Comparing alternatives to ZenDesk

HappyFox is certainly a worthy alternative to Zendesk. Quoting Mashable.com: "Foursquare uses Zendesk, but other popular options include Get Satisfaction and the beautifully designed HappyFox." (http://mashable.com/2011/10/19/downtime-communication-tips/)

HappyFox is way simpler and we do have zendesk data import feature that will move your data too.

It is the only product which is time-tested both with large corporates and small businesses. HappyFox was originally a product I launched as Helpdesk pilot, in 2005 with in-premise and traditional licensing model.

Our email integration is simple and unlike Zendesk gives you email integration that works with your domain name right from the start. We were the first ones to launch a free plan that actually has features that you would need like Advanced Reporting and professional support.

We'll soon be launching our new pricing and a switch program that will allow you to make the most of our existing investment into other products.

+1 for HelpScout. Their email integration is a god send. Your customers will never know that their support emails are going through a support desk system. It looks and feels like email <-> email communication.

We were using ZenDesk for about 2 months and it was killing my productivity. The web interface was slow and clunky. I dreaded opening support tickets.

With HelpScout I do a lot of the management directly from Gmail. Their web interface is very responsive but I don't normally have to use it.

I use HappyFox and I like it because it provides a simple backend with a clean interface. It's not cluttered with icons everywhere. It just has what you need to respond to tickets and get them closed. It offers the ability to customize the colour.

They offer a hiding free plan underneath their plans and I've used them for my communities ban appeals and couldn't of wanted a simpler solution. Thanks HappyFox!

As an aside, it's pretty interesting to note that two out of the three products considered are from startups based in Chennai, India. The startup scene here is very nascent, but I wonder why the help desk business seems to attractive to folks here.

I've personally been pretty happy with SalesForce's Desk.com, it offers a great interface, one agent is free and you have the option of flex agents ($1/hr) instead of paying for a full seat every month when you just need an occasional helper.

What about RT? It's self hosted and free as in speech AND beer. There are also support packages available from BestPractical if your company needs them.

UserVoice is also an alternative, free for one user.