Zammad
7.9/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- EUR 7/agent/mo
- Reviews
- 4.5/5 (~10 G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- Free tier + free trial
- Deployment
- Cloud + self-host
- Best for
- Teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud
Best ITSM / Help Desk Ticketing Software · 2026
Zammad vs 
Zendesk Zammad vs Zendesk: on our data-weighted scoring, Zammad edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.8/10). Zammad starts at EUR 7/agent/mo and is best for teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud; Zendesk starts at $19/agent/mo and is best for customer-support-heavy teams wanting a polished ticketing/cx platform. Choose Zammad for the stronger overall track record; consider Zendesk if its pricing model or fit matches your environment better. Side-by-side table below.
Zendesk
8.2/10
MSP Compared score
- Starting price
- $19/agent/mo
- Reviews
- 4.3/5 (~6k G2 reviews)
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Best for
- Customer-support-heavy teams wanting a polished ticketing/CX platform
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Strengths at a glance
Six criteria, each scored 0–10 on the same scale from real review data, public pricing and feature coverage. See our methodology →
| Criterion | Zammad | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | 8.3 | 7.8 |
| User reviews | 9.0 | 8.6 |
| Adoption | 2.8 | 10.0 |
| Affordability | 9.5 | 3.3 |
| Feature breadth | 9.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of trial | 10.0 | 6.0 |
Zammad vs Zendesk: head-to-head
| Zammad | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | EUR 7/agent/mo | $19/agent/mo |
| Pricing model | per user | per agent |
| Free trial / tier | Free tier + free trial | 14 days |
| Best for | Teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud | Customer-support-heavy teams wanting a polished ticketing/CX platform |
| Deployment | Cloud + self-host | Cloud |
| G2 rating | 4.5/5 (10) | 4.3/5 (6000) |
| Capterra rating | — | — |
| Our score | 8.3 | 7.8 |
Choose Zammad if…
You need teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud.
Pros
- Free
- modern open-source core
- Clean
- intuitive UI
- Hosted + self-hosted flexibility
Cons
- AI features cost extra
- Self-hosting needs more resources
- Smaller ecosystem than incumbents
Choose Zendesk if…
You need customer-support-heavy teams wanting a polished ticketing/cx platform.
Pros
- Polished and scalable
- Huge integration ecosystem
- Strong CX features
Cons
- Pricey at scale
- More CX than ITSM/MSP
- Add-ons add cost
In depth
Pricing: Zammad vs Zendesk
Zammad bills on a per user model from EUR 7/agent/mo (free tier available), while Zendesk uses a per agent model from $19/agent/mo (14 days trial). Because the models differ, the cheaper option flips depending on your fleet size — model both at your seat/endpoint count.
Features & deployment
Zammad ships 9 headline capabilities (Open-source self-hosted core, Multi-channel (email, chat, Telegram) and deploys Cloud + self-host. Zendesk ships 5 (Omnichannel ticketing, Knowledge base, Automation + AI, Reporting), deploying Cloud.
Ratings & verdict
Zammad holds 4.5/5 (~10 G2 reviews); Zendesk holds 4.3/5 (~6k G2 reviews). On our data-weighted score, Zammad edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.8/10). Pick Zendesk instead when customer-support-heavy teams wanting a polished ticketing/cx platform. See Zammad alternatives or Zendesk alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
- Zammad vs Zendesk: which is better?
- Zammad vs Zendesk: on our data-weighted scoring, Zammad edges ahead (8.3 vs 7.8/10). Zammad starts at EUR 7/agent/mo and is best for teams wanting a modern, open-source help desk with an optional managed cloud; Zendesk starts at $19/agent/mo and is best for customer-support-heavy teams wanting a polished ticketing/cx platform.
- Is Zammad cheaper than Zendesk?
- Zammad starts at EUR 7/agent/mo and Zendesk starts at $19/agent/mo (see the pricing rows for models and limits).
Data as of June 16, 2026. Sources: zammad.com, zendesk.com. Figures are pulled from public vendor and security data and refreshed automatically.