The Best MSP Help Desk Solutions for MSPs in 2026

Help desk tools give MSPs a structured way to manage client support from a single platform, helping teams track issues and meet service expectations. 

The best solutions combine strong ticketing, multi-channel support, and SLA management, alongside an intuitive user interface.We evaluated several leading options using a defined set of criteria to help you choose the right tool for your MSP. Ultimately, we rank ZohoDesk as our top choice overall for its affordable plans and customization options.

What is help desk software for MSPs

Help desk software for MSPs is a multi-client platform that centralizes support across customers, offering automated ticketing, issue tracking, SLA management, reporting, and other IT-focused capabilities. 

Unlike internal IT or generic customer support tools, it supports client-specific workflows, strict service-level tracking, and integrations with PSA and RMM systems to manage service delivery at scale.

How MSP help desk software works

While help desk platforms include many features, several solutions are built around three core workflows:

• Ticket intake across channels (email, portal, chat, Teams): Captures and organizes requests from all channels in one place for faster, consistent responses.
• Automated triage, routing, and prioritization: Automatically categorizes tickets and prioritizes them based on urgency and impact.
• SLA tracking and escalation: Monitors service performance against SLA timelines and triggers alerts or escalations when tickets risk breaching agreed service levels.

Note: All per-user prices are based on a one-year commitment unless otherwise noted.

Top Help Desk software comparison

To quickly grasp what top features each vendor delivers, here’s how they compare across ticketing, AI and automation, customer portals, reporting, and starting prices. 

	Ticket and issue tracking	AI and automation	Customer portals
Zoho Desk	Yes	Yes	Yes
LiveAgent	Yes	Yes	No
ManageEngine	Yes	Yes	Yes
SolarWinds	Yes	Yes	No
Freshdesk	Yes	Yes	Yes
Intercom	Yes	Yes	Yes

Zoho Desk: Best overall

Overall Rating: 4.4/5

Zoho Desk key features

• Multi-channel support: Manage your support tickets from email, chat, phone, and social media in one dashboard.
• Advanced response editor: Tailor your responses to different situations based on customer needs.
• Team collaboration: Help your support teams collaborate on tickets more quickly with features like instant messaging.
• Security: Use roles and profiles to protect customer data while giving your teams the information they need.

Zoho Desk pricing

• Free version: Supports up to 3 users
• Express: $7 per user, per month
• Standard Plan: $14 per user, per month
• Professional Plan: $23 per user, per month
• Enterprise Plan: $40 per user, per month
• Free trial: 15 days

Zoho Desk pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Vast support features	No desktop app
Many integration options	Has learning curve
User-friendly interface	Basic reporting

LiveAgent: Best for intuitive setup and use

Overall Rating: 4.3/5

LiveAgent offers a blend of extensive customization options and a highly intuitive user interface. It’s easy to deploy, allowing support agents to get up and running quickly so they can focus on client issues. 

This focus on usability is illustrated by features like proactive chat invitations, which invite visitors to chat only when there are enough agents available to engage in conversation.

While LiveAgent is user-friendly, its customer support can be inconsistent, and its EU-based tech support may be a drawback for some MSPs. For an alternative that combines ease of use with strong customization and support, consider ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus.

LiveAgent is best for MSPs that prioritize quick setup, minimal training, and a straightforward support experience.

LiveAgent key features

• Live chat: Use real-time chat widgets to provide support for website visitors and customers.
• Ticketing: Gather and manage communications from all channels to resolve customer queries.
• Performance analytics: Measure data to track agent performance and customer satisfaction.
• Mobile application: Handle customer requests on the go using Android and iOS applications.

LiveAgent pricing

• Free: Up to 7 days of ticket history
• Small Business: $15 per user, per month
• Medium Business: $29 per user, per month
• Large Business: $49 per user, per month
• Enterprise: $69 per user, per month
• Free trial: 30 days

LiveAgent pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Intuitive interface	UI needs revamping
Easy to use and set up	EU-based tech support
Vast pricing options	Limited mobile app

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Best for reporting and dashboards

Overall Rating: 4.2/5

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is an all-in-one service desk solution that provides customizable reports and dashboards to help enterprise users track their help desk’s health. 

Its native reporting tools support data-driven insights, including inventory reporting with custom, query-based, and preconfigured report options for key metrics. It also offers interactive dashboards that let teams combine multiple reports into a single view.

Even though ManageEngine is thorough and highly customizable, it’s not the easiest to use. For a similar feature set with a more user-friendly experience, consider Freshdesk.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is best for larger MSPs maintaining complex IT environments that need extensive reporting and customizable dashboards.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus key features

• Customizations: Create a service desk that aligns with your objectives.
• Asset management: Discover, manage, and track your hardware and software assets.
• Efficient automations: Automate repetitive tasks and processes for your service desk teams.
• Reporting and dashboards: Monitor your service desk health with native reporting.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing

• Standard: $13 per user, per month
• Professional: $27 per user, per month
• Enterprise: $67 per user, per month
• Free trial: 30 days

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Cost-effective tool	Complex setup
Strong asset management features	Limited customer support
Highly scalable solution	Higher learning curve

SolarWinds: Best for flexible and upfront pricing

Overall Rating: 4.1/5

SolarWinds ServiceDesk is a cloud-based service desk solution with a variety of automation features to maximize productivity, along with transparent, flexible pricing. 

Although many tools on this list have additional fees, SolarWinds ServiceDesk’s pricing structure is clear: prices are laid out upfront with no hidden costs, allowing businesses to easily understand what they’re paying for and why. This makes budgeting more straightforward and more predictable for MSPs.

While it’s transparently priced, SolarWinds ServiceDesk’s customization options could use improvement. Consider Zoho Desk if you seek greater customization.

SolarWinds is for businesses that want a help desk solution with transparent and flexible pricing. 

SolarWinds key features

• Automated ticketing: Automate ticket classification, routing, and correlation capabilities.
• Automated workflows: Streamline ticket resolution with automated processes.
• Dashboards: Observe the current state of your service desk through ServiceDesk’s real-time snapshots.
• Customizable reports: Generate custom reports based on your service desk team’s needs.

SolarWinds pricing

• Essentials Plan: $39 per technician, per month
• Advanced Plan: $79 per technician, per month
• Premier Plan: $99 per technician, per month
• Free trial: 30 days

SolarWinds pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Transparent pricing	Could be easier to use
Highly scalable	Limited customizability
Robust security features	Setup can feel complex

Freshdesk: Best for advanced features

Overall Rating: 4.1/5

Freshdesk is a cloud-based help desk software that offers a comprehensive set of features suitable for businesses of all sizes. It shines through its range of features, including integrated ticketing, 24/7 email support, and a knowledge base, all available in its free tier. 

But you’d have to upgrade to paid plans for features like automation, custom roles, objects and dashboards, customer journeys, community forums, and extendable API limits.

Despite this, Freshdesk is not as integrable as other tools on this list. For a tool with an extensive feature set, high customization, and more integration options, check out Zoho Desk.

MSPs that need both core and advanced features in their help desk software should consider Freshdesk. 

With its robust multichannel communication capabilities and strong customization options, MSPs that handle multiple customers can benefit from Freshdesk’s offerings.

Freshdesk pricing

• Free: Supports up to 2 agents
• Growth Plan: $19 per agent, per month
• Pro Plan: $55 per agent, per month
• Enterprise Plan: $89 per agent, per month
• Free trial: 14 days

Freshdesk key features

• Ticket field suggester: Automatically propose ticket fields to segment, prioritize, and route incoming tickets.
• Omnichannel support: Manage and unify support across email, chat, and social media on a single platform.
• Chatbot: Use a chatbot powered by Freddy AI to provide instant and accurate responses to customers.
• Portal customization: Leverage full CSS customization to tailor the look of your support portal.

Freshdesk pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Very customizable tool	Limited integrations
Strong ticketing system	Not the easiest to use
Robust reports	No 24/7 support

Intercom: Best for AI-enhanced support

Overall Rating: 4/5

Intercom enables MSPs to leverage AI-enhanced support capabilities, enabling their support teams to work and collaborate more efficiently. It does this through features like automated customer engagement, real-time chat support, and targeted communication. 

Its AI-driven chatbots stand out by handling frequently asked questions and routing issues to the appropriate support agents, elevating the overall user experience for both customers and service teams.

On the flipside, Intercom’s customer service isn’t as highly rated as some other tools on this list. For a platform that offers better customer service, check out SolarWinds ServiceDesk.

Intercom is best for MSPs that want to use AI to enhance customer support. It is especially suitable for tech-savvy teams looking to streamline responses, handle high ticket volumes, and deliver more personalized customer experiences through automation.

Intercom key features

• AI bots: Leverage AI-powered chatbots to automate your initial customer interactions.
• Omnichannel support: Access channels like live chat, WhatsApp, phone, and email via Intercom’s inbox.
• Workflows: Use Intercom’s visual builder to automate team workloads with bots, SLAs, and more.
• No-code customization: Use tools in a single workspace to manage multiple help centers.

Intercom pricing

• Essential: $29 per seat, per month
• Advanced: $85 per seat, per month
• Expert: $132 per seat, per month
• Free trial: 14 days

Intercom pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Advanced AI features	Expensive pricing model
Real-time chat support	Limited reporting features
Highly integrable	Has a learning curve

Intercom is a help desk platform that enables MSPs to leverage AI-enhanced support capabilities so that their support teams work and collaborate more efficiently. It does this through features like automated customer engagement, real-time chat support, and targeted communication. Its AI-driven chatbots in particular stand out as they can handle tasks like answering frequently asked questions and routing issues to the appropriate support agents, which results in elevating the overall user experience of both custom

How to choose MSP help desk software

There are several key factors to consider when choosing MSP help desk software, especially since the right platform needs to support multiple clients, SLAs, and recurring service delivery. The most important areas to evaluate include:

Core features

Assess the essential features, such as ticket and issue tracking, multichannel communication, and AI-driven automation. These are the backbone of any help desk software and are crucial for efficient service management.

Customization

Consider the level of customization the software offers. This includes customizable dashboards, reports, roles, and permissions. Tailoring the software to your unique workflows can significantly enhance its effectiveness.

Integration and compatibility

Check the software’s compatibility with your existing tools and platforms. Seamless integration with RMM, PSA, and other essential software is vital for maintaining a cohesive IT environment.

Cost and pricing structure

Evaluate the software’s pricing transparency, the availability of flexible or modular pricing plans, and any additional costs associated with integrations or add-ons. Ensure the solution fits within your budget without compromising essential features.

Customer support

Reliable customer support is essential. Look for software that offers 24/7 support through multiple channels, including live chat, phone, and email. High-quality support will make a significant difference when issues arise.

User interface

The software should be intuitive and easy to set up, especially if your team has limited technical expertise. A user-friendly interface reduces the learning curve and increases productivity.

Scalability

Choose software that can grow with your business. As your MSP expands, the help desk software should be able to handle increased ticket volumes, additional clients, and more complex workflows without performance degradation.

Bottom line: Invest in the right helpdesk service

Having the right help desk solution can help reduce disjointed operations and manual processes, while improving client satisfaction through more efficient, standardized workflows. 

Whether you need advanced automation, SLA tracking, improved ticketing systems, or customizable reporting, help desk software tailored to your MSP helps you manage issues more effectively so your team can stay focused on business goals first and foremost.

How we evaluated the best help desk tools

To determine the best help desk software for MSPs, we evaluated several tools across six weighted scoring categories. We then assigned primary use cases to the six tools with the highest scores. Among the top six, the tool with the highest average score across the six categories was our winner. 

Below is a brief summary of our criteria:

• Core Features (25%): We analyzed the key features of help desk tools, including ticket management, automation, reporting, and more.
• Cost (20%): We reviewed pricing models, free trials, additional fees, and pricing transparency to understand the financial commitment.
• Customer Support (15%): We took stock of the support channels, their availability, and the quality of service to gauge how well you’d find help in times of need.
• Ease of Use (15%): The bulk of assessments here was based on how verified users rated the overall user experience.
• Customization (15%): We evaluated the extent to which each tool allows personalization, including custom fields and statuses, as well as branding elements.
• Integration & Compatibility (10%): Lastly, we considered how each tool integrates with other software solutions and its adaptability across various platforms.

Frequently asked questions about MSP help desk software

Why do MSPs need help desk software?

MSPs need help desk software to efficiently manage the IT support services they provide to their clients. They enable MSPs to track and resolve issues, manage service requests, and ensure that all customer interactions are handled systematically. 

The software also provides tools to automate routine tasks, monitor SLAs, and generate reports. 

How is MSP help desk software different from traditional help desk tools?

MSP help desk software is designed for external, multi-client service delivery, often using a multi-tenant architecture and automation to efficiently manage multiple customer environments. 

Traditional help desks are typically built for a single internal organization, with less emphasis on client segmentation, MSP workflows, and integrations across an MSP tool stack.

Is cloud-based or on-prem help desk software better for MSPs?

Cloud-based help desks are often easier to deploy and maintain, and they can scale quickly as distributed teams and client bases grow. 

On-prem can be a better fit for MSPs with strict data residency or regulatory constraints, but it usually requires more internal resources for upkeep and security.

What types of MSPs benefit most from AI-powered help desks?

MSPs with high ticket volume, limited staffing, or many repetitive requests benefit most from AI as these technologies can work well in assisting with triage, routing, summarization, and deflection. 

AI-powered workflows are also helpful for MSPs focused on improving response times and scaling service without adding headcount at the same rate.

What kinds of software do MSPs need?

Beyond help desk software, MSPs typically rely on remote monitoring and management (RMM) and professional services automation (PSA) tools to monitor client environments and manage day-to-day business operations. 

They also use backup and disaster recovery (BDR), security and patch management software, plus collaboration and communication tools to protect systems and support efficient work with clients and internal teams.

This article was originally published by Collins Ayuya in August 2024 and updated by Luis Millares in January 2026 to reflect the latest pricing information and other relevant changes.