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The 8 best free helpdesk tools in 2025: which one to choose for your support?

The 8 best free helpdesk tools in 2025: which one to choose for your support?

By Ainhoa Carpio-Talleux

Published: 15 May 2025

Do you want to optimise the efficiency of your company's support and assistance teams? Check out our comparison of the best helpdesk tools for centralising customer requests, automating time-consuming tasks and providing accurate reporting to identify bottlenecks.

We've analysed the best free software to give you a detailed review of each.

Comparison: the 8 best helpdesk tools for free or with a free trial

Solution Who is it for? Key features Free package Entry price
Crisp Startups, SMEs Live chat, chatbot no code Yes (2 agents) Free option
Freshdesk SME Ticket management, AI support, customisable SLAs Yes (10 agents) 15/month/agent
HubSpot Service Hub Small businesses using HubSpot Centralised dashboard, CRM integration, automatic routing Yes (limited) Free option
Jira Service Management IT/tech support teams Self-service, conversational interface, incident management Yes (3 agents) Free option
Spiceworks SMES Automatic tickets, predefined responses, shared boxes Yes (unlimited) Free option
Bay Service (EngageBay) VSE Chat, shared box, automation, intelligent routing Yes (15 users) Free
Zendesk Businesses of all sizes Multi-channel, automation, help centre, advanced reporting Free trial From €19/month/agent
Zoho Desk SMES Customer portal, SLA, automation, reporting, Zoho CRM integration Free trial From €14/month/agent
Front Customised support Collaborative messaging, automated rules No On request
LiveAgent SME Multi-channel, AI, call centres No 9/month/user

We now present our top 8 best helpdesk tools on the market. Please note that all our software is available with a free offer or as a trial version so that you can test each solution.

Crisp

Crisp is an after-sales software package that focuses above all on immediacy. Thanks to its live chat and instant messaging functions, it enables real-time interaction with customers when they need it. A responsiveness that enhances user satisfaction. Crisp also offers tools for automating responses to frequently asked questions. Finally, the software is multi-channel, centralising all interactions on a single interface for greater fluidity.

Main features

  • Live chat.

  • A shared inbox.

  • An automated chatbot with no coding.

  • An integrated knowledge base.

  • Live machine translation.

  • Intelligent message routing

Prices and offers

  • A free package for 2 agents.

  • Essentials package at €95 for 10 agents.

  • A Plus package at €295 for 20 or more agents.

Freshdesk

Freshdesk is Freshworks CRM's cloud-based helpdesk tool. The tool offers all the essential functions for managing customer requests. Freshdesk's great strength is its comprehensive ticket management system (with customised statuses and fields). It centralises all requests from different channels in a shared inbox. The Freshworks platform is made up of three systems: Freshdesk, Freshchat and Freshcaller. Each operates in a dedicated workspace, forcing you to navigate between several tabs when accessing customer information.

Key features

  • An intuitive shared inbox.

  • Dashboard with reports and analysis.

  • Over 1,500 applications to integrate.

  • AI-based knowledge bases.

  • Services level agreement (SLA) management.

  • Pre-written answers to common queries.

Prices and offers

  • Free package (up to 10 agents) + a 14-day free trial.

  • Growth package at €15 per agent per month.

  • Pro package at €49 per agent per month.

  • Enterprise package at €78 per user per month.

Hubspot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub stands out thanks to its comprehensive shared dashboard for recording, organising and tracking all user problems. The information on offer is extremely varied (customer data, ticket status, location in the queue, time taken, etc.). This clarity helps to minimise communication errors. Routing functions also enable support teams to automate certain tasks for greater efficiency.

Key features

  • Multi-channel ticket management system.

  • Accurate, detailed reporting and analysis.

  • Over 1,500 applications to integrate.

  • Services level agreement (SLA) management.

  • Conversation routing configuration.

Prices and offers

  • Free package (limited access to features).

  • Service Hub Starter package: €18 per month per licence.

  • Service Hub Pro package: €90 per month per licence.

  • A Service Hub Enterprise package for €150 per month and per licence.

Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management is support software for project management and customer service. The solution features a portal that allows customers (and employees) to submit personalised request forms. A self-service approach that encourages autonomy.

Jira Service Management also incorporates a conversational ticket management system. In concrete terms, the various agents use a messaging or chat interface to discuss a ticket, rather than a more rigid system (email-forms, etc.).

Two aspects that optimise efficiency, synergy and fluidity within support departments.

Key features

  • Accurate reporting and analysis.

  • AI-based knowledge bases

  • Services level agreement (SLA) management.

  • Automation and intelligence.

  • Incident and problem management.

Prices and offers

  • Free package.

  • Standard package: €16.98 per agent per month.

  • Premium package: €42.64 per agent per month.

  • Enterprise package: Contact Atlassian

Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk

Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk is a complete ticket management system for online support. Creation, prioritisation, allocation, definition of alerts, customisation of parameters and rules... There are a host of options available, enabling high-performance tracking of requests.

Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk also makes teams' jobs easier by automatically converting incoming emails into tickets and offering pre-written responses.

The tool integrates reporting tables to measure support performance.

A suite that offers all the features you need for a high-performance helpdesk.

Key features

  • Shared inbox.

  • Accurate reporting and analysis.

  • Services level agreement (SLA) management.

  • Customised consultations and ticket rules.

  • Pre-written responses.

Prices and offers

  • 100% free Core package for up to 5 agents.

  • Premium package at €5.35 per agent per month.

Service Bay by EngageBay

Service Bay is the integrated support solution in the EngageBay CRM suite. It offers a fluid and responsive experience, particularly suited to small businesses. Service Bay combines several key customer support features (live chat, ticket management, macros, automations) into a single intuitive interface.

Service Bay also integrates tools such as ticket workflows, pre-written responses and intelligent routing of requests according to urgency or theme.

Key features

  • Automatic routing of tickets.

  • Macro responses for recurring requests.

  • A live chat system integrated into your site.

  • Automated support tasks.

  • A shared, collaborative inbox.

Prices and offers

  • A complete free package for up to 15 users.

Zendesk

Zendesk focuses on the employee experience (EX) and the customer experience (CX). It has an intuitive interface and quick configuration, making it easy to integrate into your workflows. It also gives you access to over 1,500 applications from the Zendesk Marketplace.

Bonus features include a shared mailbox for a unified view, an omnichannel ticket management system, AI technology integration via chatbots and intelligent routing.

Automation that reduces agent tasks so they can concentrate on higher added-value activities.

Key features

  • An omnichannel ticket management system.

  • Comprehensive reporting and analysis.

  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) management.

  • Operational Level Agreement (OLA) management.

  • Customisable platform and unified workspace.

  • A live chat tool.

Prices and offers

  • Free for start-ups for 6 months + free trial.

  • Support Team package at €19 per user per month.

  • Support Professional package at €55 per user per month.

  • Support Enterprise package at €115 per user per month.

Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is a cloud-based helpdesk tool. It assists companies in their customer support activities. The platform offers comprehensive, well-designed ticket management (creation, classification, prioritisation). The software integrates omnichannel support and automation services for predefining rules and workflows. Reporting tools are also provided to monitor various KPIs (volume, resolution, lead time, etc.) and optimise the work of teams.

Key features

  • An omnichannel ticket management system

  • Reporting and analysis.

  • AI knowledge bases.

  • Widgets for comments and web forms.

Price and offer

  • Free trial.

  • Express offer: €7 per user per month.

  • Standard package: €14 per user per month.

  • Professional package: €23 per user per month.

  • Enterprise package: €40 per user per month.

2 pay alternatives worth considering

Front

Front is a helpdesk software package designed for teams handling a high volume of customer messages. Unlike other ticketing tools, Front is based on an email system with real-time messaging functionalities.

The platform also offers a rich knowledge base, a well-structured help centre and advanced API integrations.

Key features

  • Real-time collaborative messaging.

  • Automation rules.

  • API and documentation for developers.

Price and offer

  • Starter package at €16.94 per agent per month.
  • Growth package at €52.64 per agent per month.
  • Scale package at €88.33 per agent per month.

  • Premier package on request.

LiveAgent

LiveAgent is an all-in-one support solution with over 130 features and more than 200 integrations. The software enables you to centralise all your communication channels (email, social networks, live chat, telephone, etc.) for centralised management of customer requests.

One of LiveAgent's greatest assets is its speed of deployment. The tool is up and running in just a few minutes, so tickets can be processed optimally as soon as they are integrated.

The ticket system is highly efficient, thanks to the automation, classification and tracking of requests. AI is integrated into the tool for responses, but is still in beta version.

Main features

  • A multi-channel ticket system.

  • Fast, customisable live chat.

  • Integrated call centre with call recording and IVR.

  • Management of messages on social networks.

  • Integrated AI response assistant (beta).

  • Over 200 integrations (CRM, e-commerce, productivity tools, etc.).

Prices and offers

  • Small Business package at €13.38 per month.

  • Medium Business €25.87 per month.

  • Large Business €43.72 per month.

  • Enterprise package at €61.56 per month.

The benefits of a helpdesk tool for your business

Faster, smoother, more efficient support

The main benefit of using helpdesk software is the increase in operational efficiency. Thanks to the integration of intelligent workflows and chatbots to respond to routine requests, teams can concentrate on more complex tasks. This automation considerably reduces the time spent dealing with each request.

Centralising customer requests

Customer messages are generally widely dispersed. Each one favours its preferred channel (email, message, social networks, live chat, etc.). As a result, teams run a particularly high risk of losing information. With ticketing software, all requests are centralised in a single space, which reduces errors, lost requests and duplication. Top organisation!

Teams that work better together and think ahead

A high-quality customer service must be able to work together to provide harmonised and effective solutions. This synergy is facilitated by helpdesk tools and their internal notes or task assignment functions. Each ticket is allocated to the person concerned to ensure that requests are dealt with in the best possible way.

In addition to this day-to-day management, helpdesk suites also offer a global view of customer requests thanks to permanent monitoring. This is a way of identifying trends and adjusting processes accordingly before incidents multiply.

A tool that adapts to companies

Quality helpdesk software adapts to your specific needs, not the other way round. They are designed to be flexible enough to meet your needs now and in the future. Customise fields and forms, adapt the interface to your brand image... The solution integrates perfectly with your internal processes.

Improved customer satisfaction

The ultimate objective of a helpdesk is to provide a solution that satisfies the customer in distress. With the helpdesk tool, the customer journey is much smoother. They contact the helpdesk (or chat to a chatbot) and their request is dealt with without delay. They don't have to make multiple calls to different people and explain their problem each time. As a result, their satisfaction and confidence are increased.

How do I choose my free helpdesk software?

To select the ideal helpdesk software for your company, here are the criteria to consider: your needs, the flexibility of the tool, the AI features offered and integration with your systems.

Identify your needs precisely

Free helpdesk solutions generally offer limited functionality (number of agents, ticket processing capacity, etc.). To choose your software, you therefore need to know exactly what your needs are.

💡 What is the volume of tickets you need to process per month? How many employees are there in your helpdesk? Are customer requests made via several channels?

The nature of your business and your company will also influence your choice. For example, large companies will need to turn to complete multi-channel suites, while SMEs may be happy with less comprehensive tools.

The tool's potential for development

Are you a start-up or do you simply have big ambitions for your business? You need to be able to rely on a reliable helpdesk tool to offer quality support to your customers over the long term. Our advice is simple: focus on flexibility with solutions that offer à la carte or progressive packages. You'll grow and so will your helpdesk.

Automation and AI functionalities

AI is invading all sectors. In the field of customer support, it has brought about several small revolutions. The main one? Conversational chatbots that allow customers to find solutions to their questions without the need for human interaction. The benefits for support teams are manifold: greater productivity and the ability to concentrate on the most complex tasks. AI also makes the day-to-day work of agents easier, with automatic ticket processing functions.

CRM integration and integration with your systems

If you want a complete suite for managing your customers, we recommend you opt for a helpdesk tool integrated with a CRM suite such as JIRA, HubPost or EngageBay. Otherwise, make sure that your future software fits in perfectly with your existing systems.

Choosing the right helpdesk software: an asset for your company's performance

Helpdesk software is an essential performance driver for businesses. A driver of productivity and customer loyalty, it represents a strategic investment in improving the experience offered to your customers.

The benefits for your teams: greater autonomy, improved responsiveness and efficiency, and reduced operational costs. To choose the ideal solution, take the time to analyse your current processes and clearly define your objectives. We advise you to turn to the free tools we have presented. They are an excellent way of testing the functionalities of each solution.

Article translated from French