Help desk · 9 tools compared
What is the best help desk in 2026?
Short answer
Tidio ranks first on published facts: a free plan (50 conversations), paid plans from $24.17 / mo. The cheapest paid option in the first year is Gorgias ($120). 3 of 9 have a free plan.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | From | 1st year, 5 users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tidio | Live chat plus AI bot for small shops | Yes | $24.17 / mo | $290.04 |
| 2. HubSpot Service Hub | Support teams already on HubSpot CRM | Yes | $7 / seat / mo | $420 |
| 3. Help Scout | Shared inbox for small support teams | Yes | $25 / seat / mo | $1,500 |
| 4. Gorgias | Shopify and ecommerce support teams | No | $10 / mo | $120 |
| 5. Freshdesk | Cost-conscious teams wanting AI help desk | No | $19 / seat / mo | $1,140 |
| 6. Zendesk | Established support suites at any scale | No | $19 / seat / mo | $1,140 |
| 7. Front | Shared inbox for omnichannel teams | No | $25 / seat / mo | $1,500 |
| 8. Salesforce Service Cloud | Enterprise service teams on Salesforce | No | $25 / seat / mo | $1,500 |
| 9. Intercom | AI-first support with chat messenger | No | $29 / seat / mo | $1,740 |
From = cheapest paid plan, billed yearly where offered. 1st year, 5 users = that plan for 5 users, 12 months.
How did we rank these 9 help desks?
On published facts only, scored out of 7: free plan (2, or 1 for a trial), first-year cost against the others (up to 3), three or more paid plans (1), mobile apps (1). We do not test tools hands-on.
| Tool | Score / 7 |
|---|---|
| Tidio | 5.6 |
| HubSpot Service Hub | 5.3 |
| Help Scout | 4.1 |
| Gorgias | 4 |
| Freshdesk | 3.9 |
| Zendesk | 2.9 |
| Front | 2.1 |
| Salesforce Service Cloud | 2.1 |
| Intercom | 2 |
The 9 best help desks, ranked
Tidio
Best for: live chat plus AI bot for small shops
- Free plan
- Yes, 50 conversations
- From
- $24.17 / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $290.04
HubSpot Service Hub
Best for: support teams already on HubSpot CRM
- Free plan
- Yes, 2 users
- From
- $7 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $420
Help Scout
Best for: shared inbox for small support teams
- Free plan
- Yes, 5 users
- From
- $25 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,500
Gorgias
Best for: Shopify and ecommerce support teams
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $10 / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $120
Freshdesk
Best for: cost-conscious teams wanting AI help desk
- Free plan
- No, 14-day trial
- From
- $19 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,140
Zendesk
Best for: established support suites at any scale
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $19 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,140
Front
Best for: shared inbox for omnichannel teams
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $25 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,500
Salesforce Service Cloud
Best for: enterprise service teams on Salesforce
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $25 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,500
Intercom
Best for: AI-first support with chat messenger
- Free plan
- No, 14-day trial
- From
- $29 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,740
Which help desk is cheapest for a team of 5?
Gorgias, at $120 for the first year, then Tidio at $290.04.
| Tool | Cheapest plan | 1st year, 5 users |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgias | Starter | $120 |
| Tidio | Starter | $290.04 |
| HubSpot Service Hub | Starter | $420 |
| Freshdesk | Growth | $1,140 |
| Zendesk | Support Team | $1,140 |
| Help Scout | Standard | $1,500 |
| Front | Starter | $1,500 |
| Salesforce Service Cloud | Starter Suite | $1,500 |
| Intercom | Essential | $1,740 |
Which help desks have a free plan?
3 of 9: Tidio, HubSpot Service Hub, Help Scout.
- Tidio: 50 conversations
- HubSpot Service Hub: 2 users
- Help Scout: 5 users
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Tidio pricing | tidio.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| HubSpot Service Hub pricing | hubspot.com/pricing/service | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Help Scout pricing | helpscout.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Gorgias pricing | gorgias.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Freshdesk pricing | freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Zendesk pricing | zendesk.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Front pricing | front.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Salesforce Service Cloud pricing | salesforce.com/service/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Intercom pricing | intercom.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare