Alternatives

The best Zendesk alternatives

The strongest alternatives to Zendesk, each scored on a published rubric, with what each really costs and when switching makes sense.

By the help-desk.reviews teamPublished 19 September 2026Updated 19 September 2026Prices and figures verified 18 September 2026

The best Zendesk alternative depends on why you are leaving: Freshdesk and Zoho Desk cost less per agent, Help Scout suits small email-first teams, Intercom publishes every AI price, HubSpot Service Hub fits teams on HubSpot's CRM, and Gorgias fits ecommerce stores with many agents.

Zendesk remains one of the broadest help desks, with native phone, messaging, social channels and hosting in the US, the EU, the UK, Japan and Australia. Teams usually look elsewhere because of cost once AI is switched on, and because its AI-agent billing has become harder to predict. Each alternative below is costed with AI on in the tables further down.

Why teams look beyond Zendesk

  • Copilot costs US$50 per agent per month and must be bought for every agent seat on the account, not only the agents who use it.
  • AI-agent billing is unclear: the pricing page lists US$1.50 per automated resolution, while the help centre says a dollar resolution allowance of US$2 to US$10 per seat has replaced it, with tier prices available only from sales.
  • EU hosting through the Data Center Location add-on requires Suite Professional at US$115 per agent; Suite Team and Support Team cannot use it.
  • The contract does not allow seat reductions or downgrades mid-term, and it renews at then-current prices unless you give 30 days' written notice.
  • There is no free plan, and the cheapest plan, Support Team, is email ticketing only.

The alternatives, ranked

1

Tidio

Online stores and other small teams of up to ten agents that also want support to generate sales, through in-chat product recommendations8.9
Price from
US$24.17 per month
Pricing model
Per ticket volume
Free plan
Yes
EU data hosting
Yes

Tidio is a customer service suite for small ecommerce teams: ticketing and an email inbox, live chat, the rule-based Flows chatbot and the Lyro AI agent. It does not charge per agent. Every self-serve plan is a flat price for the whole project that includes 10 seats, and the plan is chosen by how many conversations a human answers: Starter is US$24.17 a month for 100 of them, and Growth runs from US$49.17 for 250 up to US$290.83 for 2,000, on annual billing. Lyro is bought separately, in prepaid monthly packs from US$32.50.

Better than Zendesk for a store under ten agents: every self-serve plan includes 10 seats for one flat price from US$24.17 a month, agent-assist AI is free, and EEA hosting applies on every plan including the free one - but ten agents is a hard ceiling and there is no phone channel.

The catch: Three meters run at once and none of them covers the others: billable human conversations, Lyro conversations and Flows visitors are bought separately. Worse, the conversation cap is a wall, not a bill - once the month's allowance is used, agents cannot see or answer new messages until the quota resets or you upgrade. And every self-serve plan stops at 10 seats.

Read the review · Pricing explained

2

Help Scout

Small teams that work mainly in email8.3
Price from
US$25 per agent per month
Pricing model
Per seat, plus AI usage
Free plan
Yes
EU data hosting
No

Help Scout is a shared inbox, live chat widget and knowledge base for small and mid-size support teams. Paid plans start at US$25 per user per month on annual billing, there is a free plan for up to 5 users, and its customer-facing AI agent costs US$0.75 per resolution with no charge when the customer still needs a person.

Better than Zendesk for a small email-first team: a free plan, AI Drafts included from Plus and AI Answers billed only per resolution, as long as US hosting is acceptable.

The catch: Data is hosted in the United States only, and the prices on the pricing page are annual-billing prices: paying monthly costs US$30 instead of US$25 on Standard.

True cost at 10 agents (Plus): US$450 a month for seats alone, US$825 a month with AI switched on.

Read the review · Pricing explained · Alternatives

3

Zoho Desk

Small and mid-size teams that want a complete help desk at a low per-user price8.1
Price from
US$7 per agent per month
Pricing model
Per agent seat
Free plan
Yes
EU data hosting
Yes

Zoho Desk is a ticketing help desk with email, social and WhatsApp channels, a help centre and a chat widget, sold as part of the wider Zoho suite. Paid editions start at US$7 per user per month on annual billing, there is a free plan for up to 3 users, and the Zia AI assistant is included from the Professional edition at US$23. Zia AI Agents come with a free monthly token allowance, but the price of usage beyond it is not published.

Better than Zendesk on price: Professional costs US$23 per user with Zia AI included and EU hosting available on every edition.

The catch: Below Professional there is no bundled generative AI: on Express and Standard, AI features need your own OpenAI or DeepSeek API key, billed by that provider. And once Zia AI Agents use up the free token allowance, they draw on AI credits whose price Zoho does not publish.

True cost at 10 agents (Professional): US$230 a month for seats alone, US$230 a month with AI switched on.

Read the review · Pricing explained

4

Freshdesk

Budget-conscious teams that want EU hosting and a cheap per-agent entry price8.0
Price from
US$19 per agent per month
Pricing model
Per seat, plus AI usage
Free plan
No
EU data hosting
Yes

Freshdesk is Freshworks' help desk, sold in two versions: standalone Freshdesk for email ticketing, and Freshdesk Omni, which adds chat, phone and messaging. Freshdesk starts at US$19 per agent per month on annual billing and Omni at US$29. The Freddy AI Agent is sold in packs of 100 sessions for US$49, and a session is charged whether or not the AI solves the customer's problem.

Better than Zendesk if you want the same kind of ticketing help desk for less, with EU hosting on any plan and Copilot at US$29 for only the agents who need it.

The catch: Freddy AI Agent sessions are used up whether or not the issue gets resolved, and the price per session is now several times what Freshworks' own June 2025 price list showed: US$49 per 100 sessions, against US$100 per 1,000 then.

True cost at 10 agents (Freshdesk Pro): US$550 a month for seats alone, US$1,085 a month with AI switched on.

Read the review · Pricing explained · Alternatives

5

HubSpot Service Hub

Teams already on HubSpot's CRM that want support tickets on the same customer records as sales and marketing7.5
Price from
US$7 per agent per month
Pricing model
Per seat, plus AI usage
Free plan
Yes
EU data hosting
Yes

HubSpot Service Hub is the customer service part of HubSpot's CRM: ticketing, shared inboxes, live chat, calling, a knowledge base and a customer portal, all on the same contact records as HubSpot's marketing and sales tools. Seats cost US$7 (Starter), US$90 (Professional) and US$150 (Enterprise) per seat per month on an annual commitment. Professional and Enterprise also require one-time onboarding at US$1,500 and US$3,500. The Breeze Customer Agent costs US$0.50 per resolved conversation, paid in HubSpot Credits.

Better than Zendesk if your sales and marketing run on HubSpot's CRM, since support shares the same records and agent-assist AI is included with every seat.

The catch: The advertised prices leave things out. Professional and Enterprise need one-time onboarding (US$1,500 and US$3,500), the Starter price of US$7 assumes an annual commitment against US$20 month to month, and the included credits cover only about 60 AI resolutions a month on Professional. If you hold other HubSpot hubs at a higher tier, every Core Seat is priced at that tier.

True cost at 10 agents (Professional): US$900 a month for seats alone, US$1,120 a month with AI switched on.

Read the review · Pricing explained

6

Gorgias

Shopify and other ecommerce brands with many agents and moderate ticket volume7.4
Price from
US$10 per month
Pricing model
Per ticket volume
Free plan
No
EU data hosting
Yes

Gorgias is a help desk built for online stores, above all Shopify stores, with order data in the inbox and an AI agent that can handle refunds, cancellations and address changes. It is priced by billable tickets a month rather than per agent. Basic costs US$50 a month for 300 tickets, Pro US$300 for 2,000 and Advanced US$750 for 5,000, on annual billing. The AI Agent costs US$0.90 per automated interaction, and each of those interactions also uses up one of your plan's tickets.

Better than Zendesk for Shopify and other ecommerce stores with many agents, because Gorgias charges by ticket and documents a Zendesk importer.

The catch: Every conversation the AI Agent handles is billed twice: once as an automated interaction at US$0.90 and once as a helpdesk ticket against your plan's allowance. Beyond the interactions included in your plan, the AI rate rises to US$1.50.

True cost at 10 agents (Pro): US$480 a month for seats alone, US$930 a month with AI switched on.

Read the review · Pricing explained

7

Intercom

Software and online businesses that want a customer-facing AI agent at the centre of support6.9
Price from
US$29 per agent per month
Pricing model
Per seat, plus AI usage
Free plan
No
EU data hosting
Yes

Intercom is a help desk with a shared inbox, ticketing, live chat Messenger, help centre, native phone, SMS and WhatsApp, built around its Fin AI agent. Seats start at US$29 per agent per month on annual billing, Fin costs US$0.99 per outcome with no included allowance, and unlimited Copilot for agents is US$29 per agent. The company behind it renamed itself Fin on 12 May 2026, while the help desk keeps the Intercom name, and Salesforce has signed an agreement to acquire it that had not closed when we last checked.

Better than Zendesk if you want an AI agent at the centre of support with every price published, including Fin at US$0.99 per outcome and Copilot for individual agents.

The catch: Fin charges US$0.99 per outcome, and since March 2026 an outcome includes a configured handoff to a human, not only a resolution. A conversation Fin passes to your team through a Procedure you set up is billed even though a person still has to answer it.

True cost at 10 agents (Advanced): US$850 a month for seats alone, US$1,635 a month with AI switched on.

Read the review · Pricing explained · Alternatives

Comparison table

ProductScorePricing modelPrice fromFree planEU data hostingGermanSpanishBest for
Zendesk5.2Per seat, plus AI usageUS$19 per agent per monthNoYesYesYesMid-size and enterprise teams that need phone, messaging and email in one tool
Tidio8.9Per ticket volumeUS$24.17 per monthYesYesNot documentedYesOnline stores and other small teams of up to ten agents that also want support to generate sales, through in-chat product recommendations
Help Scout8.3Per seat, plus AI usageUS$25 per agent per monthYesNoNot documentedNot documentedSmall teams that work mainly in email
Zoho Desk8.1Per agent seatUS$7 per agent per monthYesYesNot documentedNot documentedSmall and mid-size teams that want a complete help desk at a low per-user price
Freshdesk8.0Per seat, plus AI usageUS$19 per agent per monthNoYesYesYesBudget-conscious teams that want EU hosting and a cheap per-agent entry price
HubSpot Service Hub7.5Per seat, plus AI usageUS$7 per agent per monthYesYesYesYesTeams already on HubSpot's CRM that want support tickets on the same customer records as sales and marketing
Gorgias7.4Per ticket volumeUS$10 per monthNoYesNot documentedNot documentedShopify and other ecommerce brands with many agents and moderate ticket volume
Intercom6.9Per seat, plus AI usageUS$29 per agent per monthNoYesYesYesSoftware and online businesses that want a customer-facing AI agent at the centre of support

True cost at 3, 10 and 50 agents

Product3 agents · Entry tier · seats only3 agents · Entry tier · with AI on10 agents · Mid tier · seats only10 agents · Mid tier · with AI on50 agents · Mid tier · seats only50 agents · Mid tier · with AI on
ZendeskUS$165US$368US$1,150US$2,250US$5,750US$11,250
TidioUS$133US$199No public priceUS$583Growth is capped at 10 seatsGrowth is capped at 10 seats
Help ScoutUS$75US$188US$450US$825US$2,250US$4,125
Zoho DeskUS$42US$42US$230US$230US$1,150US$1,150
FreshdeskUS$57US$155US$550US$1,085US$2,750US$5,425
HubSpot Service HubUS$21US$21US$900US$1,120US$4,500US$5,720
GorgiasUS$230US$365US$480US$930US$3,450US$5,700
IntercomUS$87US$323US$850US$1,635US$4,250US$8,175
3 agents: 750 tickets a month, 150 of them resolved by AI, agent-assist add-on on for every agent. 10 agents: 2,500 tickets a month, 500 of them resolved by AI, agent-assist add-on on for every agent. 50 agents: 12,500 tickets a month, 2,500 of them resolved by AI, agent-assist add-on on for every agent. Estimates from vendors' published USD list prices with annual billing, verified on the date shown on this page. Taxes, discounts, onboarding fees and telephony usage are not included.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest alternative to Zendesk?

On list price, Zoho Desk: Standard costs US$14 and Professional US$23 per user per month on annual billing, with a free plan for up to 3 users. Its AI-agent usage beyond the free allowance has no public price, though. The true cost calculator compares full bills with AI on.

Which Zendesk alternative has EU data hosting?

Freshdesk and Zoho Desk let you choose EU hosting at sign-up on any plan, and HubSpot Service Hub hosts paid accounts in Germany. Intercom offers EU hosting only for new workspaces on a sales contract, and Help Scout documents US hosting only. See help desks with EU data hosting.

How do I leave Zendesk without paying twice?

Check your renewal date: Zendesk renews unless you give 30 days' written notice, and seats cannot be reduced mid-term. Gorgias and Zoho Desk document importers from Zendesk. Follow the help desk migration checklist.

Is there a Zendesk alternative with cheaper AI?

Several publish lower or clearer AI prices. Help Scout charges US$0.75 per AI resolution and includes AI Drafts from Plus, HubSpot Service Hub charges US$0.50 per resolution with agent assist included, and Freshdesk sells Copilot per agent at US$29. See AI help desk software.

Sources

  1. Zendesk pricing — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  2. What counts as an agent license in Zendesk — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  3. Managing light agent seats in your Zendesk account — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  4. Can I buy a Zendesk Copilot license for some agents only? — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  5. About automated resolutions for AI agents — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  6. About automated resolution tiers — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  7. Managing resolution allowances — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  8. Upgrading from automated resolutions to resolution allowances — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  9. Main Services Agreement — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  10. Agreements and terms: data processing agreement, sub-processor policy, business associate agreement — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  11. About the Data Center Location add-on — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  12. Regional Data Hosting Policy — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  13. Zendesk Trust Center — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  14. Zendesk AI data use information — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  15. Zendesk language support by product — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  16. What is being removed (updated August 2026) — Zendesk Help · 18 September 2026
  17. Zendesk completes acquisition of Forethought — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  18. About Zendesk — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  19. Zendesk QA — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  20. Fortnum & Mason customer story — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  21. Best Egg customer story — Zendesk · 18 September 2026
  22. Zendesk pricing and buyer data — Vendr · 18 September 2026
  23. Tidio pricing — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  24. Tidio FAQ — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  25. Tidio Help Desk — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  26. Lyro AI Agent — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  27. The Lyro AI agent limit — Tidio Help Center · 19 September 2026
  28. The monthly conversations limit — Tidio Help Center · 19 September 2026
  29. Lyro multilanguage support — Tidio Help Center · 19 September 2026
  30. Localization: change the language of your Tidio panel — Tidio Help Center · 19 September 2026
  31. Which upgrades do I need — Tidio Help Center · 19 September 2026
  32. Terms of service, including the DPA and Annex A on AI providers — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  33. Privacy policy and GDPR compliance — Tidio Help Center · 19 September 2026
  34. Privacy policy — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  35. Tidio Trust Center — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  36. About Tidio — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  37. Borrowell customer story — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  38. Axioma customer story — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  39. Your KAYA customer story — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  40. Suitor customer story — Tidio · 19 September 2026
  41. Help Scout pricing — Help Scout · 18 September 2026
  42. User-based billing and plans guide — Help Scout Docs · 18 September 2026
  43. Light users — Help Scout Docs · 18 September 2026
  44. Manage your contact-based plan — Help Scout Docs · 18 September 2026
  45. About annual payments — Help Scout Docs · 18 September 2026
  46. Import emails or tickets into Help Scout — Help Scout Docs · 18 September 2026
  47. Security at Help Scout — Help Scout Docs · 18 September 2026
  48. HIPAA at Help Scout — Help Scout Docs · 18 September 2026
  49. AI transparency — Help Scout · 18 September 2026
  50. About Help Scout — Help Scout · 18 September 2026
  51. eCatholic customer story — Help Scout · 18 September 2026
  52. Zoho Desk pricing — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  53. Zoho Desk price list data, all currencies — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  54. Zoho Desk edition comparison — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  55. Managing your agent seats — Zoho Desk Help · 18 September 2026
  56. Zia, the AI assistant in Zoho Desk — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  57. Zia Agents pricing — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  58. Zoho refund policy — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  59. Know your data center — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  60. Compliance at Zoho — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  61. Zoho and the GDPR — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  62. HIPAA compliance guide for Zoho Desk — Zoho Desk Help · 18 September 2026
  63. Zoho launches Zia LLM, prebuilt agents, a custom agent builder and an MCP server — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  64. Zoho Desk integrations — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  65. Zoho Desk product page — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  66. About Zoho — Zoho · 18 September 2026
  67. Freshdesk pricing — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  68. Freshdesk Omni pricing — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  69. Freshworks price list (current as of June 13, 2025) — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  70. Understanding Freshdesk pricing plans — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  71. Explore Freshdesk free plan — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  72. Understanding full-time vs occasional agents — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  73. Add and use collaborators to assist in ticketing — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  74. Freddy AI Agent and chatbot sessions FAQs — Freshworks Support · 18 September 2026
  75. Manage Freddy AI add-ons — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  76. Freshworks Terms of Service — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  77. Manage languages — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  78. Where is your data (servers) located? — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  79. Freshworks Data Processing Agreement — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  80. Freshworks sub-processors — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  81. Freshworks Trust Center — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  82. HIPAA configuration guide — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  83. The Freddy AI trust framework — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  84. Freshdesk API: rate limit — Freshworks Developers · 18 September 2026
  85. Freshdesk upcoming changes (December 2025 to June 2026) — Freshdesk Support · 18 September 2026
  86. Freshdesk Omni — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  87. Freshdesk apps — Freshworks Marketplace · 18 September 2026
  88. Freshdesk — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  89. Freshworks reports fourth quarter and full year 2025 results — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  90. Freshworks reports record second quarter 2026 results — Freshworks · 18 September 2026
  91. Freshworks pricing and buyer data — Vendr · 18 September 2026
  92. Service Hub pricing — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  93. Service Hub Preise — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  94. HubSpot Product & Services Catalog — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  95. HubSpot Service Hub pricing guide — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  96. HubSpot Credits — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  97. Understand HubSpot Credits and billing — HubSpot Knowledge Base · 19 September 2026
  98. AI customer service agent — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  99. Manage seats — HubSpot Knowledge Base · 19 September 2026
  100. HubSpot language offerings — HubSpot Knowledge Base · 19 September 2026
  101. HubSpot data centers — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  102. HubSpot security — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  103. Security and compliance — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  104. Sensitive data — HubSpot · 19 September 2026
  105. HubSpot AI cloud infrastructure FAQ — HubSpot Knowledge Base · 19 September 2026
  106. HubSpot Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 — US Securities and Exchange Commission · 19 September 2026
  107. Gorgias pricing — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  108. Voice and SMS add-on price tiers (pricing page script) — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  109. How you're billed for using Gorgias — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  110. Legacy pricing for Helpdesk and AI Agent subscribers — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  111. Voice add-on 101 — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  112. SMS add-on 101 — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  113. Import data from Zendesk — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  114. Migrate from non-Zendesk providers — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  115. Languages Gorgias can detect — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  116. Set the language AI Agent replies in — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  117. Security and privacy FAQ for Gorgias AI Agent — Gorgias Help Center · 18 September 2026
  118. Security at Gorgias — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  119. Data Processing Agreement — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  120. List of data subprocessors — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  121. Gorgias AI Agent — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  122. About Gorgias — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  123. Gorgias customer stories — Gorgias · 18 September 2026
  124. Intercom pricing — Intercom · 18 September 2026
  125. Intercom plans explained — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  126. Pricing FAQs — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  127. Fin AI Agent outcomes — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  128. From resolutions to outcomes: evolving how Fin delivers value — Intercom · 18 September 2026
  129. Fin pricing — Fin · 18 September 2026
  130. Pro add-on — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  131. Proactive Support Plus add-on — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  132. Early Stage program — Intercom · 18 September 2026
  133. Use Intercom in your preferred language — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  134. Regional data hosting — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  135. Security at Intercom — Intercom · 18 September 2026
  136. Historical data migration to Intercom — Intercom Help · 18 September 2026
  137. Fin AI Agent — Fin · 18 September 2026
  138. About Fin — Fin · 18 September 2026
  139. Today, Intercom becomes Fin — Intercom · 18 September 2026
  140. Salesforce signs definitive agreement to acquire Fin — Salesforce · 18 September 2026
  141. Intercom pricing: buyer data — Vendr · 18 September 2026

This page was researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed on it. We have not run hands-on tests of these products. Method: How we review