5 Freshdesk Alternatives for Small Online Businesses

Are you feeling kind of frustrated about Freshdesk lately? I get it. Here at Groove, we have lots of users who moved over from Freshdesk.

Some have complained about the steep learning curve due to a complex and unintuitive interface. Others experienced subpar support, ironically encountering slow response times, unclear communication, and difficulty resolving issues—a major pain point when you rely on a help desk to keep your own customers happy.

Whether it’s Freshdesk’s complex feature set that has you feeling overwhelmed, or you’re just looking for a more user-friendly experience, you’re in the right place.

In this article, we’re going to look at five Freshdesk alternatives. Each tool offers its own unique strengths tailored to various business needs and budgets. The goal? To identify the perfect solution to elevate your customer experience and drive business growth.

What To Look for in a Freshdesk Alternative

So, what do you want out of a Freshdesk alternative?

First off, aim for ease of use. You want a customer support tool that your team can pick up quickly without weeks of training. A clean, intuitive interface means faster responses and happier customers.

Next, focus on the features that really matter to your business. Do you absolutely need live chat, or is a solid knowledge base more important? You don’t want to pay for bells and whistles that’ll just gather dust. So stick to the core functions that directly impact your customer service.

Pricing matters too, of course. Freshdesk’s costs can ramp up fast, so look for transparent plans that fit your budget and can scale with your business.

And don’t forget about customer support—a responsive and helpful team is important, just in case you run into issues.

Lastly, consider integrations. Is the help desk solution able to work with your other tools, like your e-commerce platform or email marketing software? When there are seamless connections, you save time and hassle.

In summary, you’re looking for a user-friendly tool with the right features at the right price, backed by great support and easy integrations.

Freshdesk Alternatives: A Quick Summary

To give you a bird’s-eye view, here’s a quick comparison of the five Freshdesk alternatives we’ll be exploring. Click on the name of any alternative to jump to a more detailed review.

Feature	Groove	Help Scout	Zendesk	Hiver	Zoho Desk
Ease of Use	Simple, Intuitive	User-friendly	Highly Customizable	Simple, Gmail-based	User-Friendly
Ideal For	Simplicity, Small Teams	Small Teams	Customization, Enterprises	Small Teams, Gmail Users	Tight Budgets
Shared Inbox	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Knowledge Base	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Live Chat	Yes (Helply AI Agent)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (Enterprise)
Reporting/Analytics	Simple	Robust	Advanced	Simple to Advanced	Basic to Advanced
Automation	Canned Replies	Basic	AI-Powered	Basic to Advanced	Basic to Advanced
Integrations	Yes	Yes	Extensive	Yes	Extensive
Pricing	Low-Mid Range	Mid-Range	Mid-High Range	Mid-Range	Mid-Range

#1. For Simplicity and Ease of Use: Groove

Since you’re reading this on the Groove blog, you might already know we’re big fans of keeping things simple. And that’s exactly what Groove is all about. We built it because we were a small team struggling with overly complicated help desk software.

We needed something that was powerful but also incredibly easy to use, so we could focus on what really matters – helping our customers.

Groove is designed to be straightforward and intuitive right from the get-go. You only get the essential tools you need to provide excellent customer service.

It’s known for its clean interface, quick setup, and a focus on getting your team up and running fast. The main strength of Groove lies in its ability to streamline your support workflow, making it easy to manage shared inboxes, collaborate with your team, and keep track of customer conversations.

While it might not have every single bell and whistle under the sun, it excels at providing a solid, core feature set that covers what most small businesses need.

With that being said, if you need very advanced, highly customizable features, you might find Groove a bit limiting. But for many small businesses, its simplicity is a huge pro.

Key Features

• Shared inbox. Collaborate seamlessly with your team on customer inquiries.
• Knowledge base. Empower customers to find answers themselves.
• Canned replies. Save time and maintain consistency with pre-written responses to common questions.
• Simple reporting. Track key metrics like response times and customer satisfaction to identify areas for improvement.
• Mobile app. Stay connected and support customers on the go.
• Integration options. Connects with popular ecommerce platforms, CRM software, and other essential business tools.

Pricing

At Groove, we offer transparent pricing plans favoring small businesses and startups. You’ll find options that fit a range of budgets, with no hidden fees or surprise costs.

The pricing is low-to-mid range when compared to other help desk solutions, which makes it a cost-effective choice.

Groove is an ideal Freshdesk alternative for small online businesses and startups that prioritize simplicity, ease of use, and excellent customer support. It’s a great fit for teams that want powerful yet straightforward help desk software that doesn’t require extensive training or a dedicated IT team.

#2. For Very Small Teams: Help Scout

Help Scout is customer-centric help desk software with streamlined workflows and personalized customer interactions. It has a user-friendly interface, and helps to provide a positive experience for both buyers and support agents.

One of Help Scout’s main strengths is its robust reporting and analytics capabilities. This gives businesses the ability to see how well they are doing in customer support.

Help Sout also has a clean, modern design and excellent documentation, which makes it easy to navigate. And it’s pretty easy to get started with.

However, when you compare Help Scout to competitors, you’ll realize that it is less feature-rich in areas like automation. If you want to create custom rules for automating rote tasks, or if you’re looking for AI-powered features, you’ll be somewhat limited.

Key Features

• Shared inbox. Collaborate effectively with your support team on customer emails.
• Knowledge base. Customers get self-service options through a searchable knowledge base.
• Live chat. Engage with customers in real time for immediate support and quicker resolution of issues.
• Customer profiles. Build comprehensive profiles for each customer to personalize interactions and provide more context to your team.
• Robust reporting. Track essential metrics like response times, resolution times, and customer satisfaction scores for insights into your team’s performance.
• Integration options. Connect Help Scout with various tools to streamline workflows and centralize customer data.

Pricing

Help Scout’s pricing is mid-range. They have different plans for different sizes and needs. But you can expect costs to rise as you add more users or require more advanced features.

Help Scout is a solid Freshdesk alternative for very small startups that don’t plan to scale quickly, and just need the basics of customer support.

#3. For Advanced Customization and Integrations: Zendesk

Zendesk is a big name in the customer service world. They’re known for their highly customizable platform and wide array of features—which has been a blessing and a curse for businesses like yours.

Zendesk has advanced support setups and omnichannel communication. They also have a huge app marketplace, which allows you to integrate with just about any tool you can imagine.

However, that flexibility comes at a cost. For instance, Zendesk can be quite complex, with a sheer number of options that can be overwhelming for smaller businesses, and prevent you from creating truly streamlined workflows.

Also, the learning curve can be steep, often requiring users to hire experts to make the most of the platform.

Key Features

• Omnichannel support. Manage customer conversations across email, chat, social media, and phone—all from one central platform.
• AI-powered automation. Streamline workflows and free up your agents with intelligent automation tools.
• Extensive app marketplace. Integrate with hundreds of third-party apps to connect Zendesk with your existing tech stack.
• Advanced analytics. Use customer data with robust reporting and analytics features to identify trends so you can improve support performance.
• Customizable workflows. Tailor Zendesk to your exact business processes with powerful customization options.
• Integration options. A massive app marketplace and API access offers extensive integrations.

Pricing

Zendesk’s pricing sits in the mid-to-high range. They offer a variety of plans based on the features you need and the number of agents on your team.

While they have plans for smaller businesses, the more advanced features and higher user tiers can get pricey. So who’s Zendesk for? It’s a solid pick for medium to large businesses with complex customer support needs.

#4. For Gmail-Only Support: Hiver

Hiver takes a unique approach to customer support, by focusing on collaboration and streamlining workflows directly within Gmail. So if your support team uses Gmail only, Hiver offers an enhanced experience for that platform.

It turns your Gmail inbox into a collaborative workspace, making it easy to manage shared email addresses like support@ or sales@. Hiver simplifies team communication and task management, and has a true shared inbox (unlike a default Gmail setup).

One potential downside is that if your team doesn’t primarily use Gmail, Hiver might not be the best fit. Also, while it offers some automation and reporting features, they are not as comprehensive as many standalone help desk software platforms.

Key Features

• Shared inboxes for team collaboration. Manage shared email accounts directly within Gmail.
• AI bot for smart suggestions and context identification. Leverage AI to streamline tasks and ensure faster resolution of customer inquiries.
• Multi-channel support. While primarily focused on email, Hiver integrates well with live chat.
• Rule-based automations for repetitive tasks. Automate routine tasks to save time and improve efficiency.
• Visual reports and dashboards. Track key customer support metrics so you can gain insights into your team’s performance.
• Integration options. Hiver integrates with various tools, particularly those within the Google Workspace ecosystem.

Pricing

Hiver’s pricing falls within the mid-range for Freshdesk alternatives. While it may not be the cheapest option, its focus on enhancing existing Gmail workflows can be a cost saver when compared to migrating to an entirely new platform.

Hiver is a good choice for small to medium-sized businesses, particularly those heavily reliant on Gmail for customer communication that don’t get a lot of inquiries through other channels (social media, phone, etc.).

#5. For Tight Budgets: Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is part of the larger Zoho suite of business applications. It is a comprehensive and affordable customer support solution.

It’s known for its wide range of features, including multichannel support, AI-powered assistance, and robust customization options.

Zoho Desk offers a lot of bang for your buck. However, if you’re not already invested in the Zoho suite, integrating with external tools might take a lot of effort. Also, while the feature set is extensive, you may find the interface less polished and intuitive than some of the other options we’ve discussed.

Key Features

• Multichannel support. Manage customer interactions across various channels like email, phone, social media, and live chat.
• AI assistant (Zia). Leverage AI for tasks like ticket routing, sentiment analysis, and providing helpful suggestions to agents.
• Custom dashboards. Create personalized dashboards to track the metrics that matter most to your business.
• Team collaboration tools. Facilitate seamless collaboration within your support team through features like internal chat and shared notes.
• Extensive integrations with Zoho suite. Connect effortlessly with other Zoho applications for a unified business workflow.
• Integration options. Strong with other Zoho products, and a few integrations with other platforms are also available.

Pricing

Zoho Desk has a free plan for small teams with basic needs. Paid plans are also competitive, generally falling into the low-to-mid range for help desk solutions. This makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious businesses.

This help desk software is a good choice for small to medium-sized businesses, especially those looking for a budget-friendly option with a wide array of features. It’s also a top option for businesses that have already invested in the Zoho ecosystem.

Switching To a Freshdesk Alternative Built for Small Businesses

Still on the fence about switching to a Freshdesk alternative? We get it.

Changing tools can be a bit nerve-wracking. You’re probably thinking, “How much work is this going to be? Will my team struggle to adapt?”

We’ve worked hard to make the transition to Groove as painless as possible. In fact, you might be surprised at how quickly you can get up and running. We’re all about simplicity, remember?

Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect:

• Sign up for a free trial. Get hands-on with the platform for seven days, free of obligation. The best way to find out if a platform will work well for your team is to try it out!
• Connect your inbox. Whether you’re using Gmail, Outlook, or another email provider, connecting your inbox to Groove is a breeze.
• Customize your settings. Set up canned replies, create a basic knowledge base, and tailor Groove to fit your specific workflow.
• Invite your team. Get everyone onboard and collaborating in minutes.

With Groove’s intuitive interface, your team can start providing exceptional customer service right away. Learn more about how to set up Groove here!

Switching to a new tool doesn’t have to be a headache. With Groove, it’s a simple, straightforward process. And if you ever get stuck, our friendly support team is always here to help.

Why not experience the simplicity and power of Groove firsthand? Start your free trial today – no credit card required – and discover how easy it is to create exceptional customer experiences!