In the case of managing assist interactions, assist desk software program is an indispensable software. On this information, we’ll discover the several types of assist desk software program, clarify who they’re finest suited to, present an inventory of 31 nice assist desk instruments for several types of groups and use instances, and share some steering on how one can make the best alternative and implement your new software.
The several types of assist desk software program
The best sort of assist desk software program to your group will rely upon who your prospects are, the way you need your information to be hosted, and what stage of management you wish to have in customizing your assist desk.
Customer support assist desk software program is designed for groups that assist exterior prospects (i.e., your employer’s prospects).
IT assist desk software program is designed for groups that present technical assist to both coworkers (within the case of IT assist) or exterior prospects (within the case of managed service suppliers).
Inside assist desk software program is designed for groups that assist coworkers (e.g., HR, IT assist, finance, upkeep and services, authorized, and so on.).
AI assist desk software program might match into any of the opposite classes, however it’s extra centered on automating assist operations than different forms of assist instruments.
Open-source assist desk software program could be personalized with code (by your group or different people/corporations who additionally use the software program) so as to add new options and performance, versus closed-source software program which might solely be up to date by the corporate that produces it.
Cloud-based assist desk software program is designed for groups that wish to have their assist desk hosted by the software program supplier.
Self-hosted assist desk software program is designed for groups that wish to host their assist desk domestically and handle its information on their very own servers.
Under, we have break up our suggestions into these classes and extra that will help you discover the best choices to contemplate. Word that almost all assist desk software program is each cloud-hosted and closed-source, and that would be the case for all the instruments we suggest except we explicitly specify that the software program is open-source or could be self-hosted.
Customer support assist desk software program
Customer support assist desk software program lets groups manage requests from a number of channels (comparable to e mail, chat, social, telephone, and SMS) right into a single queue and provides you numerous instruments for managing these requests extra collaboratively, effectively, and successfully so you’ll be able to concentrate on offering nice assist to prospects.
Assist Scout – Finest for in depth options at an inexpensive worth
Assist Scout is likely one of the most inexpensive customer support assist desks in the marketplace given its highly effective characteristic set. Groups can use it to ship assist by way of e mail, reside chat, and social. Construct a assist middle for buyer self-service, then launch an AI chatbot that is skilled on it to reply prospects’ questions immediately. Plus, use options like saved replies and AI copilots to ship wonderful assist quicker than ever.
Value: Free plan out there for as much as 5 customers. Paid plans begin at $25/person per thirty days for as much as 25 customers.
Be taught extra about Assist Scout:
eDesk – Finest ecommerce assist desk software program
Constructed particularly for ecommerce groups, eDesk integrates with all the techniques your store makes use of to ship nice assist. See order particulars with its Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce integrations, and pull in messages from marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok Store — and social platforms like Fb, Instagram, and WhatsApp — to see every little thing in a single queue.
Value: Plans begin at $39/agent per thirty days.
Aircall – Finest name middle assist desk software program
Aircall is designed for groups that present most or all of their buyer assist by way of telephone and SMS. Create native, toll-free, and worldwide numbers within the system, ship prospects to voicemail when nobody is accessible to reply them, and construct an IVR system to get prospects to the best agent. Brokers can use AI to get assist answering buyer questions, and managers can use it to determine teaching alternatives.
Value: Plans begin at $30/license per thirty days with a minimal of three licenses required.
In case you additionally get assist requests via channels apart from telephone and SMS, Aircall integrates with assist desks like Assist Scout, eDesk, Zendesk, Intercom, and extra.
Zendesk – Finest customizable assist desk software program
Zendesk is a strong assist desk that lets groups handle requests from all channels and construct neighborhood boards, buyer portals, and assist facilities. It does every little thing you may ever need a assist desk to do, and the platform is infinitely customizable. Create your personal apps that seem within the sidebar, combine with practically 2,000 different instruments, and use information from any system to which you have linked to create detailed stories.
Value: Plans that embody customization options begin at $115/agent per thirty days.
Dynamics365 Buyer Service – Finest enterprise assist desk software program
Microsoft Dynamics365 Buyer Service is nice for enterprise corporations, significantly these which can be already utilizing different instruments within the Microsoft ecosystem. It has enterprise-level safety, its AI options are powered by Microsoft Copilot, and it integrates with different enterprise-focused instruments like SAP and Oracle. You’ll be able to even launch a chat in Groups straight from the assistance desk to collaborate with a bunch of specialists.
Value: Plans begin at $50/person per thirty days.
IT assist desk software program
Like customer support assist desk software program, IT assist desk software program additionally consolidates requests from a number of channels right into a single queue. Nonetheless, it comes with extra IT-specific options like asset administration, distant desktop management, change and incident administration, and software program provisioning.
Jira Service Administration – Finest ITSM assist desk software program
Jira is filled with all the options that IT groups want. You’ll be able to create a service desk, use AI to offer automated solutions, configure SLAs, and handle your organization property. It’s also possible to code your personal consumption types and automatic workflows or entry libraries of a whole lot of pre-built, no-code templates. Plus, there are options for incident and alter administration, dependency monitoring, and bug grouping.
Value: Free plan out there for as much as three brokers. Paid plans begin at $25/agent per thirty days however could be decrease primarily based on the variety of brokers that you simply add to the platform (e.g., for 75 brokers, plans begin at $20/agent per thirty days).
LogMeIn Resolve – Finest distant assist desk software program
With LogMeIn Resolve, you get assist desk options like a ticketing system and data base, however you can too use its distant entry instruments to entry Mac, Home windows, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS units. On Mac and Home windows, you’ll be able to even entry unattended units to deploy updates or repair points whereas your coworkers are offline. Asset administration can also be out there for managing stock, licences, and utilization.
Value: Plans for inside IT assist groups begin at $23/month. Plans for MSPs begin at $25/month.
Datto Autotask and RMM – Finest assist desk and asset administration software program for MSPs
Datto presents each assist desk software program (Autotask) and asset administration software program (RMM), and the 2 platforms work collectively seamlessly to provide you entry to all the options you want. Each instruments are designed particularly for MSPs, so that they’re extremely customizable, and detailed monetary stories can be found to point out issues like which purchasers you are shedding cash on and which techs are incomes probably the most cash.
Value: Contact Datto for pricing.
Inside assist desk software program
Inside assist desk software program creates group and workflows for groups who assist their coworkers. It typically integrates with the techniques coworkers use most frequently (comparable to Slack or Microsoft Groups) to get all requests right into a central queue and dissuade random pings which can be laborious to maintain monitor of.
Suptask – Finest HR assist desk software program
Suptask is a ticketing system that works completely in Slack, making it an incredible alternative for HR groups which can be already getting all of their requests as Slack messages. Your coworkers create requests by @mentioning Suptask, these requests are consolidated into an inventory so that you can handle, you get entry to stories displaying ticket volumes, and you should use AI to create summaries of tickets or route them to the best individual.
Value: Free plan out there. Paid plans begin at $7/agent per thirty days.
Siit – Finest for consolidating inside assist operations
As an alternative of getting one assist desk for IT assist, one for HR, one for finance, and so on., Siit lets your entire groups that present inside assist work out of the identical platform. It integrates with the instruments every of these groups use — Slack, Groups, Okta, Rippling, GitHub, and extra — to unify your information throughout the group and energy its AI brokers that reply questions, take actions to resolve points, and route requests.
Value: Plans begin at $23/admin per thirty days.
HaloITSM – Finest assist desk software program for services and upkeep groups
HaloITSM comes with all the options that services and upkeep groups want. There is a portal the place prospects could make requests, an asset administration characteristic that works by way of barcode scanning, and a useful resource reserving characteristic to ebook rooms, tools, autos, or parking areas. It’s also possible to schedule duties to your group within the platform to show new requests into an motion plan for finishing them.
Value: Contact HaloITSM for pricing.
AI assist desk software program
AI assist desk software program can be utilized by buyer, IT, or inside assist groups. It typically has most of the identical options as normal assist desk software program (multi-channel assist, data bases, collaboration instruments, and so on.), however it additionally presents quite a lot of instruments that allow you to automate whole parts of your work.
Intercom – Finest for buyer assist
Intercom is a buyer assist assist desk that works throughout all assist channels and comes with all kinds of AI options. You should use AI to reply questions robotically by way of e mail, chat, WhatsApp, SMS, telephone, and Slack; replace information in third-party platforms in an effort to resolve requests; add CSAT scores to all interactions; and get insights on what is going on properly to your group and the place there’s alternative to enhance.
Value: Assist desk plans begin at $29/seat per thirty days. Most AI options have further pricing, billed both as per-resolution prices or charged as per-user add-ons.
SysAid – Finest for IT assist
SysAid is an IT-focused assist desk with a number of customizable AI options. Use its out-of-the-box brokers to automate duties to your group, or construct your personal brokers utilizing a no-code builder to dictate extra particular workflows you need it to deal with. There are additionally copilots for each brokers and prospects that assist folks discover data and clear up issues, and you’ve got full management over what AI can entry and do.
Value: Contact SysAid for pricing.
Monday Service – Finest for inside assist
Monday Service is nice for inside assist groups (HR, finance, operations, and so on.) who wish to automate a few of their work. There’s an AI agent that solutions routine questions for you, auto-categorization that kinds duties by sort and urgency, sensible routing to get requests to the best individual, sensible solutions that assist your group determine what to do with a request, and a workflow builder for creating automation flows.
Value: Plans begin at $31/seat per thirty days with a minimal of three seats.
Assist desk software program for small companies
The assistance desks we have listed beneath are all easy to make use of and inexpensive sufficient to accommodate small enterprise budgets. We additionally characteristic a few choices for instruments that match inside your present workflows to make it simpler to onboard the brand new software program to your group.
Gmelius – The perfect assist desk software program for Gmail
Gmelius turns your shared Gmail inbox right into a full-fledged assist desk, including options like feedback and @mentions for less complicated collaboration, auto-responses for letting prospects know their requests had been acquired, collision detection to stop duplicate replies, and — most significantly — reporting so you’ll be able to see what your busiest occasions are, how glad your prospects are, and should you’re assembly your SLAs.
Value: Plans begin at $19/person per thirty days.
Emailgistics – The perfect assist desk software program for Outlook
Emailgistics works on high of your Outlook shared mailbox, including options like assignments, reporting, inside notes, dialog histories, response templates, and group scheduling. Incoming emails are robotically routed to group members utilizing a round-robin method, and you’ll set limits on what number of emails an individual could be assigned. All assigned emails seem in a folder for every particular person in your group.
Value: Plans begin at $11/person per thirty days.
Freshdesk – The perfect email-based assist desk software program
Freshdesk is Freshworks’ email-based assist desk platform. You should use it to handle e mail requests and construct a data base. It is an inexpensive possibility for small companies and presents a whole lot of other ways to scale as you develop. For instance, you’ll be able to subscribe to Freshchat or Freshcaller later if you wish to add chat or telephone assist, or you’ll be able to improve to Freshdesk Omni to get entry to all assist channels.
Value: Free plan out there. Paid plans begin at $19/agent per thirty days.
Open-source and self-hosted assist desk software program
When you have a extra technical group, open-source software program means you will by no means once more need to submit a characteristic request to a supplier and cross your fingers in hopes that they’re going to construct it. As an alternative, you’ll be able to construct the options you need your self. The choices beneath may all be self-hosted for higher management of your information, although cloud internet hosting can also be out there should you desire.
Zammad – Finest for buyer assist
Quite a lot of open-source instruments are pretty naked bones by way of options; you get the skeleton and construct on what you want. Zammad is totally different. It may be so simple as you need it to be or as advanced as you want it to be. It consolidates requests from all the channels via which you provide assist, there are tons of options to increase its performance, and the platform could be cloud- or self-hosted.
Value: Free to obtain the code from GitHub. Zammad lists its pricing in euros; paid plans can be found for a supported self-hosted model (beginning at €2,999/yr) and a cloud-hosted model (beginning at €5/agent per thirty days).
GLPI – Finest for IT assist
GLPI is an open supply assist desk constructed for IT groups. It comes with a service desk for dealing with tickets and incidents, asset and stock administration instruments, and a monetary administration characteristic the place you’ll be able to handle your entire suppliers and licenses. It’s also possible to handle person permissions at a granular stage and reap the benefits of LDAP, SCIM, and single sign-on applied sciences to authenticate customers at login.
Value: Free to obtain the code from GitHub. GLPI lists its pricing in euros; paid plans can be found for a supported self-hosted model (beginning at €100/month) and a cloud-hosted model (beginning at €19/agent per thirty days).
UVdesk – Finest for ecommerce corporations
UVdesk is an open-source assist desk focused to ecommerce corporations. It pulls in requests from e mail and/or a kind in your web site and likewise integrates with marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy to drag in requests from these channels. The spotlight of the platform is its integration with ecommerce CMSs like Shopify, Magento, and PrestaShop that will let you deliver order particulars straight into your assist desk.
Value: Free for self internet hosting. Paid, cloud-hosted plans begin at $8/agent per thirty days with a minimal of two brokers.
Assist desk CRM software program
Whereas assist desk software program and buyer relationship administration software program are usually two totally different techniques, there are a handful of platforms that present each instruments, will let you entry each techniques from the identical interface, and sync information between the 2 platforms.
The platforms beneath are nice for buyer success groups {and professional} companies companies the place assist and gross sales work carefully collectively.
Salesforce – Finest for big companies
Salesforce’s CRM is its flagship product, however the firm additionally has a assist desk product known as Agentforce Service that works hand in hand with the CRM. Information from each techniques syncs to each platforms, and assist groups can handle requests from any channel utilizing the system. Many superior AI options are additionally out there, they usually use Salesforce’s proprietary Einstein Belief Layer to maintain your information safe.
Value: Free plan out there. Paid plans begin at $25/person per thirty days.
HubSpot – Finest for mid-sized and rising companies
HubSpot presents each CRM (Gross sales Hub) and assist desk (Service Hub) merchandise which can be built-in and out there to entry from the identical interface. It will possibly require a little bit of a studying curve to get began, however there may be tons of self-service documentation out there to study the ropes. As soon as you have gotten the dangle of issues, it is an easy-to-use system that can be utilized to handle your entire buyer lifecycle from result in churn.
Value: Free plan out there. Gross sales Hub and Service Hub plans are bought individually. Costs for every platform begin at $15/seat per thirty days (although on the time of scripting this submit, Starter plans are discounted for brand spanking new prospects to $9/seat per thirty days).
Zoho – Finest for small companies
Zoho presents a CRM (Zoho CRM), a assist desk (Zoho Desk), and dozens of different platforms overlaying use instances for each potential division in an organization. The large draw of Zoho is its massive ecosystem of apps mixed with its very cheap pricing. Zoho Desk can be utilized to handle requests from e mail, chat, social, and telephone, and each the assistance desk and CRM have AI options that assist groups do their work quicker.
Value: Free plan out there. Paid Zoho Desk plans begin at $7/person per thirty days. Paid Zoho CRM plans begin at $14/person per thirty days.
Business-specific assist desk software program
The entire platforms above are {industry} agnostic — they’re constructed to work for groups in all several types of industries. Nonetheless, some industries have very totally different enterprise fashions or are required to stick to extra strict tips which may make the instruments above a poor match.
In case you’re on the lookout for a assist desk constructed particularly for the wants of your {industry}, listed here are a number of industry-specific choices to contemplate.
Incident IQ – Finest assist desk software program for faculties
IncidentIQ is constructed particularly for Ok-12 establishments. It is versatile sufficient for use for a single faculty or throughout a complete faculty district. It comes with options for IT groups like deployment for assigning units to college students, a portal for college kids and workers to request assist, and subject logs for all units. Amenities groups may use the platform’s cellular apps to handle their requests for repairs and routine upkeep.
Value: Contact IncidentIQ for pricing.
Quore – Finest hospitality assist desk software program
Quore is an operations hub for motels. It may be used to handle bookings, manage housekeeping, monitor upkeep requests, and examine stories. Entrance desk staff can use the platform to create duties for housekeeping and upkeep groups when company name in with requests, and housekeeping and upkeep can entry their job checklist and mark gadgets as full utilizing the platform’s cellular app.
Value: Contact Quore for pricing.
Giva – Finest HIPAA-compliant assist desk software program for healthcare
Giva is a HIPAA-compliant assist desk constructed for healthcare corporations which have brokers offering telephone assist. Brokers can create tickets within the system and route them to the suitable group or facility. AI-powered copilots can be found to assist brokers discover data shortly, there are modules for data and asset administration, and detailed stories can be found for managers to view efficiency.
Value: Plans begin at $69/agent per thirty days for as much as 10 brokers.
CivicPlus – Finest assist desk software program for presidency
CivicPlus presents numerous options for presidency officers and places of work to speak with their constituents and handle requests, together with a mass texting system, a 311 request supervisor, and a public data request system. Different options embody computerized routing to get requests to the best people, duplicate request detection, and two-way communication to ask follow-up questions and get replies as wanted.
Value: Contact CivicPlus for pricing.
Jobber – Finest for discipline companies corporations
Jobber is an all-in-one platform constructed for discipline companies corporations (plumbers, electricians, landscapers, and so on.). Its assist desk options embody buyer portals, two-way textual content messaging, and automatic reminders, however it may be used for far more than simply buyer assist. It additionally has advertising and marketing instruments, invoicing, fee processing, on-line bookings, and an AI receptionist that may reply calls when you’ll be able to’t.
Value: Particular person plans begin at $29/month for one person. Staff plans begin at $129/month for as much as 5 customers.
Shopmonkey – Finest for auto outlets and mechanics
Shopmonkey has options to assist auto outlets handle all of their operations. From the assistance desk aspect of issues, you’ll be able to talk with prospects by way of e mail or SMS, get digital approvals for estimates, and ship automated reminders for appointments. Past that, there are instruments for managing your stock, accumulating funds, and scheduling your jobs and techs utilizing a Kanban board.
Value: Plans begin at $179/month.
OperaDDS – Finest for dentist places of work
OperaDDS helps dentist places of work digitize their operations. Ship paperwork to sufferers to fill out on-line earlier than their appointments, ship automated textual content and e mail reminders about appointments, and provide different occasions when sufferers must reschedule. Talk with sufferers securely (OperaDDS is HIPAA-compliant) by way of e mail when wanted, and retract emails unintentionally despatched to the unsuitable individual.
Value: Contact OperaDDS for pricing.
Agentforce Manufacturing for Service – Finest for manufacturing corporations
Agentforce Manufacturing for Service is Salesforce’s assist product constructed particularly for manufacturing groups. It comes with a service desk displaying all buyer interactions in a chronological timeline, permits you to handle property and orders, and has a characteristic you should use to outline your guarantee insurance policies per product. Automation can also be constructed into the platform for issues like declare approvals and guarantee extension purchases.
Value: Plans begin at $275/person per thirty days.
How to decide on the best assist desk software program to your group
Earlier than you begin critically procuring, ensure you know what you want and the way a lot you’ll be able to afford to spend. There are a whole lot of assist desks in the marketplace, so figuring out precisely what options are non-negotiable and what your price range is offers you a straightforward option to knock contenders off of your quick checklist.
Upon getting a brief checklist of instruments to contemplate, check them by signing up for a free trial. Contemplate creating an analysis group that consists of a junior-level group member, a few energy customers, and a supervisor or senior chief. This can will let you check the software completely and get numerous totally different views on what does and does not work for the group.
If going via these two steps does not get you to a transparent winner, there are additionally a few tie-breaker steps you’ll be able to take. First, attain out to the supplier’s customer support group to ensure you’re going to get high quality assist while you want it. Second, contemplate getting some insights from individuals who at the moment use the software. You’ll be able to attain out to your community or learn evaluations on websites like G2 and TrustRadius.
In case you want extra steering, try our Purchaser’s Information to Selecting the Proper Buyer Help Software.
