Zendesk today
- Contract
- Month to month, annual, or multi-year
- Free plan
- Trial: 14-day free trial, no credit card required, on Suite Professional
Cheaper than Zendesk (4)
Compared by starting price, same currency.
| Alternative | Starts at | Against Zendesk | States that Zendesk doesn't | Contract | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zoho DeskExpress, read Nov 4, 2026 |
$7/user yearlyExpress plan, starting price | $18 lessstarting price | Nothing extra found | No lock-ins | Free edition with 3 user licenses and email ticketing; trial ends by... |
 HubSpot Service HubStarter (pay ), read Oct 29, 2026 |
$10/userStarter (pay ) plan, starting price | $15 lessstarting price | SSO, MCP server | No downgrade during current term; Professional and Enterprise... | Free for up to 2 users with free service tools, no credit card required |
 Intercom (Fin)Essential, read Oct 29, 2026 |
$19/user yearlyEssential plan, starting price | $6 lessstarting price | SOC 2, SSO, MCP server | No contract needed for self-serve plans; contracts optional and... | Trial: 14-day free trial, no credit card required, includes all features, Fin, and... |
 Freshdesk (Freddy AI)Growth, read Oct 29, 2026 |
$23/userGrowth plan, starting price | $2 lessstarting price | MCP server | Cancellation takes effect at the end of the term; no cancellation fees | Trial: 14-day free trial with access to the Enterprise plan; account suspended if... |
Free plan, which Zendesk doesn't show (1)
A free plan you can keep, in the vendor's own words.
| Alternative | Starts at | Against Zendesk | States that Zendesk doesn't | Contract | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 WeavPlus, read Oct 29, 2026 |
$29/moPlus plan, starting price | Not comparable | MCP server | Subscription renews monthly; cancel any time | Lite is a free starter plan with 20 AI messages/mo, 1 teammate, 1 custom... |
Flat tiers (2)
Priced in tiers, where Zendesk charges per seat.
| Alternative | Starts at | Against Zendesk | States that Zendesk doesn't | Contract | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tidio (Lyro)Starter, read Oct 29, 2026 |
$29/moStarter plan, starting price | Not comparable | SSO | Cancel anytime | One-off allowance: Free plan with 50 billable conversations, 10 seats, first 50 Lyro... |
 Macha750 tickets/month, read Oct 29, 2026 |
$299/mo750 tickets/month plan, starting price | Not comparable | Nothing extra found | No lock-in, cancel anytime | Trial: $50 of free usage (about 125 tickets), no credit card, no time limit; set up... |
Other options (1)
No computed reason to switch, listed for completeness.
| Alternative | Starts at | Against Zendesk | States that Zendesk doesn't | Contract | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DialpadSupport Essentials, read Oct 29, 2026 |
$89/userSupport Essentials plan, starting price | $64 morestarting price | SOC 2, SSO | Advanced is month-to-month or annual; Premium is annual only | Trial: 14-day free trial of Dialpad Connect |
No price found, or contact sales (10)
Questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Zendesk?
Zoho Desk, at $7/user yearly by starting price, $18 less than Zendesk. Computed from each vendor's published prices.
Is there a free alternative to Zendesk?
Yes. 3 AI customer service software have a free plan, including Zoho Desk, HubSpot Service Hub, Weav.
How this page is made
Alternatives come from Zendesk's own category, AI customer service software. Prices come from each vendor's pricing page and are compared at the same volume where both can be computed, and by starting price where neither can. "States that Zendesk doesn't" lists what we found on the other vendor's site and didn't find on Zendesk's, which doesn't prove Zendesk lacks it. How prices are read.