The cheapest starting point here is Zoho Desk and HubSpot Service Hub at $7 per agent or seat per month on annual billing, while Help Scout starts at $25 per user per month. A free plan is available from Zoho Desk, Help Scout, HubSpot Service Hub, and Jira Service Management, so a small team can start without a monthly charge. Zendesk and Freshdesk both start at $19 per agent per month on annual billing, and both put stronger automation and reporting on higher tiers.
We compared 8 options for top support ticketing software. Each profile below lists the price, free plan, pros and cons as published by the company.
On this page
Top support ticketing software: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zendesk | Large support teams that need omnichannel routing | $19 per agent/month | No | Visit |
| 2 | Freshdesk | Growing teams that want AI help on every plan | $19 per agent/month | No | Visit |
| 3 | Zoho Desk | Small teams on a tight budget | $7 per agent/month | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | Help Scout | Small teams that want a simple shared inbox | $25 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | Intercom | Chat first support with an AI agent | $19 per seat/month | No | Visit |
| 6 | HubSpot Service Hub | Teams already using HubSpot CRM | $7 per seat/month | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Jira Service Management | IT and service teams that use Jira | $21.50 per agent/month | Yes | Visit |
| 8 | LiveAgent | Small teams that need chat, email, and phone | $11 per agent/month | No | Visit |
The 8 best top support ticketing software tools, in detail
Zendesk
Best for: Large support teams that need omnichannel routing
Zendesk turns email, messaging, phone, and social messages into tickets in one workspace, so a busy team keeps every request in one queue. Agents can see customer history beside the ticket, so they do not ask a customer to repeat the same details. The Support Team plan starts at $19 per agent per month on annual billing, and it covers the core ticketing essentials.
- Suite Team starts at $55 per agent per month on annual billing and adds unified channels and AI agents, while Suite Professional starts at $115.
- Zendesk suits a team with high volume and several channels, and it is less suited to a team of two or three people who only answer email.
Pros
- Wide channel coverage across email, messaging, phone, and social
- strong routing, automation, and reporting options
Cons
- Entry plan lacks the full Suite features, so chat and AI cost more
- add-ons such as Copilot add $50 per agent per month
Freshdesk
Best for: Growing teams that want AI help on every plan
Freshdesk starts with Growth at $19 per agent per month on annual billing. That plan includes ticketing and a shared inbox, a customer portal and knowledge base, out of the box analytics, threads and tasks, and roles and permissions. It also includes Freddy AI Agent, with the first 500 sessions included.
- Pro costs $55 per agent per month on annual billing and adds multilingual support, custom dashboards, intelligent routing, multiple SLA policies, and
- Enterprise costs $89 and adds skill based routing, a sandbox, audit logs, and IP whitelisting.
- A 14 day free trial gives access to Enterprise.
Pros
- Freddy AI Agent sessions included on Growth, Pro, and Enterprise
- shared inbox, portal, and knowledge base on the entry plan
Cons
- No free plan is listed on the pricing page
- Copilot is an add-on at $29 per agent per month
Zoho Desk
Best for: Small teams on a tight budget
Zoho Desk offers the lowest entry price here, with Express at $7 per agent per month on annual billing, or $9 on monthly billing. Express covers email, social media, web forms, workflows, custom domains, and multi level escalations, plus AI agents using your own key or Zoho models. The free edition covers 3 users with email ticketing.
- Standard costs $14 per agent per month on annual billing and adds messaging, an Answer Bot, a forum, a knowledge base, and custom reports.
- Professional costs $23 and adds telephony, Zia AI, Blueprints, and round robin assignment.
- Enterprise costs $40 and adds live chat through Zoho SalesIQ, Guided Conversations, and skill based assignment.
Pros
- Free edition covers 3 users with email ticketing
- low entry price with a wide range of Zoho integrations
Cons
- Express is capped at 5 users, so a sixth agent forces a move to Standard
- telephony and full Zia AI need higher editions
Help Scout
Best for: Small teams that want a simple shared inbox
Help Scout keeps the interface close to email, which makes it easy for a small team to learn. The free plan includes 5 users, 1 inbox, and 1 Docs site. Standard costs $25 per user per month and adds multiple inboxes, live chat and SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger, multiple knowledge bases, 1 basic SLA policy, basic workflows, and unlimited tags and saved replies.
- Plus costs $45 per user per month and adds advanced workflows, 2 advanced SLA policies, a secure portal, unlimited AI Drafts, and round robin routing.
- Pro costs $75 and adds unlimited workflows and SLA policies, SSO and SAML, HIPAA compliance, up to 50 light users, and a dedicated onboarding speciali
- A 15 day free trial is available on Standard and Plus.
Pros
- Free plan includes 5 users, 1 inbox, and 1 Docs site
- simple interface with live chat, SMS, and WhatsApp on Standard
Cons
- Standard is limited to 2 inboxes and 1 basic SLA policy
- advanced workflows and SSO need Plus or Pro
Intercom
Best for: Chat first support with an AI agent
Intercom is built around chat and an AI agent called Fin, which is included on every plan. Essential costs $19 per seat per month, shown as reduced from $29, and it covers support for individuals, startups, and small businesses. Advanced costs $85 per seat per month and adds multiple team inboxes, a workflows builder, round robin assignment, a private and multilingual help center, and 20 free Lite seats.
- Expert costs $132 per seat per month and adds SSO, HIPAA support, SLAs, multibrand Messenger and Help Center, and 50 free Lite seats.
- Fin is charged at $0.99 per outcome, counted when a customer confirms the issue is resolved or does not ask for more help after Fin responds.
- Copilot is an add-on at $29 per agent per month, and a 14 day free trial is available.
Pros
- Fin AI Agent included on all plans
- unlimited live chat, support email, and in-app chats included
Cons
- Fin costs $0.99 per outcome on top of seat costs
- SLAs and multibrand support need the Expert plan
HubSpot Service Hub
Best for: Teams already using HubSpot CRM
HubSpot Service Hub starts with free tools that cover ticketing, live chat, and shared team email, with the free tier covering 2 users. Starter starts at $7 per seat per month on annual billing, or $20 on monthly billing, and it adds 500 HubSpot Credits, removal of HubSpot branding, routing rules, custom email templates, and calling minutes. Professional costs $90 per seat per month on annual billing and adds 3,000 HubSpot Credits, a help desk workspace, skill based routing, SLAs, a knowledge base with up to 2,000 articles, and 500 macros.
- Enterprise costs $150 and adds 5,000 credits, up to 25 knowledge bases, and 1,500 macros.
- Professional carries a $1,500 one time onboarding fee, and Enterprise carries a $3,500 fee.
Pros
- Free tools cover ticketing, live chat, and shared team email
- tickets link directly to HubSpot contact and company records
Cons
- Starter rises to $20 per seat per month on monthly billing
- real automation and AI sit on Professional at $90 per seat per month
Jira Service Management
Best for: IT and service teams that use Jira
Jira Service Management is now sold as part of the Atlassian Service Collection, which also includes Customer Service Management, Assets, and Rovo. The free plan covers 3 agents at $0, with 2 GB of storage and community support. Standard costs $21.50 per agent per month and adds the core service features a team needs, including Assets objects up to 5,000 at no extra charge.
- Premium adds incident, problem, change, and asset management, plus unlimited storage and a 99.9 percent uptime SLA.
- Enterprise adds advanced analytics, scale, and security, with pricing shown only on annual billing.
- The virtual service agent is included on Premium and Enterprise, with 1,000 assisted conversations per month included, and extra conversations start a
Pros
- Free plan covers 3 agents
- customers are free and do not need a license
- strong incident, problem, and change features on higher plans
Cons
- Enterprise pricing is only shown after switching to annual billing
- virtual service agent use above 1,000 assisted conversations per month costs extra
LiveAgent
Best for: Small teams that need chat, email, and phone
LiveAgent lists Starter at $11 per agent per month on annual billing, for up to 5 agents, as a special offer with the price locked while you keep the plan. Starter includes email, live chat, contact forms, a knowledge base, AI drafts and an AI chatbot, and single sign on. It does not include social channels, a call center, or reporting.
- Team costs $22 per agent per month on annual billing, for up to 15 agents, and adds social channels and calls, plus agent and SLA reports, CSAT survey
- Business costs $38 and adds more AI agents, an MCP server, removal of LiveAgent branding, an audit log, and department roles.
- Enterprise is a flat $3,199 per month on annual billing for 80 agents included, with extra agents at $39 each.
Pros
- Starter includes email, live chat, contact forms, knowledge base, and AI drafts
- 30 day free trial with no credit card required
Cons
- Starter has no social channels, call center, or reporting
- AI runs on your own provider account, so you pay that provider too
How we chose
We opened each vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026 and took the starting price from that page, with the billing period stated beside it. We checked each plan comparison for free plans, trial lengths, channel limits, and features that only appear on higher tiers. We used vendor documentation and plan pages for routing, SLAs, knowledge bases, AI agents, and integrations, and we did not claim hands-on testing.
Pick by team size and budget
| Team size | Monthly cost at the starting price | Best fit from this list |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 agents | $0 on a free plan, or $21 to $57 on a low entry plan | Zoho Desk free edition for 3 users, Help Scout free plan for 5 users, or HubSpot free tools for 2 users |
| 5 agents | $35 on Zoho Desk Express or HubSpot Starter, $55 on LiveAgent Starter, $95 on Zendesk or Freshdesk Growth | Zoho Desk Express at $35, HubSpot Starter at $35, or LiveAgent Starter at $55 |
| 10 agents | $140 on Zoho Desk Standard, $190 on Intercom Essential, $210 on Freshdesk Growth, $250 on Help Scout Standard | Zoho Desk Standard at $140, or Freshdesk Growth at $190 if AI sessions matter more |
| 20 agents | $280 on Zoho Desk Standard, $380 on Intercom Essential, $380 on Zendesk Support Team, $500 on Help Scout Standard | Zoho Desk Standard at $280 for email first work, or Zendesk at $380 for omnichannel routing |
The rows use simple multiplication of the starting price, before tax and before add-ons. A 5 agent team on Zoho Desk Express costs $35 per month, while the same team on Zendesk costs $95. A 10 agent team on Zoho Desk Standard costs $140, while the same team on Help Scout Standard costs $250.
Frequently asked questions
What is support ticketing software?
Support ticketing software turns each customer request into a ticket with a status, owner, priority, and history, so nothing is lost in a shared inbox. It collects email, chat, phone, and social messages in one queue, applies routing and SLA rules, and keeps every reply and internal note beside the request. A good tool also offers a knowledge base and a customer portal, so customers can find answers and track their own requests.
How much does support ticketing software cost?
Entry prices in this list range from $7 to $25 per agent or user per month on annual billing, before tax and add-ons. A 5 agent team would spend $35 per month on Zoho Desk Express or HubSpot Starter, $55 on LiveAgent Starter, and $95 on Zendesk or Freshdesk at their entry prices. Higher tiers, AI add-ons, phone minutes, and onboarding fees can raise the total, so model the full bill for your headcount and channels before you choose.
Is there free support ticketing software?
Yes, four tools in this list offer a free plan. Zoho Desk covers 3 users with email ticketing, Help Scout covers 5 users with 1 inbox and 1 Docs site, HubSpot Service Hub covers 2 users with ticketing and live chat, and Jira Service Management covers 3 agents. Free plans have limits on users, channels, and reporting, so they suit a very small team, and most growing teams move to a low cost plan within a few months.
Which support ticketing software is best for a small team?
Zoho Desk is the best fit for a small team on a tight budget, because its free edition covers 3 users and Express costs $7 per agent per month for up to 5 users. Help Scout is a strong choice if you want a simple shared inbox, with a free plan for 5 users and Standard at $25 per user per month. LiveAgent is also worth a look at $11 per agent per month, with a 30 day trial and email, chat, and a knowledge base on Starter.
Do I need AI in a ticketing tool?
You do not need AI to run good support, but AI can help with drafting replies, summarising tickets, and answering common questions. Freshdesk includes Freddy AI Agent sessions on every plan, Intercom includes Fin on every plan with a $0.99 charge per outcome, and Zoho Desk includes AI features from Express upward. Test AI on your real tickets during a trial, and check the usage limits and extra charges before you rely on it for a large share of volume.
How long does it take to set up a ticketing tool?
A simple setup with email, a shared inbox, saved replies, and a basic knowledge base can be ready in a day for a small team. A larger setup with routing rules, SLAs, multiple channels, integrations, and imported tickets takes longer, often one to two weeks. Import your old tickets, set up routing and SLA rules, and train agents on the new queue before you switch off the old inbox, so no request is lost during the move.
Sources
- https://www.zendesk.com/
- https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/
- https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/
- https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/
- https://www.zoho.com/desk/
- https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html
- https://www.helpscout.com/
- https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/
- https://www.intercom.com/
- https://www.intercom.com/pricing
- https://www.hubspot.com/
- https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/service
- https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/service-management/
- https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/service-management/pricing
- https://www.liveagent.com/
- https://www.liveagent.com/pricing/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.