Zendesk is a most popular customer service platform, but it’s not the only one out there.
Maybe you’re looking for something more affordable or features that better fit your business.
Whatever your reason, you’ve come to the right place!
This post will explore 15 of the best Zendesk alternatives available in 2025.
We’ll examine their key features, pricing, and what makes them stand out.
By the end, you will have all the information you need to make the best choice for your needs. Let’s get started!
What is the Best Zendesk Alternative?
It’s a tricky question! There isn’t one “best” for everyone.
The ideal choice fully depends on your needs and what you seek in a customer service platform.
To help you decide, we’ve compiled a list of the top 15 Zendesk alternatives, with the best options ranked higher.
1. Gohighlevel
Think of GoHighLevel as your business’s super-powered command center.
It’s like having a bunch of tools all in one place. You get marketing automation, a CRM to keep track of your customers, and even tools to build websites and landing pages.
It’s really popular with marketers and agencies because it helps them manage everything smoothly.
But even if you’re not a marketing pro, GoHighLevel can help you organize your business and get more done.
Our Take
GoHighLevel is a solid choice for agencies and businesses that need a comprehensive marketing solution. The automation features are top-notch, and the white-labeling options are a big plus. However, the pricing may be a barrier for some, and the sheer number of features can feel overwhelming at first.
Key Benefits
- Automation powerhouse: GoHighLevel lets you automate pretty much anything, from email sequences to appointment scheduling. This frees up your time to focus on what matters most.
- White-label friendly: Want to offer these tools to your clients under your own brand? GoHighLevel makes it easy with white-labeling options.
- Built-in courses and training: They have a ton of resources to help you learn the platform and get the most out of it.
Pricing
- Starter: $97/seat per month.
- Unlimited: $297/seat per month.
Pros
Cons
2. Pipedrive
Pipedrive is all about making sales easier. It helps you keep track of every deal, from the first hello to the final sale.
Think of it like a visual to-do list for your sales process. You can see where each deal is at, and what needs to happen next.
Pipedrive also has cool tools to automate tasks, so you can spend less time on busy work and more time closing deals.
It’s really user-friendly, even if you’re new to CRM software.
Our Take
Pipedrive is a solid choice for sales-focused businesses. It’s user friendly, visually appealing, & packed with helpful features. The only reason it doesn’t get a perfect 10 is that the lower-priced plans have some limitations.
Key Benefits
- Laser focus on sales: Pipedrive is built to help you close more deals.
- Visual pipeline management: See exactly where each deal stands.
- Powerful automation: Automate tasks like sending emails and scheduling appointments.
- 24/7 support: Get help whenever you need it.
Pricing
Pipedrive offers a 14-day trial to test it before committing. Their paid plans start at $14.90 per user per month (billed annually). Here’s a quick look at what each plan offers:
- Essential: $24/seat per month.
- Advanced: $44/seat per month.
- Professional: $64/seat per month.
- Power: $79/seat per month.
- Enterprise: $129/seat per month.
Pros
Cons
3. Keap
Keap wants to be your all-in-one solution for growing your business.
It combines sales and marketing tools with a CRM. You can keep track of leads, send emails, and manage your customer relationships, all in one place.
Keap is a good option if you’re looking for something that can do a lot and help you automate your processes.
Our Take
Keap is a fantastic option for small businesses to streamline their sales and marketing efforts. It’s user-friendly and packed with valuable features. However, it may not be best for larger companies with more complex needs.
Key Benefits
- Built-in email marketing: Send targeted emails to your audience.
- Easy-to-use automation: Automate tasks like sending follow-up messages and assigning leads.
- Sales pipeline management: Track your deals and identify opportunities.
- Ecommerce integrations: Connect Keap with your online store to manage orders and customers.
Pricing
Keap offers a free trial and a simple pricing structure to get you started.
- Starting at $299/month for 2 users and 1500 contacts.
Pros
Cons
4. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a powerful platform for email marketing and marketing automation.
But it also has a CRM built-in. This means you can use it to manage contacts, track deals, and send targeted messages to the right people at the right time.
If you’re serious about email marketing, ActiveCampaign is worth a look.
Our Take
ActiveCampaign is an excellent choice for businesses that want to leverage the true power of email marketing and automation. However, it may not be the best fit for beginners due to its complexity.
Key Benefits
- Advanced automation: Create complex workflows to nurture leads and automate tasks.
- Email marketing powerhouse: Send beautiful and effective email campaigns.
- Built-in CRM: Manage contacts and track interactions.
- Segmentation and personalization: Target specific groups of contacts with personalized messages.
Pricing
ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $29 monthly for up to 500 contacts and limited features. Here’s a look at their pricing tiers:
- Starter: $15/month for 1 user.
- Plus: $49/month for 1 user.
- Pro: $79/month for 3 user.
- Enterprise: $145/month for 5 user.
Pros
Cons
5. Freshsales CRM
Freshsales CRM aims to make sales super simple. It has a clean and intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate.
You can track leads, manage deals, and even make phone calls right from the platform.
They also offer some neat AI-powered features to help you with things like lead scoring.
Our Take
Freshsales CRM is a solid choice for businesses prioritizing ease of use and affordability. It’s a great way to use CRM without a steep learning curve.
Key Benefits
- User-friendly interface: Easy to navigate and learn.
- Built-in phone and email: Connect with customers directly from the platform.
- AI-powered insights: Get helpful suggestions and predictions.
- Affordable pricing: Offers a free plan and competitive paid plans.
Pricing
Freshsales CRM has a free forever plan for up to three users. Paid plans start at $15/ user per month. Here’s a look at their pricing tiers:
- Free: Basic CRM features for small teams.
- Growth: $9/user per month
- Pro: $39/user per month
- Enterprise: $59/user per month
Pros
Cons
6. Instantly
Instantly helps you reach more people with your emails.
It focuses on helping you improve your email deliverability and avoid spam filters. This means your messages are more likely to actually land in people’s inboxes.
If email outreach is a big part of your strategy, Instantly could be a game-changer.
Our Take
Instantly is a valuable tool for businesses that want to ramp up their outreach efforts. However, it’s important to note that it’s primarily an outreach platform, not a complete CRM solution.
Key Benefits
- Multi-channel outreach: Connect with prospects through email, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more.
- Personalized messaging: Tailor your messages to each recipient.
- Automated follow-ups: Stay top-of-mind without lifting a finger.
- Detailed analytics: Track your progress and identify what’s working.
Pricing
- Growth: $37/month for 5000 emails
- Hypergrowth: $97/month for 100000 emails
- Light Speed: $358/month for 500000 emails
Pros
Cons
7. HubSpot
HubSpot is a big name in the marketing and sales world.
They offer a whole suite of tools, including a free CRM. You can use HubSpot to organize your contacts, track deals, and manage your sales pipeline.
They also have a ton of educational resources to help you grow your business.
Our Take
HubSpot is a powerful platform with many features, but you must consider your budget and needs before committing. It’s a good choice for businesses that want a comprehensive solution & are willing to invest in it.
Key Benefits
- Free CRM: Start with a free plan with basic CRM features.
- All-in-one platform: Access a marketing, sales, and service tools suite.
- Extensive community and resources: Benefit from a wealth of knowledge and support.
- Inbound marketing focus: Attract and engage leads with valuable content.
Pricing
- Marketing Hub Starter: $20/month/seat
- Starter Custom Platform: $20/month/seat
- Marketing Hub Professional: $890/month/seat
- Marketing Hub Enterprise: Custom Pricing.
Pros
Cons
8. Salesforce
Salesforce is the biggest CRM company out there. It’s a very powerful platform, but it can also be complex and expensive.
If you have a large team and need a really robust CRM with all the bells and whistles, Salesforce is a solid choice.
Our Take
Salesforce is a powerful CRM solution ideal for businesses with complex needs and a growing team. However, it may not be the best fit for small businesses or those new to CRM.
Key Benefits
- Highly customizable: Tailor the platform to the specific needs.
- Scalable for growth: Easily adapt as your business expands.
- Large app marketplace: Extend functionality with a variety of integrations.
- Strong reputation and reliability: Trusted by many large enterprises.
Pricing
- Starter Suite: $25/user per month
- Pro Suite: $100/user per month
- Enterprise: $165/user per month
- Unlimited: $330/user per month
- Einstein 1 Sales: $500/user per month
Pros
Cons
9. Monday CRM
Monday.com is known for its flexible project management software.
But they also offer a CRM that’s built on the same platform.
If you’re already using Monday for project management, their CRM can be a good way to keep everything connected.
Our Take
Monday CRM is a good choice for businesses that want a visually appealing and easy-to-use CRM. However, it may not be best for those with complex sales needs or large teams.
Key Benefits
- Visually appealing interface: Easy to navigate and understand.
- Flexible and customizable: Adapt the platform to your specific needs.
- Collaboration features: Work seamlessly with your team.
- Integrations with popular apps: Connect with your favorite business tools.
Pricing
- Free: $0/ 2 seats per month
- Basic: $9/ seat per month
- Standard: $12/seat per month
- Pro: $19/ seat per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing.
Pros
Cons
10. Creatio CRM
Creatio CRM is a platform that helps you manage the entire customer journey.
From marketing and sales to service and support, Creatio aims to give you a complete view of your customer interactions.
It’s a good choice for businesses that want to streamline their processes and improve customer satisfaction.
Our Take
Creatio CRM is a powerful solution for businesses that need a highly customizable CRM. However, it may not be the best fit for those new to CRM or with limited technical resources.
Key Benefits
- Low-code platform: Customize and automate your workflows without coding.
- Visual process designer: Easily map out and manage your sales processes.
- AI-powered features: Get insights and predictions to improve your sales performance.
- Scalable for growth: Adapt the platform as your business evolves.
Pricing
- Growth: $25/user per month.
- Enterprise: $55/user per month.
- Unlimited: $85/user per month.
Pros
Cons
11. HoneyBook
HoneyBook is a popular choice for small businesses and freelancers.
It helps you manage projects, send invoices, and track payments, all in one place.
It’s especially useful for businesses that need to send proposals and contracts to clients.
Our Take
HoneyBook is a valuable tool for freelancers and small businesses wanting to simplify client management processes.
Key Benefits
- Project management tools: Keep your projects organized and on track.
- Invoicing and payment processing: Get paid faster and easier.
- Client communication tools: Stay connected with your clients throughout the project lifecycle.
- Beautiful templates and branding: Create professional proposals and contracts.
Pricing
- Starter: $19/month
- Essential: $39/month
- Premium: $79/month
Pros
Cons
12. Copper CRM
Copper CRM is designed to work seamlessly with Google Workspace.
If you’re heavily reliant on Gmail and other Google apps, Copper is a great option.
It integrates directly with those tools, making it easy to manage your contacts and deals without switching between different platforms.
Our Take
Copper CRM is a very good choice for businesses that rely heavily on Google Workspace and want a simple and efficient CRM solution.
Key Benefits
- Deep Google Workspace integration: Works seamlessly with your favorite Google apps.
- Simple & intuitive interface: Easy to learn and use.
- Automated data entry: Saves you time and reduces manual effort.
- Focus on relationship building: Helps you nurture and strengthen customer relationships.
Pricing
- Starter: $12/seat per month
- Basic: $29/seat per month
- Professional: $69/seat per month
- Business: $134/seat per month
Pros
Cons
13. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is like a digital office in a box. It has a CRM, plus tools for communication, collaboration, and task management.
It’s a great option for businesses that want to consolidate their tools and streamline their workflow.
Our Take
Bitrix24 gets a 7.5 because it offers incredible value for the price, especially with its free plan. The sheer number of features is impressive. However, it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate at first, and the mobile app could use some improvement.
Key Benefits
- All-in-one platform: Combines over 35 tools to streamline your workflow.
- Collaboration focus: Built-in chat, video conferencing, and social intranet.
- Free plan available: Includes CRM, task management, and website builder for up to 12 users.
Pricing
- Basic: $61 user per month.
- Standard: $124 users per month.
- Professional: $249 users per month.
- Enterprise: $499 users per month.
Pros
Cons
14. Close CRM
Close CRM is built for sales teams that make a lot of calls.
It has built-in calling features and tools to help you power through your outreach efforts.
If you’re focused on inside sales, Close is definitely worth considering.
Our Take
Close CRM is a solid choice for sales teams that want a CRM with built-in communication tools and a focus on productivity. Its calling and email features are particularly strong. However, it’s important to consider the limited marketing automation capabilities and potentially higher cost for larger teams.
Key Benefits
- Built-in Calling: Close CRM includes a built-in power dialer and call tracking features, allowing you to make and receive calls directly within the platform.
- Email Automation: Automate your email outreach with sequences, templates, and tracking features to nurture leads and stay top-of-mind.
- Pipeline Management: Visualize and manage your sales pipeline with ease, track deals, and identify bottlenecks.
- Reporting and Analytics: Track your sales performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions with Close CRM’s reporting tools.
Pricing
- Startup: $59/user per month
- Professional: $109/user per month
- Enterprise: $149/user per month
Pros
Cons
15. Zoho CRM
Zoho offers a whole suite of business applications, including a popular CRM.
Zoho CRM is known for being affordable and easy to use. It’s a good option for small businesses that are looking for a comprehensive CRM without breaking the bank.
Our Take
Zoho CRM is a solid choice for businesses of all sizes that need a comprehensive and customizable CRM. Its wide range of features, integrations, and affordable pricing make it a popular option. However, it’s important to consider the potential learning curve and interface design compared to some newer CRMs.
Key Benefits
- Scalable for growth: Adapt the platform as your business expands.
- Project management features: Keep your projects organized and on track.
- Customizable dashboards and reports: Get the insights you need to make informed decisions.
- Integrations with popular apps: Connect with your favorite business tools.
Pricing
- Standard: $20/user per month
- Professional: $35/user per month
- Enterprise: $99/user per month
- Ultimate: $65/month
Pros
Cons
Buyers Guide
When doing our research to find the perfect product, we determined using these factors:
- Pricing: How much did each product cost?
- Features: What were the best features of a product?
- Negatives: What was missing from each product?
- Support or Refund: Do they offer a community, support, or refund policy?
Here’s how we approached our research, examining the customer support software market to provide you with the most informed recommendations:
- Identified Key Features: We started by pinpointing the essential features of top-tier customer support software. This included a robust ticketing system for efficiently handling customer requests, multi-channel support to address customer inquiries across various platforms (email, chat, social media), and integrations with popular tools like HubSpot Service Hub and Jira Service Management.
- Prioritized Customer Experience: We considered how each platform facilitated personalized support and streamlined customer communication. We looked for features that empower support teams to manage customer queries and enhance customer conversations efficiently.
- Evaluated Integrations: Seamless integration with existing systems, such as Salesforce Service Cloud or other customer relationship management (CRM) tools, was crucial to our assessment.
- Analyzed Pricing: We compared pricing models across different providers to understand the value offered at each price point.
- Assessed Support and Refund Policies: We investigated the availability of support resources, including knowledge bases, community forums, and direct customer support channels. Additionally, we examined refund policies to ensure customer satisfaction.
- Considered Scalability: We evaluated whether each platform could adapt to growing businesses and evolving customer service operations.
- Factored in User Reviews: We analyzed user reviews and feedback to gain insights into real-world experiences and identify recurring negatives.
- Prioritized Innovation: We looked for platforms actively investing in new technologies and features to optimize support operations and enhance the overall customer experience.
This rigorous research allowed us to identify the 15 best Zendesk alternatives catering to diverse business needs and budgets.
Wrapping Up
That’s a wrap on our exploration of the 15 best Zendesk alternatives for 2025!
We’ve covered a lot of ground, from powerful all-in-one platforms like GoHighLevel to specialized tools like Close CRM for sales-focused teams.
Remember, your best choice depends on your specific needs and priorities.
Think about what matters most to your support team and customer support teams.
Is it seamless customer communication, efficient ticketing systems, or robust multi-channel support?
By carefully considering your requirements and exploring the options on this list, you’ll be well-equipped to find the perfect Zendesk alternative to elevate your customer support game in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I want an alternative to Zendesk?
While Zendesk is popular, it can be expensive, especially as you add more features. Some businesses find its interface complex or lack the specific features they need. Alternatives often provide better value, specialized features, or a more user-friendly experience.
What’s the most important thing to consider when choosing a Zendesk alternative?
Your specific needs! Think about your budget, the size of your team, and the channels you use to communicate with customers (email, chat, social media). Prioritize features that align with your customer support strategy.
Do these alternatives integrate with other tools I use?
Most do! Many integrate with popular CRMs, marketing automation platforms, and other business tools. Check each platform’s integrations page to ensure it works with your existing systems.
Are there any free Zendesk alternatives?
Some options, like HubSpot CRM, offer free plans with basic features. However, you might need to upgrade to a paid plan for more advanced functionality.
What if I need help with my new customer support platform?
All the alternatives listed offer some level of support, whether it’s through documentation, community forums, or direct customer support. Look for a platform with a strong support system to help you get started and troubleshoot any issues.
