26 Best CX Software Reviewed For 2024
12 Best CX Software Shortlist
After a meticulous review, I’ve curated this list of the top 12 CX software, each selected to tackle your unique challenges head-on.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
With so many different customer experience management solutions available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want to manage and standardize your customer journey, but need to figure out which tool is best. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different CX tools with large teams and projects, with my picks of the best CX software available.
What Is a CX Software?
CX software, or customer experience software, is a digital tool that helps you improve interactions with your customers. Industries of all types use these platforms to manage, analyze, and optimize every touchpoint along the customer journey. Small businesses and large-scale enterprises alike can use these tools to build strong customer relationships, enhance satisfaction, and drive loyalty.
By capturing and analyzing customer feedback, CX software aids in understanding customer needs, ensuring prompt resolution of pain points, and personalizing interactions. This strategic use of technology ultimately influences customer perception of a brand, playing a crucial role in business growth and sustainability.
Overviews Of The 12 Best CX Software
UserGuiding is a platform designed to assist businesses in crafting a personalized and engaging onboarding experience for their users. It seeks to improve how your audience interacts with your site or product by providing interactive elements that teach them about different product features and functions.
Why I Picked UserGuiding:
This platform is a unique CX software that focuses on the user's onboarding. Using UserGuiding's no-code features, you can craft intuitive user journeys that improve your customers' ability to use your product. You can even segment your audiences to tailor the onboarding user experience. The platform also comes with robust analytics, so you can evaluate the effectiveness of your support content.
Standout Features & Integrations:
UserGuiding offers product tours and onboarding checklists to lead customers through the product's features and functionalities. It also has in-app and NPS surveys to allow you to gather insights about user satisfaction, loyalty, and areas for improvement. You can even create your own resource center without any coding experience necessary.
UserGuiding integrates with Intercom, Segment, Slack, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, HubSpot, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Collects feedback through in-app and NPS surveys.
- Flexible targeting with segmentation
- Create guides without the need for coding
Cons:
- Limited integrations
- Adjusting settings and customizing the look can be challenging
Zendesk is a customer service software that provides a suite of tools designed to assist businesses in managing customer support, sales, and other communications. It offers features like AI and automation, data privacy and protection, messaging and live chat, and other tools to enhance customer experience.
Why I Picked Zendesk
Zendesk Sunshine is a CRM platform built directly into Zendesk and is powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Zendesk Sunshine is designed to be open and flexible, enabling businesses to connect and understand all their customer data—wherever it lives. It's unusual because it allows for real-time updates and changes, making it possible to create rich, personalized customer experiences by leveraging the native integration of various data sources.
Zendesk’s CX approach includes the use of AI-powered bots like 'Answer Bot' which can handle a wide range of customer queries using natural language processing.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Zendesk offers omnichannel support through email, chat, or phone and a customizable help center for self-servicing. It also has workforce management functionalities for planning and forecasting staffing needs to ensure there are enough agents available to handle the volume of customer inquiries.
Zendesk integrates with Pipedrive, LinkedIn, Etsy, Hootsuite, QuickBooks, Google Workspace, Intercom, Jira, Shopify, Magento, Olark, Confluence, WordPress, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Offers omnichannel support
- Features a robust FAQ-creating tool
- Integrates CRM with help desk capabilities
Cons:
- Slight learning curve for new users
- Limited customization options for the user interface
Dock is a sales and customer onboarding software that helps CX teams set new users up for success. The platform's client portals bring together documents, proposals, and other useful items for easy access.
Why I picked Dock:
I decided to include this software on my list not only because of its useful customer portals, but also because of its customizable templates for quotes, proposals, and order forms. Your team can standardize your processes and offer a more consistent customer experience by establishing your own templated documents.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Dock stands out for how quotes can be easily turned into signable order forms and the platform also facilitates approval features for custom orders, large deals, and discounts. After a deal closes, this information syncs with your CRM, providing better sales visibility across the organization.
Integrations include HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, Zoom, Airtable, Pandadoc, Typeform, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Wide range of templates for standardizing sales processes
- Engagement analytics to target the best leads
- Digital sales room for a unified customer experience
Cons:
- HubSpot and Salesforce integration only available on higher-tier plans
- Order forms are priced as an add-on to your existing plan
Guru is a knowledge management software that offers AI-driven company knowledge search, a customizable employee engagement hub, and an automated centralized knowledge base. The platform aims to help prevent redundancy and make it easier for employees to find the information they need without leaving their current window.
Why I Picked Guru:
As a CX software, Guru is unique in that it helps customer experience teams provide more consistent and efficient support. It offers quick and easy access to answers in the platform's centralized knowledge base, which can then be used to answer customer questions. For example, if a live agent is working on an issue with a customer, Guru's AI capabilities can automatically search the knowledge base and all connected tools for previous logs of a similar issue and recommend a response based on that information. By integrating with existing tools and creating a single source of truth, Guru helps eliminate knowledge silos and reduces the time spent searching for information, which ultimately improves customer satisfaction.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Guru offers features like enterprise AI search, which allows you to search your company’s collective knowledge from one place, and a company wiki which delivers answers proactively via tailored, context-based recommendations and includes built-in verification for accuracy.
Integrations include Userlike, Freshdesk, Intercom, Help Scout, Zendesk, Box, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy search functionality
- Knowledge verification features
- AI-powered suggestions
Cons:
- Limited mobile support
- No customer reporting functionalities
Sogolytics is a robust online survey and feedback management platform designed to help organizations gather, analyze, and act on feedback from customers, employees, and other stakeholders. With an intuitive interface and powerful analytics, Sogolytics makes it easy to create customized surveys that capture critical insights.
Why I Picked Sogolytics:
SogoCX, part of the Sogolytics platform, focuses on improving customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing an interactive dashboard that tracks customer interactions and feedback across multiple touchpoints. It allows businesses to identify trends, measure key drivers of customer sentiment, and take proactive steps to enhance the overall customer journey. Features like automated reminders and personalized survey invitations help increase response rates, ensuring that feedback is both plentiful and representative.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Sogolytics's advanced survey design capabilities include features such as customizable themes, advanced branching, and skip logic, allowing for highly personalized and engaging surveys. Furthermore, its powerful analytics engine provides real-time reporting, conditional formatting, and cross-tab analysis to help users decipher complex data.
Integrations include Salesforce, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Zapier, Tableau, HubSpot, and Slack.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Multi-channel distribution
- Good data collection and analysis features
- Wide range of advanced question types
Cons:
- Some advanced analytics require a deeper level of technical knowledge
- Free version may be too basic for some users
Best for automated multi-channel customer feedback collection
Survicate is a survey software designed to gather insights about customer experience and collect feedback across multiple channels. It integrates with many tools and provides a detailed overview of customer insights, making it ideal for businesses looking to improve their customer experience.
Why I Picked Survicate:
Survicate is a unique CX software that allows you to gauge customer experience at any touchpoint through a wide range of feedback collection options, like email, in-product, in-app, on your website, or through Intercom messenger. You don't need to spend time and effort sorting through the continuous stream of feedback because the platform will track the data and provide real-time analyses so you can take action where it's needed most.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Survicate provides features like automated feedback collection and gathers important metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and Customer Effort Score (CES) to track and understand customer satisfaction and loyalty. There are also over 400 survey templates for a wide range of user research projects.
Survicate integrates with existing tool stacks using the click of a button. Integrations include Active Campaign, Drip, FullStory, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Klaviyo, Intercom, MailChimp, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zendesk, and much more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Highly customizable survey templates
- No coding required
- Real-time analysis
Cons:
- Learning curve for those unfamiliar with more automated feedback collection
- Continuous customer responses may be overwhelming to navigate
Nextiva is a customer experience management solution that includes features such as VoIP phone service, CRM, live chat, and surveys. The software aims to help businesses improve their customer service and overall customer experience by providing tools and resources to enhance customer interactions and support.
Why I Picked Nextiva:
I chose Nextiva because it offers a comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools that cater to various aspects of customer interaction and management. These tools include language detection, transcription and summarization, and intelligent routing based on situation and skill, providing a more personalized and efficient customer experience. Additionally, Nextiva's platform includes real-time dashboards, workflow engines, and bot-to-agent-to-bot journeys designed to optimize both customer and agent interactions.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Nextiva also offers features like customer journey orchestration, which enables businesses to create, manage, and optimize customer journeys, and advanced workforce engagement management tools that include performance analytics and real-time monitoring. It also supports omnichannel communication and has intelligent virtual assistants and AI-driven chatbots.
Integrations include Microsoft Teams, Slack, ServiceNow, QuickBooks, SugarCRM, NetSuite, Oracle Sales Cloud, RingCentral, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, Zendesk, G Suite, Microsoft Outlook, and Mailchimp.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive analytics and reporting features
- AI-driven platform to help automate tasks
- Team collaboration tools
Cons:
- Many integrations are only available on higher-tier plans
- Wide range of features may take time to learn
Groove is a customer service platform designed to bring all customer interactions into a single, unified space. It's a particularly good fit for small teams in need of an organized, accessible, and efficient communication system.
Why I Picked Groove:
I selected Groove as it impeccably addresses the need for consolidated customer communication, especially for small teams. Its intuitive interface and capacity to streamline different channels of customer interactions into one place set it apart from the crowd. Given its potential to simplify and enhance customer communication, it truly shines as the best pick for small teams needing unified customer communication.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Groove offers a shared inbox, enabling team members to collaborate and respond to customer queries efficiently. Other features include Knowledge Base, which allows businesses to create and manage help articles, and reporting for tracking team performance.
Groove integrates well with applications like Slack, Gmail, and Jira, ensuring a smooth and continuous workflow. It also provides a Groove widget that can be integrated into any website or mobile app to offer real-time support to customers.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Robust integration options
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Unified inbox for efficient communication
Cons:
- Lacks multi-language support
- Limited customization options
- Advanced features require more expensive plans
Intercom is a messaging platform that provides a suite of tools for businesses to communicate with customers in a personal, efficient way. It offers a dynamic means of engaging with customers through targeted messaging, making it a go-to choice for businesses keen on delivering personalized experiences.
Why I Picked Intercom:
What sets Intercom apart is its ability to use custom bots within this messenger. These bots can automate part of the customer interaction, from guiding users through troubleshooting steps to qualifying leads before they reach a human agent.
The platform also allows for highly targeted messaging based on user behavior, which enables businesses to send personalized communications that are contextually relevant to each user.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Intercom's key features include automated targeted messaging, customer segmentation, and in-app messaging, which all contribute to its personalization power. Their real-time chat feature also makes for quick and effective communication.
Intercom integrates well with a host of applications such as HubSpot, Slack, and Salesforce. These integrations help consolidate customer data, making it easier for businesses to tailor their customer interactions.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Real-time chat feature
- Wide range of integrations
- Offers extensive personalization in messaging
Cons:
- Pricing is based on an annual billing system
- Advanced features come with higher-tier plans
- Price can be high for smaller businesses
Help Scout is a customer experience management (CXM) platform that helps businesses manage and improve their customer relationships. Designed with a shared inbox concept, it allows support teams to collaborate and resolve customer issues efficiently, making it a perfect fit for companies that place a premium on customer support.
Why I Picked Help Scout:
I chose Help Scout for this list due to its powerful features and a focus on fostering better customer relationships. The unique shared inbox approach sets Help Scout apart from other tools, providing teams the capability to work together effectively on customer queries. Its commitment to a superior customer experience makes it the best choice for companies looking to improve customer support.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Help Scout boasts of robust features such as a collaborative inbox, automated workflows, and reporting capabilities. The Knowledge Base feature stands out, allowing companies to create an easily accessible library of information for customers.
When it comes to integrations, Help Scout has ties with applications like Slack, Jira, and HubSpot. These integrations foster efficient data transfer and better collaboration, enhancing the overall customer support process.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Wide range of integrations
- Comprehensive Knowledge Base feature
- Shared inbox feature improves team collaboration
Cons:
- Billed annually, lacks a monthly payment option
- Limited advanced features in the basic plan
- Pricing is relatively high
UserVoice serves as a comprehensive platform to collect, analyze, and respond to customer feedback. This tool shines in enabling businesses to tap into customer insights and drive informed decision-making.
Why I Picked UserVoice:
UserVoice made it to my list because of its exceptional capabilities in managing customer feedback. It's not just about gathering feedback; it's how UserVoice transforms that feedback into actionable data that sets it apart.
Given its robust feedback analysis system, I consider it the best tool for businesses prioritizing customer insights for product or service improvements.
Standout Features & Integrations:
UserVoice offers a comprehensive set of features that include feedback forums, in-app widgets for feedback collection, and an intuitive dashboard for feedback analysis. Their standout feature is the SmartVote, which allows users to rank ideas, aiding businesses in prioritizing their improvements.
As for integrations, UserVoice plays well with a variety of applications like Zendesk, Salesforce, APIs, and Jira, to name a few. These integrations ensure smooth data flow between platforms, simplifying the feedback management process.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong third-party integrations
- Rich analytical dashboard
- Comprehensive feedback management
Cons:
- The interface may be complex for beginners
- Requires a minimum of 5 seats
- High starting price
Best for integrated customer experience management across various touchpoints
Zoho CRM Plus is a unified customer experience tool that facilitates the management of various customer-facing functions, such as marketing, sales, and customer service. By providing integrated services across different customer touchpoints, Zoho CRM Plus makes it easier to deliver better customer experiences.
Why I Picked Zoho CRM Plus:
I chose Zoho CRM Plus because of its ability to centralize multiple customer-facing functions into one platform. The omnichannel engagement feature ensures that all customer touchpoints, from emails to social media interactions, are unified, giving businesses a holistic view of their customer interactions.
Additionally, the process automation capabilities streamline routine tasks, allowing teams to focus on more strategic activities. The platform's AI-driven insights, powered by Zia, provide valuable analytics and automation, enabling businesses to predict customer behavior and tailor their interactions accordingly.
Standout Features & Integrations:
Zoho CRM Plus comes with features such as the SalesInbox, which prioritizes emails based on customer interactions, the survey module to facilitate customer feedback, the projects module for team collaboration, and unified analytics to provide deep insights across all modules. The platform also offers multi-channel customer support and extensive automation capabilities. Furthermore, its journey orchestration capabilities, predictive AI, and customer sentiment analysis tools provide useful insights for decision-making.
Integrations include Microsoft 365, Shopify, Slack, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, Zendesk, Pipedrive, Zoho Sign, Zoho Meetings, Zoho Bookings, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Built in AI features
- Integrates multiple customer-facing functions in a single platform
- Provides a holistic view of the customer journey
Cons:
- Interface can be overwhelming for new users due to a multitude of features
- Onboarding and setup might require a significant time investment
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| UserGuiding | From $89/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Zendesk | From $49/user/month. | Website |
| Dock | From $49/user/month | Website |
| Guru | From $10/user/month | Website |
| Sogolytics | From $25/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Survicate | From $59/month | Website |
| Nextiva | From $20/user/month, (billed annually). | Website |
| Groove | From $15/user/month | Website |
| Intercom | From $74/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Help Scout | From $22/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOther CX SoftwareOther CX Software
Below is a list of additional CX software that I shortlisted, but did not make it to the top 12. Definitely worth checking them out.
Selection Criteria for CX Software
Having spent countless hours evaluating dozens of customer experience management software solutions, I can attest to the fact that not all tools are created equal. In my quest for the best, I was specifically looking for software that excelled in core functionality, key features, and usability. Below, I delve into these criteria in more detail.
Core Functionality
For any customer experience management tool, there are a few functions that should be non-negotiable:
- Customer Journey Mapping: The tool should allow you to visually represent the steps customers go through when engaging with your company.
- Feedback Collection: The ability to collect feedback from various channels such as emails, surveys, social media, etc., is crucial.
- Data Analysis: A robust analytics capability is necessary for making sense of the feedback data.
- Reporting: The tool should be able to generate comprehensive reports to share insights with your team.
Key Features
When selecting a customer experience management tool, there are specific features that make a real difference:
- Multi-Channel Support: This allows for the collection of feedback from various sources for a holistic view of the customer experience.
- Integration: The tool should seamlessly integrate with other software such as your CRM or helpdesk.
- Customizability: You should be able to tailor surveys, dashboards, and reports to suit your specific needs.
- Real-Time Alert: Immediate notifications for customer feedback can help you act promptly and resolve issues faster.
Usability
Finally, the user experience of the tool itself is a major consideration. Here's what I was looking for:
- Intuitive Interface: A good customer experience management tool should be easy to navigate, with a clean design and clearly marked functions.
- Quick Onboarding: The tool should allow for a quick setup process, with straightforward instructions and ideally, templates to get started faster.
- Scalability: The tool should be able to grow with your business, handling increased data volume without compromising performance.
- Reliable Support: Access to prompt and helpful customer support ensures any technical hitches do not disrupt your customer experience tracking.
Most Asked Questions Regarding CX Software
What are the benefits of using customer experience (CX) software?
Using CX software offers numerous advantages to businesses:
- Improved Understanding of Customers: By gathering and analyzing feedback, CX tools provide insights into what customers like or dislike about your services or products. This knowledge helps to improve offerings and ultimately enhance customer retention and satisfaction.
- Efficient Feedback Collection: CX software automates the process of gathering customer feedback across multiple channels, which saves time and increases the reach of your feedback efforts.
- Proactive Problem Solving: With real-time alerts, CX tools allow businesses to quickly identify and resolve issues before they escalate, thereby preventing customer dissatisfaction.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: The data and analytics provided by CX software aid in making informed, strategic business decisions.
- Enhanced Customer Loyalty: By prioritizing customer experience and making improvements based on customer feedback, businesses can increase customer loyalty and retention.
How much does CX software cost?
The cost of CX software varies significantly depending on the complexity of the tool, the number of users, and the specific features required. Some platforms offer free versions, but these typically come with limitations.
What are the typical pricing models for CX software?
Most CX software uses either a per-user/month pricing model or a flat rate/month model. With per-user/month pricing, you pay a specific amount for each user who will be using the software. Flat rate pricing, on the other hand, means you pay a single monthly fee for the software, regardless of the number of users.
What's the typical range of pricing for CX software?
Prices for CX software can start from as low as $10/user/month and can go up to several hundred dollars per month for more advanced, enterprise-level solutions.
What is the cheapest and most expensive CX software?
Among the tools listed, Freshdesk offers one of the cheapest starting prices at $15/user/month. On the other end of the spectrum, Qualtrics CustomerXM is one of the more expensive options, with pricing available only upon request due to its highly customizable nature.
Are there any free CX software options?
Yes, some CX software offers free options. For example, Freshdesk provides a free tier with limited functionality. Wootric also offers a free plan but with limitations on the number of surveys you can send per month.
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Summary
To conclude, choosing the right Customer Experience (CX) software depends significantly on the specific needs of your business, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Each software comes with a unique set of features and capabilities aimed at different use cases, so understanding your own requirements is key.
Key Takeaways
- Assess Your Needs Start by identifying the core functionalities that your business requires. This could be anything from sentiment analysis to ticketing systems or omnichannel support. The best CX software for you will effectively address these needs.
- Consider Usability While features are important, the software should also be easy to use. A good CX platform will have an intuitive user interface and reliable customer support, ensuring you can make the most of the tool without unnecessary friction.
- Think about Future Scalability Finally, consider the scalability of the software. As your business grows, your CX needs might evolve. The software you choose should be able to scale with your business and adapt to changing customer expectations.
What Do You Think?
If you know of any other CX tools that you believe should be on this list, I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Your feedback is invaluable in helping to make this guide as comprehensive and helpful as possible, so please don't hesitate to get in touch!