Short answer
Zoho Desk has the highest-ranked free plan among the help desk tools we rank (85/100): Free plan (3 agents); 15-day trial. 3 of the 7 tools in our help desk tools ranking list a free plan.
Every tool here comes from our main help desk tools ranking, which scores help desk tools on 6 weighted criteria. This page keeps only the tools whose pricing page lists a free plan (not just a time-limited trial), in the same order, and shows what each free plan includes and where paid plans start.
The free plans
Free plan: Free plan (3 agents); 15-day trial.
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at €7/agent/mo (Express, billed annually; Standard €14 (euro prices last confirmed Oct 26, 2026)).
Zoho Desk is a help desk from the Zoho suite. Express covers email and social ticketing and workflows; Standard adds live chat, messaging apps, a knowledge base and custom reports; Professional adds telephony and Zia AI.
Strengths
- Free plan for up to 3 agents
- Live chat, WhatsApp and a knowledge base from Standard
- Fits the wider Zoho suite
Watch-outs
- Interface is busier than lighter tools
- Telephony and Zia AI need Professional
Read our full Zoho Desk review →
Free plan: Free tools for up to 2 users.
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at $7/seat/mo (Starter, billed annually ($20 monthly); Professional $90 plus $1,500 onboarding).
HubSpot Service Hub adds ticketing, a help desk, knowledge base and customer feedback tools to HubSpot's CRM. The full help desk workspace and knowledge base are on Professional, which carries a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee.
Strengths
- Same customer records as HubSpot sales and marketing
- Free tools to start
- Strong reporting dashboards
Watch-outs
- Professional has a required $1,500 onboarding fee
- Big price jump from Starter to Professional
Read our full HubSpot Service Hub review →
Free plan: Free plan (5 users); 15-day trial.
When you outgrow it: paid plans start at $25/user/mo (Standard, billed monthly; 16% off annually).
Help Scout is a shared inbox with a knowledge base, live chat and an AI agent (Envoy) billed at $0.75 per resolution. The free plan covers 5 users, 1 inbox and 1 Docs site.
Strengths
- Very easy to set up and use
- Free plan for 5 users
- AI agent free for the first 3 months
Watch-outs
- Fewer advanced workflows than Zendesk or Freshdesk
- Extra inboxes cost $10 to $12 per month each
Read our full Help Scout review →
FAQ
What are the best free help desk tools?
Zoho Desk (Free plan (3 agents); 15-day trial) ranks highest among the help desk tools we rank that offer a free plan. HubSpot Service Hub, Help Scout also have free plans.
Is there a completely free option?
Yes, each tool on this page lists a free plan on its pricing page. Free plans have limits, shown in the table above, and paid plans add more users, usage and features.
What do free plans usually leave out?
Free plans typically cap users, records or monthly usage and leave out advanced automation, reporting and admin controls. Check each tool's limits against your team size before you commit.
When should I move to a paid plan?
When you hit a limit in the free plan or need a feature it leaves out. The table shows where each tool's paid plans start; our full help desk tools ranking compares the paid tiers.
Vettlo Editorial TeamResearched and written by the Vettlo editorial team using our methodology. Prices and plan details come from each vendor's public pricing page.