The 17 Best IT Ticketing Software for 2026

I like the Macros, because they help me a lot in resolving tickets faster than usual especially when more clients frequently ask the same question or report the same incident, secondly I love the user interface of the software, it is easy to adapt to and to work with it on every device size

Zendesk is a powerful tool when it comes to solving clients' issues through different channels like Live chat, Zendesk Talk, and emails, we opted to purchase the software to create a way we can collaborate with clients without losing data and across different platforms like Whatsapp, Messenger, Twitter and on live chat widget. Implementing the tool has enabled us to achieve more. It has helped us to be more productive and supportive of clients by responding to their questions on time. I have used the solution for 3 three years and has helped me grow customer relationship skills.

The support portal takes a lot of time to load data especially when you are connected to a poor internet connection, the support team at times takes a longer time to respond to technical questions and incident reporting hence affecting my work.

They have enough documentation and video guides to help you get started using the solution, the tool has more features in one place which prevents Interswitch and multiple logins to different software to perform the same task, like you can use the Zendesk support, and Zendesk Talk in one dashboard and hence saving more time.

They should think of the pricing of the tool, the best plan I would recommend is $49/month per agent. However, smaller businesses with a bigger size of operators may not get good ROI from this tool, therefore pricing should be more considered before buying the software.

They have introduced AI which can help support operators in crafting good guides, posts, and responses hence saving more time.

Support operators

It keeps us organized, accountable on timelines, records every submission or edit, which helps us continue to look at our operational processes and make sure they work for everyone involved. When they don't, we're able to use the data of our own activity to make changes and pivot.

We were using Slack messages as a ticketing system for IT requests, and to plan for new employees that would be onboarded. We were also only using email tickets (we would email IT@shift.com, for example, to request personal help with IT related issues). Communication requests/tickets would get lost chronically and we all had enough. Since we started using Freshservice last year, it allowed us to request service (from IT or Onboarding) and even report issues for our own IT needs.

There are other solutions out there that do a better job at organizing tickets, Jira for example.

Freshservice has been good in helping us stay more organized, respond in a way that gives many people simultaneous visibility. That said, Jira is more comprehensive; it has a knowledge base, ticketing, and project planning tools. It's literally everything we need and it turned out to be cheaper than the multiple other systems we have so as a company, we're talking about phasing out Freshservice.

Cost, labor to get it up and running and then continuously running correctly - that takes time! Also, people should think about who they want to have visibility and actions in Freshservice for various scenarios. FS is really good at that.

I would say small startup type companies like ours was/is where the environment is very scrappy and everyone likes to have insight and visibility so we can continue to discuss operational efficiencies.

• Its user-friendly interface makes it easy for our agents to manage customer inquiries efficiently.
• The robust feature set, including the ticketing system, knowledge base, and automation tools, provides us with everything we need to provide excellent customer support.
• The analytics and reporting capabilities allow us to track our performance and continuously improve our processes.
• The ability to customize Freshdesk to fit our specific needs and branding has been a huge plus for us.
• The frequent updates and new features added by Freshdesk helps us stay ahead of the curve in terms of customer support technology.

Our organization decided to purchase Freshdesk as a way to modernize and streamline our customer support processes. We had a growing number of customer inquiries and needed a system that could handle a high volume of requests while providing a positive experience for both our agents and customers. After evaluating various options, Freshdesk stood out for its user-friendly interface, robust feature set, and high ratings from other users.

We have now been using Freshdesk for over 2 years and it has made a significant impact on our customer support operations. Our agents can now handle a greater number of inquiries in less time and our customers are more satisfied with the support they receive. We also appreciate the constant updates and new features that Freshdesk rolls out, which helps us stay ahead of the curve in terms of customer support technology.

• The load time for some pages can be slow, which can slow down our agents and reduce their efficiency.
• The mobile app could use some improvements, such as better ticket management and faster notifications.
• The integration with some third-party tools can be a bit tricky, causing some workflow disruptions.
• The pricing for some advanced features can be a bit high, making it difficult for smaller organizations to afford.
• The user interface could use some simplification to make it easier for new agents to learn and use.

Freshdesk stands out from its competitors by offering a comprehensive suite of customer support tools and features, including a ticketing system, knowledge base, and automation capabilities. Compared to similar tools, Freshdesk has a user-friendly interface and a wider range of integrations, which sets it apart.

I prefer Freshdesk over its competitors because of its robust feature set and customization options. Freshdesk also offers excellent reporting and analytics capabilities, which helps us track our performance and make informed decisions about our support operations.

Additionally, Freshdesk's constant updates and improvements, such as new features and improved user experience, show their commitment to helping customers succeed. This sets Freshdesk apart from competitors who may not be as focused on innovation and improvement.

Overall, Freshdesk's combination of features, performance, and commitment to customer success make it the clear choice for us over its competitors.

When buying a customer support tool like Freshdesk, there are several key criteria to consider:

• Features: Make sure the tool you choose offers the features you need to effectively manage customer inquiries, such as a ticketing system, knowledge base, and automation capabilities.
• User experience: Look for a tool with a user-friendly interface that will make it easy for your team to use and improve their efficiency.
• Integrations: Consider how the tool integrates with your existing tools and systems, and whether the integrations will meet your needs.
• Price: Determine your budget and look for a tool that offers value for the price, taking into account both the cost and the features included.
• Customer support: Look for a vendor that offers excellent customer support, as you will likely need assistance at some point during your use of the tool.

My advice would be to clearly define your needs and priorities, and then use these criteria to compare different tools and choose the one that best fits your requirements.

Freshdesk has evolved significantly over time to better meet the needs of its users. In the past, Freshdesk was primarily a ticketing system, but over the years they've added a wide range of features and integrations to become a comprehensive customer support platform.

Freshdesk has also made significant improvements to the user experience, with a focus on making the platform more intuitive and efficient for its users. They've also added new features such as a knowledge base, automation capabilities, and advanced analytics, making it easier for organizations to manage their customer support operations.

In addition, Freshdesk has also made efforts to improve the performance and stability of the platform, ensuring that it can handle the needs of even the busiest customer support teams.

Overall, Freshdesk has been consistently improving and evolving to meet the changing needs of its users, and this commitment to innovation and improvement is one of the reasons it has become a popular choice for organizations of all sizes.

Freshdesk is a versatile customer support platform that is well suited for a wide range of organizations, including small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large enterprises.

However, Freshdesk is especially well suited for organizations that have high volume customer support operations and need a comprehensive platform to manage customer inquiries effectively. Freshdesk's robust feature set, including a ticketing system, knowledge base, automation capabilities, and advanced analytics, make it ideal for organizations that require a comprehensive solution to manage their customer support operations.

Freshdesk's ease of use and customization options make it a good choice for organizations that need a flexible solution that can be tailored to their specific needs. It's is an excellent choice for organizations that need a comprehensive customer support platform that is both feature-rich and user-friendly.

It is a cost-effective yet comprehensive IT management platform with a user-friendly interface and ease of implementation. The platform offers a wide range of tools, including incident management, problem management, change management, and asset tracking, all integrated into a single solution. This increases efficiency when managing multiple processes from one platform, enhancing overall productivity.

The interface is intuitive and easy to use, even for teams without extensive technical expertise. Lastly, it provides great value for money, offering critical features that rival more expensive platforms.

Our client has used ServiceDesk Plus for over two years. They chose ServiceDesk Plus because they needed a robust and scalable IT service management (ITSM) solution to streamline their help desk operations and improve overall service delivery.

The client required a comprehensive IT Service Management Platform that provided incident, problem, change, and asset management, all integrated into one tool. This helped centralize their IT processes, ensuring better tracking and resolution of IT-related issues. ServiceDesk Plus allowed them to automate repetitive tasks and customize workflows, improving the team's efficiency and reducing manual work.

Also, a user-friendly interface was vital for the client, along with scalability as they were in a hyper-growth phase. They also needed advanced analytics features to track IT service performance, spot trends, and make data-driven improvements to existing processes.

Some key dislikes the client mentioned primarily revolve around customization limitations and the complexity of setting up advanced features. Some technical team users noted that while the platform is feature-rich, customizing certain areas, such as workflows and reporting, to meet the unique needs of their organization can be difficult. This lack of flexibility can hinder the optimization of IT workflows.

While the basic features are easy to navigate, setting up advanced modules like change management or automation workflows can be complex and time-consuming, requiring more technical expertise than expected. There was also feedback that integrating ServiceDesk Plus with third-party tools or systems can be challenging, especially when synchronizing data across different platforms.

Compared to competitors like Zendesk or Freshservice, ServiceDesk Plus is more cost-effective and offers a wide range of IT management features at a lower price point. While platforms like Zendesk excel in customer support ticketing, they lack the extensive IT asset management or change management capabilities that ServiceDesk Plus provides.

ServiceDesk Plus’s ease of use and quick deployment are ideal compared to other systems like BMC Helix or ServiceNow, which can take longer to implement and require more technical expertise. It ultimately depends on the company's needs, the size of the organization, and the rate of growth.

When purchasing an IT service management tool like ServiceDesk Plus, key criteria include the feature set, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, and pricing. First, assess the specific IT management needs of your organization, such as incident management, change management, or asset tracking, and ensure the tool covers all of these in one platform.

Next, consider scalability—can the tool grow with your organization as you expand? Ease of use is critical, especially if your IT team is small or lacks extensive technical expertise, so the tool should be user-friendly. Check integration capabilities with other software in your tech stack to avoid silos.

Lastly, make sure the pricing aligns with your budget, especially if you have a large team or anticipate growing needs. Balancing functionality with cost efficiency is essential when choosing the right tool.

Originally focused on basic help desk functions, the platform now offers integrated ITIL-based processes, including incident, problem, change, and asset management, allowing organizations to manage their entire IT infrastructure from a single platform. This drives more streamlined IT operations and improves efficiency across departments. To further address user demands, automation features have been added to simplify repetitive tasks such as ticket assignment and workflow management, reducing manual workloads and improving response times.

ServiceDesk Plus has also increased its focus on customization, enabling businesses to tailor workflows, reports, and dashboards to suit their specific needs. By introducing both cloud and on-premise deployment options, ServiceDesk Plus has catered to a broader client base with different security and compliance requirements.

With the rise of remote work, the platform has adapted by enhancing its self-service portal and mobile capabilities, enabling employees to raise and track issues from anywhere.

ServiceDesk Plus is ideal for medium to large organizations with dedicated IT departments that need a comprehensive IT service management (ITSM) tool. It is well-suited for companies that require a robust solution for managing help desk operations, incident management, change management, and asset tracking.

Zoho Desk’s layout is easy to use and doesn’t take long to learn. Automation handles most of the repetitive stuff. Reports give us a clear picture of how we’re doing and where we can improve.

We got Zoho Desk to get our support team organized and speed up response times. Before that, we used different tools that didn’t sync well, which slowed us down. With Zoho Desk, we track tickets, automate tasks, and get better visibility into customer issues. It’s helped us respond faster and stay on top of client needs. We've been using it for over a year now.

Zoho Desk’s customization can be limited for some use cases. The mobile app is slow and not great for quick updates. The knowledge base could use smarter search features.

Zoho Desk gives you the core features you need without the high price tag. I’ve used Freshdesk and Zendesk—Zoho’s easier to set up and works well with other Zoho apps. For us, it just made more sense, especially on the cost side.

Make sure it’s easy for your team to use and fits with your current tools. Look at how much you can automate, and check the reports—it should help you track what matters. Try the free version first to see if it handles your ticket volume.

Zoho Desk has added better automation, expanded integrations, and improved reporting. The knowledge base is more useful now, and AI features like chatbots have helped cut down on tickets. It’s become more polished over time.

Zoho Desk is great for small to mid-sized teams that want to simplify support without spending too much. Works well if you want automation, solid tracking, and easy setup. It’s also a good choice if you already use Zoho apps.

I like the canned responses that make it easy for me to respond to a client's question by just pasting the canned responses from frequently asked questions.

We bought LiveAgent to offer live chat communication to users on our website and respond to clients’ messages. I have used the software for about two years

The pricing of the software is expensive.

They have a good web application with a good user interface which makes it easier for me to access the chat.

They should think of the pricing and scalability of the software.

They have improved the mobile application and the web application

Support teams.

Hiver integrates seamlessly with Gmail, making it easier to organize emails by department and tag the person best equipped to address an issue.

Hiver includes a built-in chat system that facilitates simple and effective communication among colleagues.

It allows for easy tracking of each email or case by marking its status as "in progress" or "closed," and it displays details of the steps taken to resolve the issue.

As an organization, we frequently encountered repeated responses to the same customer emails, or emails were being missed without any response. We were overwhelmed with unorganized emails, leading to confusion about which department should respond.

The owner began researching systems or platforms that could help improve email response times and ensure emails were directed to the appropriate departments. Hiver allows us to tag the appropriate person to respond to an email, preventing multiple responses to the same case. It is integrated with Gmail, giving it access to all emails for organizational purposes.

Additionally, it includes a chat feature that simplifies communication among employees. I have used Hiver for about six months, and it has been an effective solution that I would gladly use again.

I don't have any cons at this time.

Hiver is better than Zendesk. Hiver can be automated to organize emails, or users can manually organize them. I prefer Hiver because it is easy to use, simple to understand, and capable of performing multiple tasks to improve work quality and efficiency.

When buying this type of tool, consider the email platform you are using and ensure the tool is compatible.

Pricing is another important criterion, as it is essential to choose a tool that provides value and benefits to the company.

Look for a tool that can streamline workloads and improve the work environment to enhance customer satisfaction.

Hiver has become more efficient with enhanced automation, improved organizational features, and a built-in chat system for better collaboration among colleagues.

Hiver is ideal for customer experience-focused and customer-based organizations.

Monday is highly visual, which makes it easy to use. The dashboards are intuitive, which, again, shortens the time to ramp up and become productive. Monday is also incredibly flexible. I use it for talent acquisition and management, but it’s also very effective in sales development and project management.

As an HR Consultant, I’ve found Monday to be very helpful in addressing a variety of issues. For example, I’m able to collaborate with different teams on talent acquisition and talent management. Monday lends itself well to encouraging a collaborative work environment even for remote employees. By making it easy to collaborate, Monday helps to encourage employee engagement, which, in turn, strengthens corporate culture and improves retention. For these reasons, I encourage all my clients to use Monday.com.

I recommend Monday to my customers, and the complaint that they commonly have is that the pricing is confusing. Also, the trial day is only fourteen days when the industry standard is thirty - that alone turn some customers off. Finally, time tracking is only available on pro accounts.

Monday is very easy to use, and it’s easy to use effectively and quickly. In other words, onboarding and training are literally a breeze with Monday.

Monday is perfect for remote teams, especially those in different time zones. Because of the ability to track project progress, it’s a big help for remote management.

Monday has become very customizable and can meet a huge variety of business cases. As of now, there are over 200 templates for creating boards and building automations. It’s hard to imagine needing more than that.

Monday is a natural choice for medium-sized companies with remote teams, especially those who have teams overseas, or at least in different timezones.

• Internal Help Articles: The platform offered an internal knowledge base, which helped the team with continual learning efforts.
• Ticket Organization: The platform allowed us to organize our incoming requests in a clear and concise way.
• Ability to Manage SLAs: JitBit allowed us to set service level agreements that applied to our specific use case.

My previous employer, which focused on personalized home-kit meals, used JitBit. They implemented the software to help us easily monitor our customer support mailbox. We used the platform to support incoming requests from both our customers and employees. This tool was a crucial piece of our support model. They began using the platform in 2018, and I worked with it until my departure in 2023.

• Integration options with other products could have been better, especially since our company and team handled a wide range of tasks.
• Reporting functionalities could be improved; we often needed to pull reports, and JitBit did not make this process as easy as we would have liked.
• Pricing was high in comparison to similar tools currently on the market, in our opinion.

JitBit was different from its competitors because it truly offered a "one-stop-shop" experience. We appreciated that JitBit's features allowed users to track the status of their requests via mobile devices and ensured that agents were aware of pending requests. At this time, not many similar platforms offer that level of accessibility, allowing users to step away from their desks while remaining available to provide support.

I think people should focus on the size of their team and both current and future needs when considering JitBit. Although JitBit is highly functional, it has not evolved much to meet more "modern" industry demands, so this could be a factor for fast-growing teams or those requiring cutting-edge features.

Honestly, no—during my time with JitBit, the tool remained stagnant in terms of product development and new offerings.

JitBit is ideal for people working in customer service who have a solid team of around 8-15 people.

• I like that I can order and answer questions according to priority (instead of constant emails/calls).
• I like that I can see where I am with each item (to-do, in-progress, etc.).
• I like that I can give access to people outside my organization such as ICs, Freelancers, and Clients.

The company bought Jira for a software development team. Shortly after, other teams started using it as well. I have used it for 1 year for HR projects. It has provided me with ways to capture questions and requests from employees, contractors, and customers.

• It was created mostly for software development, so a lot of functionality is not useful for HR.
• It can be difficult to set up if you are not familiar with the tool.
• I like the "board" view in Jira Work Management or Trello (also owned by Atlassian) better.

It is very robust and has a lot of automation. It can be customized to do whatever you need as well. For my purposes, it works great, but so would Trello. I certainly like it better than some of its competitors.

What are you going to use if for? If you have no IT or development needs within your organization, you might try something simpler. Does it fit in your budget? They charge per user, so it can get pricey.

They have branched out to be useful to more than just IT over the years. I have only been using it for HR for one year, so there haven't been that many changes yet. I know that more power ups are created regularly. Those can be useful.

Software Development & Maintenance

The ticketing system format and organization are excellent. The dashboard is user-friendly and provides a clear overview. The notification features help keep the team informed and responsive.

We purchased HappyFox to manage tickets for both IT and Facilities departments. We struggled to keep up with tickets submitted by staff and needed a centralized ticketing system. Before HappyFox, staff submitted their "tickets" (i.e., issues and needs) via email, IM, in-person requests, etc., which became unmanageable as our organization grew. Our team took about four months to work out the kinks and has been using it for almost three years now. I used it during my one year on staff and found it extremely beneficial, as you can track ticket submissions, assign them to individuals, add notes, and communicate with the ticket submitter regarding updates.

The interface can be a bit cluttered. It was somewhat clunky to train on. Staff initially struggled to grasp all its features.

I'm not entirely sure, as we didn't have a ticketing system before. However, from the options we considered, HappyFox seemed to offer more capabilities. I prefer this system because of its features, ease of use (once familiarized), and the ability to collaborate with other departments and team members.

Consider the specific problem you're trying to solve. Review all of HappyFox's features to determine if it addresses your needs. Think about how you want to collaborate across departments. Will HappyFox fit your requirements? Lastly, provide multiple training sessions and resources to ensure staff are comfortable using the system.

It added new statuses and allowed us to create custom statuses for our organization.

It is well-suited for IT, Facilities, Operations, and other task-oriented services or departments.

Kayako was cost-effective compared to its competitors. It offered detailed behind-the-scenes metrics that helped us improve the client experience.

Their support team provided strong assistance throughout our entire partnership.

My company bought Kayako because it was the best platform that fit our requirements for communicating with clients. Our focus was to provide a one-stop shop for clients' legal questions. In addition to the multiple functions the platform offers, it was competitively priced compared to its competitors. My company had approximately 100 people working directly with clients, and Kayako made this easy to manage. The platform had a great reputation for enabling seamless, intuitive, and quick client support.

I don't have anything negative to say. I would give it a solid 9 out of 10, as there are always things that could improve over time.

Kayako differs from its competitors because the platform gives you ownership over various aspects, such as tickets, metrics, and help articles. Other companies often require you to contact them to manage things you should have access to or charge high fees for basic add-ons.

With a tool like this, people should be clear about the service they want to offer. It's important to schedule recurring meetings to discuss platform limitations so they don’t hinder the user experience.

Kayako has remained largely the same since I last used it at my previous company.

Kayako is ideal for learning environments and mid-sized legal institutions.

I appreciate SolarWinds for its simplicity. I value the ability to monitor our network and quickly address any emerging or existing issues. I also like the customizable alerts, which make it easy to pinpoint potential problems.

Our team decided to invest in SolarWinds because we needed a reliable solution to improve data security. Many programs and clients require high levels of privacy when exchanging data, so we chose SolarWinds to strengthen our network security by identifying and monitoring potential threats. One of the key advantages of using SolarWinds is having a system that enables us to effectively monitor and track security threats. I've been using SolarWinds for about five years, and I'm very satisfied with the partnership and the growth we've achieved.

I dislike the pricing structure, as I believe long-term users should receive discounts or rewards. Sometimes, finding support can be challenging, and a simpler search process for troubleshooting information would help. Additionally, the initial setup can be time-consuming, which can disrupt the workday.

I appreciate SolarWinds’ flexibility and customization options, which make it easy to spot and understand issues as they arise. The tool offers a level of adaptability that stands out from other similar solutions.

It's essential to define the specific needs and intended uses for the tool, as this will impact both setup and training. The user-friendly interface is an advantage, as it simplifies onboarding and reduces the need for extensive training.

SolarWinds has adapted to meet market demands by improving the interface and enhancing cloud integration, which has become a significant feature.

SolarWinds is ideal for IT departments and organizations focused on network monitoring.

• Spiceworks is intuitive and easy to use for both IT professionals and non-technical employees.
• Its comprehensive asset management system provides a centralized platform for tracking software and hardware inventories.
• The platform offers excellent value by meeting essential IT management needs without costly licensing fees.
• The active Spiceworks user community provides valuable peer support, troubleshooting assistance, and helpful resources.

My company implemented Spiceworks to enhance helpdesk productivity and simplify IT asset management. We needed a centralized solution to track hardware and software inventories, improve collaboration, and efficiently manage IT issues.

Spiceworks addressed these challenges by offering a cost-effective platform with strong reporting features, a user-friendly interface, and real-time monitoring. The tool's ability to integrate with other platforms helped streamline workflows and boost productivity.

I have personally been using Spiceworks for more than three years, leveraging its features to ensure smooth IT operations and high-quality service delivery.

• Spiceworks can become sluggish when handling large datasets or multiple users simultaneously.
• More advanced customization options for ticketing and reporting functionalities would be beneficial.
• Reliable internet access is crucial for cloud-based components, making outages particularly challenging.
• The mobile app lacks some features and usability compared to the desktop version.

Spiceworks stands out because it offers free IT management tools without licensing fees, making it cost-effective for businesses of all sizes. Additionally, its active user community enhances its value by providing peer-driven support and resources beyond what traditional software solutions offer.

Scalability is a key factor to ensure the tool can grow with the organization’s needs. Usability is also crucial, as a user-friendly interface reduces training time and increases productivity. Integration capabilities should be assessed to confirm compatibility with existing systems.

Additionally, evaluating cost-effectiveness—including both initial costs and long-term savings—is important. Lastly, strong vendor support and community resources should be prioritized for reliable assistance when needed.

Spiceworks has evolved by adding more advanced features, such as network monitoring, cloud-based solutions, and improved IT asset management. Its community-driven support system has also strengthened collaboration by enabling users to share insights and solutions more effectively.

Spiceworks is an excellent choice for IT teams and small to mid-sized businesses looking for an affordable, user-friendly solution for network monitoring, helpdesk support, and asset management.