HubSpot vs Zendesk: Which Help Desk Software Is Better for 2024

Looking to enhance your team’s productivity with the right help desk software for 2024? You’ve come to the right place for an in-depth comparison of HubSpot Service Hub vs Zendesk. With many software options available on the market, it can be quite challenging to determine the perfect fit for your business. Fortunately, this post has got you covered!

What are the benefits of using help desk software?

Help desk ticketing software is a game-changer for large or small businesses. It enhances customer service through innovative management features. Benefits include swift issue resolution from multiple channels in one place, ensuring top-notch service.

These systems track vital metrics, helping you identify improvement areas and keep your team at its best. They automate repetitive tasks, freeing up support staff to handle complex cases, saving time and money.

Overall, help desk ticketing software optimizes customer support operations. That’s why more customer service managers are exploring solutions like HubSpot Service Hub vs Zendesk.

A quick comparison between Zendesk vs HubSpot

Let’s kick off this one-on-one showdown to highlight a reel of the benefits, features, and capabilities, making it easy to compare Zendesk and HubSpot side by side. Our analysis draws from user reviews, our customers’ real-world experiences, and extensive research conducted by our product team.

The key help desk software capabilities check-up

Zendesk shines in its capability to support a wide range of communication channels. It accommodates web and app messaging, social media, telephony, SMS, email, and even Apple Business Chat. It’s designed to offer a seamless experience, allowing you to shift conversations between these channels effortlessly. 

Zendesk also offers a robust knowledge base with flexible hierarchies supported by AI-powered content cues and management. This includes a comprehensive six-level categorization system for organizing help center articles. 

Furthermore, Zendesk supports multi-language functionalities and creating and updating content across multiple articles or help centers. It’s also known for its strong integration capabilities, with a wide user base actively leveraging these integrations for enhanced functionality.

HubSpotService Hub is no slouch for omnichannel support, offering web and app messaging, social media, telephony, and more. However, it has some limitations compared to Zendesk, notably in native channel breadth and the absence of reliable native voice and SMS support. While it may not natively support as many social channels, it compensates with smart content cues and knowledge base management. 

HubSpot’s knowledge base system categorizes content at a more basic level with two levels of categorization for help center articles. There is also limited support for multiple languages in help center translations. HubSpot is known for its AI/ML offerings, primarily focused on conversational AI and aiding sales and marketing through features like the content assistant. 

Additionally, it features ChatSpot.ai, which is a conversational bot utilizing prompts to build reports. HubSpot offers robust integration options, attracting users who benefit from connecting it with various marketing and CRM solutions.

Comparing agent experience and service efficiency tools

Zendesk boasts a dynamic agent experience through its omnichannel workspace. This workspace is equipped with threaded and reportable collaboration features, providing a real-time view of ongoing interactions. It is also highly customizable, offering a contextual agent workspace that can adapt to your specific needs. 

Zendesk supports conditional fields and forms, as well as Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) for efficient service management.

HubSpot Service Hub, while offering a serviceable omnichannel approach, falls short of Zendesk’s advanced collaboration capabilities. It provides a more static agent workspace with limited customization options. 

The SLA metrics and workflows are also somewhat restricted in comparison. HubSpot currently lacks OLAs, side conversation features, and problem-incident linking, which may impact the overall efficiency of support operations.

Which help desk is more user-friendly 

Nobody enjoys grappling with complex software that feels like climbing a steep learning curve. In the world of customer support, a platform that’s easy to pick up adds value and saves precious time and money.

Zendesk, being all about customer support, knows what agents need, like the back of its hand. It’s designed for a seamless agent experience, offering an intuitive interface that lets agents focus on customers, not software. Setting up Zendesk is a breeze, and it comes packed with a treasure trove of out-of-the-box features, ready to roll from day one.

What’s more, Zendesk’s unified omnichannel workspace is a game-changer. Agents have everything they need at their fingertips – customer information, context intelligence, a wealth of knowledge in the base, chat history, and handy integrations, all in one place. This means that agents can smoothly switch between different communication channels, making them agile and super-efficient.

Now, let’s talk about HubSpot. While it’s got its strengths, it needs to be tailor-made for the customer or agent experience. As we mentioned earlier, the absence of an omnichannel workspace can make managing multiple conversations simultaneously a bit of a juggling act. Collaboration could be more seamless, with agents having to hop between systems and apps to get other departments involved.

Keeping the trends of AI and Bots

Zendesk integrates advanced AI into its context panel, allowing intelligent triage to streamline agent routing. Additionally, it offers macro suggestions primarily aimed at administrators. 

Zendesk supports standard and advanced bots, which come pre-trained by industry standards, making it a versatile choice for businesses looking to harness the power of AI and bots.

HubSpot Service Hub offers a lighter AI/ML approach, primarily focusing on conversational AI. Its features include a content assistant tailored for sales and marketing, aiding in tasks such as generating blog ideas and crafting sales emails. 

HubSpot also introduces ChatSpot.ai, a conversational bot that relies on prompts to construct reports, catering to businesses that require these specific capabilities.

Analytics and insights for better customer service performance

When it comes to analytics, Zendesk excels with advanced custom reporting options. Users can define custom metrics, reports, dashboards, drill-ins, and correlations, allowing for deep insights and tailored analytics suited to the specific needs of your business.

On the other hand, HubSpot Service Hub offers basic, canned reporting with five service analytics reports and dashboards. While it does provide some canned metrics, reports, and dashboards, it may lack the advanced customization and drill-in options that Zendesk provides.

Which help desk is better?

Choosing between Zendesk and HubSpot Service Hub is a common dilemma. Zendesk has the upper hand regarding scalability, adapting itself to various businesses as they embark on their unique journeys. Conversely, HubSpot falls short in the customer service department, lacking essential features and capabilities compared to Zendesk. 

This often leads to HubSpot users experiencing a lower return on investment (ROI) and a higher total cost of ownership (TCO). Some of the cost factors include:

• HubSpot Service Hub’s limitations.
• There is a need for some HubSpot users to migrate to a more mature solution.

While HubSpot is well-regarded for its marketing and sales software, the Service Hub is relatively new. Consequently, HubSpot is still developing its expertise in customer success and support.

Comparing HubSpot Service Hub vs Zendesk pricing plans

When comparing the pricing plans of HubSpot and Zendesk, it’s essential to consider your business’s specific needs and budget. Let’s break down the pricing options for a clearer perspective. In the review, the annual pricing plans are compared.

Which help desk software – HubSpot or Zendesk – is better to invest in?

In the fast-paced business world, finding software that brings you a quick return on investment is a priority. You need a platform that’s not just cost-effective but consistently delivers without any surprise fees.

Zendesk is the agile choice, capable of growing in step with your business. It’s like a trusted partner that helps you adapt to the ever-changing landscape of business needs. Getting started with Zendesk is a breeze, and its user-friendly interface makes it easy for your support agents to get on board. With AI and automation tools on your side, your support staff can work smarter, not harder. The result? Increased productivity without the need for additional hires or extensive training, saving you time and money.

Now, let’s talk about HubSpot. While it’s known for its budget-friendly options, it may not best fit businesses with rapid growth ambitions. This is mainly because it lacks some of the advanced features that maturing businesses often need, like multi-brand management and problem-incident linking—capabilities that HubSpot lacks. Furthermore, HubSpot puts certain limitations on call hours at each pricing level and restricts some productivity tools to license holders. Essential features such as single sign-on, team goals, field-level permissions, custom objects, and admin notifications management are exclusively available in the Enterprise plan.

Ultimately, the choice between HubSpot and Zendesk comes down to your unique business needs and growth aspirations. Considering factors like scalability, features, and overall costs is essential to ensure your choice aligns perfectly with your specific requirements.

Recap

In conclusion, as we’ve explored the best help desk software for 2024, these systems will undoubtedly elevate your company’s performance and deliver exceptional customer support. However, if you’re searching for a comprehensive solution for efficient customer communication without headaches, both HubSpot Service Hub and Zendesk are good options. These platforms offer the essential features to streamline support operations and satisfy your customers.