They say all good things in life are free. But then, why are the best customer service tools so expensive?
Well, they don’t always have to be. Some powerful yet free customer service software options are available on the market that can get your team up and running for zero dollars.
Whether you’re a small business looking for an affordable solution or a large team looking to take advantage of a free trial offer, there’s something here for everyone. Let’s dive in!
What Is Free Customer Service Software?
Free customer service software refers to tools and platforms designed to help businesses manage and improve their customer support operations without incurring any cost.
These software solutions often include features like ticketing system, live chat, email management, and knowledge bases, which aim to streamline communication between businesses and their customers.
Free customer service software can take two forms: those that offer a free plan with limited features or user capacity and those that provide a free trial for a limited period.
The former allows businesses to use essential functionalities indefinitely, making it ideal for small teams or startups. The latter allows businesses to test the full suite of features before deciding whether to invest in a paid plan.
Read More: 20 Best Customer Service Tips for Small Business
Which Is the Best Free Customer Service Software?
Running low on time? Here are my top 3 recommendations to help you find the best option right away:
Option A: ProProfs Help Desk
If you’re looking to experience AI-powered help desk features without any cost, ProProfs Help Desk is a great choice. You can automate ticket management, support customers across various channels like email and live chat, and enhance your service with detailed reports and surveys.
Option B: Spiceworks
For those seeking a tool that remains free and accessible to unlimited users, Spiceworks is an excellent option. It’s an open-source ticketing system supported by a robust community of IT professionals. However, one downside is the presence of advertisements in certain sections of the interface.
Option C: Zoho Desk
Although Zoho Desk doesn’t provide a forever free plan, you can take advantage of a 15-day free trial. This tool provides your support agents with all the necessary context, such as recent conversations and purchase history, to deliver personalized assistance at scale.
List of 10 Best Free Customer Service Software for 2024
In this section, I will share each tool’s comprehensive features, pros and cons, and pricing details to help you make a fair decision.
1.ProProfs Help Desk – Best for AI Help Desk & Support Ticketing for Customer Delight
A forever-free plan with premium features.
With a small team and a tight budget, I opted for ProProfs Help Desk’s forever-free plan. To my surprise, the free plan offered all premium features (although limited to a single user).
We are currently using the paid plan, which is quite budget-friendly, too.
Now, coming to features, ProProfs Help Desk enables me to interact with customers on multiple channels like email, live chat, web forms, and more. What’s impressive is that automation capabilities like canned responses, automated ticket assignments, chatbots, etc., help us cater to more customers faster and avoid agent burnout.
Thanks to ProProfs AI, I can view the summary of every message and understand the customer’s intent instantly. Its AI even offers intelligent response suggestions that help us save a lot of time.
I suggest you create an online help center to empower customers and let them find answers at their own pace. This will significantly reduce your ticket volume and allow agents to focus on more serious issues.
What you’ll like:
- Simple UI – as easy as using Gmail
- Smart reports and analytics let you monitor ticket response time, resolution time, overdue tickets, and more
- ProProfs Live Chat, Knowledge Base & CSAT for a complete solution
- Onboarding support and a dedicated account manager are offered to all customers
What you won’t like:
- Lacks an on-premise version
- The free plan is limited to a single user only
Pricing:
FREE for a single user. Plans start at $19.99/user/month for 2 or more users. No hidden fees. A 15-day money-back guarantee.
2. Hiver – Best Gmail-Based Help Desk Solution
7-Day Free Trial
Hiver has been an essential addition to my team’s customer service tool stack.
Since it integrates seamlessly with Gmail, it felt like a natural extension of our workflow. The shared inbox feature allows us to manage and assign emails without ever leaving Gmail, which has significantly streamlined our processes.
One of the standout features is its email tags, which help us easily categorize and prioritize customer queries. The collision alerts are also incredibly helpful, as they prevent multiple team members from responding to the same email, reducing duplication of effort.
On the downside, Hiver is solely designed for Gmail users. If you are using a separate email client, Hiver does not offer anything.
What you’ll like:
- Seamless integration with Gmail
- Email tags can be used for easy categorization and prioritization
- Email notes enable internal team discussions
- Collision alerts to prevent duplicate responses
What you won’t like:
- Limited functionality outside of Gmail
- Reporting features could be more robust
Pricing:
Starts at $19/user/month.
3. Hubspot Service Hub – Best for Existing HubSpot Suite Users
Free plan available.
Using HubSpot Service Hub was a fantastic experience for my team, especially since we were already using other HubSpot products. The integration across the HubSpot ecosystem was flawless, allowing us to have a unified view of our customers and their interactions.
The ticketing system is intuitive and easy to use. I particularly liked the knowledge base feature, which can be used to create a self-service portal for customers, reducing the number of repetitive queries.
I’m sure customer feedback tools like CSAT surveys will prove invaluable in gathering insights and improving your service.
What you’ll like:
- Seamless integration with other HubSpot products
- Intuitive ticketing system that captures tickets from multiple channels
- Comprehensive knowledge base to encourage self-service
- CSAT and NPS surveys to monitor customer loyalty and satisfaction levels
What you won’t like:
- Can be expensive for smaller teams
- Some advanced features have a steep learning curve
Pricing:
Starts at $90/user/month.
4. Zendesk – Best for Large Businesses & Enterprises
14-Day Free Trial
Zendesk’s robust suite of tools perfectly meets the needs of large enterprises with large support teams and growing customer bases.
The omnichannel support ensures you can handle customer interactions across various platforms—email, phone, chat, and social media—all from a single interface.
The ticketing system is incredibly powerful, allowing you to categorize and prioritize tickets efficiently. The automation features, such as triggers and macros, can significantly reduce the manual effort involved in ticket management.
Additionally, the vast integration options allow users to connect Zendesk with other tools more efficiently.
What you’ll like:
- Omnichannel support for seamless customer interactions
- Automation rules can be configured for effective ticket management
- Community forums can be built to allow customers to interact with each other
- Extensive integration options help you connect Zendesk with existing tools
What you won’t like:
- Some advanced features can be overwhelming for small teams
- Higher cost compared to other solutions
Pricing:
Starts at $55/user/month.
5. Freshdesk – Best for Multichannel Communication
Free plan available.
I’ve used Freshdesk’s free plan and can confidently say that it’s a well-balanced customer service tool.
Thanks to its unified platform, managing customer interactions through email, chat, phone, and social media was much easier.
The intuitive ticketing system ensured no customer query fell through the cracks. One of my favorite features is the Freshdesk Arcade, which gamified customer support, making it more engaging and fun for our team.
Also, the canned responses feature helped my agents save time by allowing us to respond quickly to common queries.
What you’ll like:
- Unified platform for multichannel communication
- Freshdesk Arcade for gamified customer support
- Canned responses help you share quick replies to customer complaints
- Seamless integration with Freshcaller for phone support
What you won’t like:
- Customization options can be limited
- Occasional lag in the user interface
Pricing:
Starts at $15/user/month.
6. Spiceworks – Best Open-Source Ticketing System for Small Teams
Free pricing with limitations.
Spiceworks is a fantastic, cost-effective solution for small customer service teams.
As an open-source ticketing system, it offers a great deal of flexibility and customization. The ticketing system is straightforward, making it easy to manage and resolve customer issues.
One of the standout features is the network management capabilities, which allow users to monitor the complete IT infrastructure alongside handling support tickets.
Spiceworks also offers an inventory management feature, which helps us keep track of our hardware and software assets. The user community is also a significant asset, providing a wealth of shared knowledge and resources.
What you’ll like:
- Cost-effective and flexible open-source solution
- Straightforward ticketing system that enables ticket creation from multiple channels
- Inventory management for tracking IT assets and resources
- Active online community of users for support and guidance
What you won’t like:
- Interface can feel outdated
- Since it’s an open-source solution, there are challenges with support and data security
Pricing:
Free for all users.
7. Zoho Desk – Best for Contextual Support
15-Day Free Trial
Zoho Desk was a valuable addition to our team, especially focusing on contextual support.
The platform offered a complete view of customer interactions, helping us deliver more personalized and effective support. Overall, the integration with other Zoho products, such as Zoho CRM, ensured a seamless flow of information across our business.
I like Zoho Desk’s highly customizable ticketing system, which made it easier for us to tailor it to our specific needs. Also, the AI assistant, Zia, is a fantastic feature that helped us automate routine tasks and provide instant responses to common queries.
On the downside, the Enterprise Plan only offers the live chat feature. This means you will have to pay a hefty price to connect with customers via chat.
What you’ll like:
- Contextual support for personalized customer interactions
- AI assistant Zia for automation and instant responses
- Seamless integration with Zoho CRM
- Multichannel support for efficient query handling
What you won’t like:
- Zoho Desk can be complex to set up initially
- The live chat feature is only available in the Enterprise Plan
Pricing:
Starts at $14/user/month.
8. LiveAgent – Best for Chat-Based Support
14-Day Free Trial
If your support team is heavily dependent on the live chat channel, LiveAgent can be a good option.
The platform offers a comprehensive chat solution to engage with website visitors in real time, leading to higher satisfaction rates. The ticketing system is robust and integrates well with the live chat, ensuring that all interactions are logged and managed efficiently.
One of my favorite features is the built-in call center, which can handle voice support seamlessly. The social media integration is also a big plus, as it helps manage queries from platforms like Facebook and Twitter directly within LiveAgent.
What you’ll like:
- Comprehensive live chat solution for real-time engagement
- Channel Reports provides detailed insights into every active support channel
- Social media integration for managing queries from various social media platforms
- Gamification to enhance team engagement
What you won’t like:
- Customer support isn’t reliable at times
- The user interface can feel cluttered to some users
Pricing:
Starts at $9/user/month.
9. SolarWinds Service Desk – Best for Asset Management
30-Day Free Trial
SolarWinds Service Desk has been a fantastic tool for managing our IT assets alongside our customer support operations. The platform’s top-notch asset management capabilities provide a detailed overview of our hardware and software inventory.
The ticketing system is user-friendly and integrates well with the asset management feature, ensuring we can quickly link support tickets to specific assets. The automation features have been a great help in streamlining our workflows and reducing manual effort.
I also appreciate the comprehensive reporting and analytics, which provide valuable insights into our service performance. Additionally, the change management feature helps us track and manage changes to our IT infrastructure effectively.
What you’ll like:
- Asset management to track all IT assets in one place
- Automation features for ticket classification and routing,
- Ticket escalations ensure faster issue resolution
- SLA reports to track and prevent SLA breaches
What you won’t like:
- Can be complex to configure initially
- Integration options are quite limited
Pricing:
Starts at $39/user/month.
10. Intercom – Best for Streamlining Support Workflows
14-Day Free Trial
Intercom transformed the way we handled customer support by streamlining our workflows. The platform’s messaging-first approach allowed us to engage with customers more effectively and resolve issues faster.
The inbox feature was highly efficient and enabled us to manage all customer interactions from a single place. I also like the automation capabilities, such as bots and automated messages, which helped us reduce our response times significantly.
Also, seamless integration with our CRM ensured that we have all the context we need for every conversation. Even though Intercom offers a 14-day free trial, the paid plans can be expensive for small businesses.
What you’ll like:
- Messaging-first approach for effective customer engagement
- Efficient inbox for centralizing all customer interactions
- Automation capabilities, including bots and automated messages
- Seamless integration with CRM for contextual support
What you won’t like:
- Can be expensive for smaller teams
- Some advanced features have a learning curve
Pricing:
Starts at $39/user/month.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation of products or tools chosen for this article follows an unbiased, systematic approach that ensures a fair, insightful, and well-rounded review. This method employs six key factors:
- User Reviews / Ratings: Direct experiences from users, including ratings and feedback from reputable sites, provide a ground-level perspective. This feedback is critical in understanding overall satisfaction and potential problems.
- Essential Features & Functionality: The value of a product is ascertained by its core features and overall functionality. Through an in-depth exploration of these aspects, the practical usefulness and effectiveness of the tools are carefully evaluated.
- Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of a product or service is assessed, focusing on the design, interface, and navigation. This ensures a positive experience for users of all levels of expertise.
- Customer Support: The quality of customer support is examined, taking into account its efficiency and how well it supports users in different phases – setting up, addressing concerns, and resolving operational issues.
- Value for Money: Value for money is evaluated by comparing the quality, performance, and features. The goal is to help the reader understand whether they would be getting their money’s worth.
- Personal Experience / Experts’ Opinions: This part of the evaluation criteria draws insightful observations from the personal experience of the writer and the opinions of industry experts.
Unlock the Potential of Free Customer Service Software
Choosing the right customer service system is crucial for delivering excellent support and building strong customer relationships. Free customer service software offers a cost-effective way to access essential features that streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.
By exploring the tools mentioned in this blog, you can find the perfect fit for your team without compromising quality or functionality.
In the end, I recommend you choose ProProfs Help Desk for its forever-free plan, powerful AI capabilities, and reliable support. Remember, the right software can significantly improve how efficiently and effectively you manage customer interactions, ultimately leading to happier customers and a more successful business.
Learn More About Free Customer Service Tools
What Features Should I Look for in Free Customer Service Software?
When choosing free customer service software, look for features like ticket management, multichannel support (email, chat, social media), automation capabilities, and reporting tools. These features help streamline customer interactions, improve response times, and provide insights into your support team’s performance, ensuring effective and efficient service.
What are the Benefits of Using Free Customer Service Software?
Free customer service software provides cost-effective solutions for managing customer support operations. It allows businesses to enhance customer satisfaction, streamline support processes, and gain valuable insights without financial strain. Additionally, it offers a risk-free way to evaluate features and functionalities before committing to a paid plan.
How Do I Implement Free Customer Service Software?
To implement free customer service software, start by selecting a tool that fits your needs. Set up your account and customize the settings to match your support workflows. Train your team on using the software, integrate it with existing systems if needed, and gradually transition your customer support operations to the new platform.
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