10 Best Email Help Desk Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
With so many different email help desk software solutions available, finding the right one for your needs is tough. You know you want software to help you track, prioritize, and resolve customer issues effectively, but you need to figure out which system is best. In this article, I'll help you make this choice easier by sharing my insights on the best email help desk software to optimize your customer support workflows.
What is Email Help Desk Software?
Email help desk software are customer support tools that enables businesses to manage and respond to customer inquiries via email. They help organizations manage large volumes of customer inquiries efficiently and provide a structured framework for delivering timely and effective support. They include standard features like ticket management, automated responses, collaboration tools, analytics and reporting, and customizable workflows, which help businesses streamline their email support operations and provide a better customer experience.
Email help desk software aims to streamline customer support operations by centralizing email communications, improving response times and resolution times, and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Overviews of the 10 Best Email Help Desk Software
You can use the simple overviews of each tool below to understand how each tool stands out from other email help desk software.
Zendesk is help desk software that enables businesses to provide a consistent customer support experience across all channels, such as email, phone, social media, and chat.
Why I picked Zendesk: The best feature of Zendesk is its automated routing and escalation feature. The software automatically routes tickets to the appropriate support agent based on their expertise, which ensures that the right team member handles the query.
Also, the software is scalable and grows with your business. For example, if you currently use email to talk with your customers but want to add more support channels, Zendesk will come in handy. The best part is that your support agents can access all the conversations in one place.
Zendesk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a knowledge base, answer bot, community, performance dashboard, net promoter score (NPS) survey, satisfaction prediction, CSAT rating, triggers, multi-tab interface, multiple language support with dynamic content, skills-based routing, help desk automation, agent collision detection, Zendesk SLA views, and automated ticket sharing.
Integrations include Harvest, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Slack, Haptik, Klaus, Nicereply, Kaizo, Survey, Botmind, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Modern and straightforward user interface
- Provides multiple customization options
- Easy to set up
Cons:
- Analytics dashboard is difficult to navigate
- Limited customization options for the lower-tier plan
Zoho Desk is AI-enabled help desk software that helps users manage customer conversations over email, phone, chat, and social media.
Why I picked Zoho Desk: It has an intelligent virtual assistant called Zia, which automates several tasks. For example, it can categorize tickets, suggest solutions to queries, and predict customer satisfaction levels.
Zoho Desk also provides features for your support agents, managers, and customers. For example, self-service features such as Knowledge Base and Community help customers find answers themselves, while the reporting and analytics features help managers analyze the performance of the support agents.
Another great aspect of the software is that it natively integrates with other Zoho applications such as Zoho CRM, Zoho SalesIQ, Zoho Analytics, and more. This allows businesses to create a centralized hub for customer data and support and facilitates collaboration between different teams.
Zoho Desk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include ticket management, auto-tag tickets, sentiment analysis, Zia notifications, Zia dashboard, reply assistant, self-service tools, CRM integration, custom functions, SDKs, marketplace and platform, APIs, reports and dashboards, time tracking, multi-brand help center, domain mapping, and user and access management.
Integrations include Twilio, RingCentral, Amazon Connect, Ozonetel, Exotel, Knowlarity, Jive, sipgate, JustCall, ringover, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Clean, intuitive interface that is easy to navigate
- Extensive customization options
- Offers a wide range of features
Cons:
- Learning curve on advanced features
- Limited reporting on lower tier plans
NinjaOne is a cloud-based help desk software with a centralized platform for managing IT organizations' customer support requests and inquiries.
Why I picked NinjaOne: The software acts as a single source of truth for all IT requirements. It combines ticket management and IT asset management tools in a single platform. It also includes remote monitoring and management features (RMM).
With it's intuitive UI and large selection of integrations, NinjaOne can streamline help desk processes for both IT teams and clients. And the software can be deployed quickly and easily without the need for complex installation and configuration processes.
NinjaOne Standout Features and Integrations
Features include device management, ITIL policy compliance, asset management, remote monitoring, asset tracking, application deployment, patch management, ticketing, remote access, service management, constant monitoring, and timely alerts.
Integrations include TeamViewer, Splashtop, Connectwise, SentinelOne, Bitdefender, Webroot, Malwarebytes, Okta, OneLogin, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Scalable solution
- Provides various collaboration tools
Cons:
- Reporting function could be improved
- Some users experienced false alerts
Rescue helps businesses resolve end users' technical issues. Technicians can remotely connect to the end-user's device and solve any problems at the source.
Why I picked Rescue: One of the best features of Rescue is that it helps agents connect to inactive devices. Agents can access a computer system's information, such as operating system version and hardware configuration. And the scripting feature allows technicians to create and execute custom scripts to automate common support tasks.
Other notable features of the software include email ticketing, customizable email templates, and email notifications. Additionally, Rescue integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Gmail, allowing support technicians to manage customer requests directly from their email inboxes.
Rescue Standout Features and Integrations
Features include real-time monitoring and reporting, screen sharing, remote control, diagnostics, file transfer, unattended machine access, customization and branding, APIs and mobile SDK, scripting, agent collaboration, predefined support channels, agent and administrator management, mobile device configuration, and SDK for in-app support.
Integrations include ServiceNow, Salesforce + Lightning, Microsoft Dynamics, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Autotask, HappyFox, Agiloft, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Enables technicians to gain unattended access
- Technician console has a simple interface
- Provides end-to-end file sharing
Cons:
- Complex navigation buttons
- Doesn’t offer multiple screen access
Gorgias is customer support software that helps ecommerce brands serve their customers efficiently and with more information.
Why I picked Gorgias: It integrates with various ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce, and automatically pulls order information and customer data. This enables support agents to get a complete view of the customer's purchase history. Also, agents can directly refund or edit orders from Gorgias so they won't have to go to the ecommerce platform.
Additionally, it provides ticket management tools that help users organize, prioritize, and solve support requests. Best of all, it integrates with social media channels and lets users respond to social media comments without leaving the Gorgias dashboard.
Gorgias Standout Features and Integrations
Features include ticket creation, ticket response, automated response, attachments/screencasts, ticket collaboration, customer/contact database, knowledge base, automation, notifications, tickets, and macros.
Integrations include Recharge, Postscript, Instagram, Facebook, Stonly, WhatsApp and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Allows users to filter social media comments
- Simple onboarding
- 24/7 customer support
Cons:
- Limited integrations
- Plans have ticket limits
Best for connecting customer support, IT operations, and business teams
Jira Service Desk is IT service management software that gives customers and employees a self-service portal they can use to get help quickly.
Why I picked Jira Service Desk: A cool feature of Jira is that it uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand the intent of customer requests. Then, it automatically routes the request to the appropriate team or agent. This feature will help you deliver a personalized and efficient customer support experience.
Other notable features include customizable email notifications that organizations can use for customers and support agents, as well as email-based workflows that allow you to assign tickets to specific support agents, set due dates, and track ticket status.
Jira Service Desk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include request management, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), incident management, problem management, change management, asset management, knowledge management, self-service, reports and metrics, and REST API.
Integrations include Slack, Google Sheets, Salesforce, Trello, Typeform, Google Chat, Survicate, EvaluAgent, Simplesat, Ybug, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Powerful automation
- Natively integrates with other Atlassian products
- Provides detailed reporting and analytics tools
Cons:
- Steep learning curve
- Limited email formatting options
TOPdesk is an IT Service Management (ITSM) and Facilities Management (FM) solution for medium and large-sized organizations.
Why I picked TOPdesk: The software offers change management features that help organizations to plan, implement, and track changes to their IT and facilities infrastructure in a controlled and structured manner. The platform provides a centralized location for all change requests and ensures that all changes are properly planned, documented, approved, and implemented.
It also offers a knowledge management system that enables users to search for and access information about common issues and solutions, reducing the need for support staff. Additionally, TOPdesk automatically categorizes service requests based on the content of the email, making it easier to route tickets to the appropriate support teams.
TOPdesk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include incident management, asset management, self-service portal, dashboard and reporting, knowledge base, and a sandbox environment.
Integrations include Tenjin, Dstny, Novadoc AI, Echo, Testersuite, QR Connect, Evidos, iFinder, Embrace Social, NIVO Identity Management Software, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Provides a wide range of integrations
- Customizable reporting features
- Easy to import data
Cons:
- Complex implementation
- Limited mobile app functionality
HelpSpot is ticketing software that best serves businesses with complex support needs.
Why I picked HelpSpot: It helps businesses create their own custom fields, workflows, and rules, enabling them to tailor the platform to their specific requirements. For example, it provides email templates that can be tailored to a business's branding and style preferences. It also provides tools for managing customer data, such as custom tags and user fields, which you can use for customer segmentation.
In addition, HelpSpot offers time-tracking tools, which enable users to track time spent on email support. The reporting and analytics features help users track email volume, response times, and other key performance indicators to monitor support team performance and identify areas for improvement.
HelpSpot Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a shared inbox, knowledge base, reporting, a self-service portal, email management, contact forms, advanced search, batch operations, ticket interface, time tracking, merge tickets, volume reports, speed reports, comparison matrix, email reports, SLAs and automation rules, automatic assignment, recurring tickets, portal templates, and hosting.
Integrations include Chatra, Updown.io, AppFollow, SMS by Zapier, Code by Zapier, Jira Software Server, HubSpot, Email Parser by Zapier, Mailparser, Facebook Groups, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easily changes ownership of tickets
- Easy reporting
- Self-hosting option available
Cons:
- Workload reporting needs improvement
- Interface is not visually appealing
Front is a popular email collaboration tool designed to centralize customer communication for teams that manage high volumes of email inquiries.
Why I picked Front: If you want to communicate with customers through a personal email address rather than a group email address, then Front is for you. It lets you connect email, SMS, and social media in a single inbox. Features like inboxes, message templates, canned responses, rules, and automation help support agents become more productive.
Front also lets users see the conversation history and customer context in one place. This feature gives agents a complete picture of previous interactions, which can help them provide more personalized and effective support. Front also offers collaboration features, such as comments and assignments, that allow teams to work together and ensure that customers receive timely and accurate responses.
Front Standout Features and Integrations
Features include multi-channel messaging, live chat, team collaboration, calendar and one-click meeting scheduling, basic automation, CRM integration, analytics, advanced workflows, smart rules, user and team management, onboarding and solution design, change management, security, and compliance.
Integrations include Zapier, Drift, Aircall, Zoom, Salesforce, Clearbit, JIRA, Shopify, Slack, Pagato, Dropbox, Guru, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable email templates
- Integrated analytics and reporting tools
- Extensive collaboration features
Cons:
- Higher priced compared to other tools
- Limited integrations
LiveAgent
Best for improving agent motivation and performance through gamification
LiveAgent is customer support software that will consolidate all your customer support channels into a ‘universal’ inbox.
Why I picked LiveAgent: The platform provides gamification features, which are designed to motivate and engage support agents by turning their daily tasks into a game. This feature uses a points-based system to track performance metrics, such as response time and customer satisfaction. It rewards agents with badges and rankings based on their performance.
It connects with your social media, phone, email, and knowledge base and organizes incoming messages into a unified, easy-to-use interface. It also offers a native live chat feature that you can customize to your brand’s look and feel. One unique aspect of the live chat is its proactive chat feature, which allows agents to reach out to customers and offer assistance before they initiate a chat themselves.
LiveAgent Standout Features and Integrations
Features include ticketing system, live chat features, call center features, social media help desk features, customer service reporting, gamification in customer service, customer portal features, mobile desk apps, help desk security, web contact cards, and integrations.
Integrations include Monema, Adiptel, Feederloop, Everhour, Sangoma, Zoiper, Linphone, OneTone, Equada, Telnyx, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable and intuitive interface
- Good customer support
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Limited analytics and reporting capabilities
- Occasional glitches and bugs
The Best Email Help Desk Software Summary
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Zendesk | From $19/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Zoho Desk | From $20/user/month | Website |
| NinjaOne (formerly NinjaRMM) | Customized price upon request | Website |
| Rescue | Plans start at $108.25/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Gorgias | From $10/month | Website |
| Jira Service Desk | Plans start at $47/agent/month | Website |
| TOPdesk | Customized price upon request | Website |
| HelpSpot | Plans start at $19/agent/month | Website |
| Front | From $19/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| LiveAgent | From $9/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 Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best email helpdesk software list:
- Issuetrak
Best for issue tracking and management
- Freshdesk
Best for a robust ticket management system
- GreenRope
Best for cloud-based access with marketing automation
- Vision Helpdesk
Best for centralizing customer conversations via email, web portal, Twitter, Facebook, phone, and chat
- SysAid
Best for automating IT operations and service desk tasks
- EngageBay
Best for an all-in-one marketing platform
- Froged
Best for knowledge base management or self service features
- HaloITSM
Best for asset management, change management, and problem management
- Hubspot Service Hub
Best for integrating with the full HubSpot CRM platform
- HappyFox Help Desk
Best for tracking customer feedback and sentiment
How I Selected The Best Email Help Desk Software
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best email help desk software for this list. To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of email help desk software with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of CX Lead experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best email help desk software for this article.
Usability
Usability is critical when selecting the best email help desk software because it directly affects the efficiency of managing customer support requests. A user-friendly email help desk software enables support agents to quickly and easily manage, categorize, and respond to customer inquiries.
Standout Features
While usability is essential, the best email help desk software will also offer unique and powerful features that set it apart from competitors. These features include automation capabilities, integrations with other tools, and advanced reporting and analytics capabilities.
Software Integrations:
Integrations with other software tools are essential for email help desk software because they allow support agents to access customer data easily. Integration with CRM systems, in particular, is critical for ensuring that support agents have access to a complete customer profile, including previous interactions, purchase history, and other relevant information.
Integration with other communication channels, such as social media and chat platforms, is essential for providing a seamless omnichannel customer experience.
Pricing:
Pricing is another important factor when selecting the best email help desk software. While evaluating the pricing models, one should look at the total cost, including any implementation fees or ongoing maintenance costs. However, remember that cost shouldn't be the only factor when deciding.
People Also Ask
Do you have general questions about how email help desk software works? These answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) should point you in the right direction:
Why should you use an email help desk?
Email is a vital channel for communicating with customers. Research found that 62% of customers prefer email over other channels for customer service communication. However, while email is a popular channel for communication among customers, email management can be a long, tedious process for customer support teams. There are better solutions for handling customer support.
With a shared inbox, it can be difficult to establish who is responsible for a support query, leading to confusion and delays among customer support teams. Instead, you need email help desk software or an email ticketing system. These tools convert incoming customer emails into support tickets. These support tickets are easy to organize, assign, manage, and track.
With an email help desk solution, you can assign tickets to the right customer service team member, prioritize tickets based on urgency, manage overall ticket volume, and measure key performance indicators. Also, it will ensure that support requests don’t get lost in an inbox.
For more details, see our breakdown of how help desk software can help your business.
How does an email ticketing system work?
An email ticketing system is a type of customer support software that allows businesses to manage and respond to customer inquiries sent via email. It works by automatically converting each email inquiry into a ticket, which can then be tracked and managed using a range of tools and features.
Automated responses can be set up to acknowledge receipt of the email, and collaboration tools allow team members to work together to resolve customer issues efficiently. Overall, an email ticketing system helps businesses provide prompt and effective customer support, improving the customer experience and enhancing brand loyalty.
What are the key features of email help desk software?
Some key features of email help desk software include:
- Ticket management: It should help you organize, manage, monitor, and track tickets.
- Automation: It should enable you to automate repetitive manual tasks.
- Omnichannel support: It should provide you with an integrated interface for managing multiple communication channels, such as social media, phone calls, and text messages.
- Analytics and reporting: It should have robust analytics and reporting tools to help you track and measure your customer support processes.
- Customizable workflow: It should allow you to tailor it to meet your specific needs.
Who uses an email help desk?
Email help desk software is used primarily by customer support teams across numerous industries. However, they’re also used by a wide range of organizations and businesses that provide customer support or rely on email as a primary communication channel, such as IT departments, service-based businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
How does email help desk software handle spam and junk emails?
When you are swamped with emails, there is nothing more annoying that having to wade through spam emails as well. Luckily, email help desk software typically includes features to handle spam and junk emails effectively. Here are some common methods used by email help desk software to manage spam and junk:
- Spam Filters: Email help desk software often incorporates robust spam filters that use advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to automatically identify and filter out spam emails. These filters analyze various factors such as email content, sender reputation, and known spam patterns to determine the likelihood of an email being spam.
- Blacklisting and Whitelisting: The software usually allows administrators to create blacklists and whitelists. Blacklists contain known spam email addresses or domains that should be blocked, while whitelists include trusted email addresses or domains that are always allowed through. This helps in preventing legitimate emails from being mistaken as spam and ensures that known spam sources are blocked.
- Bayesian Filtering: Bayesian filtering is a statistical approach used by some email help desk software. It analyzes the content and characteristics of incoming emails to determine the probability of them being spam. This filtering technique adapts and learns from user feedback over time to improve its accuracy in identifying spam emails.
- Manual Review and Flagging: In cases where the software is uncertain about the classification of an email, it can route the email to support agents for manual review. Agents can review the email content and sender details to make a final determination whether it is spam or a legitimate inquiry. They can then flag or mark the email accordingly.
- User Feedback: Some email help desk software allows users to provide feedback on emails, identifying false positives or false negatives. This feedback helps the software’s spam filters improve and become more accurate over time.
It’s important to note that while email help desk software can effectively handle spam and junk emails, no system is perfect, and some spam messages may occasionally slip through. Regular monitoring and periodic adjustments to the spam filters and settings are necessary to maintain optimal performance in handling spam.
What is the difference between a help desk system and ticketing software?
While there can be some overlap between the terms, help desk systems and ticketing software generally refer to different aspects of customer support and issue resolution. Here’s a breakdown of their key differences:
Help Desk Software:
A help desk system is a comprehensive software solution designed to manage and support customer inquiries, requests, and issues. It serves as a centralized hub for customer support teams to handle and resolve various types of inquiries, whether they come through email, phone calls, live chat, or other communication channels.
Help desk systems typically offer a range of features beyond ticketing, such as knowledge base management, community forums, customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, reporting and analytics, team collaboration tools, and more. The primary focus of a help desk system is to provide a holistic support solution that enables efficient and effective customer service across multiple channels.
Ticketing Software:
Ticketing software, on the other hand, is a specific component or feature of a help desk system or can be a standalone tool. It revolves around the management of support tickets, which are individual records or tickets that represent customer inquiries or issues. Ticketing software allows support agents to create, track, prioritize, and resolve these tickets systematically.
These tools typically includes features like ticket assignment, status tracking, ticket escalation, collaboration tools, and customer communication management. Ticketing software focuses specifically on organizing and streamlining the workflow of support tickets, ensuring that they are addressed promptly and efficiently.
Other Help Desk Software Reviews
Are you looking for a different type of help desk software? You may want to check out these other top 10 lists as well:
- Help Desk Software: Reviewed & Compared
- Help Desk Software for Small Businesses
- Help Desk Knowledge Bases for Customer Service
- Online Help Desk Software
- Simple Help Desk Software for Ease of Use
- Internal Help Desk Software
- Enterprise Help Desk Software
- Cloud Help Desk Software
- Best Free Help Desk Software
If you need a little more help refining your selection process, we have several tips to help you choose help desk software as well.
Conclusion
Today’s customer expects more than a good product or service. They also want an excellent support experience, which can be an important factor in deciding whether they will purchase from you or not. Although there are several elements to a good customer support experience, online help desk software can be a handy tool.
I hope my review of the best email help desk software helped you in your search. If you’d like to read more about how to improve your customer experience, sign up for our newsletter.