Best Help Desk Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Chatwoot is ranked #1 of 101 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Freshdesk and Zoho Desk. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Freshdesk. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Faveo Helpdesk at $7.20/mo.
Support teams choosing a help desk can compare how requests are handled, routed, and followed through. Chatwoot, Freshdesk, and LiveAgent are among the opening entries; compare them on shared inbox, ticket automation, and SLA management. A customer portal and help center matter if customers need ways to find support or check information themselves, while API access is another listed capability to consider. Included agent seats, free-plan availability, and paid-from pricing provide practical terms for comparing options. Zoho Desk, Help Scout, and Vtiger Help Desk also appear near the start, with Zammad and Desk365 among the first entries. Weigh the listed features against your team's support workflow.
101 help desk software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Shared inbox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chatwoot | 9.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | Yes | Free | — | View |
| 2 | Freshdesk | 8.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $19/mo | No | $19/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 3 | Zoho Desk | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | ₹420/mo | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 4 | Help Scout | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $25/mo | Yes | $25/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 5 |  Vtiger Help Desk | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $12/mo | Yes | $12/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 6 | LiveAgent | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $15/mo | Yes | $15/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 7 |  Odoo Helpdesk | 8.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 8 | Zammad | 8.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 9 | UVdesk | 8.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | $8/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 10 | Desk365 | 8.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $12/mo | Yes | — | — | View |
| 11 | Znuny | 8.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 12 | FreeScout | 8.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 13 |  ManageEngine SupportCenter Plus | 8.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $100/mo | Yes | $100/user/mo | — | View |
| 14 |  Salesforce Service Cloud | 8.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $25/mo | No | $25/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 15 | Hiver | 8.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $25/mo | Yes | $25/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 16 |  ProProfs Help Desk | 8.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $29.99/mo | Yes | $23.88/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 17 | Teamwork Desk | 8.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $9.50/mo | No | $9.50/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 18 | Creatio Service | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $15/mo | No | $15/user/mo | — | View |
| 19 | Front | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $25/mo | No | $25/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 20 | HappyFox Help Desk | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $24/mo | No | $24/user/mo | Yes | View |
| 21 | Request Tracker | 8.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 | Deskpro | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $39/mo | No | — | Yes | View |
| 23 |  Kayako | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 24 | Frappe Helpdesk | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 25 | Faveo Helpdesk | 7.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $7.20/mo | Yes | $7.20/user/mo | Yes | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which help desk software is ranked first on Inferse?
Chatwoot is ranked #1 of 101 with a score of 9.4. Freshdesk is second and Zoho Desk third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Faveo Helpdesk has the lowest first paid tier we found: $7.20/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.