Last Updated: November 2024
If you are on a tight budget or simply do not have the need for a dedicated expensive IT help desk/support tool, a free help desk software platform may be a good fit for your company.
Spiceworks is a free solution for setting up an IT help desk without breaking the bank. The platform includes several standard help desk functions such as ticket management, collaboration, and reporting, as well as the ability to set up a self-service portal to enable people to get answers and solutions on their own. Not to mention the numerous customization and customization options available to tailor the platform to specific business needs.
However, despite the free price tag, is Spiceworks the right help desk for your business? In this post, we will do an in depth Spiceworks review to help you make the right decision.
Spiceworks Pros and Cons
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Spiceworks Pricing and Features
Pricing and Plans (Rating ⭐5/5, 1 review)
Pricing and Plans
When it comes to helpdesk solutions, product features and usability are critical. Sure, the free price tag is appealing, but if users can’t easily access the helpdesk, the platform is worthless.
So, what’s the catch with Spiceworks?
Smaller businesses may find the free price tag appealing, but there are several factors to consider before using this helpdesk. The software is free because your team will be exposed to advertisements while using it. However, the majority of platform users found the ads to be unobtrusive. If you find the ads to be too bothersome, you can even buy a version without them.
I love the ease of use Spiceworks provides in addition to its competitive pricing (free!).
Now let’s talk about some of the compromises you’ll be making by choosing this platform. Besides seeing ads, you’ll also be giving up a large array of important functions.
- Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk is primarily built around internal IT support only, which means it competes with the likes of Zendesk and Jira.
- If you’re looking to use it as a customer help desk such as Saufter or Zoho desk, sorry, this isn’t the platform for you.
- Adding tickets from social media is also not currently supported by the platform. Other important features you will be missing include live chat, chatbot support, and the ability to embed a support widget on a website.
We conclude that it can provide an immediate ROI over many other IT helpdesk solutions, even when the value of labor spent on onboarding, training, or ticket management is considered. Finally, Spiceworks is best suited for smaller IT teams that do not require the extensive set of features found in more expensive IT help desks.
Interface and Customization (Ratings ⭐ 4.24/5, 29 reviews)
Interface and Customization
No matter how many comprehensive features Spiceworks has, they are useless if the platform is difficult to navigate and use. Well, you don’t have to worry about this with Spiceworks cloud. The platform’s simplicity and easy user interface for both your customer support team and end users, combined with stability and the ability to control data access locally, does make it stand out.
The interface is incredibly easy to use and the notification system is perfect for what we need. There is 0% configuration involved in rolling out to users, all they have to do is send an email to create a ticket. The response notifications means they can stay up to date with the ticket progress. And the best part is that it’s free!
The user interface is similar to that of most helpdesks on the market, with a menu bar across the top of the page and icons on the left that lead to other features. Its web interface also allows multiple users to work concurrently. While it may not do everything that larger systems do (considering the lack of a price tag), the helpdesk comes with the majority of the features that small businesses require, and the features are well laid out.
It truly is extremely simple to setup and use. Furthermore, has been entirely steady. The interface is spotless yet could utilize a slight update. The reaction time is extraordinary. Very nearly zero slack between time of ticket submitted and it being gotten. You can even naturally connect a ticket to a client on the off chance that you needed.
⭐5/5- Muriel S
Spiceworks overall is definitely functional, but there aren’t many customization options. The platform does however let you connect to both a cloud service and a local Windows server using apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android. This can notify your team of new tickets or changes to existing ones.
You’ll also find that Spiceworks is very easy to set up. All in all, It’s clean, clear and polished interface is highly appreciable.
Ticket Management (Ratings ⭐ 4.46/5, 98 reviews)
Ticket Management
Here are some of the key features of the Spiceworks ticketing system:
- There are numerous options for creating tickets from various sources/channels such as email, direct employee input, or even the user portal.
- Smooth user experience in creating and updating tickets.
- With automated responses, notifications, and templates, you can tailor the helpdesk to your specific requirements.
- Easy access to the community for researching problems and finding answers or solutions
- Allows for the storage of notes useful for future tickets in a database.
It integrates with SSO’s and the users can instantly start sending tickets. The control and management of tickets are easy and intuitive. Central admin users can create graphs and ticket logs. It included remote control support, making it easy to manage the user’s computer if demanded. This software is handy when you have many users in your company. It helps a lot when attendance is needed as soon as possible.
⭐5/5- Nebojsa P
End Users are able to open up a help desk ticket by simply sending an email to our specific portal. The ticket gets routed to the Admin Console Portal and can be accepted, assigned fully worked updated, closed, and reopened. Simple and very effective.
⭐5/5- Frank L
Aside from being completely free, Spiceworks ticketing allows each user to issue and process an unlimited number of service tickets. This means that businesses will no longer have to worry about creating or issuing as many customer support tickets as needed.
Reporting and Dashboard (Ratings ⭐ 4.64/5, 31 reviews)
Reporting and Dashboard
Spiceworks reporting capabilities allow us to see the key metrics and measurements that we need to know at a glance. The platform offers plenty of out-of-the-box reports, and you can customize any of them. These reports can be created using both visual tools and SQL queries. They can also be exported in XLS, CSV, and PDF formats, as well as emailed on demand.
I like the fact that it is free and you are able to maintain and control what you need to see. I also like the reporting aspect of the software.
When compared to the competition’s internal reporting features, Spiceworks’ reporting capabilities appear to be lacking. You can, however, access your Cloud Help Desk account data in a Power BI template using the Microsoft Power BI plug-in. Both the connector plug-in and the report template are free to download from the Spiceworks website.
I like that it is free, reliable and fully supported. The inventory and reporting provide a means for ongoing support, but also a quick means to gather information in an audit/assessment situation. The software is very easy to setup on premise on most any PC, VM or in the cloud.
⭐5/5 Doug E
This plugin may appear intimidating to inexperienced users. However, the majority of the platform’s intended users should be familiar with some basic logic and report building forms. There are also numerous guides and videos available online. As a result, Spiceworks’ reporting is on par with the majority of other products in this category.
Marketing Features (Ratings ⭐ 5/5, 1 review)
Marketing Features
While Spiceworks can handle basic marketing tasks like email outreach or managing requests, it is unlikely to meet most marketing needs. If you’re looking for advanced marketing automation features, unfortunately, Spiceworks is not the platform for you. We recommend looking into customer interaction/automated marketing software such as Saufter.io.
The Marketing Help desk is used to manage outreach events and to allow staff to request marketing material. The spiceworks application allows us to manage a variety of support issues throughout the organization. We are able to clearly document the issue ad how it is resolved.
⭐5/5 Bernie M
Bottom Line
Spiceworks is clearly a popular choice to opt for, especially considering obviously the free price tag and the platform’s decent array of features, making it an appealing choice for small and medium-sized businesses. However, the fact that there are certain limitations along with the free price tag cannot be overlooked. We hope this article compared to other Spiceworks reviews cleared up some questions and made it easier to make a decision.
Also, if you’re just getting started with helpdesk systems and want to make it easier for your support reps to provide the best service possible, Saufter could be the platform for you. It is a multi-channel customer service help desk designed for small businesses and enterprise teams. The platform is designed to be cost-effective, easy to set up, and most agents can get started on Saufter with little to no training.
So, what are you waiting for?