Best Free Help Desk Software in 2026: 8 Options Compared
A help desk turns customer emails, chats and messages into tickets your team can assign, track and solve. You don't need a budget to start: several good tools have free plans. The catch is that "free" means very different things from one tool to the next. Here's how the main free help desk software options compare in 2026.
Prices and plan limits were checked on each vendor's pricing page in October 2026. They change often, so confirm before you decide.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Free plan | What's limited | First paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our help desk | 1 agent, every feature | Team size only | See pricing |
| Zoho Desk | 3 users | Email ticketing only | Express plan |
| Help Scout | 5 users | 1 inbox, 100 contacts a month | Standard, $25/user |
| HubSpot Service Hub | 2 users | Basic tools, HubSpot branding | Starter, $7/seat (annual) |
| Jira Service Management | 3 agents | Built for IT teams | Standard plan |
| osTicket | Unlimited (open source) | You host and maintain it | Free |
| Freshdesk | No free plan currently listed | n/a | Growth, $19/agent (annual) |
| Zendesk | No free plan; 14-day trial | n/a | Support Team, $19/agent (annual) |
1. Our help desk: every feature, free for one agent
Disclosure: this is our product.
Our free package isn't a cut-down version: it includes tickets, live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and SMS, a Help Center with a customer portal, SLAs, triggers and automations, macros, satisfaction surveys, heatmaps and an AI assistant that runs on your own API key. Packages differ only by the number of agents.
Best for: small businesses that want tickets and chat and messaging in one place, without paying for add-ons. See the help desk.
2. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk's free plan gives three users email ticketing. It's a fine starting point if you only need a shared email queue, and it fits neatly if you already use other Zoho apps. Live chat, automation and AI are in the paid plans.
Best for: teams already using Zoho, with email-only support.
3. Help Scout
Help Scout's free plan covers five users with one inbox and up to 100 contacts a month. The interface feels like email, which makes it easy to adopt. Paid plans start at $25 per user per month, and its AI Answers feature is billed per resolution.
Best for: small teams that live in email and value simplicity.
4. HubSpot Service Hub (free tools)
HubSpot's free tools give two users basic ticketing and live chat, connected to HubSpot's free CRM. The jump from the low-cost Starter plan to Professional is large, so check the price of the features you'll need next year, not just today.
Best for: companies already running sales and marketing in HubSpot.
5. Jira Service Management
Atlassian's service desk is free for up to three agents. It's powerful for IT and internal requests, with queues, SLAs and asset tracking, but it can feel heavy for customer-facing support.
Best for: IT teams and companies already using Jira.
6. osTicket
osTicket is free and open source. You host it yourself, so there's no per-agent cost and you control your data. In exchange, you handle installation, updates, security and backups, and you won't get modern extras like AI or messaging channels out of the box.
Best for: teams with technical skills who want full control.
7. Freshdesk
Freshdesk was long known for a free plan, but its pricing page no longer lists one; paid plans start with Growth at $19 per agent per month on annual billing. It's still a strong, mature help desk. See our comparison of Zendesk vs Freshdesk and our list of Freshdesk alternatives.
8. Zendesk
Zendesk doesn't have a free plan, but offers a 14-day trial, and Support Team starts at $19 per agent per month on annual billing. It's included here because many teams compare against it. It's the most established option, with a large app marketplace.
What to check before you choose
- Which channels are included? Many free plans are email only. If customers reach you on chat or WhatsApp, check those are covered, not add-ons.
- What happens when you grow? Price the plan you'll need with three to five agents, plus any AI or channel add-ons.
- Is there a help center? Self-service saves the most time over the long run. See how to build a self-service help center.
- Are there reports? At minimum: response times, resolution times and satisfaction. Here are the support KPIs worth tracking.
- How is AI priced? Per resolution, per session, per seat or your own API key. The difference adds up fast; see how to reduce support costs.
The bottom line
If you only need a shared email queue, Zoho Desk or Help Scout's free plans are solid. If you want tickets, chat, messaging channels and a help center together, choose a tool where all of it is included. New to help desks? Start with what a ticketing system is. Or start free with ours: every feature, one agent, no card.