Top Zendesk Competitors: 5 Alternatives to Evaluate

With its robust ticketing system and huge range of integrations, Zendesk has been a key player in the help desk software space since its launch in 2007. 

However, it’s also one of the more expensive solutions in the market. For organizations with smaller budgets or simpler support requirements, the cost can be a significant blocker to product adoption. 

That’s why, in this guide, we’ll explore some of the best Zendesk alternatives, covering key features, who they’re designed for, and robust pricing breakdowns. 

We’ll look at:

• Freshdesk
• Intercom
• Help Scout
• Gladly
• Front 

We’ll also offer some helpful advice on leveraging the expert negotiation methods and internal pricing data at Vendr to get a low price on these solutions.

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Freshdesk 

Freshdesk from Freshworks is a comprehensive multi-channel support platform built for streamlining communication and automating workflows. It offers omnichannel support and a user-friendly interface.

Key features

• Automation to streamline repetitive tasks like ticket routing, status updates, and response templates
• Customizable interfaces and pre-built themes for clean, on-brand customer experiences
• Built-in team collaboration tools like shared inboxes, collision detection, and team huddle 

Who it’s for

Functionality is broadly similar to Zendesk, but pricing can be more affordable. This makes Freshdesk ideal for businesses of any size looking for a flexible and scalable customer support solution. 

Unique selling points and considerations

Despite taking some time to set up and create rules, Freshdesk’s automation capabilities are comprehensive. This makes it well-suited to managing large volumes of tickets without sacrificing quality.

Freshdesk pricing breakdown

Freshdesk offers a free plan with basic support features for startups and small businesses. This includes email, social ticketing, and knowledge base.

However, businesses scaling up will probably require one of the premium packages. These are:

• Growth Plan. Starts at around $15 per agent monthly, with extra features like automation, time tracking, and custom reporting features.
• Pro Plan. Priced at around $49 per agent monthly, includes Growth Plan features + advanced omnichannel support, custom roles, and add-ons like more advanced reporting.
• Enterprise Plan. Comes in at around $79 per agent monthly, with all of the above + AI-powered bots, IP whitelisting, and audit logs.

The average contract value for Vendr users is $84K.

Learn more about Freshdesk pricing, negotiation strategies, community insights, and discount levers in our Buyer Guide.

Intercom 

Intercom is a support and engagement platform that excels at personalized real-time communication. It offers messaging tools, automation, and rich insights into customer interactions.

Key features

• Detailed user profiles and powerful data on customer behavior 
• Custom bots to automate routine tasks like lead qualification and answering customer queries 
• Engagement features such as onboarding tools, product tours, and in-app messaging 

Who it’s for

Intercom is ideal for enterprises focused on customer relationship management through real-time personalized communication. 

Unique selling points and considerations

Like Zendesk, Intercom's cost also increases with the number of users and level of customization options required. This means it’s important to factor predicted scaling into your cost analysis.

Intercom pricing breakdown

Intercom offers a range of pricing plans. These include:

• Starter Plan. Priced from around $74 per month and comes with basic messaging and engagement tools.
• Pro Plan. Starts at around $499 per month and features advanced functions like custom bots, live chat, and deep customer data insights
• Enterprise Plan. Flexibly priced based on requirements and offers all Pro Plan features + advanced integrations, custom reporting, and priority support.

For Vendr users, the average contract value for Intercom deals is around $86K.

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Learn more about Intercom pricing and negotiation strategies in our Buyer Guide.

Help Scout 

Help Scout is a customer support platform that offers core functionality in a simple, clean interface. Designed to maximize efficiency, it focuses on providing support without a steep learning curve. 

Key features

• Shared inboxes for seamless collaboration on customer inquiries
• Automatic generation of customer profiles using previous interaction data
• Knowledge base creation functionality for self-service support

Who it’s for

Help Scout is especially suited for SMEs that want to prioritize efficiency. Its easy-to-use interface and extensive library of integrations make it ideal for teams looking to streamline support while spending minimal time on agent training.

Unique selling points and considerations

If you’re looking for features such as customizable reporting and advanced AI integrations, you might need to look to other tools.

Help Scout pricing breakdown

Help Scout offer multiple tiers in their pricing structure. These include:

• Standard Plan. Starts at around $20 per user monthly and includes essential features like shared inboxes, customer profiles, and basic reporting.
• Plus Plan. This costs around $40 per user monthly and adds features like advanced reporting, CRM tool integration, and custom workflows.
• Company Plan. This customizable enterprise-level plan features tailored pricing and supports larger teams with features like enhanced security options, enterprise-level support, and dedicated account management.

For Vendr users, the average contract value for Help Scout deals is around $46K.

Learn more about Help Scout pricing and negotiation strategies in our Buyer Guide.

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Gladly 

Gladly is a customer service platform that's designed to deliver highly personalized customer experiences across channels. Forgoing traditional ticket-based architecture, Gladly is built around customers.

Key features

• Unified omnichannel support through email, chat, SMS, and social media
• Personalization tools like customer profiles and preferences
• Robust reporting and analytics on team performance, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency

Who it’s for

Gladly is aimed at businesses prioritizing seamless personalized support across multiple channels. Its built-in voice capabilities and personalization tools help ensure a consistent service; this makes it particularly ideal for retail, travel, and hospitality companies.

Unique selling points and considerations 

Gladly can improve support quality by providing a comprehensive view of all customer interactions across channels.

Gladly pricing breakdown

Gladly does not offer a free plan and generally comes in two distinct pricing tiers. These are:

• Hero Package: Listed at $180 per user monthly and comes with a full suite of features including multi-channel communication, real-time reporting, integration with current tech stack, and AI assistance.
• Superhero Package: Listed at $210 per user monthly and includes all of the above + custom reporting and guaranteed 99.9% uptime.

Vendr users have reported average contract values of around $83,809.

Learn more about Gladly pricing and negotiation strategies in our Buyer Guide.

Front

Front is a customer communication platform designed to efficiently manage customer interaction while streamlining collaboration between agents. 

Key features

• Shared inboxes to ensure fast responses and transparency
• Collaborative features like internal messaging, commenting, and tagging 
• Automated workflows, rules, and templates to manage large email volumes

Who it’s for

Front is especially suited to teams that manage high volumes of emails and frequently need to collaborate on support issues. This makes it an ideal option for both customer support teams and e-commerce sales teams.

Unique selling points and considerations

Fronts' standout feature is its ability to combine the functionality of a shared inbox with dedicated customer support and collaboration tools. This mini in-platform ecosystem is ideal for handling large volumes of inquiries quickly.

Front pricing breakdown

Front offers a variety of plans to suit different business needs. These include:

• Starter Plan. Comes in at around $19 per user monthly and includes shared inboxes, basic collaboration tools, and core integrations
• Prime Plan. Starts at $49 per user monthly and adds comprehensive features like automation, advanced reporting, and further integrations
• Enterprise Plan. Custom pricing for large teams with premium support, advanced security, and personalized onboarding.

The average contract value is around $56,226 for Vendr users purchasing Front.

Learn more about Front pricing and negotiation strategies in our Buyer Guide.

How Vendr selects and negotiates the best customer support software

Vendr supports businesses to find the perfect helpdesk solution and get a fair deal on their chosen platform. Here’s how.

Vendr’s procurement support

We help you accurately quantify your budget based on your requirements — for instance, how many support agents you’ll need. Then, we leverage insights from industry experts, insider negotiation advice, and pricing benchmarks to get you a low price. This includes evaluating discount levers such as competitor quotes and contract lengths to help you save.

How Drift saved $1.1M by partnering with Vendr

By partnering Vendr to negotiate pricing on new SaaS solutions, Drift has saved over $1.1M on software.

Senior Director of Finance David Vital said, “One of the biggest benefits of Vendr is knowing that our employees can focus on more important matters in the business instead of spending extra time negotiating SaaS contracts.”

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