Skip to main content

20 Best Email Help Desk Software Shortlist

Here's my pick of the 20 best software from the 25 tools reviewed.

Email help desk software helps support teams manage high volumes of customer emails with speed, structure, and accountability. If you’re buried in untracked emails or struggling to prioritize replies, email help desk tools can help you streamline ticketing, improve response times, and stay organized as your team scales.

I've shortlisted these top email help desk software after personally testing and researching their ability to turn messy inboxes into manageable workflows, with a focus on features that support both frontline agents and customer service leaders.

What is Email Help Desk Software?

Email help desk software is a tool that helps support teams manage, track, and respond to customer inquiries via email. It streamlines communication by centralizing messages, automating workflows, and improving visibility across the team.

The Best Email Help Desk Software Summary

Overviews of the 20 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.

Best for a robust ticket management system

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $15/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

For those in search of a dependable email help desk software, Freshdesk emerges as a solution that incorporates AI to manage customer interactions effectively. Designed for businesses focused on elevating their customer support, it transforms emails into support tickets, allowing your team to concentrate on delivering quality service without being bogged down by administrative duties. Freshdesk helps tackle the challenge of managing high volumes of customer inquiries, making it an attractive choice for companies looking to enhance their support capabilities.

Why I Picked Freshdesk

I picked Freshdesk for its robust ticket management system, which stands out in the realm of email help desk software by offering advanced features like AI-powered ticketing and parent-child ticketing. These functionalities allow your team to manage dependencies effectively and streamline workflows by consolidating related issues under a single master ticket. I appreciate the shared inbox feature, which centralizes conversations and facilitates team collaboration, ensuring that your support staff can address customer queries promptly. Additionally, the integration of Freddy AI not only automates repetitive tasks but also provides insightful analytics, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.

Freshdesk Key Features

In addition to its robust ticket management system, Freshdesk offers a variety of features that enhance email help desk operations for your team.

  • Customer Portal: This feature allows your customers to submit tickets and access resources on their own, fostering independence and reducing the load on your support team.
  • Analytics and Insights: Provides on-demand analysis of key metrics like customer satisfaction and first response time, helping you track performance and identify areas for improvement.
  • Self-Service Tools: Includes a multilingual knowledge base and community forums, enabling customers to find answers quickly and efficiently.
  • Routing and SLA Automation: Streamlines workflows by automating the dispatching of tickets and follow-ups, allowing your agents to focus on critical issues.

Freshdesk Integrations

Integrations include Microsoft Teams, Slack, WhatsApp, Google Drive, Shopify, Mailchimp, Trello, Salesforce, Jira, and HubSpot.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • AI-powered automation improves response times and customer satisfaction
  • Customer self-service options, including a knowledge base
  • Automation tools streamline ticket management and improve organization

Cons:

  • Creating tailored reports may require advanced skills or higher plans
  • Multilingual knowledge base only available on higher-tier plans

Best for centralizing email communications

  • Free trial available
  • From $26/seat/month (3 seat minimum)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

monday Service is a comprehensive platform designed for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises, across various industries such as IT, marketing, sales, and human resources. It's particularly beneficial for project managers, team leads, and department heads who require tools for project management, task automation, and collaboration.

Why I picked monday Service: monday Service's "Emails & Activities" feature allows users to send and receive emails directly within monday.com, creating a centralized hub for all customer communications. This integration supports the creation of email templates, logging of incoming and outgoing emails, and capturing meeting notes and events, ensuring that all interactions are well-documented and easily accessible.

Additionally, the software's no-code capabilities enable users to create custom applications and workflows tailored to their operational needs, enhancing productivity and efficiency with features like centralized project planning, deadline tracking, task assignment, and progress monitoring.

monday Service Standout Features and Integrations

Features include customizable dashboards, platform automations, Kaban boards, file management, time tracking, and a mobile app.

Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, GitHub, Outlook, Zendesk, Mailchimp, Typeform, Jira, and Google Drive.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Task automation
  • Unique visualization features
  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • Limited mobile functionality
  • Potential learning curve

New Product Updates from monday service

AI Copilot Enhances Ticket Resolution
AI assistant on monday service providing automated ticket resolution with confidence level settings.
June 22 2025
AI Copilot Enhances Ticket Resolution

The Monday service update introduces an AI copilot to auto-resolve tickets by responding to routine requests using past resolutions, with user-controlled confidence levels. For more details, visit monday.com/whats-new.

Best for delivering AI-powered customer support

  • Free plan available
  • From $25/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Hiver is a modern AI-powered help desk platform that makes email customer support simple and efficient. It brings all your customer queries into a familiar, email-like interface where you can assign tickets, track progress, and collaborate with teammates in real time.

Why I picked Hiver: Hiver’s AI capabilities make it an excellent choice for teams that want to maximize efficiency and deliver strong support even with limited bandwidth. This is because AI picks up a lot of the workload. For example, the AI Copilot helps agents respond to customers. It suggests contextual answers, drafts replies, fine-tunes tone, and rephrases messages to keep responses clear and on-brand, drawing from past conversations, internal knowledge, and stored documents. 

Its AI Agents help you set up autonomous workflows to handle FAQs, send follow-ups, detect thank-you closures, execute multi-step actions like refunds, and classify/route conversations by category, urgency, or sentiment. Hiver also offers AI Insights that turn every conversation into a learning opportunity. It helps you spot resolution bottlenecks, forecast potential issues, and surface account health risks before they escalate. Predictive models identify trends so teams can act early and continuously improve.

Hiver Standout Features and Integrations

Features include a shared inbox for assigning and tracking queries, along with collaboration tools like notes, @mentions, and shared drafts that keep teams aligned. It also offers workflow automations and SLA management to ensure timely responses, plus detailed analytics to monitor performance and customer satisfaction. The knowledge base helps agents avoid having to deal with common, frequently asked queries. 

Integrations include Aircall, Asana, Jira, Okta, QuickBooks, Salesforce, Slack, WhatsApp, and Zapier and 100+ other platforms.  

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong internal collaboration features
  • AI features embedded at all stages of customer support journey
  • Customer support from real humans available 24/7 via chat or email, across all plans (including free one)

Cons:

  • Compared to some other platforms, Hiver offers fewer third party integrations
  • Mobile experience isn’t as strong as the desktop one

New Product Updates from Hiver

Hiver's Layout Settings, Outlook Import, and Conversation Downloads
Hiver's interface showing the new download feature for email conversations.
August 24 2025
Hiver's Layout Settings, Outlook Import, and Conversation Downloads

Hiver's updates boost your email workflow with a new side-by-side interface, Outlook data import, and one-click conversation downloads for offline access. Visit Hiver’s official site for more information.

Best for collaborating and sharing information in real time

  • 15-day free trial
  • From $7/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

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

Best for automation and communication management

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $25/user/month (billed annually, minimum 10 seats)
Visit Website
Rating: 5/5

Front is a customer communication platform that offers a valuable set of features including omnichannel inbox management, live chat with AI chatbots, and collaboration tools.

Why I picked Front: I chose Front because of its centralized approach to managing all customer conversations across various channels and its ability to automate message routing. However, its unique selling point truly lies in its ability to offer the familiarity of email, the power of a help desk, and AI. Along with a single inbox feature, Front also provides AI chatbots for real-time customer assistance and collaboration tools for team members to work together on customer responses, making it a comprehensive and efficient solution for modern service teams.

Front Standout Features and Integrations

Features include centralized communication, shared inboxes, integration capabilities, collaboration tools, workflow automation, real-time analytics, multi-channel support, and customizable interfaces.

Integrations include over 110 systems, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Salesforce, Slack, Asana, Zoom, Gmail, Shopify, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Streamlines processes through automation
  • Team collaboration
  • Centralized communication

Cons:

  • Slow processing times for large scale use
  • Moderate learning curve

New Product Updates from Front

Dynamic Workflow Enhancement with Branching Rules
Build dynamic workflows with branching rules in Front.
October 12 2025
Dynamic Workflow Enhancement with Branching Rules

Front has introduced branching rules to create dynamic workflows from a single trigger, consolidating actions and improving efficiency. For more information, visit Front's official site.

Best for smart ticket organization

  • 7-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $25/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Tidio is a customer support platform that combines live chat, AI automation, and email-based helpdesk tools. It’s designed to help teams manage customer conversations across multiple channels from a single dashboard.

Why I picked Tidio: One thing I like is Tidio's smart ticketing system. You can turn emails, chats, and social messages into tickets, assign them to teammates, set priorities, and track their status. The system supports tagging, internal notes, and custom views, so your team can filter and organize tickets based on specific conditions. 

Another reason I chose Tidio is its AI-powered email automation. The Lyro AI Agent can handle routine customer requests by scanning incoming emails and responding to common issues. If the AI can't resolve the issue, it transfers the conversation to your team while preserving context. 

Tidio Standout Features and Integrations

Features include canned responses, custom ticket views, spam folder management, automatic responses, ticket status updates, ticket merging, sender address customization, ticket prioritization, internal notes, ticket tagging, customer satisfaction surveys, and SLA policies.

Integrations include Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, WIX, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Google Analytics, Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Zendesk.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Provides insights into team performance and customer satisfaction
  • Lyro AI handles a significant portion of customer inquiries
  • Multichannel support, including for chats, emails, and social media

Cons:

  • Limitations when integrating with certain third-party tools
  • Many automation features limited to higher tier plans

Best for collaborative email drafting

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $14/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Missive is email helpdesk software that gives teams a shared inbox and real-time collaboration tools to manage customer communications more effectively. You can chat internally on threads, assign tasks, and keep every message in context without switching platforms.

Why I Picked Missive: I picked Missive because its standout strength is collaborative drafting. Multiple team members can work together on the same email, add private comments, and resolve questions before sending replies. This keeps communication transparent and ensures accuracy when handling complex inquiries. I also liked that you can assign emails as tasks, so nothing gets missed, even in high-volume inboxes.

Missive Standout Features and Integrations

Features include a unified inbox that combines email, chat, SMS, and social messages, internal chatrooms for team discussions, and task management tools with assignments, statuses, and due dates. Automations can handle repetitive tasks, and security features like Single Sign-On (SSO) and SOC 2 compliance add peace of mind.

Integrations include Google Workspace, Office 365, WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS, ChatGPT, Zapier, Make, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong task assignment tools
  • Unified inbox across channels
  • Real-time collaborative drafting

Cons:

  • Occasional integration issues
  • Limited offline access

Best for multi-channel support

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $12/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Vision Helpdesk is a versatile help desk software designed to improve customer support operations. It provides a range of tools to manage customer interactions, making it a valuable asset for businesses looking to enhance their email support capabilities.

Why I picked Vision Helpdesk: One of the standout features of Vision Helpdesk is its multi-channel support, which allows you to handle customer inquiries from various sources, including email, in a single platform. This feature ensures that your team can manage all customer interactions without missing any important communications. Additionally, Vision Helpdesk's ticket management system allows for easy organization and prioritization of customer requests. This means your team can focus on resolving issues faster, improving overall customer satisfaction.

Another reason Vision Helpdesk is a great choice is its automation capabilities. The software offers features like SLA management and task automation, which help repetitive processes and ensure that your team meets service level agreements consistently. These functionalities not only save time but also reduce the chances of human error, which can lead to improved service quality. Moreover, the self-service portal empowers your customers to find answers to common questions on their own, reducing the load on your support staff.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include a self-service portal that lets your customers find answers without needing to contact support, which can significantly reduce the number of incoming tickets. There's also SLA management, which helps you define and track service level agreements to ensure your team meets customer expectations. Another useful feature is the software's ability to support multiple languages, making it a great option for businesses with a global customer base.

Integrations include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Hosted Emails, Office365, MS Exchange, SugarCRM, WHMCS, Clientexec, Twilio, Live Chat Inc, and Live!Zilla.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Client portal availability
  • Flexible ticketing options
  • Easy multi-brand management

Cons:

  • Customization requires technical skills
  • Limited advanced analytics

Best for incident tracking

  • 14-day free trial
  • Price on request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

HaloITSM is a versatile IT service management platform that supports the efficient handling of IT processes. It offers a suite of tools to improve service delivery, making it a great choice for teams aiming to enhance their helpdesk capabilities.

Why I Picked HaloITSM: I picked HaloITSM because of its strong incident management capabilities. This feature ensures your team can track and resolve issues, which is crucial for maintaining high-quality support. Additionally, the platform's email notifications keep everyone informed, reducing the chances of missing critical updates.

Another reason for choosing HaloITSM is its excellent knowledge base system. This feature empowers your team to create and manage support articles, helping users find solutions quickly without needing to send numerous emails. It supports a proactive approach to customer service, allowing you to reduce the volume of incoming queries.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include a service catalog that lets users request services with ease, ensuring all requests are tracked and managed. Its asset management capabilities help you keep track of your IT assets, providing visibility into your resources. Additionally, the change management feature allows you to handle changes systematically, minimizing disruptions to your services.

Integrations include RingCentral, Xero, Slack, Salesforce, TeamViewer, Cisco Webex, QuickBooks Online, Jira, AnyDesk, Azure Active Directory, Lansweeper, and Splashtop.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Detailed reporting tools
  • Automated ticket routing
  • Asset management features

Cons:

  • Limited mobile functionality
  • Occasional performance lags

Best for omnichannel communication

  • 7-day free trial
  • From $32.50/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

Froged is an omnichannel customer service platform designed to enhance communication and support for businesses of all sizes. By combining AI with human expertise, Froged provides tools that help optimize customer interactions across various channels, making it a valuable asset for any customer support team.

Why I Picked Froged: I picked Froged as a great email helpdesk software because of its robust help desk capabilities. It offers a comprehensive knowledge base that empowers support agents to assist customers more effectively. This feature ensures that your team can provide timely and accurate responses, improving overall customer satisfaction. Additionally, Froged's reporting tools allow you to monitor productivity in real-time. This means you can make informed, data-driven decisions that enhance your team's performance and service quality.

Standout Features & Integrations:

Features include campaign management, which helps you drive traffic and conversions through measurable campaigns. The omnichannel communication feature ensures that you can engage with customers seamlessly across different platforms. Lastly, Froged's real-time collaboration tools enable your team to work together more effectively, providing instant notifications to keep everyone in the loop.

Integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, Jira Software Cloud, Mailchimp, Google Sheets, Trello, ActiveCampaign, Pipedrive, and Zoho CRM.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy team collaboration
  • Effective conversation management
  • Supports multiple communication channels

Cons:

  • Limited customization options
  • Some features locked behind higher tiers

Best for improving team collaboration and communication

  • 7-day free trial + free demo
  • From $19/user/month (billed annually)

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:

  • Extensive collaboration features
  • Integrated analytics and reporting tools
  • Customizable email templates

Cons:

  • Limited integrations
  • Higher priced compared to other tools

Best for real-time data visualization

  • Free demo available
  • From $35/user/month

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:

  • Easy to import data
  • Customizable reporting features
  • Provides a wide range of integrations

Cons:

  • Limited mobile app functionality
  • Complex implementation

Best for integrating with other ecommerce platforms

  • Free trial + free demo available
  • From $10/month

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:

  • 24/7 customer support
  • Simple onboarding
  • Allows users to filter social media comments

Cons:

  • Plans have ticket limits
  • Limited integrations

Best for teams that need a wide range of customization options

  • 21-day free trial
  • From $699 (billed annually)

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:

  • Self-hosting option available
  • Easy reporting
  • Easily changes ownership of tickets

Cons:

  • Interface is not visually appealing
  • Workload reporting needs improvement

Best for connecting customer support, IT operations, and business teams

  • Freemium version + 7-day free trial available
  • Plans start at $47/agent/month

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:

  • Provides detailed reporting and analytics tools
  • Natively integrates with other Atlassian products
  • Powerful automation

Cons:

  • Limited email formatting options
  • Steep learning curve

Best for remote support and access capabilities

  • 14-day free trial available
  • Plans start at $108.25/month (billed annually)

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
  • Provides end-to-end file sharing
  • Technician console has a simple interface

Cons:

  • Doesn’t offer multiple screen access
  • Complex navigation buttons

Best for help desk asset management

  • Free trial + free demo available
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

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:

  • Provides various collaboration tools
  • Scalable solution
  • Easy to use

Cons:

  • Some users experienced false alerts
  • Reporting function could be improved

Best for improving agent motivation and performance through gamification

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $9/agent/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

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:

  • Easy to use
  • Good customer support
  • Customizable and intuitive interface

Cons:

  • Occasional glitches and bugs
  • Limited analytics and reporting capabilities

Best for creating an omnichannel customer experience

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $49/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

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:

  • Easy to set up
  • Provides multiple customization options
  • Modern and straightforward user interface

Cons:

  • Limited customization options for the lower-tier plan
  • Analytics dashboard is difficult to navigate

Best for issue tracking and management

  • Free trial available
  • From $27/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.1/5

IssueTrak is an issue-tracking and project management tool that helps software development teams, IT departments, and customer support teams efficiently manage and resolve issues. It provides a centralized platform for collaboration, tracking, and prioritization.

Why I picked IssueTrak: The software automates issue workflows based on customizable rules and criteria. This feature eliminates repetitive tasks and frees up time so your team members can focus on more strategic tasks. 

Additionally, IssueTrak offers advanced reporting and analytics capabilities that enable teams to track progress, measure performance, and gain valuable insights. For example, you can track which issues take the longest to resolve, which team members are the most productive, and which projects are falling behind schedule. Armed with this information, you can take corrective actions to improve the performance of agents.

These features make IssueTrack an all-in-one solution for project management, software development, and customer support teams.

IssueTrak Standout Features and Integrations

Features include issue management, branding and appearance, reporting, task management, knowledge management, issue forms, surveys, billing and invoices, identity management, asset management, web forms, and chat.

Integrations include Microsoft 365, Google Analytics, Gmail, Salesforce, Power BI, and thousands more through Zapier. You can also access the Issuetrak API for even more connections.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to use and flexible
  • Provides ticket templates
  • Offers several customizations

Cons:

  • Interface isn't modern
  • Issue search feature is slow

Other Options

Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best email helpdesk software list:

  1. EngageBay

    For an all-in-one marketing platform

  2. GreenRope

    For cloud-based access with marketing automation

  3. SysAid

    For automating IT operations and service desk tasks

  4. HubSpot Service Hub

    For integrating with the full HubSpot CRM platform

  5. HappyFox Help Desk

    For tracking customer feedback and sentiment

Email Helpdesk Software Selection Criteria

When selecting the best email helpdesk software to include in this list, I considered common buyer needs like managing high volumes of emails and ensuring timely responses. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:

Core Functionality (25% of total score)

  • Manage and organize customer emails
  • Track and respond to customer queries
  • Automate repetitive tasks
  • Provide reporting and analytics
  • Enable collaboration among support agents

Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)

  • AI-driven customer insights
  • Customizable dashboards
  • Multilingual support capabilities
  • Integration with social media channels
  • Advanced security features
  • Team collaboration tools

Usability (10% of total score)

  • Intuitive user interface
  • Easy navigation
  • Minimal learning curve
  • Customizable interface options
  • Mobile accessibility

Onboarding (10% of total score)

  • Availability of training videos
  • Interactive product tours
  • Access to templates and guides
  • Responsive chatbots for guidance
  • Webinars for in-depth learning

Customer Support (10% of total score)

  • 24/7 customer support availability
  • Multiple support channels
  • Knowledge base resources
  • Response time to queries
  • Quality of support interactions

Value For Money (10% of total score)

  • Competitive pricing
  • Flexible pricing plans
  • Features included in basic plans
  • Discounts for annual subscriptions
  • Overall cost-effectiveness

Customer Reviews (10% of total score)

  • Overall satisfaction ratings
  • Commonly mentioned pros and cons
  • Frequency of feature requests
  • User feedback on support experience
  • Testimonials on usability and value

How to Choose Email Helpdesk Software

It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind while choosing an email help desk tool:

FactorWhat to Consider
ScalabilityEnsure the software can grow with your business, handling increased email volumes and expanding agent teams without compromising performance.
IntegrationsCheck if the software integrates with your existing tools like CRM, chat, and social media platforms to create a cohesive support system.
CustomizabilityLook for options to tailor workflows, dashboards, and user roles to fit your team's specific needs and processes.
Ease of UseEvaluate the user interface and navigation to ensure your team can get up to speed quickly without extensive training.
BudgetCompare pricing plans and see what features are included at each level. Consider total cost of ownership, including any hidden fees or additional costs.
Security SafeguardsVerify the software complies with data protection regulations and offers features like encryption and access controls to keep customer data safe.
Support OptionsConsider the availability and quality of customer support, including 24/7 service, multiple contact channels, and self-help resources.
Reporting ToolsExamine the analytics and reporting capabilities to ensure you can track performance metrics and gain insights into customer interactions.

In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different email helpdesk software vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:

  • AI and Machine Learning: AI is becoming integral for predicting customer needs and automating responses. Tools like Zoho Desk use AI to provide insights and automate repetitive tasks, helping your team focus on complex issues.
  • Omnichannel Support: Customers want to connect through various channels. Email helpdesk software is now integrating chat, social media, and voice support, allowing teams to manage all interactions in one place.
  • Self-Service Portals: Companies are empowering customers to resolve issues on their own. Software like Freshdesk offers comprehensive self-service options, reducing the burden on support teams and improving response times.
  • Personalization Features: Personalizing customer interactions is key. Some tools now offer options to tailor responses based on customer history and preferences, enhancing the overall customer experience.
  • Advanced Analytics: Businesses need insights into customer interactions. New analytics features are helping teams track performance metrics and identify trends, making it easier to improve service quality.

Features of Email Helpdesk Software

When selecting email helpdesk software, keep an eye out for the following key features:

  • AI-driven insights: Analyze customer data to predict needs and automate responses, helping your team focus on complex issues.
  • Omnichannel support: Manage customer interactions across email, chat, and social media from a single platform for efficient communication.
  • Self-service portals: Allow customers to resolve their own issues, reducing the load on support teams and improving response times.
  • Customization options: Tailor workflows, dashboards, and user roles to fit your team's specific needs and processes.
  • Advanced analytics: Track performance metrics and identify trends to improve service quality and customer satisfaction.
  • Automation tools: Automate repetitive tasks and processes to save time and increase efficiency.
  • Security and compliance safeguards: Ensure data protection with features like encryption and access controls to keep customer information safe.
  • Integration capabilities: Connect with existing tools like CRM and social media platforms to create a cohesive support system.
  • Personalization features: Customize interactions based on customer history and preferences to enhance the customer experience.
  • Mobile accessibility: Access the helpdesk on the go to stay connected and responsive to customer needs anytime, anywhere.
  • Team collaboration tools: Features enabling teams to work together, like shared inbox management and private comments.

Benefits of Email Help Desk Software

Implementing email helpdesk software provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:

  • Improved response times: Automating tasks and managing interactions through omnichannel support helps your team respond to customers more quickly.
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction: Providing personalized interactions and self-service options leads to a more satisfying customer experience.
  • Increased efficiency: Automation tools and AI-driven insights reduce manual work, allowing your team to focus on more complex customer issues.
  • Better data management: Advanced analytics and integration capabilities help you track performance and gain insights into customer interactions.
  • Scalability: Customization options and mobile accessibility ensure the software can grow with your business and adapt to changing needs.
  • Cost savings: Reducing the need for manual processes and improving efficiency can save your business time and money.
  • Stronger security: Security safeguards protect customer data, ensuring compliance with regulations and building trust with your users.

Implementation Options for Email Help Desk

When setting up an email help desk, businesses must evaluate key factors such as technical requirements, customization options, and deployment models. Choosing the right implementation method ensures seamless customer support, scalability, and operational efficiency.

Technical Requirements

Before deploying an email help desk, consider:

  • Infrastructure Compatibility – Ensure the software integrates with existing email systems (e.g., Outlook, Gmail) and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
  • Automation Capabilities – Look for features like ticket routing, auto-replies, and workflow automation to improve efficiency.
  • Security & Compliance – Verify encryption standards, data retention policies, and compliance with regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).

Customization Possibilities

  • Branding & Personalization – Choose software that allows custom email templates, signatures, and branded responses.
  • Workflow Configuration – Ability to tailor ticket categories, escalation rules, and user roles to fit organizational needs.
  • Integration Options – Ensure compatibility with third-party tools, such as live chat, knowledge bases, and reporting dashboards.

Deployment Models

Organizations can choose from different deployment methods based on budget, IT resources, and business goals:

a. Cloud-Based Help Desk

  • Pros: Quick setup, automatic updates, remote accessibility, and lower upfront costs.
  • Cons: Limited customization, dependency on internet connectivity, and ongoing subscription fees.

b. On-Premise Help Desk

  • Pros: Greater control over security, data ownership, and customization.
  • Cons: Requires dedicated IT resources, higher initial costs, and ongoing maintenance.

c. Hybrid Deployment

  • Pros: Combines cloud accessibility with on-premise control, offering flexibility for businesses with compliance needs.
  • Cons: More complex setup and potential integration challenges.

By assessing these factors, businesses can select the best implementation strategy for their email help desk, ensuring efficient customer support and seamless operations.

Costs and Pricing of Email Helpdesk Software

Selecting email helpdesk software requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in email helpdesk software solutions:

Plan Comparison Table for Email Help Desk Software

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free Plan$0Basic ticket management, email support, and limited reporting.
Personal Plan$5-$25/user/monthEmail management, basic automation, and customer support integration.
Business Plan$30-$50/user/monthAdvanced automation, multi-channel support, and detailed analytics.
Enterprise Plan$60-$100/user/monthCustom workflows, AI-driven insights, and premium customer support.

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:

What security and compliance measures should email help desk software have?

You should look for help desk software that offers end-to-end encryption, robust access controls, detailed audit logs, and automatic backups. Make sure it supports compliance standards relevant to your industry, like GDPR, PCI DSS, or HIPAA, especially if you handle sensitive customer data. Vendor certifications and regular security updates are also important for protecting both customer and agent information.

How does email help desk software handle spam and junk emails?

Most email help desk tools come with built-in spam filters and allow you to set custom rules. You can flag or automatically route suspected spam to specific folders. For call centers, this means agents spend less time sorting through irrelevant messages and more time resolving real customer issues. You can also whitelist and blacklist addresses to improve accuracy.

How can I measure agent performance using email help desk software?

You can track agent performance using metrics like ticket resolution time, first response time, customer satisfaction scores, and email volume handled. Most platforms offer real-time dashboards and reporting, so you can identify training needs, reward top performers, and manage workloads efficiently. Many also integrate with workforce management tools for a full view of team productivity.

What integrations should I look for in email help desk software for my call center?

Look for software that integrates with your CRM, call center phone systems, live chat, and workforce management tools. This helps you keep customer data aligned across channels, automate repetitive tasks, and improve your team’s workflow. API support and pre-built connectors for platforms like Salesforce, Zendesk, or Microsoft Teams are especially useful.

Can email help desk software support omnichannel customer service in my contact center?

Yes, many email help desk solutions offer omnichannel features, letting you manage email, chat, social media, and calls from a single interface. This helps agents deliver consistent responses and makes it easy for customers to reach you by their preferred channel. Integration with your CRM and ticketing system ensures all interactions are tracked in one place.

How do automation features in email help desk tools improve my team's efficiency?

Automation features, like auto-ticket routing, canned responses, and SLA reminders, speed up common workflows and reduce manual work. You can set rules to assign tickets based on availability or expertise, auto-escalate unresolved issues, and trigger alerts for urgent requests. This helps your team prioritize high-value tasks and lets agents focus on more complex customer needs.

Are you looking for a different type of help desk software? You may want to check out these other top 10 lists 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.

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.

Tim Fisher
By Tim Fisher

Tim brings over two decades of experience leading at the crossroads of tech, editorial, and AI innovation. From launching and scaling Lifewire into a top-ranked tech site, to spearheading AI operations at People Inc., he’s spent his career building systems that connect people with smarter solutions. His favorite problems are the ones that unlock new possibilities when properly solved. For Tim, problems are just undiscovered opportunities, and AI has opened the door to solving challenges once thought immovable. When he’s not tinkering with large language models, Tim is either re-reading Project Hail Mary, or eating Mexican food.