Escape the complexity.
Keep the features.
HelpSpot gives you everything you need for world-class support without the enterprise price tag or consultant-required setup.
Why teams switch from Zendesk
The same frustrations we hear from every Zendesk switcher
Complexity Overload
Zendesk's 100+ features require consultants to configure. Most teams use less than 20% of what they pay for.
Focused Simplicity
HelpSpot works out of the box. Your team is productive in hours, not months.
Unpredictable Costs
Per-agent pricing plus add-ons for basic features. Costs balloon as your team grows.
Simple Pricing
One price includes everything. No add-ons, no surprises.
Vendor Lock-in
Zendesk requires 30 days' advance notice to cancel. Your data lives on their terms, their timeline.
Your Data, Your Way
Cancel anytime. Choose cloud or self-hosted. Export anytime. You control your support infrastructure.
Zendesk vs HelpSpot
See how the two platforms compare on what matters most
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The $19 "shell" plan
That low price gets you almost nothing. Collision detection, SLAs, and custom reports are locked behind expensive upgrades. The real price is 3x higher.
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AI is a $50/agent luxury
Want modern tools like summarization and triaging? That will be an extra $50 per agent, per month. Innovation costs extra.
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Your data on their terms
Need your data in the EU? That requires the expensive Enterprise plan. Want to self-host for total control? Not possible at any price.
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Paid onboarding only
Want help getting set up? Prepare to pay thousands in consulting fees. Basic onboarding isn't included, leaving you to figure it out alone.
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Everything included
One price gets you every feature we build. SLAs, collision detection, custom fields, and reporting are all standard from day one.
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AI included for free
We don't charge a tax on technology. Smart features like triaging, translation, and ticket summarization are included for every user at no extra cost.
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Your data, your choice
Choose US Cloud, EU Cloud, or Self-Hosted. Complete control over where your customer data lives, at no extra cost.
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White glove onboarding
We help you migrate, configure your account, and train your team—for free. We invest in your success from day one.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Comparing Zendesk Support Team ($19/agent/mo) vs HelpSpot
HelpSpot
|
Zendesk
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Feature | All Inclusive | Support Team $19/user/mo |
|
Core Ticketing
|
||
| Familiar email-inspired workflow | ||
| Email-to-ticket conversion | ||
| Collision detection | $55+ plan | |
| Custom fields | ||
| Conditional field logic | $55+ plan | |
| Rich customer replies (images, files, emoji) | $55+ plan | |
| Unlimited mailboxes | ||
|
Portal & Knowledge Base
|
||
| Customer portal | ||
| Contact form | $55+ plan | |
| Portal theme customization | $89+ plan | |
| Multi-brand portals | $89+ plan | |
| Knowledge base | 1 only | |
| Knowledge base WYSIWYG | $55+ plan | |
|
Automation & Workflow
|
||
| Trigger rules | Basic | |
| Time based automation rules | ||
| Round-robin assignment | ||
| SLA management | $55+ plan | |
|
AI Features
|
||
| AI writing assistance | Included | +$50/agent |
| AI ticket summarization | Included | +$50/agent |
| AI translation | Included | +$50/agent |
| Intelligent triage | Included | +$50/agent |
|
Reporting & Analytics
|
||
| Built-in reports | Read-only | |
| Custom report builder | $115+ plan | |
| Real-time dashboards | $115+ plan | |
| Scheduled report exports | $115+ plan | |
| Export to Excel/CSV | ||
| Direct SQL database access | Self-hosted | Impossible |
|
Pricing Model
|
||
| Feature tiers | 1 tier | 4 tiers + add-ons |
| Add-on costs | None | Many |
| Unlimited tickets | ||
| Cancel anytime | 30-day notice | |
| Refund policy | ||
|
Support & Deployment
|
||
| Phone support | All plans | +20% fee |
| Self-hosted option | ||
| EU data residency | Included | $115+ plan |
| Access logs and redaction | +$50/agent | |
| Data & attachment storage | Unlimited | Capped |
| Implementation help | Free | Paid |
| API access | Unlimited | 200 RPM |
Ready to simplify your support?
The $19/agent illusion
Zendesk advertises $19/agent. But essential features require upgrades and add-ons. Here's what a real team actually pays.
Zendesk
Conservative estimate with add-ons likely required
+ Add-ons and other fees not included
HelpSpot
Simple pricing, everything included
Save over $8,000 in year one
Migration made easy
We'll help you every step of the way
Export Your Data
Use Zendesk's export tools to download your tickets.
Import to HelpSpot
Our team works with you to import your historical data and get everything configured.
Go Live
Connect your email accounts to HelpSpot. Your team picks up right where they left off.
Deploy Your Way
Same price, same features. Choose the deployment that works for you.
Same powerful features and pricing across all hosting options.
US Cloud
CloudUS-East Region
Dedicated AWS infrastructure with 99.9% uptime. Managed updates and automated backups.
EU Cloud
CloudFrankfurt Region
GDPR-compliant hosting. Full data sovereignty with all information isolated within the EU.
Self-Hosted
EnterpriseOn-Premise Infrastructure
Complete control on your own hardware. Ideal for air-gapped networks or strict compliance.
Maximum Control & Data ResidencyWhat we believe
We've been building help desk software since 2005. Along the way, we've developed strong opinions about how support should work.
Single Assignment
Every ticket has one owner. Clear accountability means faster resolution and better outcomes.
Read moreHuman-First Support
Support is human-to-human communication. Technology should enhance it, not replace it.
Read moreSimple Pricing
One price. All features. No add-ons, no surprises. Budget with confidence.
Read moreBeyond Shared Mailbox
Email chaos ends here. Get collision detection, automation, and the visibility you need.
Read moreCompare other platforms
See how HelpSpot stacks up against other help desk solutions.
"Of the number of helpdesk systems we looked into, ranging from the off-the-shelf expensive systems to completely 'free', your product was the best looking, simplest for both the customer and the staff, the quickest to set-up and configure and reasonably priced."
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about switching from Zendesk
Most Zendesk users find HelpSpot refreshingly simple. The interface is intuitive and focused on what matters—helping customers. Teams typically become productive within hours, not weeks. We also provide free onboarding sessions to ensure a smooth transition.
Yes! HelpSpot integrates with thousands of apps through our REST API, webhooks, and Zapier. CRM integrations, Active Directory, and database lookups are built-in through our Live Lookup feature.
Yes! Every HelpSpot customer gets free onboarding support. For larger migrations, our team can provide hands-on assistance with data import, configuration, and training. We want your switch to be as smooth as possible.
HelpSpot is the best Zendesk alternative for teams that want simplicity without sacrificing features. Zendesk spreads essential capabilities across five pricing tiers and costly add-ons. HelpSpot includes everything in one plan: ticket management, automation, SLAs, AI, custom reporting, and collision detection. It's available as cloud or self-hosted, with free migration assistance.
Zendesk is expensive because core features are spread across multiple pricing tiers and add-ons. The base $19/agent plan lacks SLAs, custom reporting, and collision detection. AI costs $50/agent/month extra. Phone support adds a 20% fee. EU hosting requires the $115+ Enterprise plan. A fully featured setup for 10 agents costs $9,600+ per year before add-ons. HelpSpot includes all features for a flat annual price.
No. Zendesk requires 30 days' written notice before your renewal date to cancel annual plans. If you miss that window, your contract auto-renews for another year. Downgrading mid-term is also restricted. HelpSpot lets you cancel anytime with no notice period and offers a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Trusted by teams who made the switch
Trusted by industry leaders
Ready to switch?
We'll help you move.
Start your free trial and our team will help migrate your data, train your agents, and get you up and running. No risk, no commitment.
