Best 10 Zendesk Alternatives to Use in 2026
Zendesk lets you manage your customers efficiently. It has multiple smart options that will help you deal faster and more smoothly. There are huge companies that have trusted this software for many years. However, it is popular in the business industries, but it does not mean that everyone uses it easily; many users found it a bit tough to use with the features. In this blog, you will know about Zendesk and other Customer service platforms to use as Zendesk alternatives. Moreover, know the pros and cons and the pricing Zendesk and its alternatives provide to users.
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What Is Zendesk?
Zendesk is a cloud-based tool that is accessible from anywhere on the internet. It is used to manage clients’ calls, reports, and chats completely in one place. Moreover, clients’ emails can also be managed from Zendesk. With Zendesk, your client doesn’t have to wait to get a response, and there are AI tools that will make your work smarter. And the customer won’t need to wait any longer, which helps in building trust between the customer and the business.
What Are the Features of Zendesk?
Here are the Features which Zendesk has. If you are planning to know and are new to this platform, you must know these Zendesk features. It will make your client handling faster and stress-free:
Ticket System
It’s the most important feature of Zendesk: any customer who sends you a request in the form of an email, call, or chat becomes a ticket on the system. It acts as a customer ticket mentioning the query, so the Client manager can easily access and knows whom had make the request. Here is how Ticket works on Zendesk. Here is how it worked:
- The ticket can be assigned to the right team.
- Can check the messages’ history if a problem occurs.
- Priority is mentioned on the teams like Urgent or can wait.
- Frequent reminders to the team if the customer hasn’t responded.
Live Chat With Customers
Just like on any other messaging app, you can talk to each other and have instant responses. Zendesk also allows you to have conversations via messages with your clients, and live chats have some advantages over calling directly.
- For instant support better to message first.
- The Customer feels valued and builds more trust.
- Direct messages can let customers understand more.
- The client manager can know more details of the query.
Automation
On Zendesk, several AI tools will make your tasks faster and let the team manage tasks effectively and in a smarter way. Using the automated tools saves your time and makes your work less or error free, and you can set automated generated message.
- On Zendesk, the issue is prioritized automatically.
- Schedules your emails and calls by setting up timers.
- Automation helps in sending the tickets to the right team.
- Auto message suggestions come while replying to anyone.
Zendesk lets you manage your customers efficiently. It has multiple smart options that will help you deal faster and more smoothly. There are huge companies that have trusted this software for many years. However, it is popular in the business industries, but it does not mean that everyone uses it easily; many users found it a bit tough to use with the features. In this blog, you will know about Zendesk and other Customer service platforms to use as a Zendesk alternative. Moreover, know the pros and cons and the pricing Zendesk and its alternatives provide to users.
Knowledge Base
On Zendesk, as a customer, you can find a lot of articles and guides, FAQs on the platform. It’s the knowledge base, the library for Zendesk. These guides help customers to find the answer on their own. These things will save time in reaching out to the agent and waiting for a response.
- Suggests AI-based answers to users.
- Different guides will help you step by step for ease.
- Organizing content to be searched easily on Zendesk.
- Manuals and detailed tutorials are given on Zendesk.
A knowledge base is an important thing on any platform; it helps users to identify problems quickly without seeking the help of an agent, and users can easily reach out for support when the issue is not resolved.
Reports on Zendesk
Get the detailed report of customer service performance, and you can check the users’ engagements. Moreover, you can now see how many customers have responded and are going to get a response from an agent.
- Check out the reviews of customers.
- Check agents’ performance on the report.
- Check the number of new and older tickets.
- Know the common queries customers ask more.
User Data Protection
Zendesk is a legal and huge platform that keeps all users’ data secure and has a strong privacy policy. It follows the global privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA. LGPD and others. So, from wherever you do your business, it follows the specific country law.
- Data remains for 30 days after the deletion.
- However, all the data on the platform is encrypted.
- Zendesk has trust and help centers for users’ privacy.
- Not everyone can access the things; the right team can see data.
Why Users Look for Zendesk Alternatives?
However, Zendesk is a good platform, but people also look for Zendesk alternatives. Here are the following reasons for it:
- Cost: Some businesses and small startups found Zendesk pricey, and other features cost extra, which makes users search for substitute options that are budget friendly options and provide the best features in minimal packages.
- Complex to use: At first, Zendesk might look like a tough platform to operate; to use it smoothly, you have to first learn it to use it. There are easy-to-follow tutorials and guides which you can watch and read to use Zendesk.
- Too Many Tools: There are many tools on Zendesk, and it is one of the reasons people are going for Zendesk alternatives. Many features on the paltform makes users confused, and they get overwhelmed because of the features.
- User Interface: Users found its interface cluttered with a lot of features; with proper learning, new users can get to know this platform more. To learn more about it, you will require more time. And users prefer easy-to-use software.
Top Zendesk Alternatives
Zendesk is a perfect CRM platform for large businesses, and small startups look for a client support platform that is simple to use and is affordable. Additionally, large businesses can also switch to other platforms when they are getting the same feature at a low price.
Here are the working Zendesk Alternatives that offer similar, polished, or more user-friendly tools:
1) Zoho Desk
Zoho is a CRM platform that is quite affordable and has become a choice of many, used as a reliable Zendesk alternative. It has all the major features that are needed in a customer management system, including its own chatbot “Zia”. Moreover, you can handle calls, messages, and even social media from Zoho.
Pros
- Covers CRM, HR, and finance tasks.
- Customizes workflows and modules.
- Alerts and reminders within the system.
Cons
- Start lagging on large datasets.
- Need a learning force using Zoho.
- Complex for first-time CRM users.
2) Jira
You can use Jira for both purposes form managing within task and as a Service management. Which means it can be used for clients and employees working. Jira has similar features to Zendesk, which makes it another beneficial alternative to Zendesk. Also, it works on Agile workflows.
Pros
- Can integrate other applications.
- Offers customizable dashboards.
- Manage and oversee team workloads.
Cons
- Connecting systems takes time.
- Limit on file upload size to 10 MB.
- Sometimes features make it confusing.
3) Freshdesk
Another Zendesk alternative is Freshdesk. It is also a cloud-based platform; you can access it on any device from anywhere. Moreover, you can also create a knowledge base for the users, covering all the users’ problems in it. Like Zendesk, it has some AI tools that automate the small tasks, like ticket generating, and others.
Pros
- Freshdesk is easy to use.
- Generates detailed reports.
- It also offers free plans with limited features.
Cons
- Higher features are expensive.
- Sometimes the interface seems old.
- Integration of other apps is complex.
4) Front
This software shares a centralized communication system where you can manage customers’ messages, calls, and emails on one platform. It allows the user to customize the message template by adding more details, like names, and also schedule messages for later. Moreover, Front is a paid platform with multiple packages.
Pros
- More coordination options.
- Have a modern User Interface.
- Easy to use with a clean interface.
Cons
- Costly for some businesses.
- Faces slowdowns in browser and app.
- Some tools can take time to understand.
5) Kustomer
Kustomer is an omnichannel CRM Zendesk alternative software that also handles all the users’ communication within a single platform. Moreover, WhatsApp is integrated into Kustomer to respond to customers instantly when they are in need. Also, it offers different pricing packages.
Pros
- Uses the latest Automation tools.
- On-time customer support availability.
- High options of workflow customizations.
Cons
- It does not offer a free trial.
- Gets slow and lags sometimes.
- Hard to connect with other apps.
6) Salesforce
Another one of the best Zendesk alternatives is Salesforce, one of the smooth CRM platforms that offers multiple features, mostly used by large businesses. Moreover, with Salesforce, you can also generate leads from multiple platforms, and with reports, you can improve your strategies for generating leads.
Pros
- Integrate with Gmail and Slack.
- Integrated with automated tools.
- Customize as per business needs.
Cons
- Need to pay for extra storage.
- The app may have fewer features.
- Expensive for large customizations.
7) Intercom
If you are looking for a modern customer service platform, then Intercom is another Zendesk alternative. Multiple AI bots will respond to all customers instantly. It has a tool that can be used to connect customers from other platforms like WhatsApp, email, and SMS. Additionally, it’s a paid platform that offers multiple packages.
Pros
- Chatbots for user support.
- Has an extensive knowledge base.
- Integrated third-party applications.
Cons
- Might lack some features.
- Slow Intercom customer support.
- Pricey for some startup businesses.
8) LiveAgent
Easy-to-use Zendesk alternative, LiveAgent, has all the major tools required in a customer management platform. Moreover, for small-scale business LiveAgent is ideal; however, large scale can use it as well. This platform does not need a complex setup, and you can also add social media sites to this platform.
Pros
- Auto ticket sorting from high to low.
- Have an app on Google Play and App Store.
- With in platform calling option to customers.
Cons
- Not very pricey compared to others.
- The mobile app is not very efficient.
- An agent can handle multiple queries.
9) HubSpot Service Hub
Using HubSpot won’t let you move to another platform, as it is offering its own tools like marketing, SEO, and more. These aspects make it a great Zendesk alternative platform. However, you can use its service hub, which is a reliable CRM platform, and it is paid with 14 days free trial period. Within one dashboard, you can manage all emails, tickets, and chats.
Pros
- Minimal training required.
- Use all HubSpot tools on Service Hub.
- Scalable, upgrade plan when the business grows.
Cons
- Extra features require payment.
- Some features aren’t customizable.
- High usage makes the platform slower.
10) Gladly
A substitute CX platform to Zendesk, Gladly, is integrated with AI tools, similar to other tools. Additionally, Gladly keeps everything in one place, whether it be customers’ messages or calls. This Zendesk alternative is used by many well-known brands, as integrated with Shopify, Magneto and others.
Pros
- CSAT in chats for customer feedback.
- AI features to automate simple tasks.
- An active support team is present at all times.
Cons
- Offers limited app integration.
- Mobile app with fewer capabilities.
- Users might experience speed issues.
Also Read: Top 10 Project Management Tools
Conclusion
Zendesk is a well-known CRM platform because of its features, you can generate tickets and deal with customer feedback, there issues. Moreover, many big companies use their platform. Zendesk alternatives are used as many find this platform complex and pricey for new startups and businesses. There are many options that you can use as Zendesk alternatives. Each has its pros and cons; some are best for small businesses and have AI features to maximize automated tasks. These platforms might be secure; however, for additional security, use iProVPN.
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Zendesk Alternatives - FAQs
- What can Zendesk AI do?
Zendesk AI in Zendesk answers customers’ queries and is available at all times, even if an agent isn’t there. Moreover, it can solve up to 80% of customers’ queries without an agent.
- Who uses Zendesk?
Zendesk is used for managing your customers, and it is mostly used by the software industry of software, education technology, and others.
- Is there a Zendesk Support app?
Yes, there is a Zendesk Support app to handle customers, and there you will get all the real-time notifications.
- Why use Zendesk alternatives?
Some people find these platforms overwhelming and complicated. Small business owners find it pricey, so they look for alternative Zendesk options.
- Why use a VPN on Zendesk alternatives?
Zendesk and its alternatives can be secure, but for extra online security,y you can use iProVPN.
