17 Best help desk ticketing systems in 2025

With so many products, services, and systems in use across today’s business landscape, it’s only natural that more issues will arise. With an increased volume of inquiries and requests constantly arriving from all channels, proper processes must be in place to handle them effectively. To tackle these challenges, ticketing software provides organizations with a tool to receive, consolidate, and prioritize all support requests to resolve them quickly, efficiently, and accurately.

Today, we’ll explore help desk ticketing systems, their benefits for modern organizations, and the best software currently available in the market.

What is a ticketing system?

A ticketing system is a software-based solution designed to manage handling various inquiries and issues. It is a centralized platform for tracking these interactions from initiation to resolution. Typically utilized by customer support teams, and various service-oriented industries, a help desk ticketing system allows users to create, prioritize, and assign requests efficiently.

Different types of ticketing systems in CX

Not all ticketing systems are created equal. The right ticketing system for you depends on your business size, support needs, and the channels you use. Exploring different options can help you find the best fit for your customer experience strategy. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types:

1. Free ticketing systems for help desk

Ideal for small businesses or teams just starting to scale, a customer service help desk ticketing system allows for ticket creation via email or web forms. It’s simple and easy to use, offering a streamlined approach to managing customer queries. It provides a solid foundation for managing customer service needs and is a strong starting point, especially for teams that don’t require all the advanced features of larger systems.

2. Omnichannel ticketing systems

For businesses that engage with customers across multiple platforms (email, chat, phone, social media), an omnichannel ticketing system integrates all communication channels into one system. It automatically captures and centralizes tickets from every touchpoint, making it easier for support teams to provide a consistent, unified experience. This type of system is essential for companies that aim to offer seamless, 24/7 customer support experiences, no matter where the conversation starts.

3. AI-powered ticketing system

With the rise of artificial intelligence, many ticketing systems now come with AI-powered capabilities. These systems can automatically categorize tickets, route them to the appropriate agents, and even suggest solutions based on historical data. AI ticketing systems help reduce manual work, accelerate ticket resolution, and improve accuracy, making them ideal for businesses with high ticket volumes and complex workflows.

4. Cloud-based ticketing system

A cloud-based ticketing system provides flexibility and scalability for growing businesses. It allows agents to access the system from anywhere, ensuring support is available even when teams are remote or distributed. Cloud solutions often come with integrations with other business tools and third-party apps, making it easier to create a fully integrated CX stack.

5. Self-service ticketing system

Customer self-service is a game changer for companies focused on reducing their support load. Self service ticketing systems form an integral part of such a customer support model. They empower customers to create tickets on their own and provide them access to a knowledge base where they can find answers to frequently asked questions. This type of system is ideal for businesses that aim to empower customers with self-service options while keeping an organized approach for handling more complex issues.

What are the different types of customer service ticketing systems?

Different ticketing systems can enhance support in various business efforts. When researching and selecting a provider, make sure that its help desk ticketing features are well-suited to your unique organizational needs. Now let’s take a look at the different types of ticketing systems.

Help desk ticketing system

While customer service ticketing systems encompass many customer interactions, help desk ticketing systems are tailored specifically for technical support and service management.

Help desk platforms serve as a centralized platform where users, whether they’re internal employees or external customers, can submit their requests or report problems. Each submitted request is logged as a ticket containing the requester's contact details, a description of the issue, and its current status. Agents utilize the ticketing system to track, prioritize, and assign tickets to the appropriate support agents, ensuring that problems are addressed on time and within specified service level agreements (SLAs).

Customer service ticketing systems

Customer service ticketing systems usually initiate support tickets when an individual contacts the customer service team via email, phone, live chat, or social media. These requests are then routed to specific agents with the appropriate expertise to address the issue, ensuring that each inquiry receives prompt attention from the right support agent.

For instance, a customer may submit a ticket through an electronics retailer’s online customer support portal reporting a critical issue with a recently purchased laptop. The ticket is automatically categorized as a ‘hardware problem’ and prioritized as ‘urgent.’ A qualified hardware technician will review the ticket, gather additional information, and diagnose the problem remotely. 

Software development ticketing systems

Software development tickets may originate from stakeholders, such as product managers or clients. They generally contain information such as the task description, priority, assignee, and any relevant dependencies.

For instance, a product manager can submit a request for a new feature that allows users to filter search results based on location in a mobile application. The ticket is designated as a ‘feature request’ and classified as ‘high priority’ due to its importance for enhancing user experience (UX). The development team then reviews the ticket and assigns the task to a front-end developer with experience in mobile app development.

What are the benefits of ticketing systems?

Ticketing systems provide multiple benefits to businesses of all sizes. Whether your company is a one-person online storefront, a mid-market business, or an enterprise grade consumer goods retailer, ticketing systems can offer massive value for money and streamline your customer support operations. The exact benefits will depend on how you plan to utilize the application, but, in general, may include:

• Improved organization and efficiency: By centralizing information and automating workflows, ticketing systems streamline processes, reduce manual effort, and ensure that tasks are promptly addressed.

• Enhanced accountability: Ticketing software promotes accountability by documenting all actions and resolutions related to each ticket. Stakeholders can easily access ticket histories to review progress, monitor performance, and verify SLA compliance.

• Improved collaboration: A centralized platform for sharing information, updates, and feedback can enhance collaboration among team members. Employees can coordinate efforts to resolve issues more efficiently through ticketing features such as comments, notifications, and real-time messaging. 

• Data-driven insights: Ticketing systems generate valuable data that can be used to analyze trends and measure key performance indicators (KPIs). Assessing relevant metrics helps organizations gain a deeper understanding of their operations and identify opportunities for improvement.

Essential features of help desk ticketing software

Distinct providers will offer varying ticketing tools based on their area of focus; some may have a tunnel vision on  support, while others may be broader in scope. You’ll want to ensure that the software you employ provides features relevant to your business requirements.

Common attributes of ticketing software may include:

Multi-channel support

Ticketing systems are versatile in their ability to be integrated across various communication channels to manage requests from different sources. Whether emails, phone calls, social media messages, or live chats, ticketing software can centralize incoming interactions from multiple channels into a single platform. This unified approach ensures that all customer inquiries are captured and tracked consistently, regardless of the channel through which they were received.

Ticket assignment, prioritization, and ticket views

Ticket assignment involves routing incoming tickets to the most appropriate personnel or teams based on predefined rules or criteria like skill, workload, or even round-robin. Once distributed, prioritization functionalities allow for the categorisation of requests based on urgency or impact. Straightforward visual representations of priorities, such as colour-coded labels or filters, further facilitate efficient task management and decision-making.

Automation capabilities

Automation streamlines ticket creation by allowing for predefined templates and rules. When a user submits a request, the system can automatically categorize it based on predefined criteria such as keywords, user information, or history. This reduces manual effort and ensures tickets are appropriately tagged for faster resolution.

SLA management

Ticketing software makes it easy to define SLAs for different types of tickets. This may involve setting response time goals and resolution targets based on the level of service stakeholders anticipate. Establishing clear SLAs strengthens agents’ and end-users' understanding of the expected service standards.

Agent productivity

Ticketing systems often include internal communication tools such as chat functionalities and internal notes, collaboration tools, and AI-powered tools within requests. These features empower agents to resolve complex issues more efficiently, share insights, and provide assistance when needed. Many systems also offer knowledge bases, where team members can access articles, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides.

Self-service options

Self-service portals where users can submit their tickets and access self-help resources are also often included in ticketing systems. These portals may provide forms that guide users through relevant information to expedite the resolution process. Additionally, individuals can track the status of their tickets, view past interactions, and communicate with support agents if needed, all within the self-service portal.

Integrations for rich customer context

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is commonly integrated with ticketing systems to give agents sufficient data to personalize their interactions. This connection consolidates support tickets into the CRM system alongside other customer information such as contact details, purchase history, and preferences. By unifying this data into a single repository, representatives gain a holistic view of each user's journey, allowing for more targeted communication.

Help desk ticketing reports and analytics

Ticketing systems allow organizations to easily generate custom dashboards tailored to their specific objectives. The software typically allows users to create custom reports by selecting relevant data fields, applying filters, and visualizing data in various formats. These analytics may provide insights into customer demographics, ticket trends, or the effectiveness of support channels. 

AI capabilities

Since the advent of conversational AI, ticketing systems have made significant progress in delivering improving customer experiences. Chatbots and virtual assistants use generative AI and natural language processing (NLP) to interpret human language and guide users through troubleshooting steps. Predictive analytics in modern ticketing systems offer advanced insights and custom dashboards that make decision-making fast and simple.

Best practices for ticketing systems

Competent ticketing systems often provide enhanced flexibility, allowing businesses to mold it to fit their specific business goals. But there are some standardized practices you’ll want to employ to ensure that your system is operating to the best of its potential.

• Define clear goals: Understand why you need a ticketing system. Designating clear objectives will guide your implementation process, whether it's for  customer service, or project management.

• Customize ticket categories: Tailor categories and priorities to suit your organization's needs. This helps streamline ticket management while verifying that each request receives appropriate attention.

• Set SLAs: Establish service agreements to define response times for different requests. This establishes expectations for customers and support teams while helping prioritize tasks efficiently.

• Regularly review: Continuously monitor your ticketing processes, workflows, and system configurations to identify opportunities for refinement. Embrace feedback from stakeholders to drive ongoing improvements.

How to implement a ticketing system?

Integrating a ticketing system into existing organizational infrastructure can often be intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be – with sufficient research, planning, and support, most businesses find the help desk ticketing system implementation process to be more straightforward than they anticipated.

Connect your support channels.

Firstly, integratemessaging channels like email, phone, chat, and social media with the ticketing platform. Assess which channels users most frequently leverage to determine which ones to integrate. Select a provider that offers integration capabilities with these channels or supports third-party integrations.

Set up SLA policies and targets.

After integrating relevant channels, you’ll need to set appropriate SLA policies to communicate clear expectations to your staff and end-users. To achieve this, identify ticket priorities based on factors such as urgency, impact on business operations, and customer needs. For example, critical issues affecting production systems may be prioritized over routine inquiries. Once ticket categories are established, define specific targets for each one, including initial response and resolution times.

Bring in your support team.

Next, you should consult your support team to gather their input on current pain points and requirements. Once a ticketing system meets their needs, be sure to offer sufficient training and onboarding sessions to familiarize them with the new software. Remember to tailor the training to address specific responsibilities within the support team, such as ticket categorization, prioritization, and SLA management.

Configure support workflows and automation

First, map out your organization's existing workflows for handling support requests. Define roles for each stage, including support agents, supervisors, and stakeholders. Then, configure the help desk ticketing system to mirror these workflows, creating custom ticket categories and fields to align with your specific needs.

Additionally, most ticketing systems provide robust automation features to eliminate manual tasks and streamline repetitive processes. Identify routine activities ideal for automation, such as ticket routing, prioritization, status updates, and notifications.

Add customer contacts and integrate other business tools.

Existing contact data should be imported into the help desk ticketing system, while customers should also be able to submit their own information directly when creating tickets. Create a centralized database of contacts within the ticketing software, including names, emails, phone numbers, and organization affiliations.

Integrating your ticketing system with existing tools and software can enhance customer information. Identify key platforms used within your organization, such as CRM systems, project management tools, and monitoring software. 

Define support metrics to be tracked.

Identifying which metrics to track involves understanding the KPIs that align with your organization's goals and customer expectations. For instance, a business struggling with slow resolution times will likely want to monitor its average response times and mean time to resolution (MTTR). To expedite resolution processes, the company may refine its routing strategy, enhance its knowledge base, or optimize escalation protocols.

How are different industries using helpdesk ticketing systems?

Retail & ecommerce

Suppose a customer purchases a product from an online store but needs help with the product, such as a missing component, the consumer submits a support ticket through the e-commerce platform's support portal, detailing the issue and providing relevant order information. This ticket is then automatically categorized and assigned to the appropriate agent. The representative then investigates the issues, providing updates on the investigation status and resolving the problem promptly.

Travel & hospitality

Imagine a scenario where a hotel's computer system experiences a technical glitch, preventing staff from checking-in guests. A hotel staff member registers a support ticket through their  helpdesk portal, describing the issue’s impact on operations. The ticketing system will immediately prioritize the ticket ‘high’ based on its severity, distributing it to the relevant support team. They’ll acknowledge the ticket, examine the root cause of the problem, and implement a solution to restore service.

Education

Consider a university professor who submits a ticket requesting a custom application to support a research project. The ticketing system categorizes the request and assigns it to the appropriate development team. Team members will then collaborate with the professor to gather additional requirements, design the application, and incorporate the necessary functionalities.

Banking & finance

Let’s say that a banking institution wants to implement a new online feature to enhance customer experience (CX). The request is submitted, and the ticketing system categorizes the request as a project, allowing for the creation of a project plan and setting milestones for development. Throughout the project lifecycle, stakeholders from different departments collaborate through the ticketing system, reviewing progress and addressing issues as they arise. The system also assesses timelines, budgets, and deliverables, enabling managers to identify risks and ensure alignment with strategic objectives. 

Healthcare

For a healthcare provider, a user may submit a ticket requesting support in updating their contact information. Since this issue is likely to be considered low priority compared to other incoming tickets, it’s automatically prioritized as such, ensuring that it’s still handled in a timely manner but not before more urgent scenarios. A support agent will acknowledge the ticket, verify the patient's identity, and process the requested changes as soon as time allows and by privacy regulations. 

Manufacturing

Suppose a manufacturing company is launching a new product line and needs to coordinate various tasks across different departments. The project manager creates a ticket for each task within the project, detailing requirements and deadlines. Throughout the project, the ticketing system tracks resource allocation and team productivity, allowing the manager to identify bottlenecks and ensure alignment with overall objectives.

How to combat common challenges with ticket management systems?

As with any new system, some difficulties may arise when using help desk ticketing management software. If they do, remember that most can be swiftly resolved with a little attention to detail, problem-solving acumen, and teamwork.

• Overwhelming ticket volume: Many incoming tickets can occasionally overwhelm support teams. Automation features should be implemented to streamline routing and prioritization to address this. You can also set up triggers to automatically assign tickets, escalate urgent issues, and send notifications to relevant stakeholders.

• Lack of integration: If the ticketing system isn’t connected with other relevant tools, it may lead to operational inefficiencies. Integrate your system with CRM software, communication channels, project management platforms, and other applications. APIs, third-party connectors, or built-in integrations can also be leveraged to facilitate data exchange between disparate systems.

• Inadequate reporting: Measuring performance and making data-driven decisions can be challenging without robust analytics capabilities. You should customize your ticketing dashboards to track key metrics critical to overall goals. Regularly examine these KPIs to identify areas for improvement and ensure resources are being allocated effectively.

• Security concerns: When using a ticketing system, security breaches or non-compliance with regulations can pose significant risks to your organization. It’s critical to implement adequate encryption, access controls, and user authentication mechanisms to combat these challenges. Remember to update the system regularly to address security vulnerabilities and adhere to industry best practices.

How do you choose the best ticketing system software for your business?

When selecting a ticketing software from the list above, it’s crucial first to assess your business requirements to recognize which specific features to seek out. In general, companies across all industries will benefit from an easy-to-use, highly integrable, and scalable ticketing system.

Evaluate ticketing needs

First, analyze the expected volume and complexity of tickets and the types of issues to be managed. This will help determine whether you require a system with broad or narrower functionalities and what type of subscription or service package you need. Don’t forget to seek feedback from potential users within the organization to understand their preferences. Once you’ve considered these factors, compare features, UX, and support options to determine which provider best fits your company.

Ease of use & implementation

Start by evaluating the user interface (UI) of potential ticketing systems. Look for intuitive designs that facilitate easy access to essential functionalities. Actively evaluate how user-friendly the system is for both employees and customers.

Then, assess the level of support the provider offers, including documentation, training resources, and customer support channels. Identify systems that offer comprehensive implementation assistance, including guidance on data migration, customization options, and integration with existing platforms.

Scalability

Examine each ticketing software's capacity to handle increasing volumes of requests over time. This may involve assessing whether its infrastructure is designed to scale horizontally or vertically to meet growing demands. Seek out load balancing and clustering features that enable systems to distribute workloads efficiently and maintain responsiveness as volume increases.

Automation & time saved

To identify the automation tools most beneficial to you, you must first identify the most repetitive tasks involved in managing your support tickets. Examine the range of features each provider offers, such as workflow automation, rule-based triggers, and ticket auto-assignment. Your organization may be keen on optimizing particular processes, such as routing, prioritization, or responses, to free up time for your real-world team to focus on more complex activities.

Integrations

It’s paramount to sufficiently evaluate the compatibility of each potential ticketing system with your existing technologies, considering supported integration protocols, APIs, and pre-built connectors. For instance, connection with an email platform can provide the ability to automatically convert emails into support tickets, allowing agents to manage them within the ticketing system. Other popular integrations include CRM software, knowledge bases, bug tracking systems, and more.

Measuring ROI

For starters, you’ll need to know the total cost of ownership (TCO) for implementing and maintaining the ticketing software to assess your return on investment (ROI) accurately. Consider upfront expenses and ongoing costs such as subscription fees, training, and support. Then, compare the TCO against the expected benefits of improved operational efficiency, reduced support costs, and increased user retention. By conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, you can determine an approximate ROI before committing to a contract.