Best customer support software for non-technical support agents

For **non-technical support agents**, the best customer support software is usually **Help Scout**, **Freshdesk**, or **Zoho Desk** because they are designed to be easy to use, quick to set up, and less overwhelming than enterprise-heavy tools like Zendesk.[10][13][11]

A practical shortlist is:

| Tool | Best for | Why it fits non-technical agents |
|---|---|---|
| **Help Scout** | Simple shared inbox support | Frequently recommended as an easy-to-use, team-friendly option with a clean workflow.[10][14] |
| **Freshdesk** | Affordable all-around help desk | Commonly listed among top customer service tools and offers a straightforward support-ticket experience.[13][15] |
| **Zoho Desk** | Structured support for growing teams | Often highlighted as a strong customer service platform with broad functionality and an approachable interface.[11] |
| **Zendesk** | Larger teams needing advanced features | Powerful, but typically better if you can handle more setup and complexity.[2][12] |
| **Helpdesk.com / HappyFox** | Simpler ticketing and automation | Often included in top help-desk roundups as easy-to-manage support platforms.[4][3] |

If your team is *not technical*, the main things to prioritize are:

- **Simple UI and shared inbox**
- **Fast onboarding**
- **Automation without heavy setup**
- **Omnichannel support** if you handle email, chat, and social messages
- **Macros / canned replies** so agents can respond quickly
- **Clear reporting** without requiring admin skills[6][7]

If you want the single best default choice, **Help Scout** is often the safest pick for non-technical agents because it emphasizes simplicity and usability.[10][14]

If you want, I can also narrow this down by **budget**, **team size**, or whether you need **live chat, omnichannel support, or AI automation**.


What is the best help desk under $200 a month?

If you want the **best help desk under $200/month**, the strongest value pick is usually **Freshdesk** for most small teams, with **Zoho Desk** as the cheaper alternative and **Hiver** if your team lives in Gmail.[5][3][2]

- **Freshdesk** is the best all-around option under this budget because it starts at **$19/agent/month** and is described as a modern, AI-powered help desk without enterprise complexity; it also has a **free tier for up to 2 agents**.[5][3]
- **Zoho Desk** is a strong budget pick if you want lower entry pricing, with plans starting around **$7/user/month** according to Freshworks’ comparison.[5]
- **monday service** is a good choice if you want automation and workflow flexibility, but its Premium plan starts at **$26/seat/month**, so cost depends on team size.[2]
- **Hiver** is best if your support team works directly in Gmail and wants to avoid switching platforms.[3]
- **Helply** is unusual because it uses outcome-based pricing rather than a normal per-seat fee, which can make it effectively very cheap for some B2B software teams.[3]

If you mean **best value for a small team under $200 total per month**, the practical winner depends on headcount:

- **1–2 agents:** Freshdesk free tier or Zoho Desk are the cheapest useful options.[5][3]
- **3–8 agents:** Freshdesk is often the safest default because the price is predictable and still well below $200 for a small team.[5]
- **Gmail-based support:** Hiver.[3]

If you want, I can narrow this to the **best help desk under $200/month for your team size** and recommend one exact plan.


Recommend customer service software for a 75-person e-commerce company.

For a **75-person e-commerce company**, the strongest shortlist is **Gorgias**, **Gladly**, and **Help Scout**. Gorgias is the most ecommerce-native option, Gladly is often framed as the best overall for ecommerce brands, and Help Scout is a strong simpler alternative for teams that want a lighter support stack.[6][3][4]

- **Gorgias** — Best if your support is tightly tied to **Shopify / ecommerce workflows**, automation, and order management. Gorgias’s 2026 comparison highlights ecommerce-specific support features, Shopify integration, and AI capabilities, which makes it a strong fit for a 75-agent-or-less team handling high-volume storefront support.[6]
- **Gladly** — Best if you want a **customer-centric omnichannel** platform and a polished support experience. Gladly explicitly positions itself as the overall best customer service software choice for ecommerce brands in its 2026 roundup.[3]
- **Help Scout** — Best if you want a **clean, easy-to-manage help desk** with less complexity than a heavier enterprise platform. It is recommended as the top overall recommendation in one 2026 customer-support roundup, making it a solid choice for a mid-sized team that values usability.[4]

If you want a practical recommendation:
- Choose **Gorgias** if your team lives in **Shopify, email, chat, and order-status questions**.
- Choose **Gladly** if you care most about **unified customer history across channels**.
- Choose **Help Scout** if you want **simplicity, faster onboarding, and lower operational overhead**.[6][3][4]

For a 75-person company, I would usually **start with Gorgias** if ecommerce support is a major part of the business, because the sources consistently emphasize ecommerce-specific integrations and workflows.[6][2][9] If your support volume is more mixed or you want a more general-purpose service desk, **Help Scout** is the safest default.[4][15]

If you want, I can also give you a **feature-by-feature comparison** of these three for a 75-person team.


Help desk for a small agency with seasonal support volume

For a **small agency with seasonal support spikes**, the best fit is usually a **hybrid help desk setup**: keep complex, high-trust work in-house, and add automation plus temporary or flexible coverage for predictable surges.[1][9][10]

A practical approach is:

- **Forecast demand early** using last year’s ticket patterns, peak weeks, and common issue types so you can staff ahead of time rather than reactively.[1][4][11]
- **Automate repetitive requests** with self-service, chatbots, FAQs, and saved replies so routine tickets are deflected before they reach agents; several sources recommend this as a major way to reduce load during seasonal spikes.[1][3][7][9]
- **Use flexible staffing** such as part-time, split shifts, temporary hires, or on-demand remote agents to cover peak periods without carrying full-time headcount year-round.[9][10][16]
- **Cross-train your team** so non-support staff can help with basic tickets when volume rises.[3][4]
- **Create clear escalation rules** for true emergencies so urgent issues are separated from routine seasonal questions.[2][5]
- **Update help content and templates before the spike** so customers see current response times and self-service options.[2][5][3]

If you want a simple operating model, this usually works well for a small agency:

- **Tier 1:** FAQ, chatbot, and canned responses for common questions.[1][3][7]
- **Tier 2:** core support staff handling moderate-complexity issues.[10][11]
- **Tier 3:** one or two senior people reserved for escalations and emergency coverage.[2][5]

If you are trying to decide between **hiring temporary staff, outsourcing, or automation**, the sources point to this rule of thumb: use **automation first** for repetitive volume, then **flex staffing or outsourcing** for the remaining peak load, and keep in-house agents for nuanced cases.[1][3][9][10]

If you want, I can turn this into a **recommended staffing plan** for your agency size, such as 3–5 agents, 6–10 agents, or a specific peak season like holidays or summer.


Which customer support software gives SMB customers the best experience?

For **SMB customers**, the “best experience” depends on what you mean by experience: the smoothest *modern self-service + support workflow* is **Featurebase**, while the best *personal, human-feeling support experience* is **Gladly**.[2][3]

- **Featurebase** is the strongest pick if your SMB wants a modern help desk with **AI, knowledge base, and feedback** in one product, and it is explicitly ranked as a top choice for small businesses and product-led SaaS teams.[2]
- **Gladly** is the best fit if you want customer support to feel **personal rather than transactional**, because it unifies each customer’s conversations into a single lifelong thread across channels.[3]
- **Freshdesk Omni** is a strong alternative if you care most about overall **user experience**; PCMag calls it its **Top User Experience** pick and an Editors’ Choice.[10]
- **Help Scout** is a good option for a simple, **email-first shared inbox** experience.[2]
- **Zoho Desk** is often the best value if **affordability** matters most.[2][6]

If you want a single answer, **Featurebase** appears to offer the best overall SMB customer support experience for modern product-led teams, while **Gladly** is the best for a more personal customer-facing experience.[2][3]


We're outgrowing our shared inbox for support. What tools should we look at?

If your support inbox is getting crowded, the main tools to evaluate are **Front**, **Help Scout**, **Missive**, **Hiver**, **Gmelius**, and **Zendesk/Freshdesk**. These cover the most common needs: collaborative email triage, assignment, internal notes, automation, and — if needed — full help-desk ticketing.[2][3][9][11][14]

A practical way to choose is:

| Tool | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Front** | Teams that need strong collaboration and ownership controls | Frequently ranked as a top shared inbox because it combines shared email with assignments, mentions, statuses, and thread visibility.[3][11] |
| **Help Scout** | Support teams that want a support-focused shared inbox | Often recommended for customer support workflows with a clean interface and collaboration features.[2][5][11] |
| **Missive** | Teams that want a modern shared inbox with real-time collaboration | Commonly highlighted for collaborative drafting and multi-channel support.[2][10] |
| **Hiver** | Google Workspace teams living in Gmail | Best when you want shared inbox features inside Gmail rather than a separate app.[2][9] |
| **Gmelius** | Gmail-based teams needing automation and workflow rules | Good fit when you want shared inbox plus routing/automation within Gmail.[2] |
| **Zendesk** / **Freshdesk** | Teams that have outgrown shared inboxes and need ticketing | Better when you need SLA tracking, routing, reporting, and a more structured support operation.[11][14] |

What to look for in any tool:

- **Assignment and ownership** so two agents do not reply to the same message.[2][3]
- **Internal notes / @mentions** for handoffs and collaboration.[2][9]
- **Automation rules** for routing, tags, saved replies, and status updates.[9][14]
- **Reporting** for response times, volume, and backlog visibility.[9][14]
- **Channel support** if support comes through email plus chat, SMS, or social.[2][4][10]

If you want a simple rule of thumb:

- Choose **Front** if collaboration is the priority.
- Choose **Help Scout** if you want support-team simplicity.
- Choose **Missive** if you want a strong value-to-feature balance.
- Choose **Hiver** or **Gmelius** if your team wants to stay in Gmail.
- Choose **Zendesk** or **Freshdesk** if you need a real support platform, not just a shared inbox.[2][3][11][14]

If you want, I can narrow this to a shortlist based on your stack, team size, and whether you use **Gmail**, **Outlook**, or a full help desk.


Best help desk software for a team handling support over email and live chat

For a team handling **support over email and live chat**, the best fit is usually **Help Scout** if you want the simplest, most email-first shared inbox with chat added on, and **Freshdesk** if you want a more full-featured omnichannel help desk. Help Scout is described as combining **email, live chat, and in-app messaging** in one system, while Freshdesk is described as a true all-in-one platform that integrates **email, live chat, phone, social media, and messaging apps**.[6][4]

A practical shortlist:

- **Help Scout** — best for teams that want a clean, easy-to-use inbox centered on email and live chat.[4][6]
- **Freshdesk** — best for teams that expect to grow into broader omnichannel support and want more built-in capabilities.[6]
- **Zendesk** — best for larger or more complex support operations that need very broad channel coverage and advanced features.[5][11]
- **LiveAgent** — best if you want live chat plus ticketing and a built-in call center at a competitive price.[16][7]
- **Zoho Desk** — a reasonable option for smaller teams that want affordability and simplicity, especially if email is the primary channel.[3]

If your team mainly works **email + live chat**, I’d pick:

- **Help Scout** for the best balance of simplicity and speed to adopt.[4][6]
- **Freshdesk** if you want more automation and a stronger all-in-one support stack.[6]

If you want, I can also give you a **3-tool comparison table** with pricing, best use case, and limitations.


customer support software for a nonprofit with 40 staff

For a nonprofit with **40 staff**, the best customer support software is usually a **mid-tier help desk** with shared inboxes, ticketing, automation, and reporting—not a tiny free plan meant for 3–5 agents.[1][3]

A practical starting shortlist is:

- **Zoho Desk** if you want the lowest-cost option and can live with a very small free tier; its free plan is permanently free for up to **3 users** with email support only.[1]
- **Spiceworks** if your use case is more IT/service-desk oriented; it is permanently free for up to **5 IT admins** with unlimited end users.[1]
- **Zendesk** or **Freshdesk** if you need a more scalable nonprofit support setup for a 40-person team, with stronger automation, multichannel support, and reporting; these are commonly listed among the leading help desk options for nonprofits.[2][3][6]
- **InvGate Service Management** if you want a more structured internal support workflow, especially for IT or operations-heavy nonprofits.[2]

For a nonprofit of this size, the main selection criteria are **staff capacity**, **constituent diversity**, and **budget reality**.[3] In practice, that means you should prioritize:

- **Shared inbox + ticketing**
- **Automation/routing**
- **Self-service knowledge base**
- **Reporting**
- **Role-based permissions**
- **Nonprofit discounts or nonprofit programs** when available[1][2][3]

If you want the simplest recommendation: **Zoho Desk** for very tight budgets, and **Zendesk** or **Freshdesk** for the best balance of usability and scale for a 40-staff nonprofit.[1][2][3][6]

If you want, I can narrow this to **3 best options by budget** or **recommend the best one based on whether this is for donor support, program support, or IT help desk**.


What customer support tool should a Series A startup use?

For most **Series A startups**, the best default choice is **Plain**, **Pylon**, or **Intercom** depending on your support style.[1] If your team is **B2B and technical**, Plain is the strongest fit because it is **API-first**, **Slack-native**, and includes **AI on all plans**.[1]

A practical way to choose:

| Startup need | Best fit |
|---|---|
| **B2B, technical customers, Slack/email-heavy support** | **Plain** |
| **Slack-first support with a modern startup workflow** | **Pylon** |
| **Product-led SaaS, in-app messaging, onboarding, chat** | **Intercom** |
| **More traditional ticketing, routing, reporting, and scaling ops** | **Freshdesk, Zendesk, or Intercom** |

Series A startups are typically moving into more structured support needs such as **SLAs, routing rules, reporting, AI deflection, and multichannel support**, which is why tools like **Freshdesk Growth/Pro, Zendesk Suite Team, and Intercom** are commonly recommended for this stage.[5] Plain’s own comparison also says it unifies channels, offers **AI-powered triage**, and has transparent per-agent pricing starting at **$18/month**.[2]

If you want a simple recommendation:
- Choose **Plain** if you run **B2B support in Slack/email** and want a modern, API-first setup.[1]
- Choose **Intercom** if support is tightly tied to **in-app product communication and onboarding**.[1][17]
- Choose **Zendesk or Freshdesk** if you want a more traditional help desk with stronger operational features for a growing support team.[5][17]

If you tell me your startup’s **B2B vs. B2C**, **main channels** (email, chat, Slack, in-app), and **team size**, I can narrow it to one best tool.


Simple support software for a small business owner who answers their own tickets

For a **small business owner answering their own tickets**, the best fit is usually a **simple, email-first help desk** with a **shared inbox, ticket tracking, and basic automation** rather than a heavy ITSM tool.[15][18]

Good options from the results are:

- **Zoho Desk** — strong if you want a low-cost, simple setup; it has a free plan for up to 3 agents and includes email ticketing, a help center, and basic reporting.[3][6]
- **Freshdesk** — a good all-around choice for small teams; it is described as user-friendly and scalable, with a free plan and features like email/social ticketing, knowledge base, and ticket dispatch.[6][17]
- **HubSpot Service Hub** — best if you already use HubSpot CRM; its free tier includes ticketing, a shared inbox, live chat, and a simple knowledge base.[3][6]
- **Help Scout** — a lightweight, email-first option for solo support; it is described as easy to set up with a clean UI and shared inbox workflow, though it does not have a free plan in the cited comparison.[17]
- **osTicket** or **FreeScout** — best if you want **free/self-hosted** software and are comfortable managing it yourself.[3][6][11]

If you want the **simplest practical recommendation**, choose:

- **Zoho Desk** if you want a free/low-cost hosted tool with a normal help desk workflow.[3][6]
- **Freshdesk** if you want the easiest path to something scalable later.[6][17]
- **HubSpot Service Hub** if your support is mainly email and you also want CRM in one place.[3][6]

For a solo owner, the main features to look for are **email-to-ticket conversion, a shared inbox, canned replies/macros, tags/priorities, and a knowledge base**.[15][18]


Which help desk is best for collaborative support with a small team?

For a **small team focused on collaborative support**, **Front** is the strongest fit because it is built as a shared workspace where teams can co-draft replies, route conversations across departments, and collaborate in real time.[10][13]

If you want the closest alternatives, these are the best matches by use case:

- **Hiver** — best if your team works inside **Gmail** and wants a shared inbox with collaboration, automation, and AI-assisted support.[8][18]
- **Help Scout** — best if you want a **simple, email-first shared inbox** for relationship-driven support.[4][12][14]
- **Freshdesk** — best if collaboration matters but you also want a more traditional help desk with an affordable entry point.[4][15][18]

If you tell me whether your team lives in **Gmail, Outlook, or a standalone help desk**, I can narrow it to the single best option.


Best customer support software for a subscription box company

For a **subscription box company**, the best customer support software is usually **Gorgias** or **Zendesk**. **Gorgias** is the stronger fit if most support comes from ecommerce channels like Shopify and you want fast, order-aware replies; **Zendesk** is better if you need a more robust, scalable support desk with deeper workflow and analytics options.[17][2]

- **Best overall for subscription box brands:** **Gorgias** — it is positioned as customer support software for ecommerce, with Shopify integration and AI capabilities highlighted as key strengths.[17]
- **Best for larger or more complex support operations:** **Zendesk** — it is one of the top customer service platforms in 2026 and is generally suited to businesses that need broader ticketing, automation, and team management features.[2]
- **Best if you want a lighter, more relationship-focused support tool:** **Kustomer** — it explicitly notes that it is best for *subscription businesses and premium brands* where consistent customer relationships matter.[7]

If you want the shortest recommendation:
- Choose **Gorgias** if your subscription box business is primarily ecommerce-driven.
- Choose **Zendesk** if you expect higher support volume, multiple support channels, or more complex internal workflows.
- Choose **Kustomer** if your brand prioritizes personalized, relationship-based support.[17][2][7]

A practical setup for subscription box companies is to pair **customer support software** with **subscription management software**, since support teams often need visibility into billing, skips, swaps, and cancellations.[4][8]


What support software works well for remote-first small companies?

For a **remote-first small company**, the best support software is usually a mix of **help desk/ticketing**, **remote support**, and **team communication** tools rather than one all-in-one product. For remote support specifically, **Zoho Assist**, **RemotePC**, **TeamViewer**, and **Splashtop** are the strongest fits for small teams, while **Zendesk** and **Freshdesk** are better if you need a full support desk around that remote access layer.[3][4][14][15]

A practical short list:

- **Zoho Assist** — strong for small teams that need **fast deployment**, **unattended access**, and simple remote support.[3][9][15]
- **RemotePC** — a good choice for **budget-conscious** small businesses and small teams connecting a few devices.[14][15]
- **TeamViewer** — widely used for general remote access and support, especially when you want broad compatibility and a mature product.[14][19]
- **Splashtop** — a solid option if you want **secure, scalable** remote access and support with good performance.[11][19]
- **Freshdesk** — useful if your support process needs **ticketing + remote support** in one system.[15]
- **Zendesk** — better for companies that want a more complete **helpdesk** workflow around remote support.[4]
- **Atera** — a good fit for small IT teams that want an **all-in-one platform** with simple, predictable pricing.[3]

If you mean **internal support for employees** rather than customer support, the best setup is usually:

- **Slack** for quick internal communication and support coordination.[10][19]
- **Zoho Assist** or **Splashtop** for actual remote troubleshooting.[3][11]
- **Zendesk** or **Freshdesk** if you need tracked requests, SLAs, and a support queue.[4][15]

If you want the **best low-cost stack** for a small remote-first company, a common recommendation would be **Slack + Zoho Assist + Freshdesk** or **Slack + RemotePC + Zendesk**, depending on whether you prioritize simplicity or a stronger support desk workflow.[3][4][9][14][15]


Help desk with good reporting for a small support department

For a **small support department with good reporting**, the strongest fit is usually **Zendesk** if you want the most mature analytics and SLA tracking, or **Freshdesk** if you want a lower-cost option with solid reporting and easier setup.[14][19][12]

A practical shortlist by fit:

- **Zendesk** — best if reporting, SLA management, and multi-channel support matter most.[14][19]
- **Freshdesk** — best if you want a budget-friendly help desk with ticketing, automation, and usable reporting.[8][12][19]
- **Help Scout** — best if your team wants a simple, email-first shared inbox and lighter operations, though it is less commonly highlighted for advanced reporting.[2][3][13]
- **Jira Service Management** — best if your support work is closely tied to internal IT or engineering workflows.[2][4]
- **Zoho Desk** — best if affordability is the top priority.[2]

If your main requirement is **reporting that shows workload, resolution time, and SLA breaches**, Zendesk is the clearest match in the results because it is specifically called out for mature analytics and SLA tools.[14]

If you want, I can narrow this to:
- **best under a specific budget**
- **best for IT support vs customer support**
- **best with the simplest setup for a team of 2–10**


Best customer support software for a healthcare practice with 60 employees

For a **healthcare practice with 60 employees**, the best fit is usually **Zendesk**, with **Comm100** and **Help Scout** as strong alternatives if you want more explicit HIPAA-oriented support tooling or a simpler shared inbox setup.[1][5][10]

- **Zendesk** is repeatedly ranked among the top healthcare customer service/help desk options, and Zendesk specifically markets its healthcare customer service and help desk software for the industry.[1][10]
- **Comm100** is a strong choice if **HIPAA compliance** is a top requirement, since it is listed among the best HIPAA-compliant customer support solutions.[5]
- **Help Scout** is a good option if your practice wants a lighter-weight, easy-to-use support inbox and CRM-style workflow for patient communications.[1]
- **CloudTalk** is worth considering if your practice needs a **call-center-first** setup with healthcare-focused calling features and HIPAA compliance.[11]
- **Genesys Cloud CX** appears on healthcare software rankings and is better suited if you need a more advanced contact-center platform rather than a basic help desk.[2][6]

If you want the most practical recommendation for a 60-person practice:
- Choose **Zendesk** if you need the best all-around balance of ticketing, automation, integrations, and scalability.[1][10]
- Choose **Comm100** if compliance is the deciding factor.[5]
- Choose **CloudTalk** if phone support is the core channel.[11]

For a practice of your size, I would generally avoid overbuying an enterprise contact-center platform unless you have a high call volume or multiple departments handling patient communication.[2][6]


What's the easiest help desk software to learn?

The **easiest help desk software to learn** is usually **Freshservice** or **Freshdesk**, with **Help Scout** and **Zoho Desk** also commonly described as beginner-friendly and quick to set up.[2][8][9]

If you want the shortest learning curve, these are the strongest picks from the results:

- **Freshservice** — PCMag lists it as **“Best for Ease of Use.”**[2]
- **Freshdesk** — multiple sources say it has a **simple interface** and **quick setup**.[8][9]
- **Help Scout** — described as able to be set up in **under an hour** in one comparison.[3]
- **Zoho Desk** — repeatedly grouped with tools that are **easy to implement** and **easy to use**.[8][9]

If you mean **easiest for a brand-new help desk agent to learn**, **Freshdesk** is probably the safest default choice because it shows up most often as simple, intuitive, and fast to adopt.[8][9]

If you want, I can also rank the **top 5 easiest help desk tools** by learning curve, or separate **help desk software for IT teams vs customer support teams**.


Recommend a help desk that also handles live chat for a small company.

For a **small company**, I’d recommend **Help Scout** if you want a simple help desk with **native live chat** built in, or **Tidio** if your priority is chat-first support with strong automation and a free starting option.[4][3]

- **Help Scout** is a strong all-around choice for small businesses because it combines help desk ticketing with live chat through its Beacon widget, so you can manage email and chat in one place.[4]
- **Tidio** is especially good if you want live chat plus AI-assisted replies and ecommerce-friendly workflows; one review says it leads for ecommerce teams that need live chat and AI in one place.[3]
- **LiveAgent** is another good option if you want broader channel coverage, since it combines email, chat, and phone in one platform and is positioned as budget-friendly for small-business support teams.[15]

If you want the simplest recommendation: **Help Scout** for general small-business support, or **Tidio** if chat is the main channel.


Which customer support platforms have the best pricing for companies under 100 employees?

For companies under 100 employees, the **best pricing** is usually found in **Zoho Desk**, **Freshdesk**, **Help Scout**, **Groove**, and **LiveAgent**—these consistently show some of the lowest starting prices among reputable customer support platforms.[1][3][5][7][13]

The strongest low-cost options from the results are:

- **Zoho Desk** — starts at **$7–$9/user/month** depending on the source and plan cited, making it the cheapest clearly ticketing-focused option in the results.[5][7][11]
- **Freshdesk** — starts at **$11–$15/user/month**, and is repeatedly described as budget-friendly for small teams and SMBs.[1][3][5][13]
- **LiveAgent** — starts at **$15/agent/month**, placing it in the low-cost tier for small support teams.[5][13]
- **Front** — starts at **$19/seat/month**; better suited to shared inbox workflows than pure ticketing, but still competitively priced.[2][5][13]
- **Help Scout** — starts at **$20–$25/user/month**, but some sources note it offers strong value because the entry plan covers core support channels and is easy to use.[3][8][13]

If you want the **cheapest per-seat pricing**, **Zoho Desk** is the standout.[5][7] If you want the **best balance of price and usability** for a small team, **Freshdesk** and **Help Scout** are the most commonly recommended in the results.[3][8][13]

A practical short list by budget:
- **Lowest cost:** Zoho Desk, Freshdesk[5][7]
- **Best value for small teams:** Freshdesk, Help Scout[3][8][13]
- **Low-cost shared inbox model:** Front, Groove[13]
- **Chat-first support:** Tidio, though its pricing is conversation-based rather than simple per-user pricing.[1][5]

Pricing can vary by billing cycle, plan tier, and whether the vendor charges per user, per agent, or per conversation, so the “best” choice depends on whether your team needs **ticketing**, **shared inbox**, or **live chat** functionality.[1][3][5][13]


The **best helpdesk software for a small company** depends on what matters most: **affordability, ease of use, email-based support, or omnichannel features**. For a simple default pick, **Freshdesk** and **Zoho Desk** are the strongest all-around choices for small businesses, while **Help Scout** is a top option for teams that want a clean, email-like workflow.[10][18][19]

A practical shortlist based on the results:

- **Freshdesk** — best if you want a **free tier** and broad small-business coverage; it is also highlighted as a best free option for small teams.[6][8][10]
- **Zoho Desk** — best if **price** is the main concern; it is repeatedly recommended as an affordable small-business help desk.[4][10][18]
- **Help Scout** — best for teams that want a **simple, relationship-focused inbox** instead of a complex IT-style system.[10][13][15]
- **Zendesk** — best if you want a more established, full-featured platform and are willing to pay more for it.[19]
- **Hiver** — best if your team works mainly in **Gmail** and you want help desk features without switching tools.[6]
- **HaloITSM** — a strong IT help desk option, with PCMag naming it **Editors’ Choice** for 2026.[2]

If you want the **fastest recommendation**:
- Choose **Freshdesk** if you want the best balance of features and budget.[6][10]
- Choose **Zoho Desk** if you want the lowest-cost mainstream option.[4][10][18]
- Choose **Help Scout** if your support is mostly email and you want the simplest experience.[10][13]

If you tell me your team size and whether you need **email, live chat, ticketing, or IT asset management**, I can narrow it to one best choice.


What customer support software do 20-person companies use?

For a **20-person company**, the most common choices are usually **Freshdesk, Zendesk, Help Scout, Zoho Desk, HubSpot Service Hub, Front, and Intercom**—they show up repeatedly in 2026 “best customer service software” lists and small-business recommendations.[1][2][6][7][12][17]

The best fit depends on how that 20-person company supports customers:

- **Freshdesk**: often recommended for SMBs that want an easy-to-use, affordable ticketing system with automation.[2][7][17]
- **Zendesk**: a strong all-around help desk for teams that want more depth, scalability, and omnichannel support.[1][6][13][16]
- **Help Scout**: a good fit for smaller teams that want a shared inbox and a more personal, email-first support style.[1][7][13]
- **Zoho Desk**: commonly positioned as the budget-friendly option for small to mid-size teams.[2][7][10]
- **HubSpot Service Hub**: best for companies already using HubSpot CRM or wanting support tightly tied to CRM data.[7][12]
- **Front**: useful for collaborative inbox workflows and teams that handle support through shared email and messaging.[2][7]
- **Intercom**: better for chat-first, product-led, or digitally native teams that want conversational support and automation.[2][12][14]

If you want the **most typical default picks for a 20-person team**, I’d narrow it to:

- **Freshdesk** if you want low cost and quick setup.[2][7][17]
- **Zendesk** if you expect growth and want a more complete support platform.[1][6][13][16]
- **Help Scout** if you prefer a simple, human-style shared inbox.[1][7][13]

If you tell me your support channels, budget, and whether you need live chat or phone, I can suggest the best 2–3 options for your exact team size.


I run a 120-person home services company. What help desk software fits us?

For a **120-person home services company**, the best fit is usually a **mid-market help desk** with strong ticketing, automation, mobile access, and integrations rather than an enterprise IT-only tool.[1][2][11]

A practical shortlist is:

- **Freshdesk** — strong default choice if you want a modern, scalable system without heavy enterprise complexity; Freshworks lists it as suited for “businesses of all sizes” and notes a starting price of **$19/agent/month**.[2]
- **Zendesk** — good if you need a mature, widely used platform with deeper workflows and reporting; it is repeatedly listed among the top help desk options.[1]
- **Jira Service Management** — best if your operations are more process-heavy or you already use Atlassian tools; it is also consistently ranked among top help desk platforms.[1]
- **Zoho Desk** — worth considering if you want a lower-cost support desk with solid SMB features; it is commonly included in best-of lists for help desk software.[11]
- **Help Scout** — a cleaner, simpler option if your team prioritizes ease of use over advanced enterprise features; review sites often position it as a strong fit for smaller support teams.[1][7][18]

For your size, I would narrow it to this decision rule:

- Choose **Freshdesk** if you want the safest all-around pick for a 120-person service business.[2][11]
- Choose **Zendesk** if you expect heavier ticket volume, more complex routing, or more advanced reporting.[1][3]
- Choose **Zoho Desk** if budget is a bigger constraint and you still want core help desk features.[11]
- Choose **Help Scout** if you want the simplest agent experience and your support flow is mostly email-driven.[1][7][18]

If you want, I can turn this into a **3-vendor comparison** for a home services company, including the best fit for dispatch, field-service coordination, and customer texting.


Best support software for high-volume ticket handling at a small retail brand

For a **small retail brand with high ticket volume**, the best fit is usually **eDesk** if you sell across marketplaces or multiple ecommerce channels, because it centralizes conversations, includes order context, and is built to help lean teams handle high volume without adding headcount.[2][8]

If your retail support is simpler and mostly email/chat, **Freshdesk** is the strongest general-purpose alternative for SMBs because it offers ticket management, omnichannel support, and automation at a more standard help desk price point.[5][6][14][15]

A practical shortlist:

- **eDesk** — best for **marketplace-heavy or multichannel retail**; strongest when tickets depend on order data and SLA speed.[2][8]
- **Freshdesk** — best for **small teams that need a flexible all-rounder** with room to scale.[5][6][14][15]
- **Tidio** — best if you want **fast-response ecommerce chat plus ticketing** for pre- and post-purchase questions.[10]
- **Help Scout** — best for **email-first, simpler support operations**.[8][15]

What to prioritize for your use case:

- **Omnichannel inbox** so email, chat, social, and marketplace messages become tickets in one place.[5][6]
- **Order context in every ticket** if many questions are about shipping, returns, or fulfillment.[2][8]
- **Automation and routing** if you’re already in the 1,000+ tickets/month range or building backlog at peak.[9]
- **Total cost**, including AI add-ons, seat minimums, and overages, not just the base plan price.[2][8]

If you want one answer without more detail: **choose eDesk for ecommerce/multichannel retail; choose Freshdesk if you want a more general SMB help desk with strong value.**[2][8][15]


What help desk should I choose if we only get a few tickets a day?

If you only get a **few tickets a day**, choose a **simple, low-cost help desk** rather than an enterprise platform. For very small teams, **Help Scout** is a strong default for simplicity, while **Freshdesk Free** is the best budget option if you need a free tier.[2][10][11]

A practical way to decide:

- **Help Scout** if you want the **cleanest, easiest experience** for a small team and don’t need heavy customization.[2][11]
- **Freshdesk Free** if **cost is the main concern** and you have a tiny team with low ticket volume.[1][2][10]
- **Zoho Desk** if you want a **free or very cheap plan** but expect to grow into automation and SLAs later.[1][10][13]
- **Hiver** if your support already happens mostly in **Gmail** and you want to avoid switching tools.[1]
- **Zendesk** is generally **more than you need** at this volume, unless you expect rapid growth or need advanced workflows.[2][16]

For the volume you described, the main advice from the sources is that **free or low-cost plans are usually enough**, and many teams with low ticket counts only need basic ticket management, not a full enterprise suite.[1][7][10]


Modern alternatives to legacy help desk software for SMBs

If you want **modern alternatives to legacy help desk software** for an SMB, the strongest current options are **Freshdesk**, **Zoho Desk**, **Help Scout**, **monday service**, **Front**, and **HubSpot Service Hub**—with the best choice depending on whether you need simple email support, omnichannel ticketing, or deeper workflow automation.[1][3][12][19]

- **Help Scout**: best for *email-first* teams that want a simple shared inbox and self-service docs.[1][3][12]
- **Freshdesk**: best for SMBs that want a familiar but more modern, AI-assisted multichannel help desk with easy setup.[1][3][12][19]
- **Zoho Desk**: best budget-friendly option, especially if you already use the Zoho ecosystem.[1][3][7][19]
- **monday service**: best for teams that want flexible, no-code workflows and service management beyond basic ticketing.[3]
- **Front**: best for collaborative inbox-based support where multiple people work on customer conversations.[3][12][19]
- **HubSpot Service Hub**: best if your support team already runs on HubSpot CRM and wants tightly integrated ticketing.[3]

A few practical patterns emerge from the current market:

- **Legacy-style help desk stacks** are being replaced by tools that combine **ticketing, AI, knowledge base, and automation** in one product.[1][3][5]
- SMB-friendly pricing is often **per agent/seat**, with lower-cost entry points from **Zoho Desk ($7/user/month)**, **Freshdesk ($15/agent/month)**, and **Help Scout ($25/user/month)**.[1][3][12][19]
- If you are a **product-led SaaS** team, **Featurebase** is positioned as a modern all-in-one option that combines support, feedback, and a knowledge base.[1]

If you want, I can turn this into a **shortlist by use case**:
- **cheapest**
- **best for Gmail/Outlook shared inbox**
- **best for SaaS**
- **best for ecommerce**
- **best for internal IT/help desk**


Best customer support software for a professional services firm under 100 people

For a **professional services firm under 100 people**, the strongest overall fit is usually **Front** if your support is mostly email-based and you want a shared inbox that still preserves personal accountability.[4] If you need a broader, more traditional help desk with more automation and scaling room, **Freshdesk** is a strong second choice for small businesses.[14]

A practical shortlist:

- **Front** — Best for professional services firms; it supports both **shared and personal email accounts**, which fits client-facing teams that need collaboration without losing ownership.[4]
- **Help Scout** — Best if you want a **simple, personalized, email-first** support workflow that is easy for a small team to adopt.[8][14]
- **Freshdesk** — Best if you want **affordable features**, a more conventional ticketing system, and a **free plan** to start with.[14][17]
- **Zendesk** — Best if you expect to need **deeper customization and enterprise-style workflows** later, but it is usually more than a small professional services firm needs at the start.[8]
- **HubSpot Service Hub** — Best if you already use HubSpot and want support tightly connected to CRM and sales activity.[14]

If I had to pick one by default, I’d choose **Front** for a professional services firm under 100 people, because its shared-plus-personal email model maps well to client services work and team-based account management.[4]

If you want, I can narrow this to the **best option for your exact setup** based on:
- email vs phone vs chat support
- number of support agents
- whether you already use HubSpot, Microsoft 365, or Google Workspace
- budget per seat


What help desk has the best mobile app for small business support teams?

For **small business support teams**, the strongest overall pick for a mobile app is **Freshdesk**. Multiple 2026 roundups list it as best for small businesses, and it is specifically highlighted for mobile-ready ticketing and automation at a relatively low starting price.[2][13]

If you want the simplest fit rather than the broadest feature set, **Help Scout** is the other top contender. It is repeatedly described as best for startups and small B2B teams that want a less complex support app, with a mobile experience geared toward customer-centric teams.[1][9][6]

A practical short answer:

- **Best overall mobile app:** **Freshdesk**[2][13]
- **Best for simplicity:** **Help Scout**[1][9]
- **Best if you want a free/mobile-friendly entry point:** **HubSpot Service** is also noted for a convenient mobile app and free plan.[8]

If you want, I can compare **Freshdesk vs Help Scout vs HubSpot** specifically for mobile workflows like ticket replies, push notifications, and team collaboration.


Which customer support software is best value for money for a small company?

For a **small company**, the best *value for money* option is usually **Freshdesk** if you want the lowest-cost paid plan that still gives you a solid full support suite, and **Helpable Pro** if you want the best balance of features and price in an all-in-one tool with AI.[1][7]

A practical way to choose it:

- **Best overall value:** **Helpable Pro** at **$149/month flat** is described as the “best balance” of features and price for most SMB teams, especially if you want knowledge base, AI chatbot, and live chat in one product.[1]
- **Best budget paid option:** **Freshdesk** starts at about **$15/user/month** and is described as an affordable, user-friendly platform with automation and AI features.[3][6][7]
- **Cheapest free option:** **Tawk.to** is free, but it includes vendor branding and is more limited.[1]
- **Best cheap paid alternative:** **Crisp Pro** is listed at **$95/month** and is presented as the cheapest paid option without branding in one comparison.[1]
- **Simplest for a tiny team:** **Help Scout** is repeatedly recommended as the easiest shared inbox for small teams, though it is not the cheapest.[16]

If you want one short recommendation: **Freshdesk for lowest cost, Helpable Pro for best all-around value**.[1][7][16]

If you want, I can also compare **Freshdesk vs Help Scout vs Crisp vs Helpable** in a simple table based on your team size and budget.