The Best Free Help Desk Systems for Support Teams

October 26, 2017

Help desk software is valuable for companies that wish to have an initial line of defense against customer concerns and queries. 

These tools help customers create support tickets that can be addressed by support agents quickly and efficiently. This genre of software utilizes email, live chat and sometimes social media to remove the barriers that block customers from receiving quality and timely customer support.

G2 Crowd has over 250,000 verified, real-user software reviews, making it a trusted resource for determining quality, effective tools. The following are free help or service desk platforms, and the real feedback and experiences users want you to have before making a purchase.

Find the best Help Desk Software on the market. Explore Now, Free →

Free help desk systems

Here are a few great free help desk systems.

Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a highly rated help desk solution whose profile shows 4.5 out of 5 stars in a review pool of 321. It has features such as workflow, response automation and SLA management. And thankfully enough for organizations on a budget, it also has a free plan. Users on this plan still receive features such as an email channel, a standard phone channel and a basic social channel.

“I've used several portals for Customer Service and what I enjoy most about Freshdesk is the simplicity,” wrote Matthew H. in his Freshdesk review. “It is just easy to navigate and all the features are obvious and self explanatory. There is not a lot of searching through back menus to find the settings you’re looking for.”

Read Freshdesk user reviews →

Zoho Desk

One reviewer said the tool seems geared toward support for software companies as opposed to companies selling tangible goods. Another lamented the slow speed with which support agents respond. Many reviewers recommend using the trial version before making a full-on purchase. Zoho Desk’s profile displays a 4.3 out of 5 star rating with a pool of 320 reviews. For the first 10 users, the tool is free.

“The interaction of email to generate the tickets to respond and relate is good,” wrote Carlos M. in a Zoho Desk review. “It allows to join two tickets in cases of duplicity. It allows you to respond to emails from the application. View information on Android App or iPhone. Generate general reports.”

One reviewer would like the ability to split tickets autonomously, while another would like the dashboard to be more clear. Overall, companies are using Zoho Desk to track leads and provide customers multiple channels of support, as well as provide customer support with a team distributed across the globe. 

Read Zoho Desk user reviews, FREE →

osTicket

osTicket is a help desk solution with 4.6 out of 5 stars on a profile with 10 reviews. The product is open-source and downloadable straight from the website. The self-hosted version of the product is free, and there is a free 30-day cloud trial for users to figure out if the tool will work with their needs.

“Very easy to use and quite easy for [our] clients to log tickets,” wrote Andy D. in his osTicket review. “Makes it easy for our customers to easily keep a log of their previous tickets. I also like the fact that it is easy to customise the software, with my limited knowledge of php I have been able to make adjustments as needed to integrate some of our other systems.”

One company implemented osTicket as both an internal and client-facing ticketing solution, while another company was able to brand the product without paying a premium. Although some users lamented an outdated design and lack of themes, most reviewers cite the product as changing their issue-tracking strategy for the better. 

Read osTicket user reviews, FREE →

Spiceworks Help Desk

Spiceworks Help Desk has a 4.3 out of 5 star rating with a review pool of 178. Although the product is marketed toward IT support requests, users have cited using it to resolve client issues.

“What I like best about Spiceworks Help Desk is that it simply works. It is easy to set up and use,” wrote Terrance D. on a Spiceworks Help Desk review. “The Help Desk comes with automated reminders and canned responses. The Spiceworks community is an awesome resource for product reviews and knowledge. Also it is free, and that always hits the budget in just the right way.”

One company was able to use this product to create a more centralized portal for help tickets, as well as improve tracking strategies. These tools are only a sample size of the many help desk options available and listed on G2 Crowd.

Read Spiceworks Help Desk user reviews, FREE →

For more information, products, or to read more verified user reviews, check out the help desk category.

The Best Free Help Desk Systems for Support Teams Help desk software utilizes email, live chat and social media to deliver quality customer support. Here are four free help desk solutions. https://learn.g2crowd.com/hubfs/iStock-929772310.jpg
Grace Pinegar Grace Pinegar is a lifelong storyteller with an extensive background in various forms such as acting, journalism, improv, research, and content marketing. She was raised in Texas, educated in Missouri, worked in Chicago, and is now a proud New Yorker. (she/her/hers) https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/GracePUpdated.jpeg

Never miss a post.

Subscribe to keep your fingers on the tech pulse.

By submitting this form, you are agreeing to receive marketing communications from G2.