Dealing with client support can be a headache for any business, big or small. Slow responses and messy communication tools just add to the frustration. That's where the right service desk software comes in.
We've put together a list of the top 10 service desk software for 2024, each with its own set of strengths. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, you'll find options here to make your client support smoother and more effective.
In this blog, you'll get the lowdown on what makes each software stand out, helping you pick the one that fits your business best.
Best for: B2B customer management and engagement via Slack
Thena is an innovative, Slack-based B2B customer support tool, designed for businesses that prioritize efficient and integrated customer management. It offers an omnichannel approach to customer support, encompassing Slack, email, and web interactions, ensuring a seamless experience for both support teams and clients.
Key features:
What users love: Based on user feedback on the G2 review site, Thena is highly regarded for its intuitive interface and efficiency in handling high volumes of customer queries. Its integration capabilities and the ability to significantly reduce response times are also major highlights.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Starts at $5.00 per Slack channel per month.
Best for: Comprehensive customer support management
Zendesk is a powerful, user-friendly service desk solution, ideal for businesses seeking to streamline their customer support operations. It offers a holistic approach to managing customer interactions across multiple channels, ensuring a seamless experience for both support teams and clients.
Key features:
What users love: Based on G2 reviews, customers praise Zendesk for its intuitive interface and the ability to handle large volumes of customer queries efficiently.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some users find the pricing a bit steep, especially for small businesses.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Starts at $69 per agent per month.
Best for: Multi-channel customer engagement
Freshdesk stands out for its multi-channel support capabilities, making it an ideal choice for businesses that engage with customers across various platforms. It simplifies customer interactions by bringing emails, chats, phone calls, and social media under one roof.
Key features:
What users love: As per G2 reviews, users appreciate Freshdesk's ease of use and the efficiency it brings to managing customer inquiries.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some users mention a learning curve with more advanced features.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Starts at $18 per agent per month.
Best for: Enterprise-level IT service management
ServiceNow excels in IT service management, particularly suited for large enterprises with complex IT infrastructure. It focuses on automating IT operations and improving service delivery.
Key features:
What users love: On the G2 software review site, users value ServiceNow's robust ITSM capabilities and scalability.
Users’ less favored aspects: The platform can be overwhelming for beginners and smaller teams.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Not provided by the vendor.
Best for: Agile and DevOps teams
Jira Service Management is highly favored by agile and DevOps teams for its ability to integrate IT operations with development. It is particularly useful for organizations that prioritize rapid service delivery and continuous improvement.
Key features:
What users love: As per users’ opinions on G2, the deep integration with development tools and the flexibility it offers is what they like the most about the tool.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some users find it less intuitive for non-technical staff.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Starts at $22.05 per agent per month.
Best for: Integrating customer service with sales and marketing
Zoho Desk is acclaimed for its ability to integrate seamlessly with sales and marketing processes, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to align their customer service
with other business functions.
Key features:
What users love: Users are fond of Zoho Desk's integration capabilities with other Zoho products and its flexibility.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some find the initial setup and customization process time-consuming.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Starts at $20 per user per month.
Best for: IT asset management and automation
SysAid excels in IT asset management, offering a comprehensive solution that combines asset management and help desk functionalities. It's particularly suitable for organizations focusing on automating their IT services and tracking assets.
Key features:
What users love: Customers appreciate SysAid's robust asset management features and automation capabilities.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some users mention that the interface can be clunky and outdated.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Not provided by the vendor.
Best for: Personalized customer support
Kayako is known for its focus on delivering a personalized customer support experience. It's a great fit for businesses that prioritize building strong, individual relationships with their clients.
Key features:
What users love: According to G2 reviews, users love Kayako for its strong customer engagement tools and personalized support approach.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some users feel that the reporting features could be more extensive and detailed.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Starts at $15 per agent per month.
Best for: Streamlined IT service management
SolarWinds Service Desk is designed for businesses seeking a streamlined approach to IT service management. It combines ITSM functionalities with user-friendly features, making it suitable for a range of business sizes.
Key features:
What users love: On the G2 site, the intuitive interface and comprehensive ITSM tools are highly praised by users.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some users note the limited customization options compared to other platforms.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Starts at $39 per user per month.
Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses seeking a user-friendly interface
Spiceworks Help Desk is renowned for its ease of use and affordability, making it a popular choice among small to medium-sized businesses. It provides a straightforward approach to managing IT-related queries and assets, ensuring that businesses can keep track of their IT needs efficiently.
Key features:
What users love: Users often praise Spiceworks Help Desk for its no-cost entry point and the supportive community that comes along with it.
Users’ less favored aspects: Some users note limitations in customization and scalability for larger enterprise needs.
Free trial: ✅
Pricing: Not provided by the vendor.
When looking at different tools, it's not just about what they can do. It's also about how easy they are to set up and use. Another big factor is how good the customer support is when you run into trouble.
To understand these important points, it's best to hear from people who are already using these tools. To save you time, we've gone through more than 17,400+ G2 reviews up to December 2023. Below we present a visual comparison of each service desk tool, allowing you to easily compare them side-by-side.
Selecting the right service desk tool is crucial for any business committed to providing exceptional support to its customers. The solutions we've explored in this article cater to a wide range of needs, from those requiring comprehensive customer support management to businesses seeking seamless collaboration within familiar platforms like Slack.
Each of these tools brings its unique strengths to the table. Whether you prioritize ease of use, quality of support, or specific features like AI-powered assistance or integrated ticketing, there's a solution on this list that aligns with your business needs.
Need a better way to handle support requests in Slack? Try Thena for free today. It's the ideal tool to improve client support directly within your Slack Connect channels.