If you are trying to compare Freshservice vs. Zendesk, you’re probably facing the daunting task of choosing a service desk software for your company. After talking with thousands of service desk buyers, we identified some everyday needs and pain points that the vast majority of organizations face while choosing the right service desk solution for their IT or Enterprise Service Management efforts.
So, we’ve put together this overview and comparison of Freshdesk, Zendesk, and InvGate Service Management to help you in your quest, based on the top help desk features they must provide. But before we start, don't forget that we have more ITSM tools comparisons for you.
Table of contents
- TL;DR
- What is Freshservice?
- What is Zendesk?
- Considering InvGate Service Management as an ITSM solution alternative
TL;DR
- Freshworks excels in key areas like ticketing and support, but concerns include stability, reporting, pricing, customization, integration challenges, and search functionality.
- Zendesk provides powerful features and customization options, yet it comes with pricing and customization constraints.
- InvGate Service Management offers streamlined ITSM solutions, emphasizing flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and a dual focus on ITSM and Enterprise Service Management.
Most looked-at features by buyers
When considering ITSM solutions, potential buyers place a high value on specific functionalities that meet their organization's needs. Identifying these desired features is critical to making an informed choice.
Let's look at the key features that prospective buyers often focus on when comparing ITSM tools.
- User experience and interface - Buyers evaluate the platform's user experience and interface, focusing on its ease of use and how it enhances user adoption and productivity. They appreciate an intuitive, user-friendly interface that promotes efficient interaction with the software. For organizations with remote or mobile workforces, mobile accessibility is also a critical consideration.
- Pricing and support - Buyers assess the solution's cost-effectiveness, considering licensing models, subscription plans, and any additional costs associated with features or users. The availability of customer support, documentation, and training resources significantly influences their decision-making process.
- Ticket Management solution - A comprehensive Ticket Management system is vital to buyers within their help desk software. This feature enables effective tracking, assignment, and resolution of customer inquiries and support requests.
- Scalability - Organizations experiencing growth and changing needs prioritize solutions that can easily adapt to their expansion and allow for customization. The solution should offer the ability to create custom fields, workflows, and extensions/plugins, enabling organizations to tailor it according to their unique business requirements.
- Support automation and Workflow Management - Buyers actively seek software solutions with automation capabilities to streamline everyday tasks such as ticket routing, approvals, and escalations. These automation features lead to improved efficiency and productivity.
- Customization and flexibility - Buyers appreciate software solutions offering customization options, enabling them to tailor the platform to their business needs. This flexibility ensures alignment with unique workflows and processes, enhancing user satisfaction and overall effectiveness.
- Seamless integration capabilities - Integration with other systems and applications is a crucial requirement for buyers, ensuring smooth data flow and process automation. Integrating with existing tools and platforms is highly valued for improved efficiency and a unified user experience.
- Streamlined IT service catalog - Organizations often require a service catalog that allows users to request specific IT services or resources. This feature simplifies service requests, provides visibility into available services, and facilitates effective service delivery management.
- Self-service portal and knowledge base - Buyers highly value a self-service portal as it empowers end-users to independently resolve common issues and access relevant information without direct assistance.
- Efficient Asset Management - Users prioritize software with robust IT Asset Management capabilities, aiding in accurate inventory maintenance and resource utilization optimization within their organizations.
- Insightful reporting - Buyers seek help desk software with powerful reporting tools, including dashboards and reports, providing valuable insights into IT operations and performance. This data-driven approach supports informed decision-making and continuous service improvement.
- ITIL compliance - Many organizations adhere to ITIL best practices for IT Service Management. Buyers may prioritize solutions that support ITIL processes, such as Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, and Asset Management, aligning with their organizational standards.
What is Freshservice?
Freshservice, created by Freshworks, is a cloud-based tool designed to help both small to medium-sized businesses and large enterprises effectively manage their IT services. It provides a wide range of functions, such as handling IT assets, resolving incidents and service requests, automating workflows, and offering a comprehensive knowledge base.
Freshservice is particularly notable for its user-friendly interface and has received an impressive rating of 4.5 out of 5 from Gartner. This high rating makes it a dependable choice for organizations looking to streamline their IT operations and provide outstanding employee service.
The company responsible for Freshservice, Freshworks, was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California, USA.
What users like from Freshservice
Users have responded positively to Freshservice, as confirmed by reviews from Gartner and G2. Some of the platform's strengths that have been praised include.
- User-friendly interface - The platform's interface is commended for its user-friendliness, allowing users to navigate easily and enhance their productivity.
- Knowledge base - This feature is highly regarded, empowering customers to find self-help resources and reducing the need for repetitive support requests.
- Ticketing system - Freshservice's ticketing system is lauded for its effectiveness in managing, tracking, and facilitating ticket collaboration. This ensures that customer queries and issues are promptly addressed and resolved.
- Automation and Workflow Management - Users appreciate Freshservice's automation capabilities, which streamline processes and enhance efficiency through workflows, automated responses, and escalations.
- Customer support - Freshservice's customer support has received accolades for being responsive and helpful. Knowledgeable teams address concerns promptly, ensuring a satisfactory user experience.
- Mobile app - Freshservice's mobile app is considered convenient for managing and accessing tickets on the go. It offers a user experience similar to the web version and facilitates efficient remote support.
What users don’t like from Freshservice
Nevertheless, despite its many strengths, Freshservice has not escaped criticism from users who have voiced concerns and dislikes about certain aspects of the platform. Analysis from sources like Gartner and G2 has highlighted the following drawbacks:
- A steep learning curve for advanced features - While users generally find the basic features user-friendly, some have faced challenges navigating and utilizing the more advanced functionalities.
- Limited customization - Some users feel Freshservice lacks customization options, particularly in ticketing workflows and interface personalization. They wish for greater flexibility to tailor the software to their specific requirements.
- Platform stability - Users have reported issues related to platform stability, including occasional system glitches, slow performance, and periods of downtime.
- Integration challenges - Users have encountered difficulties integrating Freshservice with third-party tools or systems.
- Limited reporting and analytics - Some users desire improved reporting capabilities in Freshservice, as they feel the current options are limited.
- Search functionality - Several users have experienced difficulties with the search feature, making locating specific information or tickets challenging.
- Pricing structure - Certain users have found Freshservice's pricing structure to be expensive, especially when additional features or agent licenses are needed. They are looking for more transparent and flexible pricing options.
What’s Freshservice’s argument over Zendesk?
When comparing Freshservice to Zendesk, the former presents a compelling argument based on the strengths that set it apart in the ITSM platforms. Here's an in-depth examination of Freshservice's advantages against Zendesk.
- User-friendly interface - Freshservice has a user-friendly interface that has garnered user praise. This ease of use allows both novice and experienced users to navigate the platform effortlessly.
- Ticketing system - Freshservice's ticketing system effectively manages, tracks, and facilitates ticket collaboration. This ensures that customer inquiries and issues are addressed and resolved promptly.
- Knowledge base - Freshservice's knowledge base feature empowers customers to find self-help resources easily. This means that users can access information and solutions independently, reducing their reliance on support requests.
- Automation and Workflow Management - Users appreciate Freshservice's robust automation capabilities, which streamline processes and enhance efficiency through workflows, automated responses, and escalations.
- Customer support - Freshservice's customer support has received accolades for being responsive and helpful. Knowledgeable teams promptly address concerns, ensuring a satisfactory user experience.
- Mobile app - Freshservice's mobile app is considered convenient for managing and accessing tickets on the go, providing a user experience similar to the web version. This facilitates efficient remote support.
What is Zendesk?
Zendesk for Service is a comprehensive solution created to meet the needs of IT Service Management in businesses.
Zendesk Inc. is a software development firm that specializes in delivering customer service solutions through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. This platform equips organizations with the necessary tools for individual customer interactions, predictive analytics for typical customer questions, data collection, customer engagement, and valuable insights. It serves customers worldwide across multiple regions, including Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and North America.
What users like from Zendesk
Customers have highlighted several benefits of Zendesk, as evidenced by reviews from reputable sources such as Gartner. Here are some of the benefits that have been recognized.
- Effective multichannel support - Zendesk excels in multichannel ticket management, seamlessly integrating with social media, chat applications, and conventional communication channels like email. This seamless integration ensures agents have a unified workspace conducive to efficient operations.
- Outstanding customization options - The user interface distinguishes itself with its exceptional customizability, allowing businesses to precisely tailor the platform to meet their unique needs and preferences.
- A diverse range of features - Zendesk has introduced a multitude of valuable features, including capabilities for multichannel messaging, workflow management through the flow builder, and advanced knowledge management tools. The presence of the Admin Center streamlines the configuration process, making it more manageable despite the platform's inherent complexity.
- Robust reporting and analytics - Zendesk Explore delivers a comprehensive suite of reporting and querying options, simplifying the process of informed decision-making and enabling robust performance tracking.
- Expansive app ecosystem - The platform offers an extensive marketplace comprising over 1,200 third-party applications and integrations. This resource proves invaluable for organizations seeking to expand their ITSM capabilities and functionalities.
What users don’t like from Zendesk
Although Zendesk has many strengths and positive attributes, customers have also voiced criticisms and concerns about certain aspects of the platform. These concerns have come to light through reviews from sources like Gartner. Here are some of the unfavorable aspects that have been highlighted.
- Shortcomings in reporting - While Zendesk's Explore tool offers a diverse range of reporting options, Enterprise plan users encounter notable restrictions regarding dashboard customizations. There is room for Zendesk to enhance this aspect, especially in relation to its pricing structure.
- Limited dashboard customization options - The ability to fully customize dashboards is constrained for users on lower-tier plans, as it is predominantly accessible at the Enterprise levels. This limitation can impede users' ability to tailor analytics views to meet their requirements.
- Considerations regarding integration and compatibility - While the software seamlessly integrates with third-party applications and Zendesk's CRM solution, Zendesk Sell, fully harnessing these capabilities, often necessitates opting for higher-tier plans.
- Pricing challenges across business sizes - Zendesk's pricing framework can pose difficulties for small to medium-sized enterprises. With an initial cost of $49 per agent per month, access to enterprise-level features typically requires opting for higher-cost plans.
What’s Zendesk’s argument over Freshservice?
When presenting Zendesk's argument over Freshservice, it's essential to highlight the distinct advantages and strengths that Zendesk brings to the table in the realm of customer service and IT support platforms. Here's an in-depth exploration of Zendesk's case against Freshservice.
- Effective multichannel support - The platform seamlessly integrates with various communication channels, including social media, chat applications, and conventional email. This integration ensures support agents have a unified workspace that promotes efficient operations.
- Outstanding customization options - Zendesk's user interface stands out for its exceptional customizability. Businesses can finely tailor the platform to suit their unique needs and preferences.
- A diverse range of features - Zendesk’s multichannel messaging capabilities, versatile workflow management tool, and advanced knowledge management tools make the platform extensive and adaptable.
- Robust reporting and analytics - The tool's reporting and analytics tool, Zendesk Explore, offers a comprehensive suite of reporting and querying options. This simplifies the process of informed decision-making and enables robust performance tracking.
- Expansive app ecosystem - Zendesk provides access to a vast marketplace with over 1,200 third-party applications and integrations. This resource proves invaluable for organizations seeking to expand their ITSM capabilities and functionalities.
Considering InvGate Service Management as an ITSM solution alternative
While Freshservice and Zendesk are well-established competitors in the ITSM industry, exploring alternative solutions that better meet your organization's specific needs is essential. In this regard, InvGate Service Management emerges as a compelling option that deserves thorough consideration.
Let's delve into the beneficial aspects of InvGate Service Management that make it a valuable choice for meeting your organization's ITSM requirements.
Exceptional user experience
InvGate Service Management prioritizes delivering an exceptional user experience through meticulous design and adherence to UI/UX best practices. Its intuitive interface encourages rapid adoption, reducing the need for extensive training and enabling users to be productive.
Simplified configuration and setup
InvGate Service Management offers a straightforward configuration and setup process, employing a no-code/low-code approach. This approach allows both novice and experienced users to implement the system without requiring extensive technical expertise. The platform expedites setup with user-friendly configuration options, enabling organizations to harness its potent ITSM capabilities quickly.
Cost-effective solution
InvGate Service Management delivers a cost-effective solution without compromising on functionality. It offers a comprehensive range of ITSM features at a competitive price, making it an attractive choice for organizations seeking affordability without sacrificing capabilities. Compared to alternatives like Freshservice and Zendesk, InvGate Service Management balances cost and functionality.
Customization and flexibility
InvGate Service Management provides flexible deployment options, giving organizations a choice between on-premise or cloud-based solutions. This flexibility ensures that the platform can adapt to the specific needs of various sectors and industries.
Effective Ticketing and Incident Management
InvGate Service Management excels in providing robust features for handling tickets and managing incidents efficiently. It facilitates the streamlined tracking, collaboration, and resolution of tickets, enabling IT teams to prioritize and address incidents effectively. With capabilities like automated ticket routing, customizable workflows, and SLA Management, InvGate Service Management enhances the efficiency of incident resolution processes.
Robust self-service capabilities
InvGate Service Management includes robust self-service functionalities, such as a user-friendly portal, an extensive IT service catalog, and a knowledge base. These capabilities empower end-users to independently resolve common issues, access a wide range of IT services, and utilize self-help resources, thus reducing the workload on IT staff.
Extensive reporting and analytics
InvGate Service Management offers comprehensive reporting and analytics functionalities, allowing organizations to glean valuable insights into their IT operations and performance. The platform provides ready-to-use reports and customizable dashboards, enabling IT teams to analyze data, identify trends, and make informed decisions to enhance their services.
Comprehensive Asset Management
By integrating InvGate Service Management with InvGate Asset Management, organizations gain a comprehensive view of their IT ecosystem, leading to improved service delivery and reduced downtime. InvGate Asset Management offers a range of features, including IT Asset Discovery, Inventory Management, Software License Management, and maintenance schedules.
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Fast ROI and continuous innovation
InvGate Service Management ensures a rapid return on investment through efficient implementation processes. Within weeks, organizations can start reaping the benefits of this robust ITSM solution. Furthermore, regular feature updates keep users at the forefront of technology without incurring additional costs.
ITSM focus with ESM potential
InvGate Service Management is purpose-built for ITSM while seamlessly extending its capabilities to Enterprise Service Management (ESM). It empowers operational departments to enhance their processes and fully embrace the advantages of digital transformation. With a primary focus on ITSM and strong performance in ESM, InvGate Service Management facilitates streamlined workflows and comprehensive digital transformation initiatives across all departments.
ITIL best practice compliance
InvGate Service Management has earned the prestigious PinkVERIFIED Certified certification, demonstrating its commitment to upholding ITSM excellence. Whether organizations are embarking on their ITIL journey or managing complex operations, InvGate Service Management offers a user-friendly and feature-rich experience that aligns with industry best practices.
Next steps
In the world of IT Service Management, the decision between Freshservice vs. Zendesk is a pivotal one. It's a choice that can significantly impact your organization's efficiency and the support you provide.
With numerous ITSM solutions available, a careful evaluation is imperative to ensure you select the right one for your needs. In this regard, InvGate Service Management is also a noteworthy contender. This platform offers a unique approach to ITSM with its focus on efficiency and digital transformation.
To assist you further in this decision-making process, download our free ITSM implementation checklist. This resource will guide you in mapping your next steps and ensuring a smooth transition to the ideal ITSM solution for your organization.
