Feeling lost in the CRM jungle? You’re not alone.
Picking between Zendesk vs Thryv? It’s tough.
Both promise to boost your business, but which one actually delivers?
Imagine choosing the wrong platform, losing customers, and a headache you don’t need.
Think about the frustration of clunky interfaces and missing features.
Good news! We’re breaking down Zendesk vs Thryv in plain English. We’ll show you which CRM wins in 2025, saving you time and stress.
Let’s get started.
Overview
We’ve put both Zendesk and Thryv through their paces, testing features, usability, and customer support.
This comparison is based on real-world use, ensuring you get practical insights, not just marketing fluff.
Ready to see if Zendesk is your perfect match? Check out our in-depth Zendesk review!
Pricing: It has a free trial. The premium plan starts at $19/month.
Key Features:
- Omnichannel support
- AI-powered bots
- Advanced analytics
Explore its powerful features for managing contacts, scheduling appointments, and campaigns.
Pricing:Â It has a free demo. The premium plan starts at $244/month.
Key Features:
- Built-in calling
- Email sequences
- Advanced Reporting
What is Zendesk?
Zendesk. Okay, so what is it? Think of it like a super-organized help desk.
It’s for businesses that want to keep customers happy.
It handles tickets and chats. It keeps everything in one place.
Also, explore our favorite Zendesk alternatives…
Key Benefits
Zendesk helps you make customers happy and helps your team work better.
- Makes Customers Happier: Businesses using Zendesk see customers get 25% happier. That’s a big deal!
- All Talks in One Spot: Handle all messages from one place. No more jumping around.
- Smart Help: It does easy tasks for you. This lets your team fix harder problems.
- Self-Help Guides: You can make a help page. Customers can find answers themselves. This reduces questions by 15%.
- AI Smart Tools: It uses smart computer help. This means quicker and better answers for customers.
Pricing
All the plans will be billed annually.
- Support Team: $19/month.
- Suite Team: $55/month.
- Suite Professional: $115/month.
- Suite Enterprise: Talk to Sales.
Pros
Cons
What is Thryv?
Thryv. It’s a platform for small businesses.
It does a lot. CRM, marketing, and scheduling. All in one place.
It aims to simplify business operations.
Also, explore our favorite Thryv alternatives…
Our Take
Wanted to Thryv a try! Explore its powerful features for managing contacts, scheduling appointments, and launching marketing campaigns.
Key Benefits
- Centralized hub: Manage all your business needs in one place.
- Automated marketing: Reach more customers with less effort.
- Online scheduling: Let clients book appointments 24/7.
- Accept payments online: Get paid faster and easier.
- Reputation management: Monitor and improve your online reviews.
Pricing
- Command Center: Free dedicated business line.
- Business Center: $244/month.
- Marketing Center: $244/month.
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
We’re comparing the features that matter most.
This side-by-side look helps you see which tool better supports your team and your customer data. Let’s dive in.
1. Core Focus
- Zendesk support is its main job. It is a dedicated customer support software.
- Thryv is a wider tool. It is designed for the small business owner. Thryv’s goal is to manage your whole business.
2. Ticketing Systems
- Zendesk is a champion of ticketing systems. It is built to handle many support tickets. It helps your support team stay organized.
- Thryv includes a message inbox. But it is not a dedicated desk software like Zendesk.
3. Customer Communication Channels
- Zendesk suite handles multiple channels easily. This includes email, live chat, and social messaging. It gathers all customer conversations in one place.
- Thryv also manages customer communication. It uses a unified inbox in the Thryv Business Center.
4. Sales and CRM Tools
- Thryv has strong customer relationship management features. It helps your sales team track leads. You can send estimates and invoices.
- Zendesk Sell is a separate, dedicated sales team CRM product.
5. Reporting and Analytics
- Reporting and analytics Zendesk offers are deep. It helps you measure team’s performance and customer satisfaction. You get pre-built dashboards.
- Thryv also offers analytics. Its focus is more on your online listings and review data.
6. Custom Workflows and Apps
- Zendesk lets you build custom workflows. You can use the Zendesk Marketplace for many custom apps. This gives you huge ability to change the tool.
- Thryv has good integrations with other tools. But it offers less flexibility for custom rule creation.
7. Multilingual Support
- Zendesk is great for global teams. It offers multilingual support. It supports multiple languages for your help center articles.
- Thryv is mainly focused on local small business needs.
8. Security
- Security zendesk offers is very robust. They handle a lot of sensitive information.
- Thryv also takes security seriously for its clients. Both use industry standards to protect your customer data.
9. Agent Workspace
- Zendesk features an agent workspace. This helps support agents view all customer interactions in one screen. It makes their work easier.
- Thryv’s Thryv Command Center helps you manage all aspects of your company, not just support.
What to Look For When Choosing CRM Software?
It is important to check the details. Make sure the software works for you. This stops costly downtime.
- Core Purpose and Features: Do you need specialized zendesk’s customer support software or an all-in-one tool? Does the platform help you streamline your work? Check for powerful ticket systems to handle your support requests. Does the plan include the right number of users for your team?
- Customer Interaction Management: Can you track all customer conversations and order history? Does the system improve customer experience? Look for a clean way to respond to many customers. Does it manage all your customer communication from one place?
- Local and Online Presence (Thryv Specific): Does the software offer enhanced local listings for your location? Can it help you get more online reviews? Does the Thryv software let you send sms marketing messages easily? Can clients see the page correctly on their mobile device?
- Sales and Payment Tools: Can the tool help you manage appointments and send client portal estimates? Does it let clients pay online and help you get paid faster? Look for features that help your sales process, like a deal tracker. Can you upload and share documents securely?
- Technical Fit and Cost: Make sure you can view this site properly on your browser. Does the platform offer good security to protect your data? Check the full pricing details. Ask about the one time onboarding fee to know the total cost.
- Future Growth and Support: Will the software add new features over time? Is there a lively community forums for help?Will the company’s technology grow with your revenue? Ask about the ability of the human support team to respond quickly.
Final Verdict
After this comparison, we pick Zendesk for most businesses in 2025. Why?
It’s strong for customer support. Its integration options are great.
You can automate many tasks. Thryv has good features, too.
But, Zendesk’s focus on workflow and automation is key. If your main need is customer service, Zendesk wins.
For small businesses wanting all-in-one, Thryv is worth a look.
If you need robust CRM software and you want to see if Zendesk fits your needs, try their free trial.
We’ve tested both, and Zendesk is our top pick.
More of Zendesk
Here’s a brief comparison of Zendesk with these software solutions:
- Zendesk vs Pipedrive: Zendesk excels in comprehensive customer service and support, while Pipedrive is a sales-centric CRM with visual pipeline management.
- Zendesk vs Gohighlevel: GoHighLevel helps marketing groups and small business owners. It’s a full sales tool. It helps your own business grow. Zendesk is mostly a customer help tool. It helps your support team handle customer questions.
- Zendesk vs Keap: Zendesk specializes in robust customer support and ticketing; Keap offers extensive sales and marketing automation for small businesses.
- Zendesk vs ActiveCampaign: Zendesk is a dedicated customer support platform with ticketing; ActiveCampaign specializes in email marketing automation, lead nurturing, and CRM integration.
- Zendesk vs HubSpot: Zendesk provides strong customer service and support ticketing, whereas HubSpot is a comprehensive suite that encompasses sales, marketing, and service hub features.
- Zendesk vs Clickfunnels: Zendesk is a customer service solution with ticketing and live chat; ClickFunnels is a sales funnel builder for creating landing pages and automating sales.
- Zendesk vs Folk: Zendesk offers powerful customer support for diverse interactions; Folk emphasizes collaborative contact organization and streamlined relationship management.
- Zendesk vs Instantly: Zendesk focuses on customer support and ticket management; Instantly specializes in automated cold email campaigns and lead generation.
- Zendesk vs ClickUp: Zendesk is a customer support system, while ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that can function as a CRM, project management tool, and task tracker.
- Zendesk vs Monday CRM: Zendesk is a customer service platform with ticketing; Monday CRM is a highly visual and customizable workflow management tool with CRM capabilities.
- Zendesk vs Capsule CRM: Zendesk provides robust customer support and ticketing; Capsule CRM is a simplified contact management and sales tracking system.
- Zendesk vs Insightly: Zendesk focuses on customer support and service tickets; Insightly is a more comprehensive CRM with strong sales pipeline and project management features.
- Zendesk vs Freshsales: Zendesk emphasizes strong customer support solutions, while Freshsales CRM is designed for sales automation, deal tracking, and lead management.
- Zendesk vs Salesforce: Zendesk offers a specialized customer service platform; Salesforce is an extensive enterprise-level CRM with broad sales, marketing, and service clouds.
More of Thryv
Here’s a brief comparison of Thryv with these software solutions:
- Thryv vs GoHighLevel: Thryv offers robust marketing automation and sales funnels. Thryv simplifies business management for service-based companies.
- Thryv vs Pipedrive: Thryv is a broad business management tool with integrated CRM; Pipedrive specializes in visual sales pipeline management, ideal for sales teams.
- Thryv vs Keap: Thryv offers an all-in-one platform for small business management; Keap focuses on advanced marketing automation and sales CRM with in-depth workflows.
- Thryv vs ActiveCampaign: Thryv provides an integrated platform for local business management and customer interaction; ActiveCampaign excels in sophisticated marketing automation, segmentation, and detailed analytics.
- Thryv vs Hubspot: Thryv is designed as a comprehensive platform for small business operations, including client management and marketing; HubSpot offers a wider suite of marketing, sales, and service tools for businesses of all sizes.
- Thryv vs Clickfunnels: Thryv is an all-in-one business management platform; ClickFunnels is specifically designed for building sales funnels, landing pages, and automating sales processes.
- Thryv vs Folk: Thryv is a comprehensive business management system with integrated CRM; Folk is a more focused, collaborative contact management tool with an emphasis on organization.
- Thryv vs Instantly: Thryv offers a broad suite for small business management, including online presence and payments; Instantly specializes in automated cold email campaigns for sales outreach.
- Thryv vs ClickUp: Thryv is an all-in-one platform for small business operations and client management; ClickUp is a versatile work OS that encompasses project management, task tracking, and customizable CRM features.
- Thryv vs Monday CRM: Thryv provides an integrated solution for small business management and client interaction; Monday CRM focuses on highly customizable visual workflows and project-centric CRM capabilities.
- Thryv vs Capsule CRM: Thryv is a comprehensive business management platform with CRM features; Capsule CRM is a simpler, user-friendly CRM focused on contact management and sales pipeline tracking.
- Thryv vs Insightly: Thryv provides an all-in-one platform for small business operations, including scheduling and payments; Insightly offers a more robust CRM with an advanced sales pipeline and project management functionalities.
- Thryv vs Freshsales: Thryv is an all-in-one business management platform for local businesses; Freshsales CRM specializes in robust sales automation, lead scoring, and in-depth sales reporting.
- Thryv vs Salesforce: Thryv is an integrated platform for small business management; Salesforce is a highly customizable, scalable, enterprise-level CRM with extensive sales, marketing, and service capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zendesk better for small businesses or startups?
Zendesk is scalable and suitable for startups and larger companies. While it doesn’t offer a free plan, its basic features are sufficient for businesses looking for robust customer support.
Can I use Zendesk to communicate with customers across different channels?
Yes, you can use Zendesk to communicate with customers across various channels. It integrates email, chat, social media, and phone into one platform, helping you manage customer information.
Does Thryv have any AI-powered features?
While Thryv focuses on all-in-one tools for small businesses, it does include some AI-powered elements. However, Zendesk is known for more advanced AI-powered customer service solutions.
How easy is it to set up Zendesk?
Zendesk offers pre-built templates and an intuitive interface, making setup relatively straightforward. However, complex enterprise setups may require more planning.
What are the key differences in customer support between Zendesk and Thryv?
Zendesk’s strength lies in its specialized customer support tools, including a robust ticketing system & knowledge base. Thryv offers broader business tools, including CRM and marketing.
English 
Spanish 
Chinese 
German 
French 
Russian 
Portuguese 
Japanese 
Korean 
