TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Is IT Help Desk Software?
IT help desk software helps organizations track, manage, and resolve technical issues for employees or clients from a single platform.
It includes ticket management, automation, and multi-channel support to manage all kinds of IT requests.
They are also called IT ticketing software since handling support tickets is a core function.
Why Do You Need IT Helpdesk Software?
The most obvious answer is that IT help desk software greatly impacts efficiency: it manages and simplifies support operations, automates ticket handling, and prepares detailed, data-backed reports for you.
Without these tools, you’d be wasting time on manual processes, which breeds slow response times and frustrated employees.
But there’s more to that…
Faster resolution times
Automated ticket routing immediately sends technical issues to the right IT personnel and accelerates resolution times by up to 37%. With faster issue resolution, your entire helpdesk and servicing workflow speeds up.
Consistent, scalable support
Support requests keep getting bigger as your business scales. A good help desk tool scales with demand and saves your IT teams from drowning in unresolved tickets.
Actionable data and insights
IT teams often assume they know where their biggest bottlenecks are, but data tells a different story. We’ve seen companies uncover surprising trends—like when HP realized that printer issues with Windows 10 made up most of their IT requests. Reliable data is the foundation of good troubleshooting.
Better communication
An IT help desk solution logs, tracks, and searches every support request. It reduces miscommunication and encourages team accountability.
Ironically, some IT teams still hesitate to use help desk software because they think it’s “too complicated.” Meanwhile, they manage tickets through spreadsheets and inbox chaos.
So, do we want an IT support system that actually works, or do we enjoy the thrill of daily fire drills?
What to Look for in IT Helpdesk Software?
You know you always have someone with a laptop issue daily or someone saying they can’t login. This is so much more frequent if you're a large organization.
IT help desk software lets you put forward the best solutions for every such tech issue.
But not all of them are equal. So, what matters when choosing one?
- Intelligent ticket management: The best help desk tools automatically categorize, prioritize, and assign tickets. AI-driven routing ensures that critical issues aren’t stuck at the bottom of the queue.
- Automation and self-service: Why have your IT team reset passwords all day when a chatbot or self-service portal can handle it? Strong self-service means those needing help can figure out minor issues independently.
- Effortless integrations: Your help desk should fit nicely with existing tools—Slack, Microsoft Teams, asset management systems, and more. Without integrations, IT teams can waste hours jumping between platforms.
- Dependable analytics and reporting: If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Look for a solution that tracks resolution times, finds recurring issues, and generates detailed reports of error hotspots, user-pinned problem areas, and more.
- Scalability and customization: A startup and an enterprise have very different needs. Your help desk should scale as you grow and have customization options (like room for more agents) that fit your workflows—not the other way around.
Here’s a sneak peek at some Redditors discussing the best IT help desk software they used:
💡Tip: Some companies choose help desk software without consulting their IT teams. We strongly advise against that. Purchase decisions must come from teams who will actually use the solutions daily.
Best IT Help Desk Software in 2025
Category: Enterprise-grade Help Desk Software
ServiceNow ITSM
Via ServiceNow
If you add ITIL with a good cloud platform, you get ServiceNow. It is a full-blown IT ecosystem beyond being a good ITSM solution.
ServiceNow ITSM solutions bring a unified platform for managing IT services at scale. Its Configuration Management Database (CMDB) tracks dependencies across IT infrastructure and enables root-cause analysis for recurring incidents.
IT admins love Now Assist, ServiceNow’s generative AI-powered feature that streamlines ticket resolution. It automatically handles routine requests and reduces agent workload by 30–40%, freeing them to focus on complex issues.
What can you do with ServiceNow ITSM?
- Automate ticket categorization using natural language processing (NLP).
- Monitor SLA compliance across various metrics in real-time dashboards.
- Connect development tools to change management for automatic ticketing and approval.
Pros
- The dashboard is highly customizable, and so is the tool in general
- ServiceNow makes report management hassle-free
Cons
- Cost may not be justified for small businesses
- There is a relatively steep learning curve
Pricing
- Custom pricing
Salesforce Service Cloud
Via Salesforce
Salesforce Service Cloud takes a slightly different approach to help desk operations. It embeds customer relationship management (CRM) data into every support interaction. Although it supports employee service and has a dedicated section for IT and HR use, the main focus remains on broad customer service.
Autonomous agents powered by Salesforce’s in-house Einstein AI turn low-touch, high-volume interactions into no-touch experiences. And easily hand them off to your human agents only when needed for high-touch , more complex interactions.
Moreover, agents also get access to a 360-degree view of customers, including purchase history and open marketing campaigns.
What can you do with Salesforce Service Cloud?
- Increase customer satisfaction and reduce agent handling time with AI-generated replies on SMS, WhatsApp, and more.
- Instantly collaborate to address incidents and complete field service requests faster by swarming in Slack.
- Notify customers of an active incident before they reach out, and provide updates across digital channels.
Pros
- Rapid deployment easily migrates the email-only service model to a case management solution
- Users with no previous CRM experience can use it with ease
Cons
- Server issues are common and need fixing
- Some simple things like reopening a case can get complex
Pricing
- Starter Suite: $25/month per user billed annually
- Pro Suite: $100/month per user billed annually
- Enterprise Suite: $165/month per user billed annually
- Unlimited: $25/month per user billed annually
- Einstein 1: $500/month per user billed annually
Jira Service Management
Via Jira
Jira Service Management is built to unify development, operations, and business teams on a single platform for better collaboration across service requests, incidents, and changes.
If you practice DevOps, JSM should be your solution of choice. Why? Because it bridges the gap between IT and development teams and accelerates issue resolution and change implementations.
It comes with strong automation and AI capabilities. The platform also integrates easily with other Atlassian products like Jira Software and Confluence, as well as over 5,000 third-party apps through the Atlassian Marketplace.
What can you do with Jira Service Management?
- Create no-code/low-code forms with over 325 templates for tailored data collection.
- Enable self-service by integrating with Confluence to provide a knowledge base for articles and FAQs.
- Group incidents into problems, analyze root cause, and document workarounds to minimize future impacts.
Pros
- Has excellent backend support
- The workflow designer is intuitive and useful
Cons
- Some UI elements and screens can feel outdated
- Setting up workflows and customizations can be time-consuming
Pricing
- Custom pricing
Category: Mid-sized business help desk solution
Zendesk
Via Zendesk
Next, we have Zendesk, a versatile and popular IT helpdesk solution that centralizes interactions across multiple channels, automates workflows, and provides tools for efficient issue resolution.
Its flexibility and scalability make it suitable for businesses of all sizes. Zendesk has offerings in both customer service and employee service. For the latter, Zendesk uses AI to triage requests and automate workflows for better employee service with fewer HR resources.
You can customize workflows, dashboards, and ticket forms per your needs and integrate them with over 1,500 apps and tools through APIs and SDKs.
What can you do with Zendesk?
- Track performance metrics like ticket resolution times, customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), and agent productivity.
- Allow agents to manage tickets on the go through mobile apps.
- Automate workflows like ticket assignment, categorization, and SLA tracking using triggers and macros.
Pros
- Customize to your heart’s content with conditional functions, custom fields, triggers, and more
- Gathers and organizes all back-and-forth communication in one place
Cons
- Expensive for growing businesses
- Customer support needs improvement and training
Pricing
- Support team: $19/month per agent billed annually
- Suite team: $55/month per agent billed annually
- Suite Professional: $115/month per agent billed annually
Freshservice
Via Freshservice
Freshservice is a cloud-based IT helpdesk and service management solution by Freshworks. It simplifies IT operations for organizations with an AI-powered platform that integrates ITIL-ready components like incident, problem, change, and asset management.
Its in-house Freddy AI automates ticket routing, categorization, self-service responses, and other routine tasks for faster resolutions. You also get no-code automation and can create workflows using a drag-and-drop interface without any technical know-how.
What can you do with Freshservice?
- Offer a self-service portal where users can request IT services or find solutions independently.
- Track the lifecycle of hardware and software assets with real-time updates via CMDB.
- Streamline ticket creation, prioritization, routing, and resolution to minimize downtime.
Pros
- The default templates for new tasks or stories are quite useful
- Feature-rich integration with Slack and Outlook
Cons
- Some complex workflow automation, like assigning a task to the next user based on the bandwidth, is not doable
- The mobile is lacking some important desktop features
A user sharing their experience with Freshservice. Source: G2
Pricing
- Starter plan: $19/month
- Growth plan: $49/month
- Pro plan: $99/month
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
Via ManageEngine
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus integrates core ITSM functionalities like incident management, problem management, asset tracking, and project management in a single platform.
Being a Zoho product, ServiceDesk Plus integrates easily with other ManageEngine products and with third-party tools like TeamViewer. It also supports API integrations.
It advertises itself as powered by proprietary AI technologies and other AI solutions, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.
What can you do with ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?
- Create and deploy custom modules, forms, configurations, and reports with low code features.
- Track hardware and software assets across the organization, monitor software licenses and ensure compliance.
- Facilitate structured change approvals and implementation processes to minimize risks of unauthorized changes.
Pros
- Centralized management of apps, patches, and updates helps IT teams
- Fast ticket management and incident resolution flows
Cons
- Lacks some features that competitors offer at similar prices
- Level zero support processing for end users
Pricing
- Custom pricing
SolarWinds Service Desk
Via Solarwinds
Another cloud-based IT Service Management (ITSM) platform that adheres to ITIL best practices, SolarWinds offers a comprehensive feature set with incident management, asset tracking, automation, and more.
Like most modern tools, SolarWinds has embraced AI and relies on it for automated ticket routing, sentiment analysis, and innovative solution suggestions. It also bundles a user-friendly self-service portal. Employees can submit tickets, track requests, and access a consolidated knowledge base using it.
What can you do with SolarWinds Service Desk?
- Track incidents from start to resolution with AI-assisted solutions for faster response times.
- Map relationships between assets and get in-depth insights with the built-in CMDB.
- Publish available services with predefined workflows for easy access by employees with the Service Catalog.
Pros
- Useful integration of help desk with remote support
- Presents a simple way to sort and manage help desk tickets
Cons
- Lacking in third-party integrations
- Customer support also needs improvement
Pricing
- Starts at $39
Category: Affordable and SMB-Friendly IT Help Desk Tools
Zoho Desk
Via Zoho
Zoho Desk is Zoho’s flagship cloud-based IT helpdesk and customer service solution. New to tools of its category, it comes with context-aware capabilities. This means it can provide agents with contextual information about customer inquiries to help them respond more effectively.
Zia, Zoho’s AI assistant, automates ticket tagging, routes tickets to the right agents, performs sentiment analysis on conversations, and suggests knowledge-base articles to users looking for quick issue resolution. When necessary, Zia can also escalate complex issues to human agents.
What can you do with Zoho Desk?
- Manage interactions from email, phone calls (via cloud telephony), live chat, social media platforms, and web forms.
- Centralize all customer inquiries and enable prioritization based on urgency or SLA criteria.
- Generate detailed reports on agent performance, ticket resolution times, SLA compliance, and more.
Pros
- Wide customizability that lets you customize not only emails but even the customer portal
- Well-designed and easy to navigate
Cons
- The Zoho Desk mobile app is lacking
- It could use some under-the-hood optimizations
Pricing
- Express: $7/month per user billed annually
- Standard: $14/month per user billed annually
- Professional: $23/month per user billed annually
- Enterprise: $40/month per user billed annually
Happyfox Help Desk
Via Happyfox
HappyFox is a help desk and customer support solution for customer support teams, IT operations, and HR and Marketing.
Specifically for IT, Happyfox centralizes tickets and improves internal collaboration for field technicians. It pushes for fast ticket resolutions and eliminates SLA breaches by giving you periodic notifications about ticket expiry dates and updates.
HappyFox also has rich automation flows called Smart Rules. Moreover, you can plan, schedule, allocate resources, and collaborate on projects as you gain insights into your support performance through drill-down analytics and dashboards.
What can you do with Happyfox Help Desk?
- Create external and internal knowledge bases to help with self-service.
- Record customer conversations as Help Desk Tickets with the Live Chat plugin.
- Classify inbound tickets into categories like product, sales, support, etc.
Pros
- Automation and quick replies make managing tickets very easy
- Looks and performs well
Cons
- The inputs are not as customizable as one would hope for
- The email notification system needs some tweaks
A G2 user on their experience with HappyFox. Source: G2
Pricing
- Basic plan: $24/month per agent
- Team plan: $49/month per agent
- Pro plan: $99/month per agent
FreshDesk
Via FreshworksThe second offering on our list from Freshworks, Freshdesk, unifies customer interactions from multiple channels, such as email, chat, phone, social media, and more. This integration ensures efficient ticket management without switching between tools.
Its standout feature is its AI assistant, Freddy, which automates ticket routing, prioritization, response generation, and more. The platform also lets you create a customizable self-service portal with knowledge bases, FAQs, and community forums.
What can you do with FreshDesk?
- Convert all customer inquiries into tickets that can be tracked, prioritized, and resolved efficiently.
- Automate ticket routing based on agent availability or issue type and send automated notifications and escalations for SLA compliance.
- Get a 360-degree view of customer history, including key activities, past interactions, preferred channels, and downloads.
Pros
- The initial setup is very straightforward
- Easily integrates with sites and most essential apps
Cons
- Data migration from other ticketing tools is limited.
Pricing
- Growth plan: $15/month
- Pro plan: $49/month
- Enterprise plan: $79/month
LiveAgent
Via Liveagent
LiveAgent is a help desk and live chat software that aims to revolutionize customer support. It claims to have the fastest chat widget available and is the #1 rated live chat software for SMBs in 2025.
This tool offers an omnichannel universal inbox, real-time live chat, a built-in call center, and a robust customer service portal. For personalization, it offers customer segmentation, automation, a built-in CRM, and powerful analytics.
We appreciate the LiveAgent Startup Program, which gives startups free access to the platform for the first six months. After this period, they can continue using LiveAgent at a discounted rate.
What can you do with LiveAgent?
- Handle inbound and outbound calls with call center integration.
- Support multiple knowledge bases for different brands or departments.
- Add private notes to tickets for internal use or collaboration with colleagues.
Pros
- Helps in dealing with repeat customers by stacking data
- Instantly updates records to maintain continuity
Cons
- Notifications may not be very easy to see
- Customization still needs some improvement
Pricing
- Small business: $15/month per agent billed annually
- Medium business: $29/month per agent billed annually
- Large business: $49/month per agent billed annually
- Enterprise: $69/month per agent billed annually
Category: Niche and specialized help desk solutions
Front
Via Front
Front is ideal for teams that need to efficiently manage multiple communication channels. It turns inboxes into a collaborative, multi-channel platform, allowing you to respond to support inquiries, collaborate internally, and automate workflows.
Front also has a separate suite for help desk ticketing. The biggest draws are an easy-to-use interface for handling complex support tickets as a team and out-of-the-box ticketing metrics on team performance and customer or employee satisfaction.
What can you do with Front?
- Categorize tickets automatically by topic or sentiment with AI.
- Define custom statuses to match your internal processes and reporting needs.
- Use AI tags to trigger message routing, notification, assignment, or other workflows.
Pros
- AI features like tagging and automated suggestions are genuinely helpful
- Has a clean design and a user-friendly interface
Cons
- Outlook mentions for outsiders are not allowed in emails
- The knowledge base AI needs some work
Pricing
- Starter: $19/month per seat billed annually
- Growth: $59/month per seat billed annually
- Scale: $99/month per seat billed annually
Help Scout
Via Help Scout
Help Scout is an email-centric help desk solution built for simplicity and collaboration. It mimics a traditional email client to create a familiar environment for support teams.
The platform centralizes customer interactions in a shared inbox, where every message is tracked and organized. One unique feature is collision detection, which ensures that two agents don’t inadvertently respond to the same inquiry.
What can you do with Help Scout?
- Work with an email-based shared inbox with collision detection.
- Get access to an integrated knowledge base (Docs) for self-service support.
- Enable Beacon live chat for proactive and real-time assistance.
Pros
- Setup and maintenance of the platform is very easy
- Helpful, reliable, and dependable support team
Cons
- Limited selection of knowledgebase templates
- Helpful, reliable, and dependable support team
Pricing
- Free plan available
- Standard plan: $50/month billed annually
- Plus plan: $75/month billed annually
Gorgias
Via Gorgias
We have a help desk solution for the e-commerce sector, which is more customer-centric than client-centric. Gorgias integrates deeply with Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and similar platforms to keep up with the demands of online retail.
Thanks to these integrations, support teams can manage customer interactions and have full access to order histories, product details, and customer data within the help desk itself.
What else? Macros and templates help automate routine responses. Support agents can quickly access order details and even process refunds or adjustments without switching systems. It’s that easy!
What can you do with Gorgias?
- Manage every customer interaction, including refund, update, cancel, or approve return requests.
- Build AI workflows that manage your support workload and set rules to route tickets automatically.
- See information like previous conversations, orders, reviews, or subscription details for every customer as you’re responding to them.
Pros
- Tagging and automation helpful for task prioritization
- Intuitive and easy to navigate, even for newbies
Cons
- Some users reported glitches on the platform
- Add-on charges when you exceed ticket limits are expensive
Pricing
- Starts from $50/month for an average of 300 tickets
Kayako
Via Kayako
Last, we have Kayako, a straightforward, user-friendly help desk solution for businesses that need a reliable but simple multichannel support tool.
Being a simpleton has its perks. Kayako avoids the clutter of too many features that SMBs won’t even need and instead focuses on ease of use and quick implementation. It's a great choice for organizations that need to deploy customer support rapidly without extensive IT overhead.
Kayako also has a unified interface where agents can manage conversations via email, live chat, and social media. Its SingleView feature consolidates a customer’s entire interaction history, including emails, chat logs, and even browsing behavior, for more context-aware and personalized support.
What can you do with Kayako?
- Use a unified dashboard with SingleView to consolidate customer history.
- Get live chat functionality for real-time support, along with a self-service.
- Enable customizable workflows and internal collaboration.
Pros
- Easy ticket assignment and department changes
- Feels lightweight and loads pretty fast
Cons
- Lack of an auto refresh option
- Reporting customization is not the best
Pricing
- Essential: $39/month per agent billed annually
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Workwize: IT Asset Management for IT Support
We've covered the best IT help desk software for 2025, but there's an important new addition: Workwize.
Workwize is an IT hardware lifecycle management platform designed for global teams. It streamlines hardware management regardless of your employees' locations, automating everything from procurement to disposal.
Here's how Workwize enhances your IT help desk:
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Provides a unified platform to procure, track, retrieve, and dispose of IT hardware.
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Integrates smoothly with Zendesk, Jira Service Management, and ServiceNow.
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Offers a self-service portal for employees to report hardware issues.
Don't just settle for IT help desk software alone. Book a demo with Workwize to simplify hardware management and ease the workload on your IT team.
