20 Freshdesk Alternatives for Your Contact Center in 2026

Teams searching for Freshdesk alternatives typically face issues with add-on sprawl, limitations in voice capabilities or workforce management, pricing confusion surrounding AI features, or the need for improved multi-brand support. The best alternatives to Freshdesk offer omnichannel depth beyond email and chat, AI-powered agent assistance, integrated workforce management, and transparent pricing that includes core capabilities. BlueHub fits this profile with voice, email, chat, and social in one platform, built-in AI, and transparent per-agent pricing.

Your team chose Freshdesk because it offered affordable ticketing with a straightforward user user-friendly interface. The platform might have worked well when you primarily handled customer inquiries through email and needed basic ticket management, but it fell short when your customer service operations expanded.

Customer conversations now happen across live chat, social media, phone calls, and email, but Freshdesk’s multichannel support felt fragmented. You needed call transcription software, AI chatbots, and AI voicebot capabilities that required purchasing Freshcaller separately. Your support team wanted suggested reply grounded in your knowledge base, but AI features lived behind premium tiers or add-ons.

Now, you’re looking for a support platform that matches your evolved requirements: 

• Proper omnichannel support that unifies customer interactions
• AI capabilities that help support agents resolve customer inquiries faster
• Call center workforce management for operational control
• Transparent pricing per user

Below, we look at alternatives to Freshworks, what matters in 2026, and which customer support platforms deserve your attention.

Every business has different needs, but here’s why most turn to Freshdesk competitors:

• Add-on sprawl: Freshdesk’s modular approach means basic ticketing remains affordable, but adding voice (Freshcaller), analytics (Freshsales), or marketing automation (Freshmarketing) requires separate Freshworks products. Teams end up managing multiple licenses and integrations even within the same vendor ecosystem.
• Voice and workforce management limitations: While Freshdesk handles email and chat adequately, robust voice capabilities require Freshcaller, which requires separate licensing. Call center workforce management features, such as forecasting, scheduling, and real-time adherence, aren’t native, forcing teams to integrate third-party solutions that fragment customer data.
• Pricing confusion for AI: AI-powered features, such as intelligent ticket assignment, sentiment analysis, and automated responses, are available in Freshdesk. However, understanding which tier includes which capabilities and how usage-based pricing applies creates uncertainty when calculating the total cost.
• Customization and integration depth: While Freshdesk offers integration capabilities with popular tools, deeper customization for complex workflows or specialized industry needs sometimes hits limits. Teams with unique customer support processes find themselves working around platform constraints.
• Multi-brand complexity: Managing multiple brands, product lines, or client accounts within Freshdesk requires careful configuration. Teams wanting clean workspace separation and brand-specific routing often find the implementation more complex than expected.

Limited analytics depth: Basic reporting provides coverage of ticket volume and response times. Teams that need sophisticated customer service analytics, which tie customer satisfaction to specific agent actions, track sentiment shifts, or forecast staffing needs, often require supplementary tools.

Here are some key points to consider before comparing. Start by mapping your must-have channels and guardrails, then assess how each platform handles AI, knowledge, operations, and security within a single workflow. Finally, consider integrations, KPIs, and total cost of operation to ensure you’re choosing for fit today and scale tomorrow.

Channels

A modern customer service platform requires omnichannel support that extends beyond email ticketing. Customers expect to reach your support team through live chat, phone calls, social media, SMS, and email, and then switch between channels mid-conversation without having to start over. A ticketing system that unifies these customer communications enables support agents to work in a single workspace with complete customer context, regardless of the contact method.

AI

AI-powered features transform how customer support teams operate. Intelligent classification automatically categorizes support tickets by issue type, priority, and required skills. AI ticket summary condenses lengthy customer conversations into actionable insights. Suggested reply helps agents respond faster with answers grounded in your knowledge base, maintaining consistency across customer interactions. Real-time translation breaks language barriers. Automation tools handle repetitive tasks, such as ticket routing, status updates, and follow-ups, freeing agents to focus on more complex customer queries.

Knowledge Base

A smart knowledge base does more than store articles. It integrates deeply into agent workflows, surfacing relevant content during conversations. For customers, it powers self-service portals where they can resolve customer inquiries independently, reducing ticket volume. The best customer support software grounds its AI-proposed replies in KB content, ensuring agents deliver accurate, consistent information without guessing.

Operations

Call center workforce management handles forecasting based on historical ticket trends and schedules agents to match anticipated demand. Customer service quality assurance involves sampling customer interactions, scoring them against established rubrics, and identifying coaching opportunities to enhance team performance. SLA dashboards show real-time performance metrics by team, channel, and priority level, enabling proactive support rather than reactive firefighting.

Security and Administration

Multi-factor authentication, audit logs, role-based permissions, and data retention policies are foundational for compliance. Administration features give you control over who can modify routing rules, access customer data, or change system configurations, essential for regulated industries and enterprise security requirements.

Integrations

Your customer support platform must integrate with CRM systems (such as Salesforce and HubSpot), commerce platforms (like Shopify and Magento), telephony providers, and analytics tools. Open APIs and webhooks enable custom workflows and data synchronization, streamlining customer support processes across your entire tech stack.

Key Performance Indicators

Track metrics that drive decisions: first-contact resolution shows efficiency, average handle time measures agent productivity, containment rate reveals self-service success through chatbots and portals, abandon rate flags capacity problems, concurrency shows how many simultaneous interactions agents handle, sentiment analysis identifies at-risk customer relationships, and customer satisfaction scores measure overall service quality.

Pricing Clarity

Understand the total cost to operate. Some of the best Freshworks alternatives charge a monthly fee per user for basic features, then add usage-based pricing for AI interactions, phone minutes, or support tickets. Others bundle core capabilities into transparent per-agent pricing. Avoid platforms that require expensive add-ons for essential features like advanced automation or customer service analytics, as these can dramatically increase costs beyond initial estimates.

This comparison of Freshdesk alternatives relies on publicly available documentation, feature specifications, vendor websites, and published case studies as of November 2026. We identify who uses each customer service software through public customer logos and case studies. Where pricing appears clearly on vendor sites, we cite it. Where pricing requires contact sales, we note it. Pros and cons reflect evidence-based analysis, free from marketing hype and unverifiable claims.

Must-Have Capability Checklist

When comparing Freshdesk competitor platforms, verify these foundational capabilities:

• Omnichannel intake: Email, live chat, voice, and social media, so customer context flows seamlessly between channels
• Knowledge base integration: Strong KB-grounded answers or robust integration for consistent customer support
• AI features: Classification, summarization, suggested reply, and translation to accelerate agent workflows
• Analytics: Track core KPIs including resolution rates, customer satisfaction, and agent productivity
• Workforce management and quality assurance: Native modules or strong first-party options to avoid vendor sprawl
• Security and administration: MFA, audit logs, role-based permissions for compliance
• Integration capabilities: APIs and pre-built connectors with CRM, commerce, and business systems
• Transparent pricing: Core AI and analytics features included in base plans per user, not exclusively sold as add-ons
• Customer satisfaction surveys: Built-in CSAT monitoring to collect customer feedback after interactions

Scoring Rubric

These factors guided our evaluation of the best Freshdesk alternatives:

• Fit for 20–100 agents: We prioritize customer support tools that work for small to mid-sized customer service teams without forcing enterprise contracts
• Omnichannel depth: Does it provide a true unified inbox experience across email, chat, voice, and social?
• AI coverage: Agent assistance plus knowledge base grounding, not just basic automation
• Workforce management and quality assurance: Native tools reduce complexity and accelerate deployment
• Time-to-value: How quickly can you implement and start improving customer experience?
• Total cost to operate: Include licensing, usage fees, integrations, training, and ongoing support

Security and control: Compliance-ready features for regulated industries

Think of this as a shortcut to your short list. We highlight who each platform is for, what it does best, and what to watch out for in terms of cost and implementation.

1. BlueHub (by BlueTweak) — Editor’s Choice

BlueHub is an all-in-one customer service solution that combines voice, email, chat, and social channels with AI-powered automation, workforce management, and quality assurance in a unified platform. BlueHub treats omnichannel support as foundational architecture, making it a suitable fit for teams that have outgrown platforms like Freshdesk.

Features:

• Ticketing system with intelligent routing based on skills, language, priority, and customer history
• Unified inbox consolidates voice, email, chat, SMS, and social media into one agent workspace
• AI voicebot handles routine customer inquiries with context-preserving escalation to human agents
• Call transcription software converts conversations to searchable text automatically
• Suggested reply and canned responses grounded in a knowledge base for fast, accurate answers
• AI ticket summary condenses long conversations into actionable insights
• Call center workforce management forecasts demand and optimizes agent schedules
• Customer service quality assurance with scorecards, calibration sessions, and coaching workflows
• Customer service analytics track sentiment, SLA compliance, and outcomes in real time
• Multilingual customer support with real-time translation across all channels
• Customer profile view shows the complete interaction history regardless of the channel
• Multi-brand routing manages multiple product lines or client accounts in a single instance
• Customer support automation, includinga  KB-grounded chatbot and a voicebot

Who Uses It: Customer service teams managing 20 to 100 agents who need true omnichannel capabilities, AI assistance, and predictable pricing without add-on complexity.

Pricing: €65/agent/month all-in (ticketing, omnichannel, AI features, QA, analytics, APIs). See pricing for complete details.

Pros:

• All-in-one platform eliminates vendor fragmentation and reduces IT complexity.
• Multilingual customer support with real-time translation preserves context across languages
• Multi-brand routing manages multiple product lines or client accounts in a single instance
• Fast implementation with guided rollout measured in weeks instead of months
• Customer support automation includes a KB-grounded chatbot and voicebot
• API-open architecture enables seamless integration with existing business systems
• Transparent pricing includes workforce management, quality assurance, and AI features

Cons:

• Newer customer service platform with a smaller third-party marketplace
• Less brand recognition than established Freshworks competitors
• Some advanced security features are planned for future releases

2. Zendesk

Zendesk is a well-established customer support software platform that offers ticketing, live chat, voice, and extensive marketplace integrations. It targets mid-market to enterprise teams needing proven desk software with broad ecosystem support.

Features:

• Multi-channel ticketing across email, chat, voice, and social media
• Knowledge base with self-service portal for customers
• AI-powered ticket classification and routing
• Workflow automation and custom triggers
• Extensive third-party marketplace for integrations
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Workforce management is available in higher tiers
• Mobile apps for agents

Who Uses It: Mid-market to enterprise customer service teams needing an established customer support platform with extensive integrations.

Pricing:

• Support Team: ~$19/agent/month (annual): basic ticketing and email
• Suite Team: ~$55/agent/month (annual): adds live chat and basic omnichannel
• Professional/Enterprise: Higher tiers include AI, WFM, and QA capabilities

Note: Many add-ons (AI features, workforce management, quality assurance) cost extra. Full contact center capabilities require upper tiers.

Pros:

• Established platform with an extensive third-party marketplace
• Strong integration ecosystem with business tools
• Comprehensive customer support software features across tiers
• Good documentation and community forums for support

Cons:

• Expensive when adding voice and workforce management capabilities
• AI features and automation require premium paid plans
• Complex pricing model with numerous add-ons
• Interface feels dated compared to modern Freshdesk alternatives

3. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is part of the broader Zoho ecosystem, offering customer support software that integrates naturally with Zoho CRM and other Zoho products. It offers competitive entry-level pricing, along with a generous free plan.

Features:

• Multi-channel support across email, phone, chat, and social media
• AI assistant (Zia) for ticket classification and agent assistance
• Knowledge base with customer portal
• Workflow automation and custom rules
• Integration with the Zoho ecosystem
• Basic analytics and reporting
• Mobile support for agents
• Context-aware ticket management

Who Uses It: Small to mid-sized businesses, especially those using other Zoho products, who want unified customer data.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Up to 3 users with basic features: solid Freshdesk alternative free option
• Standard: ~$14/agent/month: core ticketing features
• Enterprise: ~$40/agent/month: adds advanced automation and AI

Note: Very competitive entry-level pricing. Top tiers include more advanced automation and AI capabilities.

Pros:

• Affordable with a generous free plan for small teams
• Tight integration with the Zoho ecosystem
• An AI assistant helps automate repetitive tasks
• Good value for teams wanting a unified Zoho experience

Cons:

• Best value requires using other Zoho products
• Limited third-party integrations outside Zoho
• Voice capabilities are less robust than specialized platforms
• Learning curve for advanced customization

4. Intercom

Intercom combines customer support tools with customer engagement and proactive messaging. It’s popular among SaaS companies that want to blend reactive support with product communication.

Features:

• One inbox for email, chat, and social messaging
• AI chatbot (Fin) for automated customer interactions
• Proactive messaging and customer engagement campaigns
• Knowledge base with AI-powered search
• Customer segmentation and targeting
• Product tours and onboarding workflows
• Team collaboration features
• Extensive integration capabilities

Who Uses It: SaaS and technology companies wanting to blend customer support with product engagement and sales.

Pricing:

• Entry: ~$29/seat/month with basic inbox and messaging
• Fin AI: Usage-based pricing for AI interactions
• Higher tiers: Many features are locked behind premium tiers and usage-based add-ons

Note: Pricing is complex, involving seat costs and usage-based AI charges. Real cost scales with interaction volume.

Pros:

• Modern interface with excellent user experience for agents
• Strong proactive engagement features beyond reactive support
• AI chatbot (Fin) delivers good automation for common customer queries
• Product tours help with customer onboarding and reduce support tickets

Cons:

• Expensive, especially when AI usage scales with customer interactions
• A complex pricing model makes the total cost difficult to predict
• Less suitable for traditional customer service operations
• Best value requires using the complete Intercom platform

5. Help Scout

Help Scout emphasizes human connection in customer service, offering an easy-to-use platform that feels like email rather than complex ticketing systems.

Features:

• Shared inbox for email customer support
• Live chat with proactive messaging
• Knowledge base with self-service options
• Customer profile showing interaction history
• Collision detection prevents duplicate agent responses
• Automated workflows and saved replies
• Basic reporting and analytics
• Integration with popular business tools

Who Uses It: Small to mid-sized customer service teams prioritizing personalized customer interactions over enterprise features.

Pricing:

• Free plan: For very small teams
• Standard: ~$25/agent/month: shared inbox and basic features
• Plus: ~$45/agent/month: adds automation and advanced reporting
• Pro: ~$75/agent/month: comprehensive feature set

Note: Offers good mid-tier value as an alternative to Freshdesk. Features scale with price.

Pros:

• The clean, intuitive interface feels like email rather than traditional desktop software.
• Strong focus on personalized customer service experience
• Good knowledge base functionality for self-service
• Excellent customer support from the Help Scout team

Cons:

• Limited channels, primarily email and chat, voice requires integration
• Simple reporting compared to enterprise platforms
• Fewer automation features than Freshworks competitors
• Not suitable for teams needing workforce management

6. HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub integrates customer support software with HubSpot’s CRM platform, providing a unified approach to customer relationship management across sales, marketing, and service departments.

Features:

• Ticketing system integrated with HubSpot CRM
• Live chat and chatbot builder
• Knowledge base with customer portal
• Customer feedback surveys and NPS tracking
• Workflow automation across departments
• Conversation routing and shared inbox
• Reporting dashboards with CRM integration
• Seamless data flow across HubSpot tools

Who Uses It: Small to mid-sized businesses using HubSpot CRM who want unified data across departments.

Pricing:

• Starter: ~$15–20/seat/month: basic service tools
• Professional: ~$90/seat/month (annual): advanced automation, reporting

Note: Integration with HubSpot’s broader CRM platform. Pricing varies by bundle. Best value when using the complete HubSpot ecosystem.

Pros:

• Seamless integration with HubSpot CRM for a unified customer view
• Unified data across sales, marketing, and customer service
• User-friendly interface consistent with the HubSpot ecosystem
• Suitable for teams prioritizing CRM-driven customer support

Cons:

• Limited customer support software features compared to specialized platforms
• Voice capabilities require third-party integration
• Pricing escalates with seat count and feature additions
• Best suited for existing HubSpot customers

7. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is an enterprise-grade customer service software built on the Salesforce platform, offering comprehensive features with deep CRM integration and extensive customization options.

Features:

• Omnichannel routing across email, chat, phone, and social
• Case management with sophisticated workflows
• Knowledge base integrated with Salesforce data
• AI through Einstein for predictive routing and recommendations
• Field service management capabilities
• Extensive customization through the Salesforce platform
• Workforce management and quality assurance
• Comprehensive analytics and reporting

Who Uses It: Large enterprises needing a robust customer service platform with extensive customization and Salesforce ecosystem integration.

Pricing:

• Starter: ~$25/user/month: basic service tools for small teams
• Professional: ~$100/user/month (annual): comprehensive features with Einstein AI

Note: Pricing depends heavily on edition, add-ons, and user count. Enterprise licensing typically requires an annual commitment.

Pros:

• Enterprise-grade scalability and reliability for large customer service operations
• Deep integration with Salesforce CRM and ecosystem
• Extensive customization through the Salesforce platform
• Comprehensive AI capabilities through Einstein

Cons:

• Very expensive compared to alternatives to Freshdesk
• Complex implementation and steep learning curve
• Best value requires broader Salesforce investment
• Overkill for smaller customer service teams

8. ServiceNow

ServiceNow focuses on IT management but also offers customer service management capabilities for enterprises that need unified service operations.

Features:

• Unified platform for IT and customer management
• Advanced workflow automation and orchestration
• Knowledge management with AI-powered search
• Multi-channel customer support
• Field management
• Extensive configuration options
• AI and machine learning capabilities
• Integration with enterprise systems

Who Uses It: Large enterprises needing unified management across IT, HR, and customer-facing teams.

Pricing: ~$100–150+ per agent/month (enterprise-level) with mostly enterprise deployments requiring custom quoting

Note: Enterprise-focused pricing with significant implementation costs. Not suitable for small teams.

Pros:

• Enterprise-grade customer service platform with comprehensive capabilities
• Unified service operations across departments
• Strong workflow automation for complex processes
• Robust security and compliance features

Cons:

• Very expensive with a lengthy implementation timeline
• Steep learning curve requiring specialized expertise
• Overkill for teams focused primarily on customer support
• Complex pricing and licensing models

9. Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management brings Atlassian’s project management approach to customer service software, particularly popular with technical teams and IT departments.

Features:

• ITSM and customer service ticketing
• Integration with Jira Software for development handoffs
• Knowledge base and self-serve portal
• Workflow automation and SLA management
• Custom forms and approval workflows
• Asset and configuration management
• Mobile apps for agents
• Integration with the Atlassian ecosystem

Who Uses It: Technical teams, IT departments, and companies using Atlassian products wanting unified project and service management.

Pricing: ~$17.65–24/agent/month (entry) with pricing increasing for advanced features

Note: Strong for IT operations. Scale costs increase with features. Better suited for internal service than customer-facing support.

Pros:

• Excellent integration with development workflows via Jira Software
• Familiar interface for teams using Atlassian products
• Strong automation and workflow customization
• Good asset and configuration management

Cons:

• Better suited for internal IT service than external customer support
• Learning curve for non-technical customer service teams
• Limited omnichannel capabilities for customer interactions
• Voice support requires third-party integration

10. Genesys Cloud CX

Genesys Cloud CX is enterprise-grade contact center software with comprehensive customer support capabilities, workforce management, and advanced analytics.

Features:

• Omnichannel routing across voice, email, chat, and social
• AI-powered predictive routing and automation
• Workforce management and quality assurance are native to the platform
• Advanced analytics with sentiment analysis
• Knowledge base integration for agent assistance
• IVR with AI capabilities
• Extensive integrations with business systems
• Enterprise-grade security and compliance

Who Uses It: Enterprise contact centers managing hundreds of agents across multiple channels with sophisticated requirements.

Pricing:

• Voice only: ~$75/agent/month
• Omnichannel: ~$115/agent/month
• Omnichannel + WFM: ~$155/agent/month

Note: Contact-center grade pricing. Enterprise deployments with complex requirements. Expensive for smaller operations.

Pros:

• Enterprise-grade scalability for large customer service operations
• Comprehensive contact center capabilities in one platform
• Strong workforce management and quality assurance tools
• Extensive AI and automation features

Cons:

• Very expensive, especially for smaller customer service teams
• Complex implementation requires professional services
• Steep learning curve and technical expertise required
• Overkill for businesses under 100 agents

11. LiveAgent

LiveAgent offers multi-channel customer support software that combines ticketing, live chat, and call center features at competitive pricing.

Features:

• Multi-channel ticketing across email, chat, phone, and social
• Built-in call center with IVR capabilities
• Live chat with proactive invitations
• Knowledge base and customer portal
• Workflow automation and SLA management
• Gamification for agent motivation
• Multi-brand support for managing multiple businesses
• Extensive integration options

Who Uses It: Small to mid-sized customer support teams needing an affordable omnichannel desk solution.

Pricing: ~$15/agent/month (entry): competitive pricing for included features with voice at entry level

Note: Multi-channel helpdesk with competitive pricing for smaller teams. Voice capabilities are included at affordable tiers.

Pros:

• Affordable omnichannel customer support platform
• Built-in call center eliminates separate telephony costs
• Good feature set for the price point
• Suitable for multi-brand operations

Cons:

• Interface feels dated compared to modern Freshdesk alternatives
• Limited AI capabilities for automation
• Basic workforce management features
• Smaller ecosystem of third-party integrations

12. Deskpro

Deskpro offers customer support software with both cloud and on-premise deployment options for teams with specific data control requirements.

Features:

• Multi-channel ticketing across standard channels
• Knowledge base with customer-facing portal
• Live chat and messaging capabilities
• Workflow automation and custom triggers
• Custom ticket fields and forms
• Agent productivity tools
• Reporting and analytics
• Flexible deployment (cloud or on-premise)

Who Uses It: Mid-sized customer service teams needing flexible deployment options or specific data control requirements.

Pricing:

• Team: $39/agent/month
• Professional: $59/agent/month
• Enterprise: $99/agent/month

Note: Clear tiering with minimum user counts. Pricing varies between cloud and on-premise deployments.

Pros:

• Flexible deployment options accommodate different requirements
• Good customization capabilities for workflows
• Comprehensive customer support software features
• Suitable for teams with strict data requirements

Cons:

• Higher pricing than some alternatives to Freshworks
• Interface is less modern than newer platforms
• Smaller user community and marketplace
• On-premises requires internal IT resources

13. Gorgias

Gorgias specializes in customer support software for e-commerce, with deep integrations into Shopify, Magento, and other commerce platforms.

Features:

• Deep e-commerce integrations showing order data in tickets
• Multi-channel support across email, chat, social, SMS, and voice
• Automation rules based on customer and order data
• Macros for common customer questions
• Revenue attribution showing support’s business impact
• Customer satisfaction tracking
• AI features for automation
• Integration with e-commerce tools

Who Uses It: E-commerce brands using Shopify, Magento, or similar platforms wanting order context in every customer interaction.

Pricing: Ticket volume-based pricing: entry plan ~$10/month (small ticket counts) with cost scaling by volume

Note: E-commerce-focused with conversation/ticket-based cost model vs strictly per-agent. Pricing scales with ticket volume.

Pros:

• Excellent e-commerce integrations with order data visible in tickets
• Revenue attribution demonstrates support’s business value
• Unlimited agent seats on paid plans reduce per-user costs
• Strong automation for common e-commerce customer questions

Cons:

• Limited functionality outside e-commerce use cases
• Ticket-based pricing can become expensive at scale
• AI interactions may be metered separately
• Less suitable for non-retail customer service operations

14. Hiver

Hiver transforms Gmail into customer support software, allowing teams to manage customer inquiries without leaving their inbox.

Features:

• Gmail integration for shared inbox management
• Email-based ticket assignment and tracking
• Collision detection prevents duplicate responses
• SLA management with automated reminders
• Basic workflow automation
• Email templates and internal notes
• Reporting on response times and volumes
• Live chat as an optional add-on

Who Uses It: Small customer service teams using Gmail who want lightweight support tools without adopting new platforms.

Pricing: ~$25/agent/month: Gmail-centric helpdesk with simple pricing model

Note: This is a simple model for smaller teams. Best for Gmail-committed organizations. Limited features outside the email channel.

Pros:

• No learning curve for Gmail users
• Quick deployment without platform migration
• Affordable for small customer service teams
• Familiar email-based workflow

Cons:

• Limited to email and basic chat functionality
• Lacks advanced customer support software features
• No voice or comprehensive social media support
• Not suitable for teams needing omnichannel or AI capabilities

15. Front

Front creates a shared inbox enabling teams to manage conversations across email, chat, and social media collaboratively.

Features:

• One inbox for email, chat, SMS,and  social media
• Collision detection and internal comments for collaboration
• Assignment rules and automated workflows
• Analytics showing team performance
• Integration with business tools
• Mobile apps for remote agents
• Custom views and filters
• Automation features for routine tasks

Who Uses It: Small to mid-sized customer service teams wanting shared inbox collaboration without traditional ticketing complexity.

Pricing:

• Starter: ~$19–25/seat/month: shared inbox basics
• Pro: ~$59–65/seat/month: advanced automation
• Enterprise: ~$99+/seat/month: enterprise features

Note: Shared inbox + collaboration focus. Higher tiers unlock more automation and integrations.

Pros:

• Clean interface focused on team collaboration
• Suitable for teams transitioning from email to structured support
• Strong analytics showing team performance metrics
• Integrates well with standard business tools

Cons:

• Limited traditional ticketing features compared to full desk software
• Voice support requires third-party integration
• Pricing scales quickly with seat count
• No built-in knowledge base or self-serve capabilities

16. HappyFox

HappyFox offers customer support software with task management and workflow automation for teams that need structure without the complexity of enterprise solutions.

Features:

• Multi-channel ticketing across email, chat, phone, and social
• Task management and workflow automation
• Knowledge base with customer portal
• SLA management and escalation rules
• Asset management capabilities
• Mobile apps for agents
• Reporting and analytics
• Integration with business systems

Who Uses It: Mid-sized customer service teams needing structured desk software with workflow management.

Pricing:

• Basic: ~$21/agent/month
• Team: ~$39/agent/month
• Pro: ~$89/agent/month

Note: Tiered by features. Good small-to-mid market option with clear pricing levels.

Pros:

• Good balance of features and usability
• Strong workflow and task management capabilities
• Comprehensive ticketing features
• Mobile support for remote agents

Cons:

• Pricing not always transparent (may require sales contact)
• More miniature marketplace than a major Freshworks competitor
• Some advanced features require higher tiers
• Less brand recognition than established platforms

17. TeamSupport

TeamSupport focuses on B2B customer support, offering desk software designed for complex, relationship-driven support interactions.

Features:

• Account-based ticketing showing customer relationships
• Collaboration tools for internal escalations
• Customer health scoring
• Product database for asset tracking
• Knowledge base capabilities
• Customer self-serve portal
• Reporting focused on customer success metrics
• Integration with business tools

Who Uses It: B2B companies managing complex customer relationships and technical support escalations.

Pricing: ~$45/agent/month (entry) with pricing varying by size and features

Note: Enterprise helpdesk with a B2B focus. Pricing reflects relationship management capabilities.

Pros:

• Excellent for B2B customer relationship management
• Account-based view shows customer health across touchpoints
• Strong collaboration features for internal teams
• Suitable for managing complex technical customer support

Cons:

• Less suitable for B2C or high-volume customer support operations
• Limited AI and automation compared to modern platforms
• Smaller integration marketplace
• Higher pricing than consumer-focused alternatives to Freshdesk

18. Kayako

Kayako provides customer support software emphasizing customer journey tracking across all interaction touchpoints.

Features:

• Unified customer view across channels
• Journey tracking showing complete customer history
• Multi-channel support across email, chat, phone, and social
• Knowledge base and self-service options
• Workflow automation and routing rules
• Team collaboration tools
• Reporting and analytics
• Integrations with business systems

Who Uses It: Mid-sized customer service teams prioritizing customer context and journey tracking.

Pricing: ~$15/agent/month entry; ~$49/agent/month top tier (based on third-party sources)

Note: Simple pricing for smaller teams with less enterprise depth than major platforms.

Pros:

• Strong customer journey tracking capabilities
• Unified view shows complete interaction history
• Good collaboration features for support teams
• Comprehensive omnichannel support

Cons:

• Pricing not fully transparent (may require sales contact)
• Less market presence than major Freshdesk competitors
• Some users report implementation complexity
• Limited advanced AI capabilities

Re:amaze

Re:amaze provides customer support software integrated with e-commerce platforms and live chat for online businesses.

Features:

• Multi-channel support across email, chat, social, SMS, and voice
• E-commerce integrations with order data visibility
• Chat with chatbot automation
• Knowledge base and FAQ builder
• Workflow automation for common scenarios
• Customer satisfaction surveys
• Reporting and analytics
• Integration with commerce platforms

Who Uses It: Small to mid-sized e-commerce businesses needing integrated customer support and commerce data.

Pricing:

• Basic: ~$29/agent/month — core features
• Mid-tier: ~$49/agent/month — advanced automation

Note: A good option for small to mid-sized teams. Clear tiers with an e-commerce focus.

Pros:

• Good e-commerce integrations with order context
• Affordable pricing for small customer service teams
• Chat with automation capabilities
• Multi-channel support included at the entry level

Cons:

• Limited features outside e-commerce use cases
• Basic workforce management capabilities
• Smaller ecosystem than enterprise platforms
• Voice capabilities are less robust than specialized solutions

20. Kustomer

Kustomer offers customer service software with a customer-centric approach, displaying complete customer timelines instead of traditional ticket views.

Features:

• Customer timeline view showing complete interaction history
• Omnichannel support across email, chat, phone, social, and SMS
• AI-powered routing and workflow automation
• Visual workflow builder for custom processes
• Knowledge base integration for agent assistance
• Advanced reporting and analytics
• Extensive integrations

Who Uses It: Mid-market to enterprise customer service teams prioritizing customer relationships over individual ticket management.

Pricing:

• Enterprise: ~$89/seat/month: core platform features
• Ultimate: ~$139/seat/month: advanced AI and automation

Note: Premium pricing reflects sophisticated capabilities. Annual billing with minimums is typically required.

Pros:

• Innovative customer-centric view rather than ticket-centric
• Strong omnichannel capabilities across all customer communications
• Good AI and workflow automation features
• Flexible pricing models (seat-based or conversation-based)

Cons:

• Expensive compared to simpler Freshdesk alternatives
• Learning curve due to a non-traditional approach
• Minimum seat commitments required
• Best suited for teams prioritizing relationship management

The best alternative to Freshworks depends on your team size, channel requirements, AI needs, and operational complexity. If you primarily handle email customer support with occasional chat, platforms like Help Scout, Zoho Desk, or Hiver offer simplicity and affordable entry points. If you’re managing enterprise customer service operations with hundreds of agents, Salesforce Service Cloud, ServiceNow, or Genesys Cloud CX offer depth, but at an enterprise level of pricing and implementation complexity.

If you have 20 to 100 agents, then BlueHub is the perfect fit. It consolidates voice, email, chat, and social channels with AI-driven ticket summaries, suggested replies, call transcription, workforce management, and quality assurance into one platform, offering transparent pricing.

When to Shortlist BlueHub:

• You want a comprehensive customer support platform that brings all channels together, eliminating silos and switching tabs.
• You want AI features like call transcription, ticket summaries, and knowledge-base–driven reply suggestions, and you want it baked into the base price (not as pricey extras).
• You manage multiple brands or clients and need clear workspace separation without juggling multiple logins or instances.
• You’d rather have built-in workforce management and quality assurance than patch together third-party tools that scatter your data.
• You prefer a rollout that takes weeks, not months, and doesn’t require a heavy professional services lift.
• You serve global customers and require multilingual support with real-time translation that preserves context.

Request a demo to see BlueHub in action. Check out the pricing page for transparent costs that include workforce management, quality assurance, and AI features without add-on complexity.