Best Zendesk alternatives for 2025: Affordable, scalable, and AI-ready

Why consider a Zendesk alternative?

Zendesk has been in the customer support software business for over a decade, known for its ticketing-first approach and broad feature set. But while the customer service space has evolved, Zendesk hasn’t. Many businesses find that Zendesk comes with trade-offs like complex setup, rising costs, and limited flexibility.

Modern support teams need more than a bloated helpdesk tool. They need customer support solutions that are easy to use, quick to deploy and deliver ROI not in months or years but within weeks. Businesses are also looking to fully tap into the power of AI to automate their support across all channels and delight customers 24/7. With such changing trends, many companies are starting to move away from Zendesk to platforms that help uncomplicate support and offer stronger AI capabilities, all without breaking the bank.

In this guide, we’ll explore the best Zendesk alternatives for 2025 — platforms that not only match Zendesk in capability but also go further in usability, AI superpowers, and cost-effectiveness.

Challenges with Zendesk

Ever since its early days, Zendesk has been known for taking a piecemeal approach to customer support. Many of its capabilities, including AI, are the result of multiple acquisitions and often feel like an afterthought rather than natively integrated. Moreover, the pricing is so steep and unpredictable that businesses start feeling the pinch as their support operations scale.

Here’s why businesses look out for Zendesk alternatives:

• Fragmented setup Zendesk users are often overwhelmed by its complexity. The most essential modules, like admin center, analytics, and AI, are spread across different consoles, frustrating admins and delaying the time-to-value. 

• Convoluted agent workspace Zendesk agents grapple with a cluttered inbox as they don’t have the control to personalize their workspace. Features like linked tickets and canned responses require separate plug-ins, potentially impacting the average handling time.

• AI that is an afterthought Zendesk AI is assembled from multiple acquisitions, such as Ultimate.ai (AI agent), Cleverly (process automation), and Klaus (quality assurance). These apps are often loosely stitched to the core product, leaving users with a broken experience. Admins must access these apps via independent modules, complicating Copilot setup and AI Agent training.

• Expensive subscription costs The Zendesk Support Suite's starting cost of $55/month can be too expensive for smaller businesses, while the Professional plan, at $115/month, can become unsustainable as the support volume scales. Zendesk users often complain about its frequent pricing changes and lack of transparency.

• Steep and unpredictable AI pricing Zendesk AI Agent’s resolution-based pricing, starting at $1.5/resolution, can create budgeting challenges for businesses, as costs can fluctuate dramatically. At $50/agent, Zendesk Copilot is not only priced high but also comes with a mandate to purchase Copilot licenses for all agents, limiting flexibility. 

• Charging extra for essentials Zendesk charges extra for essentials like data storage and advanced security, which most other customer support platforms offer at no additional cost. Due to Zendesk's unfair pricing model and charging for basic offerings, businesses often foot exorbitant bills.

• Unreliable after-sales support Zendesk users often face slow support, as help is limited to 8/5 via email and chat. Businesses must pay a premium to get 24/7 personalized assistance across all channels.

What to look for in a Zendesk alternative?

Choosing a Zendesk alternative isn’t just about finding a solution with better capabilities—it’s about zeroing in on a platform that’s easier to use, quicker to implement, and offers native AI capabilities that are more aligned with evolving customer needs. The ideal customer service software vendor should also offer transparent pricing that scales with your business and guarantees reliable support to run uninterrupted operations.

Here are the key aspects to consider when evaluating Zendesk alternatives in 2025:

1. Implementation that’s fast and easy Customer service software purpose-built for support has simplicity at its core. Invest in solutions that offer an out-of-the-box setup and a clutter-free interface.

2. Omnichannel support that just works Customers might reach out through any of their preferred channels- email, chat, phone, social media, and more. Your team needs one place to handle it all. Look for platforms that offer a single omnichannel inbox that gives agents the context they need to deliver faster resolutions.

3. Native, contextual AI           AI should be baked into the customer support solution, not bolted on from multiple other apps. Choose platforms that provide smarter AI that can be deployed within minutes for both agents and customers.

4. Built for agent productivity Clunky software frustrates agents. Pick solutions that come with pre-built workflow templates and intelligent automation so that everyday support operations require very little manual intervention.

5. Analytics that show what matters . Access to critical support data and performance metrics should always be a few clicks away. Look for platforms with out-of-the-box reports and comprehensive dashboards that provide actionable insights.

6. Integrations that help you scale     Your support tool should work well with the rest of your tech stack. Choose a platform with ready-made integrations for your CRM, marketing automation, e-commerce, and collaboration tools.

7. Clear pricing, no surprises     Steer clear of platforms that overcharge for essentials and gate-keep features behind expensive plans. Onboard a vendor that offers straightforward pricing and enables you to scale sustainably without overshooting your budget.

8. Support you can count on Customer service platforms should walk the talk when it comes to delivering support. Vendors that extend 24/7 help, onboarding assistance, and migration guidance are critical for a faster go-live and to run business operations without any major disruptions.

Top 10 Zendesk alternatives compared

1. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a modern, AI-powered customer service solution designed to help businesses deliver fast, personalized, and consistent support across every channel. With a robust ticketing engine and AI-assisted automation for both agents and customers, Freshdesk is easy to use from day one and is built to scale with your team.

Freshdesk powers customer support for over 73,000 businesses worldwide, including popular brands like Forbes, Pepsico, Klarna, S&P Global, and many more.

Compared to Zendesk, Freshdesk guarantees an uncomplicated setup and a clutter-free interface for both admins and agents. Unlike Zendesk AI, Freddy AI is contextually built into Freshdesk and is offered at a no-frills price. While AI Copilot’s advanced automation helps drive agent productivity, the no-code AI Agents perform complex actions to auto-resolve customer queries. 

Freshdesk is just half the cost of Zendesk, which helps growing businesses scale smarter. Customers love Freshdesk for its transparent pricing and reliable support. This is why businesses of all sizes find Freshdesk the best alternative to Zendesk.

Price: 

• Offers a 14-day free trial

• Paid plans start at $15/agent/month, billed annually, with advanced capabilities in higher-tier options for larger teams

• Freddy AI Agent can be added on for just $100/1000 sessions, making it the value-first agentic AI solution

Key features: 

• Easy to deploy, use, and maintain Freshdesk is designed for fast implementation, ensuring businesses can get up and running without lengthy onboarding or complex configurations. It's intuitive; no-code automation allows teams to quickly set up workflows and customize processes, minimizing the need for IT dependencies.

• Unified omnichannel support Customers today expect to engage on their preferred channels—Freshdesk makes it easy to deliver seamless support across email, chat, phone, WhatsApp, SMS, and social media from a single conversational inbox. Context is carried across interactions, ensuring customers never have to repeat themselves.

• Agentic AI that is native Freddy AI Agent is baked into Freshdesk and can be launched in minutes. With zero coding, businesses can train and deploy AI Agents that can answer queries and act on customer requests to resolve issues without any human intervention.

• Advanced and affordable AI Copilot Freddy AI Copilot is contextually built into Freshdesk. Support teams can leverage AI-powered agent assistance from the get-go. It helps agents with summaries, live translations, and reply suggestions—so they can respond faster and with confidence. At just $29/month, Freddy AI Copilot costs 42% less than Zendesk AI Copilot and is a value-for-money offering.

• Simple and transparent pricing Starting at just $29/agent/month, the Freshdesk Growth plan helps startups and SMBs save more than Zendesk. Even for larger businesses looking for omnichannel support, the Freshdesk Suite Pro plan, at $69/agent/month, remains cost-friendly. Unlike Zendesk, Freshdesk plans include enterprise-grade security features and unlimited data at no additional cost.

• Reliable support for free Freshdesk customers, regardless of their subscription tier, are guaranteed 24/7 support via email and 24/5 support over phone and chat. Businesses can also avail dedicated onboarding and migration assistance free of cost.

Pros:

• Faster time-to-value: Easy onboarding cuts short implementation time and ensures faster go-live.

• Ease-of-use: Clutter-free interface enables a seamless and hassle-free agent experience.

• Agentic AI with Freddy: Combines AI Agent and Copilot to enable all-around automation for agents and customers.

• Robust ticketing: Advanced case management with productivity features like parent-child tickets, linked tickets, and shared ownership.

• Cost-effective: Flexible, transparent pricing fits the support budgets of all businesses.

• Best-in-class: 24/7 support, onboarding, and migration assistance that is free of cost.

Cons: 

• Limited customization on lower plans: Some personalization features are locked behind premium tiers.

• Mobile app performance issues: The app occasionally lags, affecting remote usability.

2. Intercom

Intercom is a recognized name in customer service and is known for its AI-powered support and focus on real-time messaging. Intercom is a chat-first solution that also offers basic help desk, AI chatbots, and reporting. Businesses that are looking for a conversation-heavy support solution might find Intercom a better alternative to Zendesk.

Pricing: 

• Offers a 14-day free trial

• No free plan

• Paid plan starts at $29/agent/month

• Plans with advanced capabilities range from $85 to $132

• Fin AI is offered separately at $0.99/resolution

Key capabilities:

• Live support channels: Supports multiple live channels, including web chat, in-app chat, social, and messages.

• Fin AI Agent and Fin Copilot: AI Agent for auto-resolving customer queries and Copilot for agent productivity, powered by GPT.

• Proactive support: Product tours, outbound messages, and email campaigns help onboard and engage users.

• Shared inbox: A collaborative interface for managing incoming conversations across teams and regions.

• Custom bots and workflows: Visual drag-and-drop builder to automate responses, triage, and define routing logic.

Pros:

• Conversational-first experience: Highly optimized for real-time messaging with rich UI, embedded apps, and bot handoffs.

• Modern AI features: Offers native AI capabilities, including Fin AI Agent and Fin Copilot for both customers and agents.

• Unified inbox: Supports live chat, email, and social in a shared workspace with team collaboration features.

• Fast time to value: Relatively intuitive interface, helping teams learn and adopt the software faster

• Visual workflow builder: Allows automation of multistep processes with minimal effort.

Cons:

• High total cost of ownership: Price goes up quickly based on team size, AI Agent resolution, and Copilot add-ons, making budgeting difficult.

• Lacks ticketing depth: Intercom lacks robust modules for SLA, ticket views, or workflows as compared to popular helpdesk tools.

• Paid after-sales support: Dedicated onboarding and 24/7 support require premium service packages, adding to the upfront investment.

3. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is a cloud-based ticketing software by Zoho Corporation. It is part of a suite of over 60+ business apps built for various business needs. Zoho Desk is designed for startups and SMBs, with a strong focus on low-cost packaging and ecosystem integration. The platform supports multichannel ticketing, purpose-built automation, and basic AI features via its ZIA platform.

Pricing:

• Offers a 15-day free trial.

• Free plan with basic features.

• Paid plans start at $7 per agent per month, billed annually.

• Enterprise plan at $40 per agent per month, billed annually.

Key capabilities:

• Helpdesk features: As a legacy tool, Zoho Desk provides SLAs, parent-child ticketing, a self-service portal, and more.

• ZIA AI: Includes features like auto-triage, sentiment detection, field suggestions, and a basic knowledge base-powered chatbot.

• Workflow automation: Includes rule-based automation through blueprints, macros, and custom workflows to streamline repetitive tasks.

• Custom dashboards and reports: Integrated with Zoho Analytics, Zoho Desk offers comprehensive reporting with the Radar app.

Pros:

• Low-cost: Offers affordable pricing tiers suited for small businesses and startups.

• Diverse ticketing features: As a legacy tool, Zoho Desk provides SLAs, parent-child ticketing, threaded collaboration, and more.

• Ecosystem strength: Seamlessly integrates with the broader Zoho ecosystem apps like Zoho CRM, Analytics, and Books, making it an attractive option for businesses already using other Zoho products.

• Faster implementation: Relatively intuitive interface, helping teams set up and adopt within a few weeks.

Cons:

• Fragmented experience: Core support capabilities like live chat and chatbot reside outside Zoho Desk (in Zoho SalesIQ).

• Limited customer context: The Contacts module provides agents with only basic customer information, like contact details and ticket data.

• Primitive AI agent: ZIA Answer Bot is just a Q&A bot that can only handle basic L0 queries. 

• ChatGPT integration: Essential AI Copilot capabilities, such as writing assistance and ticket summaries, require a ChatGPT Plus subscription and integration.

4. Salesforce Service Cloud

Service Cloud is Salesforce’s customer support platform, built for large businesses that need deep CRM integration and advanced customization. It offers case management, omnichannel support, automation, and AI features as part of the broader Salesforce ecosystem. The platform is generally preferred by large enterprises that can invest a few months in implementation and are already using Salesforce CRM.

Pricing:

• Offers a 30-day free trial

• Paid plans range from $25 per user per month and can go up to $550 per user per month, billed annually

• Add-ons - Agentforce for Service (AI agent), Self-service (starting at $5/member)

Key Capabilities:

• CRM-based case management: Agents get full customer history and context from Salesforce CRM in one place.

• Omnichannel support: Agents can manage email, chat, phone, messaging apps, and social from a single interface.

• Custom workflows: Flow Builder to automate ticket handling, escalations, and alerts.

• Einstein AI: AI features include case routing, summaries, reply suggestions, and AI agent building.

• Collaboration tools: Built-in Slack and Chatter integrations for better teamwork.

Pros: 

• Highly customizable: Nearly every aspect of the platform can be tailored to specific workflows and use cases, though it may require developer support.

• Strong CRM integration: Ready integration with Salesforce CRM makes it a natural choice for sales-led enterprises wanting full visibility across the customer journey.

• Einstein AI: Offers AI-powered insights, automations, and AI agents that can cater to a wide range of use cases.

• Robust app ecosystem: Extensive marketplace supports ~9000 apps and add-ons.

• Enterprise-grade scalability: Designed to support complex, large-scale operations across teams and geographies.

Cons: 

• Steep learning curve: Complex UI and reliance on developer support slow down setup and everyday use.

• Delayed onboarding: Full deployment can span from several weeks to a few months, extremely delaying the time-to-value.

• High total cost of ownership: Key capabilities like AI, omnichannel support, and custom workflows are available as add-ons or only in higher-tier plans (starting at $165/user/month).

• Paid support services: Onboarding assistance and priority support are not available for all, as they are offered as premium services. 

• Not SMB-friendly: Complexity and pricing make it less accessible for smaller businesses and rapidly growing teams.

5. HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub is part of the broader HubSpot CRM platform. It is designed for mid-size businesses that want a support tool tightly integrated with HubSpot marketing and sales solutions. It combines basic ticketing, automation, knowledge base, and live chat features in the same agent workspace. Since HubSpot primarily focuses on CRM and marketing, the Service Hub platform often feels repackaged and cluttered.

Pricing:

• Free plan with basic features.

• Paid plans start at $9 per user per month and can go as high as $150 per user per month.

Key Capabilities:

• Holistic customer view: Agents can get complete ticketing information with customer context pulled from HubSpot CRM.

• Self-service knowledge base: Businesses can create branded help centers with SEO-optimized articles that integrate into chatbot flows.

• Automation and routing: Ticket assignment, alerts, and follow-ups can be set up through visual workflows.

• Customer feedback tools: Surveys such as NPS, CSAT, and CES are built for gathering insights.

• Reporting and dashboards: Leaders can monitor support metrics through customizable dashboards within the HubSpot environment.

Pros:

• Unified interface across Hubs: Enables seamless handoffs between sales, marketing, and support teams using shared customer data.

• Detailed customer context: Provides a consolidated view of customer interactions across all channels, in one place.

• In-depth reporting: Offers customizable dashboards and reports to track ticket volumes and team performance.

Cons:

• Not built for service-first teams: HubSpot is a CRM company that builds software primarily for sales and marketing teams, not service teams.

• Missing support channels: Focuses on CRM channels like LinkedIn Sales Navigator but lacks Instagram, Apple Messages for Business, LINE, etc.

• Elementary ticketing: Lacks parent-child ticketing and shared ownership, making it difficult to split and track multi-step problems that span teams.

• Expensive AI: Breeze Customer Agent is only available on the Pro plan ($90/agent) and charges $1 per conversation handled by AI, increasing costs fast.

• Pricing that is not scalable: Steep pricing, with the Pro and Enterprise plans costing $90 and $150 per agent, respectively. Plus, there’s a mandatory onboarding fee of up to $3,500.

6. ServiceNow CSM

ServiceNow CSM is positioned as an enterprise-grade customer support platform, built on the same architecture as their known ITSM solution. It is commonly chosen by large organizations seeking department-wise workspaces, powerful automation, and deep integrations with backend systems. While ServiceNow CSM looks strong on paper, the platform is often viewed as complex, expensive, and best suited for companies with dedicated tech resources.

Pricing:

• No free plan or free trial.

• Custom pricing based on business needs and team size.

Key capabilities:

• Case management: Agents can track, collaborate, and resolve complex issues across departments.

• Omnichannel support: A Wide range of digital and field service channels can be enabled.

• Process automation: Advanced workflow orchestrator to streamline day-to-day support operations.

• ServiceNow AI: Multiple AI modules like AI Agent Studio, AI Agent Orchestrator, and Now Assist for AI-powered automation.

Pros: 

• Advanced customization: Department-wise agent workspace to enable different support teams with the context they need.

• Field service management: Businesses having an offline presence can efficiently handle on-ground customer service.

• Integration ecosystem: ServiceNow CSM integrates with the majority of the popular third-party tools.

Cons:

• Built for IT, not support: ServiceNow CSM is a repackage of their ITSM tool, including the interface and the related modules.

• Outdated setup: Configuring the support inbox and ticketing often requires separate implementation efforts, delaying the time-to-value.

• Clunky agent workspace: The clunky inbox does not provide agents with channel context, making it harder for them to prioritize and address live conversations vs email tickets.

• Confusing AI: ServiceNow AI is fragmented across multiple modules. Deploying AI Agents with actions requires tech effort and API setup, delaying AI rollout.

7. Front

Front is a ticketing-centric support solution, predominantly catering to small and mid-size support teams that handle a high volume of email-based support. Although Front offers other digital channels like chat and social, the omnichannel module is not as robust as other popular platforms. Front’s shared inbox paves the way for a collaborative workspace that suits teams looking to manage tickets easily.

Pricing:

• 14-day free trial.

• No free plan.

• Subscription starts at $19 per agent per month.

• Advanced features cost $99 per agent per month.

• Enterprises can get a custom quote.

Key capabilities:

• Ticketing-first workspace: Agents are better placed to handle email queries and self-service requests.

• Collaboration-centric:  Internal comments, assignments, and shared drafts are built into every message thread.

• Essential AI: Front AI offers basic Copilot and chatbot capabilities that include a summarizer, composer, and KB-based Q&A agent.

Pros: 

• Out-of-the-box interface: A clean, intuitive interface makes it easy for support teams to adopt with little to no training.

• Easier collaboration: Notes, mentions, and assignments allow teams to work together on responses.

• Copilot bundled together: Front AI Copilot features are offered as part of the base plan at no additional cost.

Cons:

• Fragmented interface: With separate inboxes for conversations from different channels, agents might have to scramble for context, delaying resolution time.

• Lacks advanced ticketing: Front does not offer parent-child ticketing or linked tickets to enable agent collaboration. 

• Primitive AI Agent: Front AI Agent is just a basic Q&A bot that answers based on the KB.

8. Help Scout

Help Scout is another helpdesk-first support software known for its ease of use and shared inbox capabilities. Designed primarily for small to mid-sized businesses, Help Scout focuses on delivering email-centric support experience with automation and collaboration features.

Pricing:

• No free trial to explore advanced features.

• Free plan with basic features.

• Paid plans start at $50/month for 100 contacts.

• Unlike other vendors that follow a user-based licensing fee, Help Scout charges based on the number of contacts served, offering unlimited agent licenses.

Key capabilities:

• Shared inbox: Manage customer conversations via email and web chat with visibility into team activity.

• Basic automation: Set up rules for auto-assignment and tagging of tickets.

• AI-powered agent assist: Offers AI-powered writing assistance and ticket summarizer.

• Chatbot: A simple, flow-based chatbot to handle customer Q&A.

Pros: 

• Simple UI and fast setup: Help Scout admin center and support inbox require little onboarding help to get started.

• Unlimited agents: Flat pricing includes unlimited users, making it cost-effective for lean teams to address fewer customer requests.

Cons:

• Scalability constraints: As operations grow, teams may outgrow Help Scout’s capabilities and require more robust extensibility and integrations.

• Limited channel support: Help Scout only supports email and chat natively, and relies on third-party integrations for key channels like phone and social media.

• Minimal workflow automation: Lacks advanced automation features like skills-based routing, SLAs, and ticket lifecycle management, leaving admins and agents with a lot of manual work.

• Primitive AI: Help Scout offers only a rule-based chatbot, not an autonomous AI Agent. Copilot features are basic, with just writing assistance and summarization. 

9. HappyFox

HappyFox is a help desk and ticketing platform designed to help support teams manage email and self-service channels. It is built for small and mid-sized businesses that need a straightforward helpdesk solution system with strong email support, live chat, KB, self-service portal, and basic AI features.

Pricing:

• Free trial only for live chat, not for the help desk.

• No free plan.

• Two packages: user license-based and support volume-based.

• Plans start at $24 per agent per month, with annual billing.

• Plan with advanced features costs $99 per agent per month, annual billing.

• Usage-based plans can cost up to $5999 per month for 300k tickets and unlimited agents.

Key capabilities:

• Multichannel support: Conversations from email, chat, phone, and social channels can be viewed in a single interface.

• Automation tools: Rules, smart assignments, and SLAs can be set up to reduce manual work.

• Self-service capabilities: A comprehensive knowledge base tool and customer portal to enable customers to help themselves.

• Chatbot: A simple, flow-based chatbot to handle customer Q&A.

Pros: 

• Ticketing-first platform: Best suited for teams that handle a lot of email-based customer requests.

• Unlimited agents: Volume-based pricing includes unlimited users, making it straightforward for teams that handle a predictable volume of tickets.

Cons:

• Limited channel support: HappyFox’s live chat and chatbot functionalities are separate add-ons rather than core functionalities.

• Basic automation: Lacks skill-based routing, requiring manual effort to assign tickets to the right agents. Its workflow automation is also limited.

• Absence of AI Agent: HappyFox’s chatbot relies on rigid, rule-based flows, limiting flexibility and requiring extensive manual setup.

10. Gladly

Gladly is a customer service platform that is designed to support conversations with customers across channels like email, voice, SMS, and chat. It is best suited for mid-sized businesses to enterprise support teams that prioritize conversational experiences. Its integrated voice capabilities and built-in AI assistant (Sidekick) cater to teams looking to centralize interactions and streamline support delivery, particularly in industries with high-touch customer engagement needs.

Pricing: 

• Custom pricing, not disclosed to the public

Key capabilities:

• Agent Workspace: Gives agents a consolidated view of customer profiles, recent activity, and interaction history.

• Gladly Sidekick (AI assistance): AI-powered assistant that helps agents with real-time reply suggestions, in-thread translation, and basic task automation .

• People-match routing: Uses past interaction history and agent familiarity to route customers to the most relevant agent, improving continuity in service.

• App platform integrations: Enables teams to build internal apps or connect with CRMs, OMS tools, and custom workflows.

Pros: 

• Omnichannel support: Provides voice, SMS, chat, and email from a single conversation timeline.

• Customer-centric design: A detailed view of past interactions helps agents personalize every conversation.

• User-friendly interface: Minimal learning curve for agents to get started and stay productive.

• Proactive customer engagement: Includes voice campaign tools and in-thread messaging to reach customers before they reach out.

Cons:

• Selective access to features: Advanced capabilities like ‘Dedicated Hero’ VIP routing are only available on request.

• Limited AI capabilities: Sidekick lacks key Copilot functionalities such as summarization, sentiment analysis, and quality coaching.

• Fragmented reporting experience: Uses Looker BI for analytics, requiring separate setup and tool familiarity.

• Small integration ecosystem: With only ~40 apps in the marketplace, teams may need to build or manage custom integrations.

Choosing the right Zendesk alternative for your business

The best Zendesk alternative for your business will depend on your team size, growth stage, and industry-specific requirements. Here’s how to navigate your choice based on your business context:

Startups and SMBs

For lean support teams and fast-growing businesses, an out-of-the-box solution with high ease of use and affordability is key. Look for customer support platforms that:

• Offer a ready-to-use setup and rapid deployment for admins.

• Provide agents with an intuitive, out-of-the-box workspace that they can personalize.

• Powerful AI that can be launched in minutes and not in weeks or months.

• Pricing that is straightforward and offers better value, even as the business scales.

Alternatives to explore: Freshdesk, Zoho Desk, Front, and Help Scout

Enterprises

Enterprises need advanced customization, industry-focused interface,  tighter integration with their tech stack, extensibility with external systems, and stronger data and privacy governance. When evaluating Intercom alternatives for a large team, prioritize:

• Department-wise agent workspace.

• Customized modules based on regional support team requirements.

• AI that is more contextual and accurate.

• Advanced routing and workflows to manage a variety of support use cases.

• Omnichannel operations (email, chat, voice, social, in-app) from a single console.

• Custom dashboards and connectors with external business intelligence tools.

• Enterprise-grade security, compliance certifications, and admin controls.

Alternatives to explore: Freshdesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, ServiceNow CSM, and HubSpot Service Hub.

By marrying platform capabilities with your business stage, you can choose the support solution that is not only a better Zendesk alternative, but is purpose-built to serve your team and your customers better.