You are either looking for customer relationship management software or already using Freshdesk. In either case, we will cover exceptional customer service software to help your business greatly.
Before we move into the details of all these alternative software, we will briefly look at what Freshdesk is and why users already using it want to switch to Freshdesk alternatives.
(Pssst. We also created a few other alternative lists like Top Intercom Alternatives and Top Halp Alternatives)
Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer service solution designed to streamline all processes to enhance customer support teams' activities. Its features are so popular among various enterprises for boosting overall team productivity.
Businesses can streamline various communication channels, including voice, live chat, email, calls, social media, and AI bots in one platform, making management much more accessible.
The software assigns tasks to team members for an even distribution of work to improve teamwork and customer satisfaction scores. Freshdesk also enables teams to track and process customer support tickets, save time, and reduce repetitive tasks.
Customers can also find answers to everything through self-service options, providing them with live customer support whenever needed.
Although Freshdesk is a great option for businesses looking to find a customer relationship management tool, it might lag according to some specific customer's expectations. People look for freshdesk alternatives for multiple reasons, as mentioned below.
Freshdesk may be too expensive for some businesses, especially the ones that are at the initial stages of operations. These startups and small businesses have limited budgets to dedicate to CRM software, so they start to look for options that may fulfill basic management requirements without exceeding their budgets and without the need to invest in project management tools.
Freshdesk offers its users many features and functionalities that ease their management or integration issues. However, it may not offer all the features that are required to manage an enterprise or a large-scale business. Thus, customers start to look for alternatives that offer all types of features to fulfill their needs.
Businesses always look for customer service software that scales with the business growth. However, a lot of businesses who use Freshdesk in the starting business phases may realize in the later stages that the software is not scaling with the business. This limited scalability of Freshdesk may cause users to switch to other software.
Businesses also use various third-party applications to manage different functions, which means they want their customer relationship management software to be able to integrate with these third-party vendors. Freshdesk sometimes lacks in its integration capabilities, and that is why users look for Freshdesk alternatives.
Every business has different user interface requirements while choosing the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
Freshdesk may not align with the business's requirements or preferences regarding user interface, and they might seek out better software offering a better overall customer support.
We will cover all the freshdesk alternatives here, considering the key features, unique selling points, pricing, and flexibility in customer support offered by these tools. The top 10 Freshdesk Alternatives are as follows.
Let's discuss each of this customer support software in detail for comparative analysis.
Help Scout is one of the scalable Freshdesk alternatives focused on streamlining customer conversations across Gmail, live chat support, and in-app messages for efficient management of customer support team activities.
It also assigns conversations to specific agents with an option to add private notes containing the customer interactions' history. It also migrates customer data from other platforms to ensure a seamless customer journey and ease of handling tasks for the customer support team.
The following are the best features of Help Scout.
Customer feedback has shown that social channel integration is only available in Plus and Pro plans, which users in the lower pricing tier may find to be a limitation.
Help Scout follow the following pricing plans.
Help Scout is a suitable CRM tool for businesses ranging from small to mid-size. It will not be the best choice for businesses with large teams.
If you prefer seamless support within Gmail without the need to log in to a separate tool, Keeping is your ideal choice. Keeping turns Gmail into a fully functional help desk platform.
It provides access to comprehensive reports by keeping clutter clutter-free in the admin area. You can also manage support requests without the hassle of navigating through multiple tools making the customer support process smooth.
Keeping offers the following top features to its users.
Users may feel that the functionality is hindered due to dependency on Gmail, as it can impact the available features compared with standalone help desk software.
Keeping pricing plans start at $6 per user per month.
Keeping is suitable for startups with smaller budgets to invest in tech.
Zendesk is a flexible customer service platform tailored to enterprise-level companies. It offers a suite of tools and solutions required to manage customer interactions efficiently. Zendesk streamlines all operations and delivers exceptional support for a smooth customer experience.
Zendesk offers its users the following features.
Businesses using Zendesk may experience that its ticket management system may not be ideal for small businesses, and sometimes it also becomes difficult for users to understand its pricing plans.
Zendesk is suitable for all types of businesses looking to provide personalized support to their customers, and this is due to its ability to scale. As the business size grows, you can also customize the dashboards and features.
Intercom is a customer service portal that allows users to install multiple websites and apps using the free plan. It offers various plug-ins for SMS marketing, importing contacts, and sending notifications. It has user-friendly features like a business messenger, which makes processing easier for everyone.
Intercom offers the following top features.
Intercom can be a cost-ineffective option, especially if you are a business dealing with large customer bases. It also has limited reporting capabilities, hindering the business's management effectively.
Intercom is a platform that is best suitable for smaller businesses with smaller customer bases.
Salesforce service cloud provides a comprehensive 360-degree view of your customer base, streamlining operations from multiple channels. Agents can view customer's screens in real time easing the visualization. AI capabilities further enhance its functioning.
Following are the top features of Salesforce Service Cloud
Salesforce service cloud requires integration with Salesforce CRM, and this dependency requires additional setup. The setup can be very complex for people who do not have specific expertise with the software.
Although it has various advanced AI features and some add-ons in premium packages, it significantly increases the cost incurred by businesses using this specific tool.
Pricing of Salesforce is as follows.
Salesforce service cloud has advanced features, making it more suitable for medium-sized businesses than small businesses. Some of its features may also fit best for businesses with large teams if the rest of the features align with the business goals.
ClickUp is a flexible customer support software offering comprehensive solutions for managing teams and delivering top-notch customer support. It offers all the essential tools required to handle ticket management system while also managing to deliver exceptional customer service.
The helpdesk ticket template available in the tool makes reporting issues, asking questions, and providing feedback a lot simpler for users. The forms are also a great help on your team's end, as these forms will automatically translate into tasks seamlessly becoming a part of your work list.
Project management capabilities integrated into the tool also make the assignment of tasks, priority setting, automated emails, and time tracking a lot easier. The software also gives real-time insights into the ticket's progress from the initial point of customer contact to the resolution of the problem.
Features that stand out in ClickUp compared to other customer service software are as follows.
Although ClickUp is a powerful project management tool, it has some drawbacks. You should know its drawbacks before you use it for your business.
ClickUp has the following price plans.
ClickUp is specifically designed for businesses with mid-sized teams. It offers comprehensive features and tools that enhance collaboration and productivity. The tool is unsuitable for businesses with either a very small team or a significant number of employees at an enterprise level.
Now, we will talk about Zoho Desk, an alternative to Freshdesk that focuses on service desk while enhancing customer satisfaction. It is an omnichannel solution, meaning it seamlessly integrates all communication channels, including voice, live chat, social media, and calls, into the software.
The support tickets in this tool are all centralized in the same location, and it easily directs the ticket to the appropriate department and also creates urgency accordingly. With their ticket feature, agents can access comprehensive customer data to enhance productive customer conversations. This software makes sure that all customer queries are addressed properly.
Zoho Desk is a reasonable software for a business looking for a cost-effective option while choosing the right CRM tool. The best features that differentiate it from its competitors are as follows.
ZIA, a smartly built AI, is only available in the Enterprise plan, making it difficult and costly for small businesses to opt for it if they want to use the AI feature. The user interface is quite user-friendly, but there are very few features that the user may have difficulty with.
The pricing plans for it are as follows:
It is suitable for small businesses and startups, as it offers limited features required to operate an organization with a significant number of employees.
Discover Drag, a CRM platform that uses your Gmail to create a unified workspace for seamless collaboration. You can efficiently support your customers using Drag with the flexibility to either reply as an individual or on behalf of your team.
The platform also organizes any of your incoming emails and allows you to create customized rules. Your workflows can also be visualized through shared boards, eventually increasing efficiency.
The top features of the Drag App are as follows.
If you have additional extensions installed, they may cause conflicts in your Gmail functioning. Drag helps you have an organizing tool and is not a good option for businesses looking for something extraordinary or robust.
Drag's pricing plans are as follows:
Drag is suitable for any business that prefers to work on Gmail as a communication channel, CRM, and task manager.
As an alternative to Freshdesk, LiveAgent is an effective and user-friendly Live Chat software. It seamlessly integrates with social media platforms and other third-party channels.
The ticketing system in the LiveAgent tool also allows for effective centralized customer communication and issue resolution.
LiveAgent stands out due to the following features.
Businesses using LiveAgent may find its analytics and reporting functionality very basic and simple for their advanced needs This limitation could impact the detailed insights they need for better decision making.
The pricing structure of LiveAgent is as follows.
LiveAgent is suitable for small and mid-sized businesses, especially those relying heavily on third-party vendors.
Front is a versatile email management platform that offers a traditional email inbox with added functionalities. It is a great form of team support, especially in email communication.
The tool enables you to handle customer queries with flexibility. It also enables you to upgrade your services as your team expands.
Front offers the following top features when considered as a freshdesk alternative.
Front does not have a sending limit, but one limitation is that you might run into issues if you send a high volume of emails simultaneously. There might not be a sending limit, but many platforms have a recipient limit, such as Gmail.
Front follows the following pricing plans.
Front will be a very expensive option if you are a small business looking for an email tool or an individual wanting to send emails. It is a good option for large enterprises because they usually have high budget allocations for such software.
You have read the details on top 10 customer service software. When choosing a CRM tool for your business, you should look at the following aspects:
You must ensure that the software you choose for your business has a user-friendly interface, as agents get a good grasp of software that enables intuitive navigation.
Another thing to look for is built-in guidance in the tool, so even if the software is a little hard to navigate, users can rely on the guide to figure out their way out of things.
An important factor in CRM tools is looking for customization options. The best customer service software is a CRM tool that can be customized according to the business needs. At any point of your business growth, if your business undergoes any changes, they can also be catered to in the customizable software.
You should also consider whether CRM software can integrate seamlessly with third-party vendors. As a part of business operations, businesses rely on various third parties for several reasons, such as voice options, live chat, or security.
Businesses also rely on various project management systems for operational purposes. All these tools and functionalities must be well integrated with the CRM tool for a seamless client experience.
Choose CRM software that can grow your business. Some CRM software is specifically designed for small businesses and those with fewer operations. This software can only cater to a few business functions, which can become an issue when your business grows with time.
Similarly, a startup should not use a CRM tool designed for an enterprise, as it will cost small businesses too much and exceed their budget requirements. They would also not need the functions and features designed for an enterprise, so it is incurring additional costs for nothing.
In today's fast-paced business environment, it is important to have a CRM tool that has mobile access. Having your business operations related to CRM on your phone will enable you to manage customer communication on the go, eventually leading to a seamless client management experience.
Your CRM software will have a lot of your customer data. If your clients trust you with their data, your business needs to manage that data with enough security not to cost your customers anything. When choosing the right CRM tool for your business, data security is an essential option you should look for.
You should also research the level of customer support required for your business and the level of customer support offered by the CRM vendor. It is important to look at the availability, response times, and resources the CRM software offers and how well it aligns with your business.
The final and significant step is to research the pricing structure of various CRM software. After you have considered all your business's essential features and requirements, it is time to invest in the right one.
The best way to go about pricing is to ensure that the CRM tool's cost fits within your budget. Compare and contrast the top tools' pricing structure and offerings. Only then you will be able to make the best choice.
To sum it all up, we have covered the top 10 customer service software with the features they offer, the limitations in their functionalities, the pricing plans they follow, and what type of businesses they are suitable for. All you need to do is look for your business needs and match them with the software offerings to see what fits best.
Moreover, consider whether you are a startup, mid-sized, or enterprise-level organization to find the right software. Lastly, the price plans must be considered so you do not exceed your budget for this investment. If you are a small business facing challenges, JustReply.ai is your way to go about it, as it will become your partner to a seamless customer journey.
