SOFTWARE BUYING GUIDE · 2027
Best Free Help Desk Software in 2027: 6 Tools Compared
Compare free help desk software by user limits, ticketing features, support channels, hosting requirements and upgrade restrictions. Find out which tools are genuinely free long-term—and which come with important catches.
What is the best free help desk software?
The right choice depends on how your team handles support. A small business answering customer emails has different needs from an IT team managing employee requests or a company that wants to host its own ticketing system.
Some providers offer hosted software with a permanent free tier. Others publish open-source software that you can install on your own infrastructure. Both can avoid a software subscription, but they do not have the same limits or operating costs.
For this comparison, we focus on the practical questions buyers should ask: How many people can use the system? How much support work can it handle? Which channels are available? What happens when the team grows? And what will you need to pay for next?
START HERE
Quick picks: which free help desk fits your team?
Zoho Desk
A practical starting point for a small team that needs hosted ticketing without paying for three users.
See plan details →HubSpot Service Hub
Worth evaluating if your business already relies on HubSpot's customer relationship management tools.
See plan details →Jira Service Management
A strong candidate for IT requests, employee services, incident workflows and internal knowledge bases.
See plan details →Help Scout
Consider it if you need a shared inbox and a small knowledge base, and your monthly contact volume is low.
See plan details →osTicket
Suitable for teams that want open-source ticketing and can take responsibility for their own hosting and upkeep.
See plan details →Freshdesk
Its documented Free Program can suit a small team temporarily, but it is limited to six months.
See plan details →AT A GLANCE
Free help desk software compared
Use the filters to narrow the comparison. The options are grouped by how the software is offered, not by an invented numerical ranking.
| Product | Free option | Best suited to | Main restriction | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Desk | Up to 3 users | Small customer-support teams | Limited users and plan features | Hosted · Permanent free plan |
| HubSpot Service Hub | $0 for up to 2 users | CRM-connected support | User limits and paid-tier feature gates | Hosted · Permanent free tools |
| Jira Service Management | Up to 3 agents | IT and internal service desks | Free-plan limits on agents, storage and administration | Hosted · Free plan |
| Help Scout | Up to 5 users and 100 contacts/month | Low-volume, email-first support | 100-contact monthly cap, one inbox and one Docs site | Hosted · Permanent free plan |
| osTicket | Open-source software | Teams that can manage their own infrastructure | Hosting, maintenance and administration are your responsibility | Self-hosted · Open source |
| Freshdesk | Up to 2 agents for 6 months under its Free Program | Small teams evaluating a temporary free option | Six-month limit and eligibility conditions | Hosted · Time-limited program |
Plan details are based on the linked vendor documentation. Free-plan eligibility, feature limits and billing conditions can change. Verify the terms that apply to your account before committing to a workflow.
UNDERSTAND THE TRADE-OFF
Three meanings of “free” help desk software
1. Permanent hosted free plan
The vendor hosts and maintains the application. You use it without a subscription while remaining within the plan's limits.
Examples in this guide: Zoho Desk, HubSpot Service Hub, Jira Service Management and Help Scout.
2. Open-source and self-hosted
You can run the software on infrastructure you control. There may be no licence fee, but servers, backups, upgrades, security and technical support still require resources.
Example in this guide: osTicket.
3. Time-limited free program
The vendor lets you use a restricted version for a defined period. You must plan for an upgrade, migration, or another solution when that period ends.
Example in this guide: Freshdesk's documented six-month Free Program.
Zoho Desk
Best to evaluate for a small customer-support team
Zoho Desk's free plan is designed for small teams moving away from customer-support emails and spreadsheets. The vendor's documentation lists support for up to three users, a support email address, web forms, a help center, basic service-level agreement features and limited macros.
What makes it worth considering?
- It gives a small team a structured way to manage incoming customer requests.
- Web forms and a help center can make it easier for customers to contact support or find information.
- It is worth evaluating if you may eventually use other Zoho applications.
Where it may fall short
Three users may be enough for a founder-led support operation but restrictive for a growing team. Do not assume that advanced automation, analytics or AI capabilities are included in the free plan. Confirm each required feature in the current plan comparison.
HubSpot Service Hub
Best to evaluate if your business already uses HubSpot CRM
HubSpot's free customer-service tools sit within its broader customer platform. This can be useful when support agents need customer records and activity from the same ecosystem as sales and marketing.
What makes it worth considering?
- The free entry point is straightforward, with no credit card required to get started according to HubSpot's pricing page.
- Support information can be useful alongside customer records in the HubSpot ecosystem.
- It is worth evaluating when you already use HubSpot rather than adding another disconnected tool.
Where it may fall short
Two free users is a small allowance. As the team grows or needs more advanced service features, the cost and eligibility of higher tiers become important. Compare the exact capabilities you need rather than assuming every Service Hub feature is free.
Jira Service Management
Best to evaluate for IT and internal service desks
Jira Service Management is built around service requests, workflows and IT service-management use cases. Atlassian's published free offering includes up to three agents, unlimited customers, a knowledge base, request intake options and 1,250 automation steps per subscription per month.
What makes it worth considering?
- It can handle internal requests and service workflows in a structured way.
- Employees and customers can submit requests through supported intake channels.
- A knowledge base can help users find answers without opening a new request.
- The free tier offers meaningful functionality for a small service desk.
Where it may fall short
This is not automatically the best option for a business seeking a simple customer-facing shared inbox. Its workflows and terminology are more aligned with service management. Free plans also have restrictions involving storage, permissions, administration and support.
Help Scout
Best to evaluate for low-volume, email-first customer support
Help Scout's free plan focuses on the basics: a shared inbox, a small help center, and a limited amount of monthly customer support. The published plan allows up to five users and 100 contacts per month, with one shared inbox and one Docs site.
What makes it worth considering?
- Five users may suit a small team that shares customer conversations.
- A help center lets customers search for answers before contacting support.
- It is a reasonable candidate when support volume is low and predictable.
Where it may fall short
The 100-contact monthly cap is the key restriction. Help Scout defines contacts based on people the team helps, rather than simply counting every email message. According to its documentation, once the cap is reached, replies may be blocked until the next cycle or an upgrade.
This makes it less suitable for a growing business with unpredictable support demand. Check the current contact definition and usage limits before adopting it.
osTicket
Best to evaluate if you can manage your own hosting
osTicket is an open-source support ticketing system. Rather than relying on a vendor-hosted free plan with a fixed number of users, you can download and run the software on infrastructure you manage. The project provides core ticketing features and offers paid hosting, professional services and commercial support.
What makes it worth considering?
- You can control where and how the application is hosted.
- You avoid a mandatory per-agent software subscription for the open-source version.
- The project offers ticket-management functionality, including custom fields and ticket queues.
- It can be suitable if you have technical staff or a reliable hosting partner.
Where it may fall short
Free software does not mean a zero-cost operation. Your team must account for server hosting, backups, upgrades, security, email configuration, monitoring and recovery if something fails. If nobody can maintain the installation, a hosted service may be more economical overall.
Freshdesk
Best to evaluate for a temporary free program—not a permanent free plan
Freshdesk's official documentation describes a Free Program for eligible Freshdesk customers. It supports up to two agents for six months and includes core support features. The program is not the same as an indefinitely available free tier.
What makes it worth considering?
- It can provide a limited period to evaluate a hosted help desk.
- The documented program includes ticketing, knowledge-base and reporting capabilities.
- It may be useful when you need time to evaluate a support workflow before choosing a paid plan.
Where it may fall short
The six-month limit changes the economics. Before adopting the program, confirm eligibility, which configurations will remain available, what happens when the period ends, and whether the expected paid plan fits your budget.
LOOK BEYOND THE PRICE
Hidden costs to check before choosing free help desk software
A $0 subscription can still create costs through limitations, infrastructure or the need to move to a paid tier. Evaluate the total cost of running support, not just the advertised price.
Agent and user limits
Check whether the limit applies to agents who reply to tickets, all users with logins, or another category. Calculate how much an extra person will cost.
Ticket and contact caps
Distinguish ticket volume, conversations, contacts and billable interactions. These units can be defined differently by different vendors.
Feature restrictions
Confirm whether automation, reporting, integrations, permissions, custom branding, AI and knowledge-base capabilities are included.
Hosting and maintenance
For self-hosted software, include servers, backups, security patches, monitoring, email delivery and technical support.
Upgrade and migration costs
Find out what happens when you exceed a limit or reach the end of a promotional period. Consider data export and migration effort.
Data and security requirements
Check data location, access controls, retention, backups, authentication and contractual obligations before putting customer information into a help desk.
BUYING CHECKLIST
How to choose the right free help desk
- Define your support use case. Customer email support, website enquiries and internal IT requests do not always require the same software.
- Count users and agents. Include anyone who needs to read, assign, manage or reply to support requests.
- Estimate monthly demand. Use a realistic volume of tickets, contacts or conversations, including busy periods.
- Check essential channels. Verify email, web forms, portals, chat and social channels against your actual requirements.
- Decide who manages the infrastructure. If you cannot maintain servers and updates, a hosted free plan may be more practical than open-source software.
- Review the upgrade path. Understand paid pricing, feature gates, time limits and what happens when you exceed a free allowance.
- Test your real workflow. Create sample tickets, assign them, reply, close them, test notifications and try exporting data before rollout.
COMMON QUESTIONS
FAQs about free help desk software
Is there genuinely free help desk software?
Yes. Some providers offer hosted free plans with limits, while open-source tools can be installed on your own infrastructure. The practical cost depends on your usage, required features, and—in the self-hosted case—the cost of operating and maintaining the system.
Which free help desk is best for a small business?
Start by comparing Zoho Desk, Help Scout and HubSpot Service Hub if you want a hosted solution. Their free plans have different user and usage limits. Choose based on your team size, monthly support volume, existing tools and required channels rather than a universal ranking.
Which free help desk is best for IT support?
Jira Service Management is worth evaluating for IT and internal service workflows. Its free plan supports up to three agents, with additional restrictions on storage, permissions and administration. Confirm the current plan limits before implementation.
Is osTicket completely free?
The osTicket software is free and open source. However, running it can involve hosting, maintenance, backups, security updates and technical support. The total cost depends on whether your organisation manages those tasks internally or pays a provider.
Does Freshdesk have a permanent free plan?
Freshdesk's official documentation describes a Free Program for up to two agents for six months. That is a time-limited offer, not a permanent free plan. Check eligibility and the current terms directly with Freshdesk.
Does free help desk software include AI?
Do not assume it does. AI availability, allowances and charges vary by product and plan. Check the current feature matrix and pricing terms if AI replies, autonomous resolution or agent assistance is a requirement.
Can I use free help desk software for customer data?
Potentially, but assess security and privacy requirements first. Review data processing terms, hosting location, access controls, authentication, retention, backups and any industry-specific contractual requirements. A free subscription does not remove these responsibilities.
Did PreferWise test all six products hands-on?
No. This article is a desk-researched comparison of published vendor information and plan documentation. It does not claim independent hands-on testing of all six products.
TRANSPARENCY
Sources and methodology
We compared official vendor plan descriptions and product documentation, focusing on published free-plan limits, deployment type, intended use cases and important restrictions. The guide is designed to help buyers create a shortlist, not to replace a product trial or vendor confirmation.
Hosted free plans, open-source software and time-limited offers are treated separately. We have not converted their different restrictions into a single numerical score because the best option depends on each team's needs.
Pricing and feature details can change. Confirm the current plan, eligibility, limits and paid upgrade costs on the vendor's website before making a purchasing decision.
Official vendor sources
- Zoho Desk plan comparison
- Zoho Desk free-plan documentation
- HubSpot Service Hub pricing
- HubSpot free-tools documentation
- Atlassian service pricing
- Jira Cloud plan limits
- Help Scout pricing
- Help Scout free-plan documentation
- osTicket official FAQ
- osTicket official features
- Freshdesk Free Program documentation
Plan-reference date: October 15, 2026. Verify live terms before publishing and revisit this guide when vendors announce changes.