Zoho Desk: A simplified alternative to Zendesk

Zoho Desk offers a free trial for 15 days, while Zendesk offers 14 days. Zoho Desk stands out as the best alternative to Zendesk, not only because it is a feature-rich software solution, but also because it is flexible, scalable, adaptable, accessible, and meant for every business size and type.

Freshdesk Support Desk and Zendesk Support allow customers to connect with you through multiple channels. Email is a primary offering by both apps, but in Zendesk, live chat, telephony, WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, community, and help center are only available as add-ons. In Zoho Desk, email, live chat, telephony, social media, web forms, and instant messaging channels are built-in, and requests coming from these channels can be viewed in one place, meaning your agents are better equipped to offer instant and personalized responses.

In terms of boosting agent productivity, all three applications make it easier for agents to manage incoming tickets by creating views. However, Freshdesk and Zendesk do not allow seamless categorization of tickets into columns based on ticket status, priority, due date, and CRM status, though this is possible with Zoho Desk. Other common features, like the ability to clone tickets to create same ticket for different customers, or help new hires work on existing tickets, are only available as marketplace extensions in Freshdesk and Zendesk, though they come built in with Zoho Desk.

Both applications offer time tracking, but Zendesk offers it as an add-on, and Freshdesk's offering is limited as it excludes "activity time tracking." Meanwhile, Zoho Desk not only offers automatic ticket assignment but also a customizable time tracking feature.

Another key differentiator is the price of these three applications. Zoho Desk's most comprehensive edition is available for just $40. The highest edition of Zendesk Support will run you $115 per use per month, and Freshdesk Support Desk costs $79 per user per month, billed annually.

Head to this page to learn more about Freshdesk vs Zoho Desk vs Zendesk.

Doing business should be easy, but Zendesk makes it difficult. Here's why many businesses are looking for Zendesk alternatives.

Rigid contracts: One major frustration is its rigid contract terms, including automatic renewal of your contract if you don't submit a cancellation or downgrade notice at least 30 days before your renewal date. On the contrary, they offer immediate upgrades. Many businesses faced the brunt of this rigidity. They had to stick with Zendesk for another year forcefully or pay for something they did not want.

Uncertainty: Another common reason for businesses looking for a Zendesk alternative is uncertainty in the form of frequent price hikes. Even after paying the high license fee, you will be required to purchase add-ons to run your support operations smoothly with Zendesk.

A great experience shouldn't be limited to software's UI but should extend to how easy it is to do business with the vendor. Be it onboarding your team, getting started with the software, or making upgrades or downgrades, Zoho Desk offers a smooth experience for you and your support team every step of the way.

It's time to look for a Zendesk alternative when you spend more time understanding the software, pricing, and the vendor's policies instead of helping your customers. Zendesk has been increasing its prices for quite some time now while keeping many features locked behind add-ons. While you navigate the pricing front, the product grows in complexity as you grow. Even carrying out basic tasks demand workarounds or developer effort, ultimately increasing team size and costs.