{ "meta": { "title": "Help desk category teardown - raw run", "date_utc": "2026-07-29T21:54:43+00:00", "category": "help desk software", "questions": 8, "answers": 24, "engines": [ "chatgpt (openai/gpt-5.6-terra)", "grok (x-ai/grok-4.3)", "perplexity (perplexity/sonar)" ], "method": "8 buyer questions, fresh sessions, no memory, no custom instructions. Counts on the public page use recommended mentions per distinct answer (e.g. Zendesk named in 14 of 24 answers).", "masking": "One measured vendor is masked in this file: it is named publicly only with their consent. All other numbers and answer texts are verbatim from the run.", "source": "aeo-tracker local run, July 29 2026" }, "questions": [ { "question": "how do I pick a ticketing system that handles email, live chat and phone calls in one place?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "Pick an **omnichannel help desk**, not just a shared inbox or standalone call-center tool. Your test is simple: **can one agent see a customer’s email, live-chat history, call recordings/transcripts, prior tickets, and internal notes in one customer record—and can the system route all three channels under the same SLA rules?**\n\n## 1. Define what “one place” must mean for you\n\nMake these non-negotiable requirements:\n\n- **Email → ticket automatically**\n- **Live chat → ticket or persistent conversation automatically**\n- **Phone calls → ticket automatically**, with call recording, notes, disposition, and ideally transcription\n- **Single customer timeline:** an agent answering a call can see the customer’s previous emails and chats\n- **Unified routing:** route email, chat, and calls by availability, skill, language, priority, or account tier\n- **One reporting layer:** channel volumes, first-response time, resolution time, abandonment rate, CSAT, and SLA performance together\n- **One agent workspace:** no separate browser tabs or copy/paste between a phone system and help desk\n\nBe careful: vendors often call a product “omnichannel” when it merely has integrations. That can be acceptable, but ask whether phone interactions create and update the **same native ticket/case record** as email and chat.\n\n## 2. Write a short requirements scorecard before watching demos\n\nScore each option from 1–5 against these categories:\n\n| Category | What to verify |\n|---|---|\n| Channel unification | Email, web chat, and voice all appear in one agent screen |\n| Customer context | Cross-channel history, account/order data, call recordings/transcripts |\n| Call-center needs | IVR, queues, business hours, voicemail, warm transfer, callback, recording, QA |\n| Routing | Skills, capacity, priority/VIP, language, SLA-based assignment |\n| Ticket workflow | Tags, forms, internal notes, parent/child cases, escalation, approval flows |\n| Automation & AI | Auto-triage, suggested replies, summaries, bot-to-human handoff—without losing context |\n| Reporting | Blended and per-channel SLA/CSAT, queue and agent performance, export/API access |\n| Integrations | CRM, ecommerce/order system, identity, billing, Teams/Slack, data warehouse |\n| Admin burden | Can a support ops person change workflows without developers? |\n| Security/compliance | SSO, roles, audit logs, retention, recording consent, HIPAA/PCI needs if applicable |\n| Cost at scale | Agent licenses **plus** phone numbers, minutes, recording, AI, implementation, and add-ons |\n\nWeight the first four categories most heavily. A beautiful chatbot is not useful if call context does not follow the customer into the ticket.\n\n## 3. Shortlist based on your operating model\n\nA practical starting shortlist:\n\n- **Zendesk Suite** — a strong general-purpose choice for customer-support teams that want mature ticketing, email, messaging/live chat, voice, routing, knowledge base, and broad integrations. Zendesk documents that its Suite includes ticketing, email, voice, SMS, live chat, a unified agent workspace, and reporting; it also supports routing work across email, calls, and messaging based on capacity and, at higher plans, SLA priority and skills. ([support.zendesk.com](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408846875034-About-the-Zende[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key]?utm_source=openai))\n\n- **Freshdesk Omni / Freshworks** — worth evaluating if you want a comparatively straightforward unified support operation and Freshworks’ phone capabilities. Freshdesk Omni positions email, web chat, and other digital channels in a unified inbox; its phone integration can create tickets from inbound calls and place recordings/transcripts in tickets. ([crmsupport.freshworks.com](https://crmsupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000011785-getting-started-with-freshdesk-omni?cloud=freshchat%3Fcloud%3Dfreshdesk&utm_source=openai))\n\n- **Salesforce Service Cloud (now also branded Agentforce Service)** — best fit when customer service needs to be deeply tied to a complex Salesforce CRM, account data, bespoke processes, or large-scale enterprise operations. It centralizes phone, chat, email, and other channels around customizable cases, with omnichannel routing and native telephony options. ([salesforce.com](https://www.salesforce.com/service/cloud/guide/?bc=OTH&utm_source=openai))\n\n**Rule of thumb:** \n- Small-to-mid-size support team wanting fast deployment: start with **Zendesk** and **Freshdesk Omni**. \n- Already run your business on Salesforce or need highly customized workflows: include **Salesforce Service Cloud**.\n\n## 4. Make every vendor prove it in a live scenario\n\nDo not accept a generic demo. Give each vendor the identical 10-minute test:\n\n1. A customer emails about a billing issue.\n2. The same customer starts a website chat and supplies an order number.\n3. The customer calls; the agent should immediately see the email and chat context.\n4. Transfer the call to a billing specialist.\n5. Convert the issue into an escalated ticket with an SLA.\n6. Send a follow-up email from the same record.\n7. Show the call recording/transcript and full interaction timeline.\n8. Show a report that combines the email, chat, and phone activity for that issue and that customer.\n\nAsk the vendor to do it in a realistic trial account—not slides. If they need separate tools, manually link records, or cannot show a single timeline, it is not truly “one place” for your agents.\n\n## 5. Model total cost, not sticker price\n\nCalculate this for your expected agent count and call volume:\n\n```text\nannual platform licenses\n+ voice licenses / phone numbers\n+ inbound/outbound minutes\n+ recording and transcription\n+ AI / bot / knowledge add-ons\n+ implementation and data migration", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk Suite", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk Omni", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshworks", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Salesforce Service Cloud", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Agentforce Service", "position": 5, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**To pick a ticketing system that unifies email, live chat, and phone calls, focus on true omnichannel platforms** (also called unified customer support or helpdesk software). These convert interactions from all channels into trackable tickets within a single workspace, preserving full customer context so agents avoid repetition and handoffs feel seamless.[[1]](https://deskday.com/best-omnichannel-customer-support-platforms/)\n\n### Step 1: Map Your Requirements\nStart by auditing your current and future needs:\n- **Channels**: Confirm you need at least email (often the core), live chat/web widget, and voice/phone (with call recording, IVR/routing, and click-to-call). Consider adding SMS, WhatsApp, social, or in-app messaging later.\n- **Volume and team size**: Small teams (1–10 agents) may prefer simpler/shared inboxes; mid-market or larger teams need robust automation and scalability.\n- **Integrations**: Link to your CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot), existing email (Gmail/Outlook), telephony provider (Twilio, RingCentral, or native VoIP), knowledge base, and collaboration tools.\n- **Other priorities**: AI assistance (suggested replies, auto-routing, summaries), reporting/analytics, self-service portals, compliance/security, and total cost of ownership.\n- **Workflows**: Agents should handle everything from one dashboard without switching apps.[[2]](https://www.ringcentral.com/omnichannel-customer-service.html)\n\n### Step 2: Essential Features Checklist\nPrioritize platforms that deliver:\n- **Unified inbox/workspace** — All channels feed into one view with tickets created automatically; context carries across channels (e.g., a chat conversation continues via email or phone).[[3]](https://www.kustomer.com/resources/blog/omnichannel-support-platform/)\n- **Ticketing core** — Assignment, prioritization, SLAs, workflows/automation, collaboration notes, and history.\n- **Phone/voice handling** — Native telephony or deep integrations that turn calls into tickets (with recordings/transcripts linked). Avoid siloed phone systems.\n- **Omnichannel continuity** — No \"disguised multichannel\" where data silos force customers to repeat themselves. Look for a single data model.[[3]](https://www.kustomer.com/resources/blog/omnichannel-support-platform/)\n- **Automation and AI** — Rules-based routing, canned responses, suggested replies, and sentiment detection to boost efficiency.\n- **Reporting** — Dashboards for resolution times, channel performance, agent productivity, and first-contact resolution.\n- **Ease of use and scalability** — Intuitive interface, quick setup, and growth-friendly pricing (per-agent, per-ticket, or usage-based models).\n\n**Pitfall to avoid**: Tools that claim \"omnichannel\" but keep channels separate or require manual context transfer.\n\n### Step 3: Research and Shortlist Options\nPopular platforms that commonly support email + live chat + phone in one system include:\n- **Zendesk** — Strong across email, chat, voice/social with mature automation and a unified agent workspace. Good for scaling teams.\n- **Freshdesk (Freshworks)** — Affordable omnichannel with email, phone, chat, and social; solid workflows and AI features.[[4]](https://www.usepylon.com/blog/omnichannel-support-compared-2026)\n- **Zoho Desk** or **HubSpot Service Hub** — Cost-effective with good channel unification and CRM ties.\n- **LiveAgent, HappyFox, or Kustomer** — Flexible omnichannel ticketing with telephony options.[[5]](https://kayako.com/blog/best-omnichannel-customer-support-platforms/)\n- **Specialized options** — RingCentral or similar for voice-heavy needs; Front or Hiver for email-centric teams expanding to chat/voice.[[6]](https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/customer-service-software-platform/)\n\nReview recent comparisons on sites like G2 or vendor roundups for 2025–2026 ratings, pricing, and channel specifics. Filter by your team size and channel priorities.[[5]](https://kayako.com/blog/best-omnichannel-customer-support-platforms/)\n\n### Step 4: Evaluate Thoroughly\n- Request demos or free trials (most offer 14–30 days).\n- Run a proof-of-concept with real scenarios (e.g., route an email → chat escalation → phone follow-up).\n- Test integrations, mobile access, and reporting.\n- Check references from similar-sized teams and review user feedback on ease of setup, support quality, and actual omnichannel performance.\n- Compare total costs (seats + add-ons + telephony minutes) and implementation effort.\n- Ask vendors about future channel expansion and AI roadmap.[[7]](https://www.nextiva.com/blog/omnichannel-communication-platforms.html)\n\n### Additional Tips\n- **Start small if needed** — Begin with your highest-volume channels and expand.\n- **Consider hybrid approaches** — Some teams use a core ticketing system plus dedicated telephony if full native integration isn't feasible.\n- **Future-proofing** — Choose platforms with open APIs and strong automation to adapt as customer preferences evolve (e.g., more messaging apps).\n- **Implementation** — Plan for data migration, agent training, and workflow design upfront.\n\nBy following these steps—defining needs first, verifying unified context, and testing real workflows—you'll select a system that truly consolidates email, chat, and phone without fragmentation. If your setup has unique constraints (e.g., specific CRM or compliance needs), provide more details for tailored recommendations.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Salesforce", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HubSpot", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Twilio", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "RingCentral", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Gmail", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Outlook", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshworks", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zoho Desk", "position": 10, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HubSpot Service Hub", "position": 11, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "LiveAgent", "position": 12, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HappyFox", "position": 13, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Kustomer", "position": 14, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Front", "position": 15, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Hiver", "position": 16, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "G2", "position": 17, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Nextiva", "position": 18, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "Pick a system that has a **true omnichannel inbox** so **email, live chat, and phone calls** all become tickets in the same workspace, with shared customer history and assignment rules.[1][4][5] The key is not just “supports multiple channels,” but whether agents can *see, route, and resolve* every conversation without switching tools.[2][10]\n\nA practical way to choose is:\n\n- **Confirm channel coverage**\n - Make sure the product natively supports **email, live chat, and voice/phone** in one system, not via separate products stitched together.[4][7][10]\n- **Check for a unified inbox**\n - The best tools centralize all conversations into a single queue or dashboard so agents keep full context and avoid duplicate work.[1][2][5][9]\n- **Look for routing and automation**\n - You want automatic ticket assignment, prioritization, escalation, and canned replies so repetitive work is reduced.[1][6][8]\n- **Verify call handling**\n - If phone support matters, confirm whether the platform includes a built-in call center or telephony integration rather than only logging phone notes.[7][9][10]\n- **Assess workflow fit**\n - Make sure you can merge tickets, share notes internally, and move a case from chat to phone without losing history.[5][6]\n- **Consider ease of use and setup**\n - A system that is powerful but hard to learn can slow your team down; ease of use is a common selection criterion.[6]\n- **Check integrations and scalability**\n - If you use CRM, knowledge base, or messaging tools, ensure they connect cleanly and can grow with volume.[1][6][7]\n\nIf you want a shortlist, the results consistently point to these kinds of options:\n\n- **Zendesk** for broad omnichannel support across email, live chat, messaging, and phone in one system.[4][6]\n- **LiveAgent** for a strong all-in-one setup with email, live chat, and built-in call center features in a single inbox.[7][9]\n- **HappyFox** for omnichannel ticketing with email, chat, social, and voice in one workspace.[10]\n- **Front** if your main need is consolidating email plus other channels and team collaboration, with omnichannel support mentioned across email, chat, phone, and social.[1]\n- **Zoho Desk** if you want omnichannel support including email, live chat, and telephony, especially if you already use Zoho products.[6]\n\nIf you’re comparing vendors, ask these 5 questions in a demo:\n\n- Can one agent handle **email, chat, and calls** from the same screen?[4][7][10]\n- Does a chat or email automatically become a ticket with full history?[2][5][9]\n- Are phone calls recorded, logged, and tied to the same customer record?[4][7][10]\n- Can tickets be routed by skill, priority, or channel?[1][6][8]\n- What happens when a case moves from chat to phone or email—does the context stay attached?[5][10]\n\nIf you want, I can turn this into a **vendor comparison table** for Zendesk vs LiveAgent vs HappyFox vs Zoho Desk based on your team size and budget.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "LiveAgent", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HappyFox", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Front", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zoho Desk", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zoho", "position": 6, "recommended": true } ] } ] }, { "question": "our helpdesk renewal price went up again, what are cheaper alternatives with the same features?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "Assuming this is a **customer-support helpdesk** (not internal IT), the strongest lower-cost shortlist is:\n\n| Best fit | Likely replacement | Current published annual-billing list price | Feature coverage / caution |\n|---|---|---:|---|\n| **Closest mainstream Zendesk alternative** | **Freshdesk Pro** | **$55/agent/month** | Ticketing, shared inbox, portal/knowledge base, multilingual support, custom dashboards, intelligent routing, multiple SLAs, and collaborators. This is the first plan I’d trial if you’re leaving Zendesk Suite Professional. ([freshworks.com](https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Lowest-cost serious customer-service option** | **Zoho Desk** | Pricing varies by edition/region | Good candidate if email, web forms, KB, SLA automation, reporting, CRM integration, and customizable workflows matter more than a polished Zendesk-like UX. Its higher tiers include multi-brand help centers, custom modules, and sandboxing; it also has a free plan for three users and a 15-day trial. ([zoho.com](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html)) |\n| **Internal IT / employee help desk** | **Jira Service Management Standard** | **$20/agent/month** | Best value if tickets are mostly employee IT requests. Includes portal, email/chat intake, configurable forms/workflows/queues, KB, asset/configuration management, audit logs, and unlimited customers. ([atlassian.com](https://www.atlassian.com/collections/service/pricing)) |\n| **Internal IT with AI/incident operations** | **Jira Service Management Premium** | **$51.42/agent/month** | Adds virtual service agent, advanced incident/problem management, and AIOps capabilities. It is a better match for ITSM than for a customer-facing support desk. ([atlassian.com](https://www.atlassian.com/collections/service/pricing)) |\n| **More configurable ITSM** | **HaloITSM** | Quote-only | Worth an RFP if you need CMDB/assets, change/problem management, detailed workflows, or a fully configurable ITSM platform. Since its public pricing is not transparent, get a written all-in quote including implementation and support before assuming it is cheaper. ([capterra.com](https://www.capterra.com/p/200140/HaloITSM/pricing/?utm_source=openai)) |\n\n### My practical recommendation\n\n1. **If you are on Zendesk Suite Professional or above:** trial **Freshdesk Pro** first. \n Zendesk currently lists Suite Professional at **$115/agent/month** annually, while Freshdesk Pro is **$55/agent/month** annually. At 10 agents, that headline difference is about **$7,200/year** before add-ons and migration costs. This is not perfect feature-for-feature—especially around AI, voice, advanced reporting, and security—but it is the most plausible cost-cutting swap. ([zendesk.com](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/?utm_source=openai))\n\n2. **If your “helpdesk” is primarily employees opening IT tickets:** skip customer-service tools and evaluate **Jira Service Management Standard** and **HaloITSM**. JSM Standard at $20 per agent/month has unusually broad ITSM coverage, including assets/configuration management. ([atlassian.com](https://www.atlassian.com/collections/service/pricing))\n\n3. **If you mostly use email tickets + a knowledge base:** put **Zoho Desk** in the pilot. It is often the cost-control choice, particularly if you already use Zoho CRM or other Zoho apps. Validate its US quote, integration needs, and reporting requirements during the trial. ([zoho.com](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html))\n\n### Don’t compare only seat price\n\nBefore switching, make a one-page “must keep” list and score each vendor against it:\n\n- Email, chat, phone/SMS, social, and web-form channels \n- Help center / KB, multiple brands, customer portal \n- SLAs, business hours, escalations, routing, approvals \n- Automations, triggers, macros, custom fields, API/webhooks \n- Reporting/export", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 1, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Freshdesk Pro", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zoho Desk", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management Standard", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management Premium", "position": 5, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "HaloITSM", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk Suite Professional", "position": 7, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Zoho CRM", "position": 8, "recommended": false } ] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**Popular cheaper alternatives to Zendesk (the most common culprit for renewal hikes) and similar premium helpdesks include Zoho Desk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, and a few others.** These offer comparable core features like ticketing, multichannel support (email, chat, social, phone), knowledge bases, automation/SLAs, reporting/analytics, and often AI assist—typically at 50-75% lower cost per agent.[[1]](https://missiveapp.com/blog/zendesk-alternatives)\n\n### Top Budget-Friendly Options with Similar Features\nHere’s a comparison based on recent 2026 data (prices are starting/typical per agent or user per month; always verify current plans as they can include free tiers or usage-based add-ons):\n\n- **Zoho Desk** — Best overall value/budget pick. Starts around $7–14/agent/month (Standard plan). Includes ticketing, omnichannel support, automation, knowledge base, telephony, and AI (Zia). Strong for teams in the Zoho ecosystem or those wanting configurable views and workflows. Free plan for small teams.[[2]](https://www.solarwinds.com/blog/best-zende[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- **Freshdesk** — Close Zendesk-like experience at lower cost. Growth/Pro plans from ~$15–19/agent/month (free options or trials for small teams). Omnichannel ticketing, knowledge base, automation, reporting, and AI. Good for SMBs needing familiar workflows without the premium price.[[1]](https://missiveapp.com/blog/zendesk-alternatives)\n- **Help Scout** — Simple, email-first inbox with support features. Starts ~$25/seat/month (or contact-based plans from lower). Clean interface, knowledge base, reporting, and some AI. Ideal if you don’t need heavy enterprise complexity.[[3]](https://www.ringly.io/blog/zendesk-alternatives)\n- **Gorgias** — Strong for e-commerce (shopify/etc. integrations). From ~$10/month depending on volume. Ticketing, live chat, automation, and multichannel support.[[3]](https://www.ringly.io/blog/zendesk-alternatives)\n- **HubSpot Service Hub** — All-in-one with marketing/sales alignment. From ~$15–20/user annually (or similar monthly). Shared inbox, knowledge base, automation, surveys, and workflows.[[2]](https://www.solarwinds.com/blog/best-zende[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\nOther mentions: Missive (~$14/seat, great for shared inboxes), LiveAgent (live chat + ticketing value), and HappyFox (predictable pricing, ~$14–29/agent).[[4]](https://www.happyfox.com/zendesk-alternative/)\n\n### Quick Tips for Switching\n- **Savings estimate**: For a 10-agent team, switching from Zendesk’s ~$55/agent Suite tier could save hundreds per month before add-ons (AI, extra features).[[1]](https://missiveapp.com/blog/zendesk-alternatives)\n- Most offer free trials or limited free plans—test migration of tickets/KB data, integrations, and agent workflows.\n- Key considerations: Match your channels (e.g., Gorgias for e-com), AI needs (watch per-resolution fees on some), scalability, and total cost (seats vs. contacts vs. usage).\n- Avoid hidden fees on Zendesk-like tools by choosing flat or predictable pricing.\n\nIf you share your **current helpdesk** (e.g., Zendesk, Freshworks, ServiceNow) and team size or must-have features (AI, specific integrations, phone support), I can refine this list or compare exact pricing/migration paths. Pricing changes often, so check vendor sites for the latest.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 1, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Zoho Desk", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Gorgias", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HubSpot Service Hub", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Missive", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "LiveAgent", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HappyFox", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshworks", "position": 10, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "ServiceNow", "position": 11, "recommended": false } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "If you want **similar helpdesk features for less money**, the strongest low-cost alternatives in the results are **Freshdesk**, **Zoho Desk**, **Help Scout**, **Jira Service Management**, and **HelpSpot**; if you can self-host, **Zammad**, **osTicket**, **FreeScout**, and **HESK** can be much cheaper or even free in software cost.[1][4][5][8][10]\n\nThe best choice depends on which features you consider “same,” but these are the clearest cost-saving options by likely fit:\n\n| Alternative | Why it’s cheaper | Feature fit notes |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Freshdesk** | Starts at **$15/user/month** and has a free plan in some comparisons.[1][4][8][9][10] | Strong general-purpose helpdesk with automation, self-service, reporting, and scaling support.[1][4][9] |\n| **Zoho Desk** | Starts at **$14/user/month** and also appears with a free plan for small teams.[4][5][8][10] | Good for customizable ticket workflows and standard helpdesk features.[4] |\n| **Help Scout** | Starts around **$25/user/month** or less in some comparisons.[8][10] | Better if you want a simpler support inbox and knowledge base rather than a heavy ITSM tool.[8] |\n| **Jira Service Management** | Starts around **$23.80/user/month** and has a free tier for small teams.[4][5] | Best if you need structured request handling and IT workflows.[4][5] |\n| **HelpSpot** | Flat **$29/agent/month** with no contact-volume surcharges.[8] | Useful if you want predictable pricing rather than per-feature upsells.[8] |\n\nIf your goal is the **lowest possible cost**, the open-source/self-hosted options stand out:\n\n- **Zammad** — free/open source with multi-channel ticketing, roles, permissions, and a modern interface.[5][7]\n- **osTicket** — free open-source ticketing with customizable forms and workflows.[5]\n- **FreeScout** — free and open source with unlimited agents, tickets, and mailboxes.[5]\n- **HESK** — free self-hosted option; one comparison estimates only hosting cost if you run your own VPS.[5][10]\n\nA practical shortlist:\n\n- Choose **Freshdesk** if you want the safest “drop-in replacement” for mainstream helpdesk features at a lower price.[1][4][9]\n- Choose **Zoho Desk** if pricing is the priority and you want strong customization.[4][8]\n- Choose **HelpSpot** if you want predictable flat pricing.[8]\n- Choose **Zammad** or **FreeScout** if you can self-host and want to cut software cost aggressively.[5][7]\n- Choose **Jira Service Management** if your team is IT-heavy and needs service-request workflows.[4][5]\n\nTwo important caveats:\n\n- Pricing in the results varies by plan, billing term, and whether “full features” are included, so the cheapest sticker price is not always the cheapest total cost.[6][8]\n- Some options are cheaper because they trade off ease of setup, managed hosting, or advanced automation; that matters if you need a true one-for-one replacement.[1][6][9]\n\nIf you tell me your current helpdesk tool and the features you rely on most, I can narrow this to the **closest 3 cheaper replacements**.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zoho Desk", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HelpSpot", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zammad", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "osTicket", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "FreeScout", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HESK", "position": 9, "recommended": true } ] } ] }, { "question": "we need a help desk that covers both internal IT requests and external customers, what are the options?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "You have **three viable operating models**. The right choice depends less on ticket volume and more on whether external customer issues routinely require work from internal IT.\n\n## 1. One platform, with separate internal and customer experiences\nUse one service-management platform, but configure distinct portals, queues, knowledge bases, permissions, SLAs, and reporting for:\n\n- **Employees:** IT incidents, access requests, new equipment, onboarding/offboarding, security issues\n- **Customers:** product support, billing, orders, account help, technical troubleshooting\n\n**Best when:** you want a single administration/reporting layer and customer support often needs engineering or IT escalation.\n\n**Strong candidates**\n- **Jira Service Management / Atlassian Customer Service Management** — a good fit if your product, engineering, or operations teams already live in Jira. Atlassian supports both internal users and external portal-only customers in the same help-center environment; its newer Customer Service Management adds branded external support sites and channels such as email, chat widget, and phone. ([support.atlassian.com](https://support.atlassian.com/jira-service-management-cloud/docs/set-up-and-manage-help-center-access/?utm_source=openai))\n- **ServiceNow ITSM + Customer Service Management (CSM)** — best suited to larger, process-heavy organizations that need mature ITIL practices, CMDB/asset relationships, formal change management, and high-security workflows. Its CSM–ITSM integration lets agents create incidents, requests, problems, and changes from customer cases while allowing external users to see relevant records through customer portals. ([servicenow.com](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/customer-service-management/setting-up-csm-integration-with-itsm.html?contentId=jT7OzKhcExIC5c3vHPuyaA&utm_source=openai))\n- **Salesforce Service Cloud + Agentforce IT Service / Employee Service** — makes most sense if Salesforce is already your CRM and customer-data system of record. Salesforce supports employee-facing IT/HR portals and service catalogs, as well as customer service on the same broader platform. ([help.salesforce.com](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.ec_site_intro.htm&language=en_US&type=5&utm_source=openai))\n- **Zendesk** — often a simpler, faster-to-deploy option for companies prioritizing support experience. It supports customer and employee service, including IT service features such as a service catalog, approvals, assets, and internal workflows. For a true two-audience setup, keep employee and public customer experiences logically separated. ([zendesk.com](https://www.zendesk.com/employee-service/?utm_source=openai))\n\n**Advantages**\n- One vendor and shared governance\n- Easier customer-to-IT escalation\n- Central reporting for end-to-end resolution\n- Potentially lower integration burden\n\n**Risks**\n- A “single portal for everyone” can expose the wrong knowledge or ticket data.\n- Customer support and IT support need different workflows; forcing them into identical forms/statuses produces a poor experience.\n- More sophisticated one-platform implementations can be costly and take longer.\n\n---\n\n## 2. Two purpose-built systems, integrated for escalations\nUse a customer-support platform externally and an ITSM platform internally. Customer agents create or link an IT incident/request when they need internal help; the customer sees only the customer-facing case.\n\n**Best when:** internal IT has meaningful needs around assets, access management, approvals, change control, or security—but external support needs strong omnichannel service, CRM context, and brand customization.\n\n**Common combinations**\n- **Freshdesk for customers + Freshservice for internal IT.** Freshdesk is aimed at customer support, while Freshservice is designed for ITSM/employee service. Their native integration can create internal incidents or service requests from customer tickets, synchronize context and updates, and let agents track internal progress without giving customers access to internal tickets. ([freshworks.com](https://www.freshworks.com/products/freshdesk-vs-freshservice/?utm_source=openai))\n- **Zendesk for customers + Jira Service Management for IT/engineering.**\n- **Salesforce Service Cloud for customers + ServiceNow for internal IT**, especially in larger enterprises with Salesforce CRM and established ServiceNow processes.\n\n**Advantages**\n- Each audience gets a tool designed for its work.\n- Stronger separation of sensitive IT/security/employee information.\n- External support can optimize for email, chat, phone, social, in-app support, customer satisfaction, and CRM context. For example, Freshdesk offers customer-facing omnichannel support across email, chat, and voice, while Freshservice provides internal portals, service catalog, incident management, and workflow automation. ([freshworks.com](https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/usecases/omnichannel-customer-support/?utm_source=openai))\n- Lower disruption if you already have either a customer-support or ITSM tool.\n\n**Risks**\n- Requires careful integration design so agents do not copy/paste updates between systems.\n- Metrics can fragment unless you define an end-to-end case/escalation reporting model.\n- Two vendor contracts and administration teams.\n\n**For most mid-sized organizations, this is often the best balance.**\n\n---\n\n## 3. One basic shared help desk, with lightweight separation\nUse a general help desk with separate email addresses, forms, groups, automations, and views:\n\n- `help@company.com` → customer support\n- `it@company.com` → internal IT\n- Separate portals or branded request forms\n- Different agent groups, SLAs,", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Jira Service Management", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Atlassian Customer Service Management", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "ServiceNow ITSM", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "ServiceNow Customer Service Management", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Salesforce Service Cloud", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Salesforce Agentforce IT Service", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Salesforce Employee Service", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshservice", "position": 10, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**Several help desk platforms can handle both internal IT requests (e.g., employee incidents, service requests, asset management) and external customer support** through unified ticketing, separate portals/portals with visibility rules, multi-channel support (email, chat, self-service), knowledge bases, SLAs, automation, and reporting. Some are purpose-built ITSM tools that extend to customers (or vice versa), while others use configurations like ticket routing and access controls to keep internal and external tickets separate.[[1]](https://www.jitbit.com/news/internal-help-desk/)\n\nHere are the leading options based on current capabilities for combined use cases:\n\n### Enterprise/Comprehensive Platforms\n- **ServiceNow** — Excellent for internal IT (full ITSM/ITIL processes like incident, problem, change, and asset management) and extends to Customer Service Management (CSM) on the same platform. Ideal for larger organizations needing deep integration across IT, HR, and customer workflows. It supports unified experiences but can be complex and higher-cost.[[2]](https://www.servicenow.com/servicenow-vs-zendesk.html)\n- **Atlassian Jira Service Management (JSM)** — Strong ITSM features (especially for tech teams already using Jira/Confluence) with customizable portals for external customers. It offers good automation, incident management, and asset capabilities. Often praised for agility and lower TCO compared to ServiceNow, with solid customer-facing help centers.[[3]](https://deviniti.com/blog/customer-it-service/jira-service-management-vs-zendesk/)\n\n### Mid-Market / Balanced Options\n- **Freshservice (by Freshworks)** — Purpose-built ITSM with robust internal IT support (including asset management and self-service). The broader Freshworks ecosystem (e.g., Freshdesk) or configurations allow customer support in the same or integrated environment. It is frequently recommended for organizations managing both internal and external tickets efficiently.[[4]](https://thecxlead.com/tools/best-internal-helpdesk-software/)\n- **Zendesk** — Primarily a customer support leader (omnichannel ticketing, AI, help center) that can also manage internal IT requests via its ticketing system. It works well for mixed use with proper routing, though it lacks the deepest native ITSM features compared to dedicated tools. Good for teams prioritizing customer experience.[[5]](https://www.sketchdev.io/blog/jira-service-management-vs-alternatives)\n\n### Other Notable Options\n- **HappyFox** — Explicitly positioned as an all-in-one system for internal (IT, HR, Ops) and external customer requests, with features to reduce ticket volume across both.[[6]](https://www.happyfox.com/helpdesk/use-cases/internal-help-desk-software/)\n- **SolarWinds Service Desk** — IT-focused with strong asset management and knowledge-base tools usable by both employees and customers.[[7]](https://www.proprofsdesk.com/blog/best-help-desk-software/)\n- **ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus** or **HaloITSM** — Unified platforms supporting internal IT and extensions to customer service; popular in mid-market and MSP scenarios.[[8]](https://deskday.com/best-itsm-tools/)\n\n**Other considerations**:\n- **Configuration approach** — Many tools (including dedicated ones like Jitbit) support one instance with strict ticket visibility/routing rules so employees don’t see customer tickets (and vice versa).[[1]](https://www.jitbit.com/news/internal-help-desk/)\n- **Pricing & fit** — Varies widely (e.g., per-agent subscriptions starting ~$20–$50/month for mid-tier tools; enterprise like ServiceNow is custom/higher). Factor in your company size, budget, existing tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, Atlassian stack), need for ITIL compliance, and scalability.\n- **Alternatives** — Open-source options like osTicket or OTRS exist but often require more customization for dual use. MSP-oriented tools (e.g., InvGate, HaloPSA/ITSM) may suit if you also handle client environments.\n\nEvaluate demos/trials based on your specific workflows, integrations, and team size. If you provide more details (e.g., company size, budget range, existing tools, or must-have features like AI or mobile apps), I can narrow this down further.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "ServiceNow", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Atlassian Jira Service Management", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshservice", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshworks", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HappyFox", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "SolarWinds Service Desk", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HaloITSM", "position": 10, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jitbit", "position": 11, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "osTicket", "position": 12, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "OTRS", "position": 13, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "InvGate", "position": 14, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HaloPSA", "position": 15, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Microsoft 365", "position": 16, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Confluence", "position": 17, "recommended": false } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "You have two main options: **one platform that can handle both internal IT and external customer support**, or **two separate tools**—one optimized for IT service management and one for customer service.[3][5][6]\n\nIf you want a **single system for both**, look at platforms that explicitly support internal employees and external customers, such as **Zendesk**, **Salesforce Service Cloud**, **Freshdesk**, **Zoho Desk**, **Jira Service Management**, **ServiceNow**, **Help Scout**, **Kustomer**, and **SolarWinds Service Desk**.[5][9][10]\n\nA practical way to choose is by use case:\n- **IT-first / internal support:** **Jira Service Management**, **ServiceNow**, **SolarWinds Service Desk**, **Freshservice**, **SysAid**, **TOPdesk**, **Ivanti Neurons**.[5][7][10]\n- **Customer-first / external support:** **Zendesk**, **Freshdesk**, **Zoho Desk**, **Kustomer**, **Help Scout**, **Intercom**, **Salesforce Service Cloud**.[5][8][9][10]\n- **Hybrid / both audiences:** **Zendesk**, **Salesforce Service Cloud**, **Freshdesk**, **Zoho Desk**, **Jira Service Management**, **ServiceNow**, **Vision Helpdesk**, **TOPdesk**.[5][9][10]\n\nThe key difference is that **ITSM/service-desk tools** usually add features like asset tracking, change management, and employee portals, while **customer support tools** are stronger on omnichannel messaging, CRM integration, and customer-facing portals.[1][5][6][7]\n\nIf you want, I can narrow this to:\n- **best low-cost options**\n- **best enterprise options**\n- **best options for a small team**\n- **best options if you want one inbox for both employees and customers**", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Salesforce Service Cloud", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zoho Desk", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "ServiceNow", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Kustomer", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "SolarWinds Service Desk", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshservice", "position": 10, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "SysAid", "position": 11, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "TOPdesk", "position": 12, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Ivanti Neurons", "position": 13, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Intercom", "position": 14, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Vision Helpdesk", "position": 15, "recommended": true } ] } ] }, { "question": "we want AI to draft replies to support tickets but never send them automatically, which platforms allow that?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "Yes—this is commonly called **agent-assist**, **copilot**, or **suggested replies**. In these modes, AI writes a proposed response, but an agent must review and explicitly send it.\n\n| Platform | Human-review-only capability | Notes |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Zendesk** | **Agent Copilot / Auto assist** | Suggested replies appear in the agent composer; agents can edit, approve, or dismiss them. Zendesk explicitly says the suggestions require agent approval before sending. Be careful to configure only the Copilot/auto-assist feature—not Zendesk’s customer-facing AI agent. ([support.zendesk.com](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/9945148867866-About-auto-assist?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Help Scout** | **AI Drafts** | Probably the clearest fit for a strict draft-only policy: it generates responses “in a draft state,” and users review/revise before sending. ([docs.helpscout.com](https://docs.helpscout.com/article/1570-ai-drafts?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Front** | **Suggested Replies / Compose** | AI places a pre-drafted reply in the composer; the teammate can edit, delete, or choose to send it. Front also supports shared drafts for a second-person review process. Avoid enabling **Autopilot** if no autonomous replies is a hard rule. ([help.front.com](https://help.front.com/en/articles/4848896?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Intercom** | **Fin Copilot** | Copilot is the teammate-facing product: it helps agents find answers and suggest content in the reply composer, where the agent sends or rejects it. Do **not** deploy Fin AI Agent to customer channels if you never want automated replies. ([intercom.com](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/8587194-how-to-use-copilot?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Freshdesk** | **Freddy AI Copilot / Reply Suggester** | Freddy can proactively generate a response draft for an assigned agent; the agent reviews, verifies, and inserts/refines it. Its newer Reply Suggester is currently documented as private beta, so confirm availability for your account. ([support.freshdesk.com](https://support.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/50000014078--private-beta-proactive-ai-reply-drafts-with-reply-suggester?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Salesforce Service Cloud** | **Einstein Service Replies** | Creates reply drafts/recommendations for service reps to review, edit, and post, including chat/messaging and case-email workflows. ([help.salesforce.com](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.einstein_replies_intro.htm&language=en_US&type=5&utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Kustomer** | **Kustomer Envoy Copilot** | Copilot drafts replies which an agent can add to the reply editor; Kustomer says Copilot does not take actions automatically. Keep customer-facing AI Automations off. ([help.kustomer.com](https://help.kustomer.com/use-copilot-SyU13vB1lg?utm_source=openai)) |\n\n### Best short list\n\n- **Strictest/simple draft-only workflow:** **Help Scout**\n- **Best mainstream enterprise ticketing option:** **Zendesk**\n- **Best for collaborative approval and multi-channel shared inboxes:** **Front**\n- **Best if you already use a full CRM/service suite:** **Salesforce Service Cloud**\n- **Best if you are already on Intercom but want agents—not bots—to reply:** **Intercom Copilot**\n\n### Implementation guardrails\n\nTo make “never automatically send” real rather than aspirational:\n\n1. Enable only the **agent copilot/drafts/suggested-replies** SKU or feature.\n2. Do **not** enable customer-facing AI agents, bots, auto-replies, or AI workflow steps.\n3. Restrict automation/workflow permissions so admins cannot accidentally publish an AI agent.\n4. Require a separate reviewer or approval workflow for sensitive queues—refunds, legal, security, cancellations, regulated communications.\n5. Pilot with a limited queue and audit draft acceptance/edit rates and any unsupported claims.\n\nOne nuance: draft-only AI guarantees that AI does not independently click **Send**; it does not stop a human agent from sending a poor draft without reviewing it. For higher-risk support, pair this with approval queues or QA sampling.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Front", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Intercom", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Salesforce Service Cloud", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Kustomer", "position": 7, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**Zendesk, Help Scout, Freshdesk, and Gorgias** (among others) support AI that drafts replies to support tickets while keeping a human in the loop for review and manual sending.[[1]](https://www.eesel.ai/blog/zende[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\nHere are the key platforms with this capability (based on native or well-supported features):\n\n- **Zendesk (Copilot / Auto Assist or suggested replies)**: AI drafts a full reply (grounded in your knowledge base/procedures) that appears in the agent workspace for the human agent to review, edit, and approve/send. It explicitly positions the AI behind the human agent rather than sending autonomously. Configurations can halt automation on manual replies or rejected drafts.[[1]](https://www.eesel.ai/blog/zende[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\n- **Help Scout (AI Drafts)**: One-click generation of a complete reply draft in draft state, drawing from your Docs articles and prior conversations. The draft is ready for the agent to review, revise (or refine via prompt), and send manually—nothing is sent automatically. This is part of their agent-assist tools (distinct from any customer-facing bot).[[2]](https://docs.helpscout.com/article/1570-ai-drafts)\n\n- **Freshdesk (Freddy AI or similar suggestions)**: AI generates reply suggestions or drafts that agents can review/edit before sending. Sources confirm setups where “AI drafts the reply, a human approves before send,” with emphasis on human review for every interaction. Third-party tools (e.g., Macha) can also create internal-note-style drafts for human approval.[[3]](https://www.eesel.ai/blog/freshde[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\n- **Gorgias**: AI tools draft replies inside the ticket for human agents to review before sending to customers. The platform also has a more autonomous AI Agent mode, but drafting/review features keep humans in control when desired.[[4]](https://www.eesel.ai/blog/gorgias-ai-agent-to-draft-replies-using-help-center-content)\n\n### Additional Options\n- **Intercom**: Fin AI is often more autonomous (answering first and handing off), but community/partner solutions and drafting features exist for human review before sending.[[5]](https://community.intercom.com/ideas/fin-ai-draft-email-replies-for-human-review-14419)\n- **Third-party layers** (e.g., Macha AI, custom GPT/Claude integrations, or workflow tools): These can sit on top of many helpdesks (Zendesk, Freshdesk, etc.) to generate drafts as internal notes or draft replies, explicitly requiring human approval/edit/send.[[6]](https://www.getmacha.com/blog/draft-freshdesk-replies-with-ai)\n\nMost modern support platforms now offer AI writing assistance or suggestions that default to (or can be configured as) drafts rather than auto-sends. Always review the specific AI settings—look for terms like “suggested replies,” “draft mode,” “human review/approval,” or “agent assist” vs. fully autonomous “AI Agent” modes. Test in a sandbox to confirm the exact workflow matches your “never send automatically” requirement.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Gorgias", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Intercom", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Macha", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Macha AI", "position": 7, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "Yes—**many platforms support AI drafting inside the ticket view while still requiring a human to review and send**. The clearest examples in the results are **Helply**, **Zendesk AI**, **Freshdesk Freddy**, **InvGate Service Management**, **LiveAgent AI Answer Improver**, and **Intercom Fin/AI Copilot**.[1][3][4]\n\nA practical way to think about them is:\n\n| Platform | What the AI does | Automatic sending? |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Helply** | Drafts replies using ticket, KB, and CRM/account context | **No** — “the agent reviews and sends”[1] |\n| **Zendesk AI** | Copilot/drafting and triage features | Not described as auto-send in the result; positioned as agent-assist[1][4] |\n| **Freshdesk Freddy** | Ticket summaries, draft/rephrase, solution-article generation | Not described as auto-send in the result; positioned as drafting assistance[1][4] |\n| **InvGate Service Management** | AI-improved responses, recommended solutions, quick replies | **No** — you review/edit, then send[3] |\n| **LiveAgent AI Answer Improver** | Polishes existing replies for clarity/tone/empathy | Agent-reviewed drafting assistance[4] |\n| **Intercom Fin / AI Copilot** | Tailored suggestions and agent assistance | The result describes it as copilot/suggestions rather than automatic sending[4] |\n\nIf your requirement is specifically **“draft replies, but never send automatically,”** the safest fit from the results are the tools explicitly described as **agent-reviewed**: **Helply** and **InvGate**.[1][3]\n\nA few notes:\n- **HelpJet**, **Docsbot**, and **Replydesk** are shown as **draft generators** or reply workflows, but they are not clearly described as full helpdesk platforms in the results.[2][5][7]\n- **BuiltABot** and some top-tier tools mentioned by Twig are framed as more **autonomous**, so they are *less aligned* with your “never send automatically” requirement.[6][8]\n\nIf you want, I can narrow this to:\n- **helpdesk platforms only**\n- **browser extensions / add-ons**\n- **the cheapest options**\n- **tools that support Zendesk, Intercom, or Freshdesk specifically**", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Helply", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk AI", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk Freddy", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "InvGate Service Management", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "LiveAgent AI Answer Improver", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Intercom Fin/AI Copilot", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HelpJet", "position": 7, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Docsbot", "position": 8, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Replydesk", "position": 9, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "BuiltABot", "position": 10, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 11, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Intercom", "position": 12, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 13, "recommended": false } ] } ] }, { "question": "we're drowning in support emails across three shared inboxes, what should we use to keep track?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "Use a **shared-inbox/help-desk tool that turns every email into an owned, trackable ticket**—not Gmail/Outlook folders, flags, or a spreadsheet.\n\n## My default recommendation: **Help Scout**\nChoose **Help Scout** if your support is primarily email and you want something clean that your team will actually adopt. Connect all three existing addresses as separate inboxes, then use:\n\n- **Assignment/ownership** so every conversation has one accountable person\n- **Statuses**: New → In progress → Waiting on customer → Closed\n- **Tags** for issue type, product, urgency, etc.\n- **Saved replies** for common answers\n- **Collision prevention** so two people don’t answer simultaneously\n- **Basic reporting** on backlog, response times, and recurring issues\n\nIt’s a strong “get organized without building a support operations department” choice. Help Scout’s shared inbox supports multiple users and features such as tagging, snoozing, and scheduled replies. ([docs.helpscout.com](https://docs.helpscout.com/article/1597-free-plan?utm_source=openai))\n\n## Pick a different tool if this describes you\n\n| Situation | Best fit | Why |\n|---|---|---|\n| Mostly email; small-to-mid-sized team; want simple | **Help Scout** | Easiest transition from shared inboxes |\n| You manage a mix of support, sales, partnerships, and operations email | **Front** | Excellent collaborative shared inbox; shows when a teammate is replying and shares drafts in real time to avoid duplicate replies. ([help.front.com](https://help.front.com/en/articles/2403?utm_source=openai)) |\n| High volume, SLAs, multiple teams, chat/phone, sophisticated routing | **Zendesk** | Full ticketing system with queues, automation, capacity-based assignment, priority/SLA and skills-based routing on applicable plans. ([support.zendesk.com](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409149119514-About-omnichannel-routing?utm_source=openai)) |\n| Shopify/e-commerce support with lots of order, return, shipping questions | **Gorgias** | Centralizes support channels and is designed to expose customer/order context and handle store actions from the help desk. ([gorgias.com](https://www.gorgias.com/products/helpdesk?utm_source=openai)) |\n\n## A practical setup for your three inboxes\n\nKeep the addresses customers already know. In the tool, make each one a separate queue/inbox, such as:\n\n1. `support@` → **Customer Support**\n2. `billing@` → **Billing & Account**\n3. `orders@` or `help@` → **Orders / Technical / General**\n\nThen establish four non-negotiable rules:\n\n1. **Every new conversation gets an owner** within a defined triage window.\n2. **Nobody “just replies from their own mailbox.”** All external replies happen in the shared system.\n3. **Every unresolved ticket has a next action and due date/SLA.**\n4. **Use “waiting on customer” and snooze** instead of leaving threads in the main queue.\n\nStart with only a few fields/tags:\n- Priority: urgent / normal\n- Type: bug, billing, order, how-to, account access\n- Status\n- Owner\n\nAvoid creating 40 tags and complex automations on day one.\n\n## Bottom line\n\n- **Choose Help Scout** if you want the best straightforward fix for drowning in three email inboxes.\n- **Choose Front** if these mailboxes are broader collaborative business communication, not purely customer support.\n- **Choose Zendesk** if you already have meaningful ticket volume, response-time commitments, or support specialization.\n- **Choose Gorgias** if you are an e-commerce company.\n\nThe important change is not merely centralizing email—it is making sure each request has a **single owner, visible status, priority, and audit trail**.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Gmail", "position": 2, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Outlook", "position": 3, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Front", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Gorgias", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Shopify", "position": 7, "recommended": false } ] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**Use a dedicated shared inbox or helpdesk tool** instead of raw email. Native Gmail/Outlook shared mailboxes or delegation work for small teams but quickly fail at scale—they lack assignment tracking, collision detection (preventing duplicate replies), internal notes, SLAs, reporting, and automation.[[1]](https://www.getinboxzero.com/blog/post/shared-mailbox-management-best-practices)\n\nTop recommendations for managing multiple support inboxes in 2026 (based on recent comparisons):\n\n### Top Picks\n- **Missive** — Frequently rated as the best overall for most teams. It keeps the email feel while adding powerful collaboration (real-time co-drafting, internal chat per thread), multi-channel support (email + SMS/WhatsApp/social), assignments, and rules. Excellent for handling multiple inboxes without a steep learning curve. Pricing starts around $14/user/month.[[2]](https://get-alfred.ai/blog/best-shared-inbox-software)\n- **Front** — Purpose-built collaborative shared inbox that feels closest to email. Strong for teams that want to stay email-native but gain team features like assignments, @mentions, shared drafts, and easy multi-inbox management. Great automation and collision detection. Starts ~$49/user/month.[[3]](https://www.proprofsdesk.com/blog/best-shared-inbox-tools/)\n- **Help Scout** — Simple and clean shared inbox focused on customer conversations, with built-in knowledge base and customer profiles. Ideal for smaller-to-mid teams that want straightforward tracking without complexity. Starts ~$25/user/month.[[4]](https://www.happyfox.com/helpdesk/use-cases/shared-inbox-software/)\n\n### Strong Alternatives If You Need More Structure\n- **Freshdesk, HappyFox, or Zendesk** — These turn emails into proper tickets with advanced routing, SLAs, reporting, and automation. Better once volume grows or you need full helpdesk features.[[4]](https://www.happyfox.com/helpdesk/use-cases/shared-inbox-software/)\n- **Hiver** — If you're heavy Gmail users and want everything inside Gmail.\n\n### Quick Advice\n1. **Connect all three inboxes** into one platform so your team works from a single view.\n2. Look for these must-have features: assignment + ownership, status tracking, internal notes/mentions, collision detection, rules/automation for routing, and basic analytics.\n3. Most tools offer free trials—test Missive, Front, and Help Scout first (they're the least disruptive).\n4. Start small: Set up basic rules for auto-assignment or categorization, train the team on internal notes instead of CC'ing, and review a simple dashboard/report weekly.\n\nThis shift typically cuts response times and stress dramatically within days. If you share more details (team size, Gmail vs Outlook, monthly email volume, or budget), I can narrow it down further.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Gmail", "position": 1, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Outlook", "position": 2, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Missive", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Front", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HappyFox", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Hiver", "position": 9, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "Use a **shared inbox / help desk tool**, not a simple distribution list. It will let your team centralize all three inboxes, assign ownership, track status, add internal notes, and reduce duplicate replies or dropped emails.[2][3][7]\n\nFor your situation, the best-fit options are usually:\n\n- **Front** if you want an email-like interface that feels familiar while still adding team collaboration and tracking.[1][5]\n- **Missive** if you want a lightweight collaborative inbox with internal chat and multi-channel support.[4][5]\n- **Help Scout** or **ProProfs Help Desk** if you want a more support-focused system that turns emails into trackable tickets and includes reporting/automation.[5][6][9]\n- **Hiver** if your team lives in **Gmail/Google Workspace** and you want something inbox-native.[5]\n- **Emailgistics** if your team lives in **Outlook** and needs shared-mailbox workflows and performance tracking.[10]\n\nA practical rule:\n- Choose a **shared inbox** if you mainly need to organize and answer support emails together.[2][3][7]\n- Choose a **help desk** if you need stronger ticketing, SLAs, reporting, and customer support workflows.[3][5][6][9]\n\nIf you want the shortest recommendation: for most teams drowning in support email across multiple shared inboxes, **Front** or **Missive** are strong starting points, while **Help Scout** is better if you want a more traditional support desk.[1][4][5][9]\n\nIf you tell me whether you use **Gmail or Outlook**, and roughly how many people answer those inboxes, I can narrow it to the best 2 options.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Front", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Missive", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "ProProfs Help Desk", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Hiver", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Gmail", "position": 6, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Google Workspace", "position": 7, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Emailgistics", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Outlook", "position": 9, "recommended": false } ] } ] }, { "question": "what should a hospital or government team look for in help desk software for compliance reasons?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "A hospital or government team should treat help-desk software as a **system of record for sensitive data**, not merely a ticketing tool. Tickets often accumulate PHI/PII, screenshots, device details, credentials, incident notes, email threads, and audit evidence.\n\n## 1. Start with data scope and workflow controls\n\nRequire the vendor to document:\n\n- What data the tool collects, stores, indexes, backs up, and transmits—including attachments, email ingestion, chat, call recordings, remote-support sessions, knowledge-base content, APIs, and AI features.\n- Where data is hosted, including backups and support-access locations.\n- Whether data is used to train AI models; for regulated deployments, require **no training on your data by default**, an ability to disable AI, and controls for prompts, outputs, and retrieval sources.\n- Data-minimization features: attachment limits, PHI/PII warnings or redaction, field-level restrictions, ticket templates that discourage sensitive data, and separate handling for security incidents.\n- Configurable retention, defensible deletion, legal holds, backup-expiry behavior, and a usable export process for audit, migration, litigation, and public-records needs.\n\nFor healthcare, assume all electronic PHI created, received, maintained, or transmitted in the system is in scope; HIPAA risk analysis is the starting point, not a checkbox after purchase. ([hhs.gov](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/security/guidance/guidance-risk-analysis/index.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n## 2. Identity, access, and privileged-support controls\n\nAt minimum, look for:\n\n- SSO via SAML or OIDC and MFA enforcement.\n- Role-based access control, ideally with granular permissions by queue, department, site, ticket type, attachment, and administrative function.\n- Separate roles for agents, supervisors, security staff, auditors, system administrators, and vendor support.\n- Least privilege, just-in-time/time-limited elevated access, and a controlled “break-glass” process.\n- Automated provisioning/deprovisioning through SCIM or equivalent.\n- Restrictions on bulk export, mass download, printing, copy/paste, API token creation, and third-party app installation.\n- Controls over vendor personnel access: named approval, time limit, session logging, and preferably customer-controlled support access.\n\nHIPAA specifically expects access controls, audit controls, integrity protections, authentication, and transmission security; it does **not** prescribe a particular product or a one-size-fits-all technical configuration. ([hhs.gov](https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/securityrule/techsafeguards.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n## 3. Auditability and evidence\n\nA compliant tool should create detailed, searchable, exportable logs for:\n\n- Logins, MFA/SSO events, failed attempts, session activity, and privilege changes.\n- Views of sensitive tickets and attachments—not just edits.\n- Creation, modification, deletion, export, sharing, printing, and API access.\n- Admin configuration changes, integration changes, retention-policy changes, and knowledge-base publication.\n- Vendor-support access and actions.\n- AI use, if enabled: prompts, data sources, actions taken, and who approved them.\n\nAsk whether logs are tamper-resistant, how long they are retained, whether they can be streamed to your SIEM, and whether timestamps are reliable and normalized. NIST 800-53 explicitly recognizes help desks as incident-response support resources, so auditability and escalation paths are operational controls—not optional reporting features. ([nvlpubs.nist.gov](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-53r5.pdf?ref=hacware-resources&utm_source=openai))\n\n## 4. Security architecture and operations\n\nRequire evidence for:\n\n- Encryption in transit and at rest; clear key-management design and separation between tenants.\n- Strong tenant isolation for SaaS.\n- Secure API design, scoped tokens, integration inventories, and the ability to revoke integrations quickly.\n- Vulnerability management, patch SLAs, penetration testing, secure development practices, code/change management, and independent assessments.\n- Backup, disaster recovery, tested restoration, uptime commitments, and incident-response procedures.\n- A contractually defined incident-notification timeline, cooperation duties, forensic support, and access to relevant logs/evidence.\n- Subprocessor disclosure and advance notice/approval rights for material changes.\n\nDo not accept “we are", "mentions": [] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**For hospitals (primarily HIPAA compliance) and government teams (primarily FedRAMP, Section 508, and related standards), help desk/ticketing software must prioritize security safeguards, auditability, access controls, and deployment flexibility to handle sensitive data like protected health information (PHI) or citizen/government records.** No software is inherently \"compliant\" out of the box—compliance depends on proper configuration, policies, vendor agreements (e.g., Business Associate Agreements or BAAs), and ongoing maintenance.[[1]](https://www.hipaavault.com/resources/how-to-tell-if-software-is-hipaa-compliant-a-guide-for-healthcare-vendors-and-it-teams/)[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\nHere are the key features and considerations, broken down by sector with overlapping requirements.\n\n### HIPAA-Specific Requirements for Hospitals/Healthcare\nHospitals and healthcare providers must protect electronic PHI (ePHI) under the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. Focus on administrative, technical, and physical safeguards.[[3]](https://www.knack.com/blog/hipaa-compliant-app-development/)[[4]](https://www.givainc.com/blog/hipaa-compliant-help-desk-software/)\n\n- **Business Associate Agreement (BAA)**: The vendor must be willing to sign a BAA acknowledging their role in handling PHI. Many gate this behind higher-tier plans.[[1]](https://www.hipaavault.com/resources/how-to-tell-if-software-is-hipaa-compliant-a-guide-for-healthcare-vendors-and-it-teams/)[[5]](https://www.comm100.com/blog/best-hipaa-compliant-customer-support-software/)\n- **Encryption**: Strong encryption for data at rest (e.g., AES-256) and in transit (e.g., TLS 1.2 or higher). This covers stored tickets, attachments, and communications.[[6]](https://www.helpscout.com/blog/hipaa-compliant-help-desk/)[[5]](https://www.comm100.com/blog/best-hipaa-compliant-customer-support-software/)\n- **Access Controls and Authentication**: Role-based access control (RBAC) with granular permissions (e.g., limit PHI visibility by team or field), principle of least privilege, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and automatic session timeouts.[[4]](https://www.givainc.com/blog/hipaa-compliant-help-desk-software/)[[5]](https://www.comm100.com/blog/best-hipaa-compliant-customer-support-software/)\n- **Audit Trails and Logging**: Comprehensive, tamper-resistant logs of all access, views, changes, exports, and admin actions (who accessed what PHI and when). These must be exportable for audits or investigations by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).[[4]](https://www.givainc.com/blog/hipaa-compliant-help-desk-software/)[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- **Secure Communications and PHI Handling**: Encrypted messaging/channels (avoid leaking PHI in email notifications), secure patient portals or self-service options, and controls to prevent unauthorized disclosure.[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- **Breach Notification and Risk Management Support**: Features or vendor processes that aid breach detection/response and integrate with your risk assessments.[[1]](https://www.hipaavault.com/resources/how-to-tell-if-software-is-hipaa-compliant-a-guide-for-healthcare-vendors-and-it-teams/)\n- **Data Residency/Retention**: Options to control where data is stored and configurable retention policies aligned with HIPAA requirements.\n\nAdditional notes: There is no official HIPAA certification for software—compliance is demonstrated through safeguards and the BAA.[[7]](https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-compliance-software/)[[1]](https://www.hipaavault.com/resources/how-to-tell-if-software-is-hipaa-compliant-a-guide-for-healthcare-vendors-and-it-teams/) Verify vendor security policies, data storage details, and breach procedures. Many popular tools (e.g., certain Zendesk, Freshdesk, or Help Scout plans) support HIPAA via BAA and the above controls when properly configured.[[8]](https://www.featurebase.app/blog/help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\n### FedRAMP and Government-Specific Requirements\nGovernment agencies and contractors require standardized security assessments, data sovereignty, and accessibility.\n\n- **FedRAMP Authorization**: Prioritize solutions listed on the official FedRAMP Marketplace with Moderate or High authorization (or Tailored for lower-risk use cases). Examples include certain Zendesk offerings.[[9]](https://marketplace.fedramp.gov/)[[10]](https://www.zendesk.com/blog/product-news/zende[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key]/)[[11]](https://www.usefini.com/guides/fedramp-compliant-customer-support-banks) Check the marketplace directly for current status.\n- **Deployment and Data Sovereignty/Flexibility**: On-premises (self-hosted), private cloud, sovereign cloud, or VPC options are often required so data stays under your control/jurisdiction and does not use shared public SaaS infrastructure.[[12]](https://www.crowcanyon.com/blog/what-to-look-for-in-a-gcc-high-or-gcc-it-help-desk/)[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- **Additional Compliance Frameworks**: Support for CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), ITAR (if defense-related), or DoD Impact Levels.[[12]](https://www.crowcanyon.com/blog/what-to-look-for-in-a-gcc-high-or-gcc-it-help-desk/)\n- **Section 508 Accessibility**: Compliance with U.S. federal accessibility standards (based on WCAG) for users with disabilities, including screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and alternative text. This is mandatory for many government systems.[[12]](https://www.crowcanyon.com/blog/what-to-look-for-in-a-gcc-high-or-gcc-it-help-desk/)\n- **Audit Logging and Reporting**: Deep, exportable logs suitable for federal audits and accountability requirements.\n- **Vendor Certifications**: SOC 2 reports, data processing agreements, and transparency on security architecture.[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\n### Common/Ovelapping Requirements for Both\nThese apply across regulated environments:\n\n- **Granular Permissions and Audit Depth** — Field-level or ticket-type restrictions; logs covering all relevant actions with long retention and easy export.[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- **Data Governance Controls** — Configurable retention, export restrictions, and residency options.\n- **Deployment Choices** — Beyond public SaaS (cloud, private cloud, on-prem) to match policy.[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- **Integrations and Ecosystem** — Secure connections to EHR/EMR systems, identity providers (e.g., for SSO/MFA), and existing compliance tools without introducing new risks.\n- **Vendor Transparency and Support** — Willingness to share SOC 2 reports, encryption details, and documentation; involvement of your security/compliance team in evaluation.[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- **Other Certifications** — SOC 2 Type II is frequently referenced as a baseline.\n\n### Evaluation Tips\n- Involve IT/security/compliance teams early.[[2]](https://www.deskpro.com/blog/compliant-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n- Request evidence (reports, sample logs, BAA templates, FedRAMP package summaries).\n- Test granular controls and audit export capabilities in a proof-of-concept.\n- Consider total cost, including higher tiers needed for compliance features, and agent usability (overly restrictive tools can lead to workarounds that create risks).\n- Review recent vendor status, as authorizations (e.g., FedRAMP) can change.\n\nStart by defining your specific regulations and data types, then map requirements to vendor capabilities. Tools like Zendesk, Freshdesk, or others with healthcare/government editions are frequently cited as configurable options, but always validate against your exact needs.[[8]](https://www.featurebase.app/blog/help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key]) For the latest FedRAMP options, check the official marketplace.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "[client-vendor masked: named publicly only with their consent]", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Comm100", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Knack", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Giva", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HIPAAVault", "position": 8, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "HIPAA Journal", "position": 9, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "FeatureBase", "position": 10, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "FedRAMP Marketplace", "position": 11, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Fini", "position": 12, "recommended": false }, { "brand": "Crow Canyon", "position": 13, "recommended": false } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "For a **hospital or government team**, the main compliance question is whether the help desk can control **who sees sensitive data, how it is stored, and whether every access is auditable**.[1][3] In practice, that means looking for **contracts, security controls, logging, and data-handling options** that match the rules your organization must follow.[1][3][8]\n\nWhat to look for:\n\n- **A signed BAA** if the platform will handle PHI. Without a Business Associate Agreement, using the system for PHI is not HIPAA-compliant.[1][3][8]\n- **Strong access controls** such as role-based permissions, team-based restrictions, field-level restrictions, unique user logins, MFA, and session timeouts.[1][3][7][9]\n- **Encryption in transit and at rest** to protect records and messages from unauthorized access.[1][3][5][7][9]\n- **Audit logs** that show who accessed or changed data, when they did it, and what they changed; logs should be exportable and retained long enough for audits.[1][2][3][5][7][9]\n- **PHI/minimization controls** so tickets only collect the data needed, with safeguards against PHI leaking into email notifications or free-text fields.[1][5][7][9]\n- **Secure messaging** for patient or citizen communication, preferably through authenticated, encrypted channels rather than ordinary email.[1]\n- **Data residency and deployment options** so data can be stored and processed in approved locations or even in your own infrastructure if required.[1][6][7]\n- **Vendor documentation** such as SOC 2 reports, DPAs where relevant, and clear security terms you can review during procurement.[1][6][7]\n- **Retention, archiving, and deletion controls** that fit your records policy and legal retention requirements.[7][9]\n- **Incident response and backup/recovery capabilities** so the system supports breach response and data recovery if something goes wrong.[3][5]\n\nIf this is for a **hospital**, HIPAA is usually the core framework, and the biggest red flags are missing BAAs, weak access controls, poor audit trails, and PHI appearing in tickets or notification emails.[1][3][8] If this is for a **government team**, the same checklist still matters, but you may also need to match local public-sector rules on data residency, retention, identity management, and records handling.[1][6][7]\n\nA practical procurement test is: **Can the vendor prove exactly where the data goes, who can see it, how access is logged, and whether they will sign the required agreement before any sensitive data enters the system?**[1][7][8]", "mentions": [] } ] }, { "question": "what's the best help desk software for a support team of about 15 agents?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "For a **15-agent external customer-support team**, I’d start with **Freshdesk Pro**. It is the best overall balance of capability, admin simplicity, and cost for a team at your size.\n\n- **Why:** solid ticketing, SLA/routing, self-service portal, custom objects, custom reporting, and more sophisticated workflows than a basic shared inbox.\n- **Current list price:** **$55/agent/month billed annually**—about **$825/month for 15 agents** before optional AI or channel add-ons. ([freshworks.com](https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/?device=c&matchtype=e&network=g&tactic_id=4636742&utm_source=openai))\n- **Best fit:** email-first support that needs structured processes, reporting, and room to grow, without deploying an enterprise-heavy platform.\n\n### Shortlist by situation\n\n| If your situation is… | Best pick | Why |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Typical SaaS/customer-support team** | **Freshdesk Pro** | Best value and operational depth for 15 agents. |\n| **You need excellent omnichannel support, complex workflows, or expect rapid scale** | **Zendesk Suite** | Mature, flexible platform with unified workspace, messaging/chat, voice, knowledge base, routing, reporting, and a large integration ecosystem. It is pricier: Suite Team begins at **$55/agent/month annually**, while the more advanced Suite Professional is **$115/agent/month**. ([zendesk.com](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/?targetRedirect=true&variant=518&utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Your support is product-led and chat/in-app messaging is central** | **Intercom Advanced** | Excellent messenger experience, automation, multilingual/private help centers, and round-robin assignment. But at **$85/seat/month plus $0.99 per Fin AI outcome**, costs can grow quickly. ([intercom.com](https://www.intercom.com/pricing?redirect_from=%2Fphone%2Fpricing&utm_source=openai)) |\n| **You want a clean, human support experience and mostly email/live chat** | **Help Scout** | Less intimidating for agents and includes live chat/proactive messaging via Beacon, but it is not my first pick for heavily customized workflows or complex operations. ([docs.helpscout.com](https://docs.helpscout.com/article/596-billing-and-plans-guide?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **This is internal IT/employee support, not customer support** | **Jira Service Management** | Better for assets, incidents, change management, and engineering/IT workflows. Standard is listed at **$20/agent/month**; customers are free. ([atlassian.com](https://www.atlassian.com/collections/service/pricing?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **You run a Shopify/e-commerce store** | **Gorgias** | Purpose-built e-commerce integrations and ticket-volume rather than per-agent pricing. Assess carefully against your actual ticket count and overage exposure. ([gorgias.com](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing?utm_source=openai)) |\n\n### My practical recommendation\n\n1. **Trial Freshdesk Pro first.**\n2. Trial **Zendesk Suite Team/Professional** only if you need multiple channels, sophisticated routing, complicated integrations, or expect to grow beyond ~25 agents soon.\n3. Choose **Intercom** instead only if your support model depends heavily on in-product chat and you have budget controls for AI usage.\n\nAvoid buying primarily for “AI.” For a 15-person team, the biggest gains usually come first from clean ticket fields, routing rules, macros, SLAs, a well-maintained help center, and useful reporting. AI pricing can be usage-based—e.g., Intercom charges per resolved Fin outcome—so model monthly volume before enabling it broadly. ([intercom.com](https://www.intercom.com/pricing?redirect_from=%2Fphone%2Fpricing&utm_source=openai))", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Freshdesk Pro", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk Suite", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Intercom Advanced", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Gorgias", "position": 6, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**There’s no single “best” help desk software**—it depends on your team’s specific needs (e.g., customer support vs. internal IT, existing tools like CRMs or Atlassian, multichannel requirements, budget, and whether you want AI/automation focus). For a mid-sized team of ~15 agents, popular, well-reviewed options in 2026 balance features, ease of use, and per-agent pricing without enterprise-level complexity or cost.[[1]](https://www.ever-help.com/blog/best-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key])\n\n### Top Recommendations\nHere are the most frequently recommended platforms for teams in your size range, based on recent comparisons:\n\n- **Freshdesk (by Freshworks)**: Strong mid-market choice and a frequent “Zendesk alternative at lower cost.” It excels in omnichannel support (email, chat, phone, social), automation, knowledge base, AI (Freddy), SLAs, and reporting. It’s intuitive for teams new to structured ticketing and scales well. \n **Pricing**: Growth plan often ~$15–19 per agent/month (annual billing); higher tiers (Pro/Enterprise) add advanced routing, custom reports, and more AI. Free tier available but limited.[[2]](https://www.zendesk.com/service/help-desk-software/ticketing-system/) \n **Best for**: Teams wanting solid features without overpaying. Many sources call it a sweet spot for SMB-to-mid-market customer support.[[3]](https://www.mojohelpdesk.com/blog/2026/04/best-help-desk-software-2026)\n\n- **Zoho Desk**: Excellent value pick, especially if you’re already in the Zoho ecosystem (CRM, etc.) or want maximum features per dollar. It includes multichannel support, AI (Zia), automation, customization, and reporting. \n **Pricing**: Often one of the cheapest at ~$7–14 per agent/month starting, with paid plans around $14–23+. Free plan for up to 3 agents.[[1]](https://www.ever-help.com/blog/best-help-de[redacted: string in the raw answer looked like an API key]) \n **Best for**: Budget-conscious teams or those prioritizing affordability and integrations.\n\n- **Zendesk**: Robust, feature-rich platform with deep omnichannel capabilities, a huge integration marketplace, strong AI, and enterprise-grade tools. It’s the “default” for many larger or complex operations. \n **Pricing**: Higher—typically starts ~$19–55+ per agent/month depending on the plan, with add-ons pushing costs up. Often 2–3× more than mid-market alternatives.[[4]](https://crm.org/crmland/best-help-desk-software) \n **Best for**: Teams that need maximum flexibility and are willing to pay a premium (may feel like overkill for 15 agents).\n\n- **Jira Service Management (Atlassian)**: Good if your team uses Jira/Confluence or handles IT/dev-related tickets. Strong workflows, asset management (higher tiers), and ecosystem integration. \n **Pricing**: Around $21–48+ per agent/month.[[2]](https://www.zendesk.com/service/help-desk-software/ticketing-system/) \n **Best for**: IT/technical teams already in the Atlassian stack.\n\nOther notables for your size include Help Scout (simpler shared-inbox feel), HappyFox (solid mid-tier IT option), or Mojo Helpdesk (predictable pricing for smaller IT/education/healthcare teams).[[3]](https://www.mojohelpdesk.com/blog/2026/04/best-help-desk-software-2026)\n\n### Key Factors to Consider for ~15 Agents\n- **Pricing model** — Most use per-agent/month (billed annually for discounts). Expect $200–800+/month total on mid-tier plans before add-ons. Watch for hidden costs like AI features or extra channels.\n- **Must-haves vs. nice-to-haves** — Core ticketing, automation/SLAs, knowledge base, collision detection, and basic reporting are essential. Omnichannel, advanced AI, and deep integrations depend on your channels and volume.\n- **Ease of use & setup** — Mid-sized teams often prefer tools with quick onboarding over highly customizable enterprise platforms.\n- **Scalability & integrations** — Ensure it grows with you and connects to your CRM, email, Slack/Teams, etc.\n- **Customer vs. IT focus** — Customer support leans toward Freshdesk/Zendesk/Zoho; internal IT may favor Jira, Freshservice, or specialized tools.\n\n**Recommendations**: Start with free trials (most offer 14–21 days) of **Freshdesk** and **Zoho Desk** (strong value for your team size), then compare against Zendesk if you need more advanced omnichannel depth. Check current G2 or Capterra ratings/reviews for user feedback on ease of use, support, and value.[[5]](https://www.helpdesk.com/learn/top-help-desk-softwares/) Also factor in your industry (e.g., compliance needs like HIPAA) and total cost of ownership.\n\nIf you share more details (budget, primary channels, existing software, or customer vs. internal support), I can refine this further!", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshworks", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zoho Desk", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Atlassian", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HappyFox", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Mojo Helpdesk", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshservice", "position": 10, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "G2", "position": 11, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Capterra", "position": 12, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "For a support team of about **15 agents**, the best choice is usually **Freshdesk** or **Zendesk**, with **Freshdesk** often being the better default if you want strong core help desk features at a lower cost and simpler setup.[1][3]\n\n- **Freshdesk** is a strong fit for small-to-mid-sized support teams because it is commonly recommended alongside Zendesk and Jira Service Management for help desk use.[1]\n- **Zendesk** is a solid option if you expect to grow into more advanced workflows and are willing to pay for a more established enterprise-grade platform; one comparison notes it as suited to **large teams** and advanced features.[3]\n- **Jira Service Management** is worth considering if your support team works closely with engineering or IT and you want deeper incident/change-style workflows.[1]\n- **Help Scout** is often a good fit when you want a lighter, customer-support-focused tool rather than a heavier ITSM-style platform.[1]\n\nIf your team is mostly handling customer support tickets, I’d start with **Freshdesk**. If you need more customization, reporting depth, and broad ecosystem support, **Zendesk** is the safer long-term pick.[1][3]\n\nIf you want, I can narrow this to the **best option by budget**, **ease of use**, or **best for email/chat/omnichannel support**.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Help Scout", "position": 4, "recommended": true } ] } ] }, { "question": "which customer support ticketing tools can be self-hosted or keep our data in the UK?", "answers": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "openai/gpt-5.6-terra", "answer_text": "Yes. The clearest options split into **self-hosted** (you choose a UK-based host and control the data) and **SaaS with a UK data-residency option**.\n\n## Self-hosted — strongest control over UK data\n\nHost the application, database, file storage, backups, and monitoring in UK regions (for example AWS London or Azure UK South).\n\n| Tool | Best fit | Notes |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Zammad** | Full-featured support desk | Open-source, traditional ticketing with email, chat, phone and social channels. Good all-round alternative to Zendesk. ([docs.zammad.org](https://docs.zammad.org/en/latest/about/zammad.html?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Chatwoot** | Omnichannel support / live chat | Open-source; self-host on your own cloud or on-premises infrastructure. Particularly good for web chat, email, social messaging, and inbox-style support. ([chatwoot.com](https://www.chatwoot.com/deploy?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **FreeScout** | Small-to-mid-sized email support teams | Lightweight PHP/MySQL shared inbox/helpdesk; self-hostable and relatively simple to run. Some advanced functions are paid modules. ([freescout.net](https://www.freescout.net/?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **osTicket** | Straightforward email and web-form ticketing | Mature open-source support system with SLAs, forms, queues, customer portal and knowledge base. Less modern/omnichannel than Zammad or Chatwoot. ([docs.osticket.com](https://docs.osticket.com/en/latest/index.html?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **UVdesk Open Source** | PHP/Laravel teams | Open-source self-hosted helpdesk, installable on your own server or UK cloud account; supports email-to-ticket and knowledge base workflows. ([uvdesk.com](https://www.uvdesk.com/en/download/?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Faveo Helpdesk** | Teams needing commercial self-hosted support | Has a community/open-source route plus paid self-hosted editions; positioned for on-premises deployments. ([docs.faveohelpdesk.com](https://docs.faveohelpdesk.com/?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Deskpro** | Enterprise / UK-centric procurement | Available as both self-hosted and hosted; useful if you want a commercial vendor and support rather than purely community software. ([applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk](https://www.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/services/142832397261428?utm_source=openai)) |\n\n**My practical shortlist:**\n- **Zammad** for a conventional, capable ticketing desk.\n- **Chatwoot** if chat/social/WhatsApp-style conversations matter as much as email tickets.\n- **FreeScout** if you mostly need a clean shared support inbox at low operational complexity.\n- **Deskpro self-hosted** if procurement requires a commercial contract and vendor accountability.\n\n## SaaS products with UK hosting/residency\n\nThese reduce your infrastructure burden, but read the data-residency documentation carefully: a UK primary data store does **not always mean every log, analytics dataset, AI feature, support diagnostic, email, or subprocessor stays in the UK**.\n\n| Tool | UK option | Important caveat |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Deskpro Cloud** | You can select UK hosting. | Deskpro states customers can choose US, EU, or UK hosting; Enterprise can select from a broader set of AWS locations. ([support.deskpro.com](https://support.deskpro.com/bg/kb/articles/where-will-my-data-be-hosted?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Zendesk** | UK data centre location is available for eligible plans/accounts. | Core ticket, user and attachment data can be UK-hosted, but some secondary service data, logs, analytics and particular features may be outside the UK—often EEA or US. ([support.zendesk.com](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883599130-Regional-Data-Hosting-Policy?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Jira Service Management Cloud** | UK data residency is available; Atlassian identifies it as the London region. | Only “in-scope” app data is covered, and some product capabilities have limitations after moving data to the UK location. ([support.atlassian.com](https://support.atlassian.com/security-and-access-policies/docs/understand-data-residency/?utm_source=openai)) |\n| **Salesforce Service Cloud** | Available in the United Kingdom through Hyperforce. | Confirm the precise products, add-ons, backups, AI/Einstein/Agentforce features, and integration processing locations in the order form. Salesforce identifies UK Hyperforce instances as London (`eu-west-2`). ([help.salesforce.com](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=release-notes.rn_hyperforce_access_salesforce_in_more_regions_with_hyperforce.htm&language=en_US&release=256&type=5&utm_source=openai)) |\n\n## Important UK-data", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zammad", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Chatwoot", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "FreeScout", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "osTicket", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "UVdesk Open Source", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Faveo Helpdesk", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "[client-vendor masked: named publicly only with their consent]", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Deskpro Cloud", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management Cloud", "position": 10, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Salesforce Service Cloud", "position": 11, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "grok", "model": "x-ai/grok-4.3", "answer_text": "**Self-hosted (open-source or on-premise) options** give you full control over data location—you can host them on UK-based servers (e.g., AWS eu-west-2 London, Azure UK South, or a local UK provider) to ensure data stays in the UK. These are popular for customer support ticketing/helpdesks:\n\n- **osTicket** — Simple, widely used PHP-based open-source tool with email-to-ticket conversion, custom fields, and basic workflows. Self-hosted only.[[1]](https://freescout.net/blog/open-source-helpdesk-system/)\n- **Zammad** — Feature-rich open-source system (Ruby on Rails) supporting multi-channel (email, chat, social), SLAs, and reporting. Free to self-host; also offers affordable hosted plans.[[2]](https://kayako.com/blog/best-ticketing-system/)\n- **FreeScout** — Lightweight PHP/Laravel-based helpdesk, easy to deploy and similar to commercial tools in features. Free and self-hosted.[[1]](https://freescout.net/blog/open-source-helpdesk-system/)\n- **Faveo Helpdesk** — PHP-based with strong IT/support focus, automation, and integrations. Self-hosted open-source option.[[1]](https://freescout.net/blog/open-source-helpdesk-system/)\n- **UVdesk** — Open-source (PHP) with e-commerce integrations and multi-channel support; self-hosted version available.[[3]](https://blog.invgate.com/free-ticketing-system)\n- **Redmine** (with Helpdesk plugin, e.g., RedmineUP) — Flexible open-source project/issue tracker that works well for ticketing with community plugins.[[4]](https://www.redmineup.com/pages/blog/best-helpdesk-2025)\n\nOther mentions include HelpDeskZ, Heroic Inbox, and historical options like Spiceworks (self-hosted elements) or Znuny (OTRS fork). These allow complete data sovereignty in the UK.[[5]](https://www.tidio.com/blog/open-source-helpdesk/)\n\n**SaaS/cloud tools with UK data residency options** (or EU/UK compliance that can extend to UK storage):\n- Many providers (Zendesk, Freshdesk/Freshworks, Intercom, Atlassian Jira Service Management) run on AWS/Azure with UK regions (e.g., London), enabling data residency or GDPR/UK data protection compliance. Check specific contracts for \"data at rest\" guarantees in the UK.\n- **Jira Service Management** — Offers cloud with residency features in some plans plus a self-managed Data Center option.[[6]](https://deviniti.com/blog/customer-it-service/jira-service-management-vs-zendesk/)\n- **SysAid** — Recently launched a UK data centre for full data residency/control.[[7]](https://www.sysaid.com/news/british-organisations-get-full-data-control-as-sysaid-opens-uk-data-centre)\n\n**Recommendations**:\n- Prioritize **self-hosted tools** (osTicket, Zammad, FreeScout) if UK data residency is a hard requirement—they eliminate third-party hosting concerns.\n- For SaaS, review each vendor’s latest data residency policy or request UK-specific hosting, as options evolve with cloud providers.\n- Evaluate based on features like email integration, SLAs, reporting, and ease of deployment. Most self-hosted tools require server management (or use managed hosting in the UK).\n\nTest a few via demos or trial installs to match your team size and workflows.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "osTicket", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zammad", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "FreeScout", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Faveo Helpdesk", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "UVdesk", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Redmine", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "RedmineUP", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "HelpDeskZ", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Heroic Inbox", "position": 9, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Spiceworks", "position": 10, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Znuny", "position": 11, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Zendesk", "position": 12, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshdesk", "position": 13, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Freshworks", "position": 14, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Intercom", "position": 15, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Atlassian Jira Service Management", "position": 16, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Jira Service Management", "position": 17, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "SysAid", "position": 18, "recommended": true } ] }, { "engine": "perplexity", "model": "perplexity/sonar", "answer_text": "If you want **self-hosted** customer support ticketing tools, good options include **Zammad**, **osTicket**, **FreeScout**, **Request Tracker (RT)**, **OTOBO**, **UVdesk**, **Faveo Helpdesk**, **GLPI**, and **Helpy**.[2][4][5][7][8]\n\nIf your requirement is to **keep data in the UK**, the practical route is usually to choose a tool with a **cloud or managed offering that lets you select UK-based hosting**, or to self-host it on infrastructure located in the UK; the search results here confirm self-hosting for several tools, but they do **not** independently verify UK-region hosting for each vendor.[3][4][5][7]\n\nA quick breakdown:\n\n| Tool | Self-hosted? | Notes from results |\n|---|---:|---|\n| **Zammad** | Yes | Open-source help desk; self-hosted and also available as hosted service.[3][4][7][8] |\n| **osTicket** | Yes | Classic open-source help desk; self-hosted.[3][4][5][7] |\n| **FreeScout** | Yes | Lightweight open-source shared inbox/help desk; self-hosted.[4][6][7][8] |\n| **Request Tracker (RT)** | Yes | Open-source enterprise help desk; self-hosted.[3][5] |\n| **OTOBO** | Yes | Flexible web-based ticketing system; self-hosted.[2][7] |\n| **UVdesk** | Yes | Open-source help desk; self-hosted, with paid cloud options.[4][5] |\n| **Faveo Helpdesk** | Yes | Open-source, self-hosted; community edition free.[4][5] |\n| **GLPI** | Yes | Open-source ITSM/ticketing; self-hosted option noted.[3][5] |\n| **Helpy** | Yes | Open-source, self-hosted helpdesk.[7] |\n\nWhat to choose:\n- **Best overall self-hosted:** **Zammad**.[8]\n- **Best lightweight self-hosted:** **FreeScout** or **osTicket**.[6][8]\n- **Best ITSM-style self-hosted:** **OTOBO** or **GLPI**.[2][7]\n- **Best if you want “UK data residency”:** self-host any of the above on a **UK-based server**; if you want a vendor-hosted service, you’ll need to confirm whether they offer a **UK region** or UK-only deployment, because that detail is not established in the results provided.[3][4][5][7]\n\nIf you want, I can turn this into a **shortlist by business size** or a **UK-data-residency checklist** for vendor selection.", "mentions": [ { "brand": "Zammad", "position": 1, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "osTicket", "position": 2, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "FreeScout", "position": 3, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Request Tracker (RT)", "position": 4, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "OTOBO", "position": 5, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "UVdesk", "position": 6, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Faveo Helpdesk", "position": 7, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "GLPI", "position": 8, "recommended": true }, { "brand": "Helpy", "position": 9, "recommended": true } ] } ] } ] }