Best Zendesk alternatives
Zendesk for a growing team · 10 agents · 300 ai resolutions/mo: $190/mo on Support Team. 2 of the alternatives below cost less for the same setup.
| Alternative | From | 10 agents /mo | 50 agents /mo | Free? | Why people switch to it | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Crisp | $45/mo | $95 | $595 | Yes | Flat-priced support inbox per workspace: $45/mo for 4 agents, $95 for 10, free plan for 2 | Visit |
 LiveAgent | $11/agent/mo | $110 | $550 | No | Budget omnichannel help desk with no AI fees: $15/agent/mo Starter offer ($11 annual), 30-day trial | Visit |
 Freshdesk | $19/agent/mo | $190 | $1,685 | No | Freshworks help desk with an AI agent on every plan: $19/agent/mo Growth (annual), 500 AI sessions included | Visit |
 Front | $25/agent/mo | $250 | $3,250 | No | Email-first customer operations platform: $25/seat/mo Starter for up to 10 seats, billed annually | Visit |
 Deskpro | $39/agent/mo | $390 | $1,950 | No | Configurable help desk with cloud or on-prem options: $39/agent/mo Team (minimum 5 agents) | Visit |
 Re:amaze | $26.10/agent/mo | $473.50 | $2,793 | No | Ecommerce-friendly help desk: $29/member/mo Basic with 5 AI resolutions per user included | Visit |
 Help Scout | $25/agent/mo | $475 | $2,750 | Yes | Shared-inbox help desk with a free plan for 5 users and $25/user/mo Standard (annual) | Visit |
 HelpDesk | $19/agent/mo | $487 | $2,930 | No | Ticketing from the LiveChat team: $25/user/mo Essential ($19 annual) with 10 AI resolutions included | Visit |
 HappyFox | $24/agent/mo | $490 | $2,450 | No | Help desk with monthly, annual or two-year terms: Basic $29/agent/mo ($24 annual) up to 5 agents | Visit |
 Jira Service Management | $21.50/agent/mo | $515 | $3,075 | Yes | Atlassian service desk: free for 3 agents, Standard $21.50/agent/mo, AI agent at $1 per resolution | Visit |
FAQ
What is the cheapest Zendesk alternative?
For a growing team · 10 agents · 300 ai resolutions/mo on annual billing: Crisp $95/mo (Essentials), LiveAgent $110/mo (Starter), Freshdesk $190/mo (Growth). Zendesk costs $190/mo for the same shape.
Why do teams leave Zendesk?
Usually per-agent fees, AI resolution charges, seat caps or annual-only billing. Gotchas we found on its pricing page: Only yearly prices are shown — month-to-month is “typically a higher effective monthly rate” but not priced. AI agents bill per automated resolution and the rate is not published, so heavy AI use is a quote.
Will ListCost estimate hidden prices?
No. Every cell comes from the official pricing page captured on the verification date; anything unpublished is shown as Not listed.