Prices checked: November 2026
It is Monday morning and your support inbox has 63 unread emails. Three people have asked the same shipping question, one customer has emailed twice, and nobody knows who already replied to whom.
A shared Gmail inbox works until it doesn’t. Once you have more than one person answering customers, things get missed, and missed replies turn into refunds and bad reviews.
AI help desk software fixes that. Every message becomes a ticket with an owner, and an AI agent answers the easy questions (order status, opening hours, password resets) before a person ever sees them.
We checked the plans, limits and AI features of 8 popular help desks on their own websites in November 2026. Here are the 8 best picks, and who each one suits.
Quick answer
- Best overall: Freshdesk (AI agent on every plan, from $19)
- Best budget pick: Zoho Desk (free for 3 users, then $7)
- Best for personal, email-style support: Help Scout
- Best for Shopify stores: Gorgias
- Best if you live in Gmail: Hiver
What’s the Best AI Help Desk Software?
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshdesk | Small teams that want an AI agent on email support | No (free program: 6 months, 2 agents) | $19/agent/mo |
| Help Scout | Friendly, personal support that feels like email | Yes (5 users, 100 contacts/mo) | $25/user/mo |
| Zoho Desk | The lowest price with many channels | Yes (3 users) | $7/user/mo |
| Zendesk | Growing teams that need every channel and room to scale | No (14-day trial) | $19/agent/mo |
| HubSpot Service Hub | Teams already using HubSpot CRM | Yes (2 users) | $20/seat/mo |
| Gorgias | Shopify and other online stores | No (7-day trial) | $10/mo (50 tickets) |
| Hiver | Teams that want to stay in Gmail or Outlook | No (7-day trial) | $25/user/mo |
| LiveAgent | Phone, chat and social in one budget tool | No (30-day trial) | $15/agent/mo |
Prices checked November 2026. Starting prices use annual billing unless noted. HubSpot’s Starter price is the regular price; Gorgias charges per ticket volume, not per agent.
1. Freshdesk
Best for: Small support teams that handle most requests by email and want an AI agent answering the easy ones from day one
Freshdesk is the help desk from Freshworks, and it is the easiest way for a small team to get real AI on support without a big bill. Every plan, even the $19 Growth plan, includes the Freddy AI Agent with your first 500 AI sessions, so a bot can start answering order questions and password resets right away.
Picture a 3-person online course business getting 40 emails a day. Freddy can answer the repeat questions from your help articles, while the team works the tricky ones from one shared inbox. Freshworks says more than 74,000 businesses use its help desk plans.
Key Capabilities
- Freddy AI Agent on every plan: Resolves common questions on its own, with the first 500 sessions included and extra sessions at $49 per 100.
- Freddy AI Copilot: Summarizes long threads, fixes your tone, drafts replies and flags angry customers so they jump the queue ($29/agent/month on Pro and Enterprise).
- Ticketing and shared inbox: Turns every email into a ticket with an owner, a status and a full history, so nothing slips through.
- Help center and customer portal: Publish answers once and let customers find them, which also feeds the AI agent.
- Routing and SLAs: Pro adds intelligent routing and multiple SLA policies, so urgent tickets reach the right person on time.
Channels Supported
Email on the standard Freshdesk plans. Chat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and other messaging channels need Freshdesk Omni (from $29/agent/month, billed annually), and phone is a paid Voice add-on.
Pros
- A real AI agent included even on the cheapest plan
- Clean, easy interface that new hires pick up fast
- Day passes ($2 on Growth) for seasonal helpers
- Strong integration list, including Shopify, Jira and HubSpot
Cons
- Big jump from Growth ($19) to Pro ($55)
- AI Copilot is not available on Growth
- Base plans are email only; chat and social cost more
- Extra AI sessions add up at $49 per 100
Plans & Pricing
- Free trial: 14 days on the Enterprise plan, no credit card. Freshworks also runs a free program for up to 6 months with 2 agent seats.
- Growth: $19/agent/month (billed annually; Freshworks says annual billing saves 20%). Freddy AI Agent with 500 sessions, ticketing, shared inbox, help center, reports.
- Pro: $55/agent/month (billed annually). Adds intelligent routing, multiple SLA policies, a multilingual help desk and custom dashboards.
- Enterprise: $89/agent/month (billed annually). Adds Freddy AI Insights, skill-based routing, sandbox and audit logs.
- Add-ons: Freddy AI Copilot $29/agent/month (Pro and up). Extra AI Agent sessions $49 per 100.
Bottom line: Pick Freshdesk if email is your main support channel and you want an AI agent working this week. Skip it if you need chat, social and phone in one place on a tight budget, where Zoho Desk or LiveAgent cost less.
2. Help Scout
Best for: Service businesses and SaaS teams that want support to feel like a personal email, not a ticket number
Help Scout looks and feels like a shared email inbox, so customers never see ticket numbers or robotic forms. Behind the scenes your team gets assignments, saved replies, notes and a knowledge base. Help Scout says it powers support for more than 12,000 brands.
Its AI agent, Scout, answers chat questions from your help docs and hands off to a person with the full context. A 4-person design studio could let Scout handle “where is my invoice” chats and keep the humans on client work.
Key Capabilities
- Scout AI agent: Answers chat questions in 50+ languages from your help center, websites and Google Docs, and Help Scout says it resolves 73% of requests on average.
- Pay only for results: AI resolutions cost $0.75 each with a monthly spending cap, and new accounts get 3 months of unlimited resolutions free.
- AI Inbox assistant: Drafts, summarizes and improves replies inside the inbox, with unlimited AI drafts on Plus.
- Beacon widget: One website widget that combines a contact form, live chat and help articles.
- Docs knowledge base: Build a searchable help center (2 sites on Standard, 3 on Plus) that cuts repeat questions.
Channels Supported
Email, live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger built in (social from Standard). SMS and phone through integrations such as Aircall.
Pros
- Customers get a personal, email-style experience
- Free plan for up to 5 users
- AI agent priced per resolution, with a spending cap
- Unlimited contacts on every paid plan
Cons
- Free plan caps you at 100 contacts a month
- Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot integrations need Plus ($45)
- Pro needs at least 10 users ($750+/month)
- The AI agent does not answer email yet, only chat
Plans & Pricing
- Free: $0. Up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 100 contacts/month, 1 Docs site, 1 Beacon.
- Standard: $25/user/month (billed annually; monthly billing costs about 16% more). Up to 25 users, 2 inboxes, live chat, WhatsApp and social channels, AI Inbox assistant. 15-day free trial.
- Plus: $45/user/month (billed annually). Up to 50 users, 5 inboxes, unlimited AI drafts, round robin routing, customer portal, Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot.
- Pro: $75/user/month (billed annually). Minimum 10 users, SSO, HIPAA, dedicated onboarding.
- AI resolutions: $0.75 per resolution, billed monthly, with an optional spending cap.
Bottom line: Choose Help Scout if you care most about warm, personal replies and a calm inbox. Skip it if you need phone support built in or your volume is mostly email you want AI to answer.
3. Zoho Desk
Best for: Budget-minded teams that want email, social and WhatsApp support with AI for well under $25 a user
Zoho Desk is the cheapest serious help desk on this list. The free plan covers 3 users, and the Express plan costs $7 per user a month for teams of up to 5. Zoho says more than 125,000 businesses use it.
Its AI assistant, Zia, tags tickets, reads customer mood and answers questions through Answer Bot in 30 languages. A small home services company could run email, Facebook and Instagram messages from one screen for less than the cost of one lunch per user each month.
Key Capabilities
- Answer Bot: Replies to customers from your knowledge base in 30 languages on your website and messaging channels (Standard and up).
- Zia sentiment and auto-tagging: Spots unhappy customers and sorts tickets automatically, from the $14 Standard plan.
- Generative AI replies and summaries: Built in on Professional and Enterprise; on Express and Standard you connect your own OpenAI or DeepSeek key.
- Zia AI agents: Prebuilt agents for support, resolution and quality checks on Enterprise.
- Workflows and SLAs: Blueprints and SLA rules keep tickets moving, with 360+ app integrations.
Channels Supported
Email, web forms, X, Facebook and Instagram from Express. WhatsApp, Telegram, LINE, Messenger and a chat widget from Standard. Phone from Professional, and live chat through Zoho SalesIQ plus IVR on Enterprise.
Pros
- Free plan for 3 users with no time limit
- Paid plans start at $7 per user
- Lots of channels for the price
- Works with the rest of the Zoho suite
Cons
- Free and Express plans are capped at 3 and 5 users
- Built-in generative AI starts at Professional ($23)
- Phone needs Professional; IVR needs Enterprise
- Pricing page shows prices in your local currency, which makes comparing confusing
Plans & Pricing
- Free: $0. 3 users, 1 email channel, private knowledge base.
- Express: $7/user/month (billed annually; $9 monthly). Up to 5 users, email and social channels, web forms.
- Standard: $14/user/month (billed annually). WhatsApp and messaging, chat widget, public help center, Answer Bot, sentiment analysis.
- Professional: $23/user/month (billed annually). Phone, built-in Zia generative AI, 10 departments, blueprints.
- Enterprise: $40/user/month (billed annually). Live chat, IVR, prebuilt AI agents, 50 free light agents.
- Free trial: 15 days on paid plans, no credit card. Annual billing saves up to 34%.
Money saver
Start on Zoho Desk’s free plan with your 3 core people, and add light agents (read-only helpers) later instead of full seats. Many small teams never need more than the $14 Standard plan.
Bottom line: Pick Zoho Desk if price is the deciding factor and you still want social and WhatsApp support. Skip it if you want the simplest setup possible, since Zoho packs in a lot of settings.
4. Zendesk
Best for: Growing businesses that expect to add agents, channels and automation over the next few years
Zendesk is the help desk many big brands run on, and it now sells small business plans with AI agents built in. Zendesk says more than 80,000 companies use it for AI-powered service, and its marketplace lists 1,800+ apps and integrations.
The cheapest plan (Support Team, $19) covers email ticketing. Most small businesses will want Suite Team at $55, which adds chat, messaging, phone and AI agents. A 10-person ecommerce brand could start there and grow into Professional without ever switching tools.
Key Capabilities
- AI agents: Zendesk says they can automate up to 80% of interactions, and you pay only for successful resolutions.
- Included AI resolutions: 5 per agent each month on Team plans and 10 on Professional; extra ones cost $1.50 (committed) or $2.00 (pay as you go).
- Copilot: Suggests replies, writes and triages for your agents (a $50/agent/month add-on on Professional and up).
- AI knowledge base: Helps write and update help articles, included from Suite Team.
- Omnichannel routing: Sends chats, calls and emails to the right person, with skills-based routing on Professional.
Channels Supported
Email on Support Team. Messaging, live chat, WhatsApp, social and phone from Suite Team, with IVR on Suite Professional.
Pros
- Every channel in one mature platform
- Huge app marketplace
- Pay-per-resolution AI with some resolutions included
- Scales from 2 agents to hundreds
Cons
- Chat and phone need Suite Team, almost 3x the Support Team price
- Copilot costs another $50 per agent
- Only 5 to 10 AI resolutions per agent included
- No free plan and a short 14-day trial
Plans & Pricing
- Free trial: 14 days with Suite Professional features.
- Support Team: $19/agent/month (billed annually; $25 monthly). Email ticketing, macros, automations, 5 AI resolutions per agent/month.
- Suite Team: $55/agent/month (billed annually; $69 monthly). Adds AI agents, AI knowledge base, messaging, live chat and phone.
- Suite Professional: $115/agent/month (billed annually; $149 monthly). Adds skills-based routing, IVR, writing tools, 10 AI resolutions per agent/month.
- Suite Enterprise: Custom pricing (contact sales).
- Add-ons: Copilot $50/agent/month (billed annually). Extra AI resolutions $1.50 to $2.00 each.
Bottom line: Pick Zendesk if you are building a support team that will keep growing and you want one platform for the long run. Skip it if you are a 2-person shop watching every dollar, since the useful plans start at $55 per agent.
5. HubSpot Service Hub
Best for: Businesses that already run sales or marketing in HubSpot and want support tickets on the same customer record
HubSpot Service Hub puts your help desk on the same CRM as your sales and marketing, so an agent sees every deal, email and past ticket for a customer in one place. There is a free plan for up to 2 users, and the paid plans add AI, calling and a knowledge base.
Its Customer Agent answers questions across chat, email and forms. HubSpot says it resolves more than 65% of conversations, and it costs $0.50 per resolved conversation (paid in HubSpot credits). A small agency on HubSpot could route client requests to the right account manager automatically.
Key Capabilities
- Customer Agent: AI that answers customers 24/7 and hands off to people, billed at $0.50 per resolved conversation as of November 2026.
- Help desk on your CRM: Tickets, routing, SLAs and reports tied to the same contact records your sales team uses.
- Knowledge base and portal: Professional includes a knowledge base with up to 2,000 articles and a customer portal.
- Calling: Built-in calling with 500 minutes on Starter and 3,000 on Professional.
- Customer success tools: Health scores and NPS, CSAT and CES surveys on Professional.
Channels Supported
Email, live chat, forms, Facebook Messenger and calling. WhatsApp on Professional (up to 1,000 messages a month).
Pros
- Free plan for 2 users
- One customer record across sales, marketing and support
- AI agent priced per resolved conversation
- Over 2,000 integrations
Cons
- Professional needs a $1,500 one-time onboarding fee
- Big jump from Starter ($20) to Professional ($90+)
- Credits system makes AI costs harder to predict
- Knowledge base and WhatsApp start at Professional
Plans & Pricing
- Free: $0 for up to 2 users. Ticketing, live chat and email with HubSpot branding.
- Starter: $20/seat/month at the regular price (HubSpot shows lower introductory prices for new customers). 500 credits/month, simple automation, calling.
- Professional: From $90/seat/month, plus a required $1,500 one-time onboarding fee. Knowledge base, customer portal, WhatsApp, advanced automation, 3,000 credits/month.
- Enterprise: From $150/seat/month, plus a required $3,500 one-time onboarding fee. 5,000 credits/month, up to 25 knowledge bases.
- Customer Agent: $0.50 per resolved conversation (50 credits); extra credits cost $0.01 each.
Bottom line: Pick HubSpot Service Hub if your team already lives in HubSpot, since the shared customer record saves real time. Skip it if you only need a help desk, where Freshdesk or Zoho Desk do the job for less.
6. Gorgias
Best for: Shopify and ecommerce stores that answer “where is my order?” all day and want AI to handle it
Gorgias is a help desk built only for online stores. It pulls order details from Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento or WooCommerce right into each ticket, so agents can refund, edit or track an order without leaving the conversation. Gorgias says more than 17,000 ecommerce brands use it.
Unlike most tools here, Gorgias charges by tickets per month, not per agent. A small Shopify store with 300 tickets a month pays $50 a month on annual billing and can add as many teammates as it needs.
Key Capabilities
- AI Agent: Answers order, shipping and product questions 24/7 and can take actions like cancellations, priced per automated interaction ($0.85 to $1.00 depending on plan).
- Order data in every ticket: See order history and take actions from the ticket, without switching tabs.
- One inbox for every channel: Email, chat, social comments and DMs land in one queue.
- Rules and macros: Auto-tag, route and reply to common questions like returns and tracking.
- 100+ ecommerce integrations: Works with tools like Loop Returns, Recharge, Yotpo and Attentive.
Channels Supported
Email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, with Voice as a paid add-on. Works with Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and WooCommerce.
Pros
- Priced by tickets, so extra teammates are free
- Deep Shopify order actions inside tickets
- AI Agent included on every plan, pay per use
- Strong integrations with ecommerce apps
Cons
- Costs rise fast in busy seasons (overage $0.36 to $0.40 per ticket)
- AI interactions and Voice are billed on top
- Not a fit for service or non-ecommerce businesses
- Starter plan has only 50 tickets and 3 seats
Plans & Pricing
- Free trial: 7 days, no credit card.
- Starter: $10/month (monthly billing only). 50 tickets/month, 3 seats, $0.40 per extra ticket.
- Basic: $50/month (billed annually; $60 monthly). 300 tickets/month, $0.40 per extra ticket.
- Pro: $300/month (billed annually; $360 monthly). 2,000 tickets/month, revenue analytics, $0.36 per extra ticket.
- Advanced: $750/month (billed annually; $900 monthly). 5,000 tickets/month, dedicated team.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (contact sales). AI Agent is billed per automated interaction on top of every plan.
Money saver
Check your ticket count for last November and December before picking a Gorgias plan. Peak season can double your volume, and a plan with more included tickets is usually cheaper than paying overage.
Bottom line: Choose Gorgias if you run a Shopify store and most questions are about orders. Skip it if you sell services, since you would pay for ecommerce features you never use.
7. Hiver
Best for: Small teams that already answer customers from a shared Gmail or Outlook address and do not want to learn a new tool
Hiver turns a shared inbox like support@ into a help desk. You can run it inside Gmail or use Hiver’s own web app with Gmail, Outlook and other providers, so your team keeps the email habits it already has. Hiver says more than 10,000 teams use it.
Every plan includes an AI agent that handles multi-step requests using “Skills” you build from your own support steps. A 5-person property management office could assign tenant emails, track replies and let AI answer the routine ones without anyone leaving Gmail.
Key Capabilities
- AI agents on every plan: A frontline AI agent works through common requests using steps you define.
- AI Copilot: Investigates issues, drafts replies and takes actions across tools with team approval (Growth and up).
- Self-updating knowledge: AI turns resolved conversations into help articles.
- Shared inbox tools: Assignments, notes, collision alerts and automations inside the email you already use.
- AI QA and insights: Elite surfaces recurring issues and coaching needs.
Channels Supported
Email, live chat, WhatsApp, SMS, Slack, Microsoft Teams and a help center. Voice is a $30/seat/month add-on with 1,000 minutes per seat.
Pros
- Almost no learning curve for Gmail teams
- AI agent included on every plan
- Works for finance, ops and HR inboxes too
- Free migration help
Cons
- No free plan and only a 7-day trial
- 2-seat minimum
- Growth is capped at 2 shared inboxes and 10 users
- SLAs, CSAT and API need Pro ($55)
Plans & Pricing
- Free trial: 7 days with Elite features, no credit card.
- Growth: $25/user/month billed annually ($35 monthly). 2 shared inboxes, up to 10 users, AI agent and Copilot.
- Pro: $55/user/month billed annually ($65 monthly). 5 inboxes, unlimited users, SLAs, CSAT, customer portal, API.
- Elite: $85/user/month billed annually ($95 monthly). Unlimited inboxes, AI QA and insights, skill-based routing, SSO.
- Voice add-on: $30/seat/month with 1,000 pooled minutes per seat.
Bottom line: Pick Hiver if your team lives in Gmail or Outlook and you want help desk features without a new app. Skip it if you want a free plan or support for many social channels.
8. LiveAgent
Best for: Small teams that want live chat, a call center and social messages in one affordable tool
LiveAgent bundles a help desk, live chat and a built-in call center into one app, which is rare at this price. It has been around since 2004 and says more than 7,000 businesses use it.
Its AI works on a bring-your-own-model basis: you connect OpenAI, Anthropic or Google Gemini and pay them directly, with no AI markup from LiveAgent. A small travel agency could take calls, chats and WhatsApp messages from one screen on the $29 Team plan.
Key Capabilities
- AI chatbot: Answers chats 24/7 from your knowledge base, website and documents, then hands off to an agent with context.
- AI answer assistant: Drafts and improves replies for agents to review.
- No AI markup: You pay your AI provider directly; LiveAgent estimates about $0.11 per AI chat.
- Built-in call center: IVR, call routing and recordings, with no extra fee from LiveAgent for calls.
- Unlimited ticket history: On every plan, plus 200+ integrations including Shopify, Slack and HubSpot.
Channels Supported
Email, contact forms and live chat on every plan. Phone, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X, Viber and Telegram from the Team plan.
Pros
- Call center and live chat included
- 30-day free trial, no credit card
- No AI markup or per-resolution fees
- Unlimited ticket history on every plan
Cons
- Starter has no social, phone or reporting
- You set up and pay for your own AI provider
- Phone numbers and minutes are billed by your carrier
- Interface feels dated next to Help Scout
Plans & Pricing
- Free trial: 30 days on any plan, no credit card.
- Starter: $15/agent/month (billed annually; $19 monthly). Up to 5 agents, 1 AI agent, email and chat.
- Team: $29/agent/month (billed annually; $35 monthly). Up to 15 agents, 5 AI agents, social and messaging, call center, reports.
- Business: $49/agent/month (billed annually; $59 monthly). Any team size, 50 AI agents, branding removal.
- Enterprise: $3,199/month for 80 agents (billed annually).
- Promo: LiveAgent lists lower sale prices (from $11) until November 22, 2026.
Bottom line: Choose LiveAgent if you want phone, chat and social support in one tool without paying enterprise prices. Skip it if you want AI that works out of the box with no API keys to manage.
What to Look For in AI Help Desk Software
Most help desks promise AI and “omnichannel.” These are the details that decide what you actually pay and how much time you save.
- How the AI is billed: Some tools include AI sessions (Freshdesk gives 500), some charge per resolution (Help Scout $0.75, HubSpot $0.50, Zendesk $1.50 to $2.00), and LiveAgent lets you pay your AI provider directly. Estimate your monthly volume before you compare.
- The channels you really use: If customers message you on WhatsApp or Instagram, check which plan adds them. Zendesk needs Suite Team for chat, and Freshdesk needs Omni.
- Per agent or per ticket pricing: Most tools charge per agent. Gorgias charges per ticket, which is cheaper for a big team with low volume and pricier in a busy season.
- A knowledge base: AI agents answer from your help articles, so a built-in help center (Zoho Desk, Help Scout, Freshdesk) makes the AI far more useful.
- Where your team already works: Hiver keeps everyone in Gmail, and HubSpot Service Hub keeps support on the same record as sales. Less switching means faster replies.
- The price jump to the next plan: Routing, SLAs and integrations often sit one tier up. Freshdesk goes from $19 to $55, and Help Scout from $25 to $45.
- A real free plan or trial: Zoho Desk, Help Scout and HubSpot have free plans. LiveAgent offers a 30-day trial, while Gorgias and Hiver give only 7 days.
Which AI Help Desk Software Should You Choose?
- If you mainly support customers by email and want AI working now, pick Freshdesk.
- If every dollar counts, start on Zoho Desk’s free plan and move to Standard ($14) when you need WhatsApp.
- If you want support to feel personal, pick Help Scout.
- If you run a Shopify store, pick Gorgias.
- If your team already uses HubSpot CRM, pick HubSpot Service Hub; if it lives in Gmail or Outlook, pick Hiver.
- If you need phone, chat and social on a budget, pick LiveAgent; if you plan to grow into a large team, pick Zendesk.
FAQs
What is the best help desk software for a small business?
For most small businesses, Freshdesk is the best place to start because every plan includes an AI agent with 500 sessions, from $19 per agent a month (billed annually) as of November 2026. If budget is tight, Zoho Desk is free for 3 users.
Is there a free help desk with AI?
Zoho Desk is free for up to 3 users, Help Scout is free for up to 5 users with 100 contacts a month, and HubSpot Service Hub is free for 2 users. Their AI features mostly need a paid plan, although Help Scout gives new accounts 3 months of free AI resolutions.
How much does help desk software cost?
Paid plans on this list start at $7 per user a month (Zoho Desk Express, billed annually) and go above $100 per agent for advanced plans. Many tools also charge for AI separately, usually $0.50 to $2.00 per resolved conversation.
What is the difference between a help desk and a shared inbox?
A shared inbox lets several people read and reply from one email address. A help desk adds ticket owners, statuses, automations, reports, a knowledge base and AI, so nothing gets missed as you grow.
Can an AI agent replace my support staff?
Not fully. AI agents handle repeat questions well, and vendors report resolution rates of 65% to 73% for their own agents, but people are still needed for complaints, refunds and unusual cases.
Which help desk is best for Shopify stores?
Gorgias is built for Shopify and other ecommerce platforms. It shows order data inside each ticket, lets agents edit or refund orders, and prices by tickets per month instead of per agent.
Final Thoughts
Start small: move your shared inbox into one help desk, write 10 help articles for your most common questions, and turn on the AI agent. For most owners, Freshdesk’s trial or Zoho Desk’s free plan is the best first step.
Want AI to answer customers on your website too? See our picks for the best AI chatbots for small business websites and the best AI receptionists for phone calls.