Top 10 Free Alternatives to Zoho Desk AI in 2025: Detailed Insights

As Zoho Desk AI continues to be a popular choice for customer support systems, 2025 has introduced a variety of free alternatives, each offering distinctive features and advantages. This article covers the top 10 free alternatives to Zoho Desk AI, highlighting their key features, ideal usage, and any notable limitations.

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1. Hiver

Description: Hiver integrates customer support directly into Gmail and Outlook inboxes, allowing teams to manage support emails collaboratively.
Key Features:
Email management with shared inboxes.
Live chat, WhatsApp, and Voice support channels.
Internal collaboration tools.
Slack integration.
Knowledge base functionality.
Ideal For: Teams using Gmail and Outlook looking for integrated customer support in their existing email platform.
Free Plan: Yes, offers a free version, but feature limitations may apply. Explore Hiver

2. HubSpot Service Hub

Description: HubSpot's Service Hub is part of their larger CRM platform, offering a suite of customer service tools.
Key Features:
Ticket automation and routing.
Personalized support with CRM data integration.
AI-powered recommendations and assistance.
Knowledge base creation.
Live chat functionality.
Ideal For: Businesses that already use or plan to use the HubSpot CRM.
Free Plan: Yes, a free plan is available with limitations. Learn more about HubSpot Service Hub

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3. HelpDesk

Description: HelpDesk is a customer service software focused on personalized support and ticket management.
Key Features:
Ticket Management with automation.
AI-powered Tools.
Customizable reporting features.
Intuitive workflows.
Integrations with other tools like LiveChat.
Ideal For: Companies looking for an easy-to-use system to manage customer communications.
Free Plan: Offers a 14 day free trial. Explore HelpDesk

4. Freshdesk by Freshworks

Description: Freshdesk offers a wide array of features, including ticketing, knowledge management, and automation.
Key Features:
Email ticketing system.
Knowledge management.
Multilingual help desk capabilities.
Canned email templates.
Automated workflows.
Ideal For: Small to mid-sized businesses needing a customizable help desk that scales as they grow.
Free Plan: Free version available with limitations on features and the number of agents. Discover Freshdesk

5. Zendesk

Description: Zendesk provides a comprehensive suite of customer service tools, including ticketing, chat, and knowledge base functionalities.
Key Features:
Centralized hub for customer interactions across channels.
Performance metrics and SLA tracking.
Wide range of plans for various business sizes.
AI-powered features.
Extensive integrations with other platforms.
Ideal For: Companies of all sizes, from small teams to enterprise-level operations.
Free Plan: Offers a free trial, but no free plan for long-term use. Learn more about Zendesk

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6. Jira Service Management

Description: Jira Service Management, from Atlassian, is designed for IT teams with its focus on project and task management.
Key Features:
Unlimited goals, projects, tasks, and forms.
Reports and dashboards.
Atlassian community support.
Customizable workflows and automation.
Integration with other Atlassian tools.
Ideal For: IT teams needing robust project and task management integrated with help desk functionality.
Free Plan: Free plan available with limitations. Discover Jira Service Management

7. monday Service

Description: monday Service is a highly customizable service management platform that uses AI to improve workflows across various departments.
Key Features:
AI-powered ticket management with automatic tagging and routing.
Customizable workflows and automation.
Real-time communication and file sharing.
Integration with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and email.
Customizable dashboards for insights.
Ideal For: Teams looking for a flexible platform that can adapt to their specific CX needs.
Free Plan: 14-day free trial available. Paid plans are available. Learn more about monday Service

8. osTicket

Description: osTicket is an open-source help desk system that is known for being a free option with a wide range of features.
Key Features:
Customizable ticket queues and routing.
Customer portal for self-service.
Email notifications and alerts.
Knowledge base for common questions.
Agent collision avoidance.
Ideal For: Companies that need to customize their system without paying a hefty price.
Free Plan: Free, open-source software. Explore osTicket

9. LiveAgent

Description: LiveAgent is a comprehensive help desk solution with a focus on multi-channel communication.
Key Features:
Omnichannel communication with email, live chat, phone, and social media.
Automated ticket distribution.
Robust reporting capabilities.
Internal Collaboration tools.
Knowledge Base functionality.
Ideal For: Businesses that need an omnichannel approach to customer service.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan with limitations. Learn more about LiveAgent

10. HappyFox

Description: HappyFox offers a range of help desk features for support teams, including AI powered tools.
Key Features:
Conversational AI for automated responses.
Self-service portals for customers.
Ticket Management.
Reporting and analytics.
Personalized intent-driven solutions.
Ideal For: Businesses looking to automate support and empower their employees with AI tools.
Free Plan: Offers Assist AI free for unlimited AI responses. Paid plans are available. Discover HappyFox

Important Considerations:

AI Limitations: Free plans usually have limited AI features. Don't expect advanced AI capabilities without paying for a premium plan.
User Limits: Most free plans restrict the number of users or agents you can have on your account.
Feature Restrictions: Free versions often lack some of the more advanced features like automation, advanced reporting, and integrations.
Scalability: Free options might not scale well if your business grows significantly.
Data Migration: Switching from one platform to another can be challenging, so keep this in mind if you are currently using Zoho Desk.

Disclaimer: The details provided are based on the latest available information from the search results as of January 19, 2025, and may be subject to change. It is recommended to visit the official websites for the most up-to-date pricing and feature information.

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FAQ

1. What is Hiver and how does it integrate with email platforms?

Hiver integrates customer support directly into Gmail and Outlook inboxes, allowing teams to manage support emails collaboratively. It offers features like shared inboxes, live chat, WhatsApp and Voice support channels, internal collaboration tools, and a knowledge base. Learn more about Hiver

2. What are the key features of HubSpot Service Hub for customer service?

HubSpot Service Hub offers ticket automation and routing, personalized support with CRM data integration, AI-powered recommendations and assistance, knowledge base creation, and live chat functionality. Discover HubSpot Service Hub

3. How does osTicket serve as a free help desk software?

osTicket is an open-source help desk system that provides customizable ticket queues and routing, a customer portal for self-service, email notifications and alerts, a knowledge base for common questions, and agent collision avoidance. Explore osTicket

4. What AI-powered tools does HappyFox offer?

HappyFox provides conversational AI for automated responses, self-service portals for customers, ticket management, reporting and analytics, and personalized intent-driven solutions. Learn more about HappyFox

5. What does Jira Service Management offer for IT teams?

Jira Service Management is designed for IT teams with unlimited goals, projects, tasks, and forms, reports and dashboards, Atlassian community support, customizable workflows and automation, and integration with other Atlassian tools. Discover Jira Service Management

6. Which businesses are ideal users for Freshdesk by Freshworks?

Freshdesk is suited for small to mid-sized businesses needing a customizable help desk. It offers an email ticketing system, knowledge management, multilingual help desk capabilities, canned email templates, and automated workflows. Check out Freshdesk by Freshworks

7. What are the primary features of HelpDesk software?

HelpDesk focuses on personalized support with ticket management automation, AI-powered tools, customizable reporting, intuitive workflows, and integrations with other tools like LiveChat. Learn more about HelpDesk

8. What makes LiveAgent unique for customer service?

LiveAgent excels in omni-channel communication, offering support via email, live chat, phone, and social media. Key features include automated ticket distribution, robust reporting capabilities, internal collaboration tools, and knowledge base functionality. Discover LiveAgent

9. How does monday Service enhance team workflows?

monday Service uses AI-powered ticket management with automatic tagging and routing, customizable workflows and automation, real-time communication and file sharing, integration with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and email, and customizable dashboards for insights. Explore monday Service

10. Does Zendesk have a free plan for long-term use?

Zendesk offers a free trial but no free plan for long-term use. It provides a comprehensive suite of customer service tools, including ticketing, chat, knowledge base functionalities, AI-powered features, extensive integrations, and performance metrics and SLA tracking. Learn more about Zendesk

References

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.