Free assist desk software program gives a lot of advantages for small groups. It may possibly show you how to handle tickets, automate duties, observe your group’s efficiency, and even let clients assist themselves.
However discovering the correct possibility to your group relies on a number of elements: the dimensions of your group, the variety of requests you normally get, who you are serving to, how simple it’s to scale up, and the way user-friendly the instrument is.
We have scoured the market of free assist desk ticketing programs to search out the very best choices for all various kinds of groups. Every of the platforms beneath gives helpful options, caters nicely to particular kinds of companies and workflows, and has a plan that’s 100% free.
The ten finest free assist desk ticketing programs
The ten free assist desk ticketing programs beneath are stuffed with helpful options that may profit each your group and clients alike.
1. Assist Scout – Greatest total free assist desk
Assist Scout’s free plan lets you’ve gotten limitless customers and reply to as much as 50 buyer contacts per 30 days. You get one shared inbox that permits you to do issues like:
Assign conversations to get requests to the correct individual.
Create saved replies to answer routine requests in file time.
Arrange views to type and show conversations in keeping with standards like tag, assignee, or standing.
Tag conversations to prepare your inbox.
Create workflows to automate handbook work.
Arrange auto-replies to clients to allow them to know their requests had been acquired.
You can too deal with requests from non-email channels like Fb Messenger, Instagram, and dwell chat.
Additional, you possibly can create self-service sources with an included Docs website and ship in-app messages by Beacon, the platform’s embeddable widget.
There’s even entry to Assist Scout’s AI options:
AI drafts reads buyer requests and creates responses for brokers to evaluation, edit (if wanted), and ship, saving time and delivering sooner solutions.
AI help can shorten, lengthen, change the tone of, or translate a message.
AI summarize summarizes complete conversations, serving to brokers stand up to hurry rapidly on requests.
AI solutions (coming quickly) interacts instantly along with your clients and gives solutions out of your assist middle in actual time.
You additionally get entry to a month’s value of reporting knowledge, together with issues like which instances of day and days of the week are busiest and what kinds of requests are most typical.
What’s included in Assist Scout’s free plan?
Limitless customers
One shared inbox
One Docs website
One Beacon
Ticket assignments and auto-replies
10 saved replies
10 views
10 workflows
10 proactive messages
100 tags
Stories with as much as one month of information
AI drafts, help, summarize, and solutions
Upgrading to a paid plan
In case your group scales past what’s obtainable in Assist Scout’s free plan, you possibly can improve to a paid plan for $50 per 30 days, which will get you limitless customers, two shared inboxes, three Docs websites, limitless entry to saved replies, 50 workflows and views, as much as 500 tags, limitless proactive messages, and two yr’s value of reporting knowledge.
2. Google Collaborative Inbox – Greatest for groups already utilizing Google Workspace
Should you’re already utilizing Gmail and wish to add some construction to your help efforts, Google Collaborative Inbox might be an excellent possibility. The easiest way to consider Collaborative Inbox is as a shared folder a number of individuals can entry from their very own private e-mail accounts.
With it you’re capable of assign conversations to particular person group members and add statuses to requests. Group members can do issues like mark a difficulty as a reproduction or as resolved. You can too set permissions for various individuals or groups who’ve entry to the Collaborative Inbox.
Establishing Collaborative Inbox is comparatively easy. You arrange the e-mail tackle, create a Google Group, after which add individuals to that group. That’s it. Now everybody within the group can reply to emails within the group mailbox with out sharing login data.
Google Collaborative Inbox may be very primary in performance, however the factor that actually makes it completely different — assuming you already use Google Workspace — is that you simply don’t have to enroll in extra software program, making it very handy to get began. It additionally permits as much as 25 members, which is greater than many different free assist desk ticketing programs.
What’s included in Google Collaborative Inbox’s free plan?
25 customers
One shared inbox
Ticket assignments
Ticket statuses
Agent permissions
Upgrading to a paid plan
There is no such thing as a paid model of Google Collaborative Inbox. Should you outgrow the performance, you’d must search for a separate resolution.
3. Zoho Desk – Greatest for groups utilizing consumption types
Zoho’s free plan offers customers as much as three seats and doesn’t point out a request restrict for the plan. So, if you happen to’re a high-volume, small group, it might be an excellent possibility. On the free plan you get one shared inbox in addition to one assist middle.
With the shared inbox you possibly can create as much as 10 tags to categorize tickets. You can too create two macros, that are canned responses that may show you how to reply frequent questions rapidly. Additional, you possibly can arrange notification guidelines to let clients and brokers find out about adjustments or updates to a request. You can too add clients as contacts and save sure details about them so brokers have extra context in future interactions.
One function that’s a bit distinctive from Zoho is the flexibility to create a suggestions widget and add it to your website. It’s basically a webform the place guests might go away suggestions instantly from the web page they’re on. You can too create consumption types for help requests, which could be helpful for getting sure data upfront, saving brokers time when responding.
What’s included in Zoho’s free plan?
Three customers
One shared inbox
One assist middle
Two macros
Notification guidelines
Suggestions widget
Consumption type
Upgrading to a paid plan
Zoho has paid plans beginning as little as $7/agent per 30 days. On it you get entry to extra help channels and different options like analytics for group and particular person efficiency. On their higher-cost plans you get entry to extra superior options like AI and the flexibility to set SLAs.
4. Freshdesk – Greatest for small groups
Freshdesk’s free plan is for as much as two customers, so it’s finest for small groups. With it you get a shared inbox to answer incoming emails. They’ve additionally included their threads and duties function on the free plan, which lets brokers go away notes on requests and create and assign duties related to that request, which is a really helpful and distinctive function.
Together with e-mail help, you possibly can supply self-service help by a assist middle. You get one assist middle website, however you possibly can add as many help articles as you’d like. Freshdesk’s free plan has out-of-the-box analytics, that are a bit extra primary however nonetheless present helpful perception into issues like ticket volumes and different request traits you need to use to enhance service.
One other semi-unique function they provide on their free plan is what they name ticket dispatch. With it you possibly can route, categorize, and prioritize requests based mostly on enterprise guidelines you set. There are some others on the checklist that supply related performance, but it surely’s not as frequent to have automation choices on free plans.
What’s included in Freshdesk’s free plan?
Upgrading to a paid plan
Freshdesk’s paid plans begin at $15/agent per 30 days. Upgrading to a paid plan permits you to do issues like create a buyer portal for extra strong self-serve choices. You additionally get entry to real-time reviews and analytics dashboards, and there are extra automation choices for escalation and auto-responding to sure requests.
5. SolarWinds – Greatest for solo help groups
SolarWinds gives a free ticketing product that lets a single consumer handle incoming e-mail requests, which is pretty customary on our checklist. There are additionally no dialog limits.
There are some things that actually make SolarWinds distinctive. First, you’re capable of set up it on to your machine on a Mac, Home windows, or Linux-based machine. Second, you possibly can create self-service portals on the free plan, which isn’t frequent amongst rivals. Third, you’re capable of do automated ticket routing. That one is a little more frequent however nonetheless not extremely so free of charge plans.
The opposite factor that makes SolarWinds completely different than most others on the checklist is that it’s a bit extra IT-focused, which means it’s extra geared towards incident administration and never as centered on buyer requests. It may possibly do each, but it surely definitely has extra of a bent towards IT.
What’s included in SolarWind’s free plan?
One consumer
Self-service portal
Ticket automations
Linux compatibility
No dialog limits
Upgrading to a paid plan
SolarWinds doesn’t have a direct improve to their assist desk, but it surely does have an IT service administration instrument that’s most in line. With it you possibly can deal with requests, do asset administration, and entry their automation instruments and analytics reviews. There isn’t any public pricing, so that you’ll should contact SolarWinds for particular pricing to your firm.
6. Spiceworks – Greatest for IT help
With Spiceworks, you possibly can effectively handle buyer requests by a customizable internet portal. You possibly can robotically assign and route tickets based mostly on predefined priorities and classes, serving to requests get to the correct individual straight away. Additional, you’re capable of create automated responses for routine questions to save lots of brokers time and enhance productiveness.
One thing a bit distinctive about Spiceworks is that it has options for stock administration, making it ultimate for an IT use case. Together with that, additionally they supply a customizable data base, which is sweet to supply as a self-serve help possibility.
Together with these options, additionally they have pretty strong analytics choices. You possibly can filter knowledge and create customized reviews. You possibly can even connect with Energy BI to get extra refined along with your knowledge. Spiceworks additionally gives a cellular app, so you possibly can deal with requests even whenever you’re away out of your desk.
What’s included in Spiceworks’ free plan?
Limitless customers
Shared inbox
iOS and Android apps
No dialog limits
Automated responses
Stock administration
Assist middle
Upgrading to a paid plan
Spiceworks doesn’t have a paid plan to improve to, so if you happen to want extra performance, you’d must search for one other resolution.
7. HubSpot Service Hub– Greatest for lower-volume groups
HubSpot additionally gives a free plan which features a shared inbox the place brokers can handle buyer requests. Nevertheless, it’s restricted to 200 notifications per 30 days, in order that’s one thing to remember.
On the free plan, you possibly can combine with plenty of channels like Fb Messenger and Slack. You additionally get entry to reporting dashboards to trace efficiency. Additional, you possibly can create as much as 5 e-mail templates for generally requested questions and even arrange a primary chatbot, all of which may increase productiveness and scale back workload for brokers.
One factor that’s a bit fascinating for HubSpot’s free plan is the flexibility to create SLAs. There aren’t actually different choices on the checklist with that functionality, so if it’s one thing you’re in search of, you need to brief checklist HubSpot. Additionally they have an AI assistant included on their free plan, which will help with issues like increasing a message, shortening it, altering the tone, or rewriting it totally.
What’s included in HubSpot’s free plan?
Upgrading to a paid plan
HubSpot’s paid plans begin at $15/seat per 30 days, however lots of their finest options come on the $90/seat per 30 days stage. On that plan you get entry to plenty of extra superior options like the flexibility to create buyer portals. You additionally get entry to extra superior analytics reporting and the choice so as to add buyer suggestions surveys for service interactions.
8. Hesk – Greatest self-hosted assist desk
Hesk is a free assist desk software program instrument you possibly can host by yourself machine. What meaning is as a substitute of accessing a web-based utility, you truly obtain the software program instantly onto your laptop. The first purpose individuals are likely to go that route is for safety causes, because it offers them extra management, however there might be different situations the place it’s helpful, too.
The web site doesn’t point out any seat or request limits. Requests come to a shared inbox the place you’re capable of prioritize and categorize them, and it’s also possible to set completely different permission ranges for customers, proscribing entry if wanted.
You’re in a position so as to add notes and connect information to buyer requests, making it simple to maintain all the pieces you should resolve a difficulty multi function place. Additional, you’re capable of create canned responses for frequent questions, e-mail templates, and customized knowledge fields for patrons. You can too create a data base to supply a self-serve help possibility for patrons, too.
What’s included in Hesk’s free plan?
Upgrading to a paid plan
Hesk doesn’t supply a paid plan per se, however you possibly can improve to SysAid (Hesk’s mum or dad firm) to get extra strong instruments for issues like an AI chatbot. You can too do issues like asset administration with SysAid in addition to create workflow automations to spice up productiveness.
9. UVdesk – Greatest for ecommerce corporations
UVdesk’s free plan gives limitless seats and a shared inbox for e-mail requests. The platform as an entire is ecommerce-focused and permits customers so as to add a web site widget the place guests can submit requests instantly. They do that by internet extensions which are at present obtainable for Shopify, Magento 2, Opencart, Prestashop, and WordPress websites.
The free plan additionally gives some productiveness options like saved replies. You possibly can prioritize tickets in addition to set a ticket standing to maintain clients updated on progress. You’re additionally capable of create customized e-mail templates.
Together with e-mail help, you possibly can create a data base with UVDesk. There’s no article restrict, and you’ll arrange articles into completely different classes to make navigation simpler for guests. Final, you possibly can customise the look of the online widget with coloration choice and even by including your personal customized CSS.
What’s included in Uvdesk’s free plan?
Limitless customers
Information base
Saved replies
Shopify, Magento 2, Opencart, and Prestashop internet extensions
Ticket statuses
Upgrading to a paid plan
UVdesk has a paid plan that begins at $11/agent per 30 days (minimal of two brokers). With it you are able to do issues like create SLAs and even have buyer rankings to supply extra element for brokers. You additionally get entry to extra channels like Fb, Binaka, and Amazon Vendor Central.
10. osTicket – Greatest open supply ticketing system
osTicket is a free, open supply assist desk instrument that offers groups the flexibility to supply e-mail help to clients. There’s no seat restrict or request restrict, and so they have some helpful productiveness options like the flexibility to create customized columns and queues to maintain requests organized.
There’s additionally an agent collision detection function that enables brokers to lock a ticket whereas they’re engaged on it to keep away from one other agent chiming in on the similar time. This helps keep away from duplicate work and cease clients from getting a number of responses, which could be very complicated. You can too arrange ticket filters to route requests to completely different brokers and departments based mostly on guidelines you set within the platform.
One factor that’s pretty distinctive about osTicket is the duties function, which you need to use to create completely different duties associated to particular points. It’s an effective way to create checkpoints and hold observe of progress for extra advanced points. You can too create a buyer portal, giving individuals entry to self-serve help choices.
What’s included in osTicket’s free plan?
Upgrading to a paid plan
osTicket doesn’t have a paid plan. Because it’s an open supply instrument, anybody can develop new options and capabilities for it, so chances are high it’ll hold evolving. Nevertheless, if you happen to want any extra options not at present provided, you’ll doubtless want to change to a brand new platform totally.
Selecting the very best help software program to your group
Usually one of many greatest issues when selecting software program is funds, so with out that constraint, it might appear a bit tough to decide on which resolution is best for you. That stated, there are a number of questions you possibly can ask that ought to assist create a clearer image:
How large is your group? Trying by all of the free choices, it’s pretty frequent for there to be seat limits. If an possibility doesn’t supply the variety of seats you want, it’s a simple strategy to shorten your checklist.
What’s your regular request quantity? One other frequent limitation of free plans is the variety of requests you possibly can deal with per 30 days. Much like seat depend, if you understand an possibility has a restrict too low to satisfy your wants, then you possibly can take away it.
Who’s the first viewers you’re serving? Some instruments are constructed for IT help, and a few are constructed for buyer help. Figuring out who you’ll present help to and the way you’ll present it may well assist information you towards probably the most ultimate possibility.
How nicely does the instrument scale? It is a large issue to think about. Likelihood is you may wish to improve your plan ultimately, so take note of instruments that make leveling up simple to do.
What’s it like to make use of? Even free instruments don’t get used in the event that they’re a ache. Be sure to’re kicking the tires and making an attempt issues out; being free makes it a bit less complicated to do this. Having one thing that’s snug and intuitive will make sure you get probably the most worth attainable out of your choice.
The questions above ought to assist get you began in making a variety. That stated, if you would like extra steering on deciding on a assist desk, we’ve an entire information on the subject.
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