable workflows
• AI-powered automation to improve response times
• Detailed analytics to track performance and customer satisfaction

Pricing: Starts at $19/user/month and goes up to $115/user/month

6. Crisp

Best for: Education and online courses

Crisp specializes in real-time communication, offering live chat, chatbots, and email integration to keep your customer interactions efficient and engaging.

Its shared inbox ensures that all customer messages—regardless of the channel—are accessible in one place, allowing your team to continue conversations seamlessly.

Main features

• Centralizes chat, email, and social media messages into a single inbox.
• Offers real-time chat translation for global support.
• Provides co-browsing and video chat features for enhanced assistance.

Pricing: Starts at $95/user/month and goes up to $295/user/month

7. Help Scout

Best for: Creative agencies

Help Scout provides easy-to-use email support and knowledge base tools, perfect for businesses that want to empower customers with self-service options. Collision detection ensures agents don’t overlap on tasks, improving efficiency.

Help Scout’s clean interface and straightforward design make it a strong option for smaller teams or businesses focused on delivering consistent, high-quality service without unnecessary complexity.

Main features

• Features an email-like interface for intuitive use
• Integrates a knowledge base for self-service support
• Offers collaboration tools like internal notes and collision detection

Pricing: begins with the Standard plan at $55 per user/month and goes up to the Plus plan at $83 per user/month.

8. Hiver

Best for: Gmail-based support teams

Hiver turns Gmail into a collaborative help desk, letting teams manage customer queries directly from their inbox. It includes tagging, email categorization, and basic automation to streamline support workflows.

This tool is ideal for businesses that prefer to keep their support operations lightweight and integrated with Google Workspace.

Main features

• Transforms Gmail into a helpdesk with shared inboxes
• Allows assignment and tracking of emails within Gmail
• Provides collaboration features like internal notes and tags

Pricing: start at $24 per user/month for the Lite plan and go up to $59 per user/month for the Elite plan

9. Live Agent

Best for: Call centers

LiveAgent centralizes support tasks by combining email, live chat, and call center functionality into a single platform. It’s particularly useful for teams handling high volumes of customer inquiries.

With built-in voice support, LiveAgent allows you to offer a more personal touch to your service, catering to customers who prefer phone interactions.

Main features

• Combines ticketing with a built-in call center
• Offers gamification features to boost agent engagement
• Provides unlimited ticket history for comprehensive records

Pricing: From $19 to $85/agent/month across four plans with scaling features

10. Front

Best for: Customer service teams

Front is designed to enhance team collaboration, offering shared inboxes and streamlined workflows to manage customer inquiries. SLA tracking ensures timely responses, while analytics provide insights into team performance.

This platform is ideal for businesses that prioritize transparency and accountability in their customer support operations.

Main features

• Offers a shared inbox for team collaboration
• Integrates email, SMS, and social media channels
• Provides analytics to monitor team performance

Pricing: plans starting at $19 per agent/month for the Starter plan and up to $99 per agent/month for the Premier plan

11. Tidio

Best for: Sales teams

Tidio is a simple and effective tool for businesses that want to automate customer support while keeping live chat available when needed. Its AI chatbots help reduce response times and improve efficiency.

Main features

• Integrates live chat, chatbots, and ticketing in one platform
• AI-powered bots handle common questions 24/7
• Real-time visitor monitoring for proactive support

Pricing: plans starting at $59 month for the Starter plan and up to $2999 per month for the Premier plan

How to choose the best Zoho Desk alternative for your industry

Finding the right customer service platform isn’t just about features—it’s about choosing a Zoho Desk alternative that fits your business needs. A generic helpdesk won’t work for every company, which is why exploring the best Zoho Desk competitors is essential.

An eCommerce business deals with order issues, returns, and delivery questions daily. They need more than just ticketing—they need a helpdesk built to automate post-purchase operations, resolve shipping problems instantly, and track customer orders in real time. A standard alternative to Zoho Desk won’t offer this level of order management integration.

Meanwhile, a travel agency requires a completely different approach. Their customers expect instant updates on bookings, cancellations, and itineraries. A Zoho Desk competitor designed for travel should integrate with booking systems, automate confirmations, and provide multi-channel support, especially via mobile.

For SaaS companies and tech providers, speed and personalization are everything. A Zoho Desk alternative for SaaS should track user behavior, detect recurring issues, and allow agents to proactively prevent churn. The best Zoho Desk competitors for software businesses will offer deep integrations with CRM, analytics, and AI-driven automation.

The bottom line? A one-size-fits-all helpdesk doesn’t exist. If you’re looking for the best Zoho Desk alternative, choose a platform that aligns with your industry’s unique challenges.

Zoho Desk alternatives: Pricing comparison for 2025