Check out our top five picks for 2025 that offer unique features and flexibility to meet your business communication.
Zendesk is a communications solution designed to enhance your customer service operations and increase your productivity. It is a cloud-based customer service platform that allows you to track and manage customer inquiries across various channels like email, phone calls, social media, and web forms all within a united platform.
Zendesk software has many use cases, but some options may provide better results for the same function. We have compiled these 5 Alternatives to help you choose the right alternative or replacement.
- Distrobird
- Freshdesk
- HelpScout
- Zoho
- Intercom
1. Distrobird
Distrobird is a cloud-based customer and sales engagement platform, designed to streamline sales and manage customer interactions. It is an all-in-one platform managing phone calls, SMS communications, and emails, along with product features like web chats, shared team inbox, and automated campaigns.
It also integrates seamlessly with various popular CRM and business tools, notably HubSpot, Gmail, Stripe, Microsoft Outlook, Twilio, Zapier, Clearbit, Zoho, Telnyx, Salesforce and NGP VAN.
- Features: The features of Distrobird include data enrichment, contact management, cloud call center, form tracking, block list, shared inbox, Office 365, Gmail, and custom SMTP inbox sync, campaign exclusions, and scheduled campaigns.
- Pricing: There is a free plan for the Voice, Sequences, and Shared Inbox products. The startup plan for the Shared Inbox is $8/month. Startup, Growth & Enterprise plans for both the Sequences and Voice products are $25, $50, and $75/month respectively.
2. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a cloud-based customer service platform that helps businesses improve their customer experience. It offers a variety of tools to streamline communication and support interactions.
Freshdesk allows you to manage customer inquiries from various channels like email, phone, chat, social media, and even messaging apps, providing a unified view for your support agents.
Features:
Reporting and analytics. Knowledge base creation. Integrates with various other business tools to provide a comprehensive customer service experience.
Pricing:
It offers a free plan. The growth plan goes for $15. The professional plan is $49. The enterprise plan is $79.
3. HelpScout
Help Scout is a customer communication platform designed to streamline communication between businesses and customers across multiple channels. It is a central hub that empowers you to provide efficient and personalized customer support
Beyond email, Help Scout offers live chat functionality enabling you to provide real-time support to your customers
Features:
Shared Inbox for email management. Live Chat for Real-time support. Customer satisfaction tracking. Detailed reporting and Analytics. App integrations for increased functionality.
Pricing:
The standard plan is billed at $20 per month, the plus plan goes for $40 while the professional plan goes for $65.
4. Zoho
Zoho offers a well-known suite of cloud-based business tools. The solution helps companies of all sizes manage sales, marketing, and customer support. It can store contact data, improve customer satisfaction, and automate tasks.
Zoho CRM can also combine with companies’ other tools to share CRM data and improve business intelligence.
Features:
Zoho can automate repetitive tasks and streamline the sales process. Gain insights into sales performance and trends with analytics and reporting. Create automated workflows to improve efficiency and also access CRM features through mobile apps.
Pricing:
The Zoho standard pricing is $14 per user/month. The professional plan is $23 per user/month. The enterprise plan is $40 per user/month. The ultimate plan is $52 per user/month. There is also the flex plan which is $14 per user/month. And the plus plan which is $57 per user/month which is billed annually.
5. Intercom
Intercom is an AI customer service platform that allows you to connect with customers through various channels like chat, email, and even phone (with an add-on). It provides an AI chatbot that provides instant answers to customer questions 24/7.
It provides data-driven insights to help customer service leaders optimize their teams.
Features
Customer interactions are streamlined into a single platform for agents. Help Center ****for customers to find answers. Offers add-ons for automated meeting scheduling.
Pricing:
The Essential plan goes for $39. Advanced plan is $99 and the expert plan is $139.
Final Thoughts
While Nextiva has established itself as a reliable option with a suite of robust features, the alternatives discussed in this article present valuable options that may better align with your organization’s specific needs and objectives.
Each alternative brings its own unique strengths, whether it's advanced integrations, user-friendly interfaces, or specialized functionalities tailored for particular industries.
In an era where flexibility and scalability are paramount, these platforms offer the adaptability necessary to accommodate your evolving business landscape. Investing time in exploring these choices allows you to make an informed decision that supports not just current requirements but also future growth.
As you consider which platform best fits your team’s workflow, think about the essential features that will enhance your communication strategy and ultimately drive success. With the right tools in place, your organization will be well-positioned to foster stronger connections with clients and boost productivity throughout 2025 and beyond.
Join the family
Get actionable tips & resources to help you automate customer acquisition through outbound sales
Distrobird helps you manage your entire sales process, with sequences, cloud call center, shared inbox, form tracking and more — on a single platform. Sign up for free. No credit or demos required.
