Freshdesk vs Zendesk vs ServiceNow: Which One Is The Best For You

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Freshdesk, Zendesk, ServiceNow comparison

Choosing the right customer service software for your business can be a challenging decision, given the numerous options available in the market. 

Among the leading solutions, Freshdesk, Zendesk, and ServiceNow have emerged as popular choices, offering a wide range of features to manage customer interactions effectively. However, to determine the best fit for your organization, it is crucial to evaluate each platform’s strengths, weaknesses, pricing models, and target audiences. 

This article aims to compare Freshdesk vs Zendesk vs ServiceNow, providing insights to assist you in making an informed decision regarding your customer service requirements.

Let’s compare the features of Freshdesk, Zendesk, and ServiceNow

Helpdesk Features (Final Winner: Zendesk)

Freshdesk Rating ⭐4.5/5, Zendesk Rating ⭐5/5, ServiceNow Rating ⭐4/5

Ticket Management:

  • Freshdesk: Offers comprehensive ticket management with features like ticket creation, categorization, prioritization, and assignment. It allows you to track and manage requests from multiple channels in one inbox.
  • Zendesk: It provides efficient ticket handling, enabling you to create, track, and resolve customer inquiries seamlessly.
  • ServiceNow: Excels in ticket management with advanced features for organizing and resolving requests, ensuring streamlined operations.

Winner: All

Ticket Collaboration:

  • Freshdesk: Enables your team to collaborate by sharing ticket ownership and splitting complex issues into child tickets for efficient resolution.
  • Zendesk: Offers ticket sharing and in-app conversations, facilitating collaboration among team members and departments.
  • ServiceNow: Provides robust collaboration tools, allowing your teams to work together and share information to resolve tickets effectively.

Winner: Zendesk

Email Ticketing System:

  • Freshdesk: Configures email forwarding rules to convert customer emails into tickets, making it easier for you to track and respond to support requests.
  • Zendesk: Automatically converts support emails into tickets, streamlining the ticketing process and ensuring prompt responses.
  • ServiceNow: Integrates with email systems to create tickets from customer emails, centralizing communication and improving efficiency.

Winner: Freshdesk and Zendesk

SLA Management:

  • Freshdesk: Allows the creation of different SLA policies with reminders and escalation hierarchies to ensure timely resolution.
  • Zendesk: Provides SLA management tools to define and track service level agreements, ensuring adherence to customer expectations.
  • ServiceNow: Offers comprehensive SLA management capabilities, allowing you to define and enforce service-level commitments.

Winner: All

Supported Platforms (Final Winner: Freshdesk and Zendesk)

Freshdesk Rating ⭐5/5, Zendesk Rating ⭐5/5, ServiceNow Rating ⭐4/5

Email:

All three platforms offer support for email channels, enabling seamless communication with customers.

Winner: All

Live Chat & Messaging:

  • Freshdesk: Engage your users through live chat and popular messaging platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Apple Business Chat.
  • Zendesk: Get live chat functionality that allows you to interact with your customers in real time.
  • ServiceNow: Offers live chat capabilities for instant customer support and efficient issue resolution.

Winner: Freshdesk and Zendesk

Phone:

  • Freshdesk: You can set up a virtual call center with advanced call management features, including call recording and workload balancing.
  • Zendesk: Enables you to add a customer service phone number and provides IVR navigation for efficient call routing.
  • ServiceNow: Supports phone integration, allowing you to receive and manage customer calls effectively.

Winner: Freshdesk and Zendesk

Social Media:

  • Freshdesk: Supports popular social media channels like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, enabling you to engage with your customers on social platforms.
  • Zendesk: Integrates with social media platforms, empowering you to respond to customer inquiries and feedback across various channels.
  • ServiceNow: Provides social media integration for seamless customer engagement and support.

Winner: Freshdesk and Zendesk

Self-Service (Final Winner: Freshdesk)

Freshdesk Rating ⭐5/5, Zendesk Rating ⭐3.5/5, ServiceNow Rating ⭐4/5

Knowledge Base:

  • Freshdesk: It enables you to create solution articles, FAQs, and product-focused pages so your customers can access a comprehensive self-help resource.
  • Zendesk: Offers a robust knowledge base with categorized articles and FAQs, allowing you to provide self-service support to your customers effectively.
  • ServiceNow: Provides a knowledge base repository, empowering you to create and manage informative articles and FAQs.

Winner: All

Community Forum:

  • Freshdesk: Set up a community forum where your customers can interact, ask questions, and discuss products or services. Agents can convert forum topics into tickets if necessary.
  • Zendesk: Offers a community forum feature, enabling your customers to engage with each other, seek assistance, and share insights.
  • ServiceNow: Provides community forum capabilities with moderation and access control features, facilitating productive discussions among your customers.

Winner: Freshdesk

User Portal:

  • Freshdesk: Allows your customers to access knowledge base articles, and community forums, and submit and track their tickets through a customizable portal.
  • Zendesk: Provides a user portal where your customers can submit and track tickets, access the knowledge base, and engage with the community.
  • ServiceNow: Offers a user portal that enables your customers to interact with support resources, track tickets, and access relevant information.

Winner: Freshdesk

Feedback:

  • Freshdesk: Notifies article writers about customer feedback, facilitating continuous improvement of knowledge base performance.
  • Zendesk: Includes an article rating tool, allowing your customers to rate knowledge base articles and provide valuable feedback.
  • ServiceNow: Provides mechanisms to gather feedback from customers, helping you to improve your knowledge base and support services.

Winner: All

Automation (Final Winner: Freshdesk)

Freshdesk Rating ⭐4.5/5, Zendesk Rating ⭐4/5, ServiceNow Rating ⭐5/5

Chatbots:

  • Freshdesk: Utilizes a chatbot powered by Freddy AI to deliver instant and precise answers to user queries, along with relevant article suggestions.
  • Zendesk: Offers a chatbot feature that interacts with your customers, processes their questions, and provides automated solutions.
  • ServiceNow: Incorporates contextual AI capabilities for chatbots, allowing you to provide personalized and efficient customer support.

Winner: Freshdesk

Workflow:

  • Freshdesk: Assigns tickets to appropriate agents based on keywords, triggers, and conditions, enhancing ticket management efficiency.
  • Zendesk: Automates ticket assignment, triggers actions, and manages cross-functional processes through configurable workflows.
  • ServiceNow: Provides advanced workflow management tools, allowing you to automate processes, assign tickets, and streamline operations.

Winner: ServiceNow

Reporting & Analytics (Final Winner: Zendesk)

Freshdesk Rating ⭐4/5, Zendesk Rating ⭐5/5, ServiceNow Rating ⭐4/5

Performance Insights Based on SLA:

  • Freshdesk: Provides performance reports based on ticket properties, allowing you to monitor SLA compliance and identify areas for improvement.
  • Zendesk: Offers clever insights into your customer service performance, including metrics like response time, SLA breaches, and customer satisfaction ratings.
  • ServiceNow: Tracks customer service metrics such as ticket response time, SLA breaches, and customer satisfaction, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Winner: All

Helpdesk Reports:

All three platforms offer comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing you to monitor ticket progress, agent performance, and customer satisfaction.

Winner: Zendesk

Overview of Pricing

Freshdesk, Zendesk, and ServiceNow offer different pricing plans to cater to various business needs and budgets. Here is an overview of their pricing models:

  • Freshdesk: Freshdesk offers four pricing plans starting from $15/agent/month. They also offer a free plan for small teams with basic support requirements
  • Zendesk: Zendesk has several plans to accommodate businesses of all sizes starting from $19/agent/month along with a 14-day free trial. They also have custom plans for larger enterprises.
  • ServiceNow: ServiceNow offers tailored pricing plans based on individual business requirements. Their pricing can vary significantly based on your organization’s size, scope, and specific service management needs.

You can also check: 10 Best SaaS Help Desk Software Solutions

Conclusion

In summary, Freshdesk, Zendesk, and ServiceNow are standout choices among customer service software platforms, each offering unique strengths and pricing models.

Freshdesk is known for its intuitive interface and versatility, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes with a variety of budget-friendly plans. Zendesk excels in delivering comprehensive tools for exceptional customer experiences, with pricing options that cater to diverse business requirements.

For enterprises with complex support needs, ServiceNow provides advanced capabilities and customizable pricing, making it an ideal solution for larger organizations. When choosing the right platform, carefully evaluate your specific needs, considering factors such as scalability, features, and budget to ensure the best fit for your business.

Additionally, Saufter is a robust option designed specifically for eCommerce businesses. With its focus on automation, marketing, and self-service features, Saufter provides all the essential support channels, including email, SMS, phone, and live chat. It’s an excellent choice for businesses looking to streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and provide seamless support across multiple touchpoints.

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