7 Best Zendesk Alternatives for Event Planning

Intercom has carved out a reputation as a versatile customer messaging platform that blends live chat, help center, and marketing automation into a single interface. For event planners, its in‑app messaging and product tour features provide a powerful way to guide attendees through registration steps, highlight session schedules, and push last‑minute updates. Intercom’s chatbot builder allows non‑technical users to set up automated responses to common questions—such as venue policies, ticket refund procedures, or speaker bios—using a visual flow editor. Moreover, Intercom’s robust segmentation tools enable planners to target specific attendee groups (VIPs, speakers, sponsors) with personalized messages, boosting engagement and satisfaction. The platform’s integration ecosystem supports popular event‑management tools like Eventbrite, Zapier, and Salesforce, ensuring that data flows seamlessly between ticketing, CRM, and support channels. Pricing begins with the Standard plan at $39 per month per agent, the Premium plan at $99 per month per agent, and the Enterprise plan (custom pricing). While Intercom’s higher tier costs can add up with larger teams, the platform’s all‑in‑one messaging experience and strong automation capabilities make it a compelling alternative to Zendesk for event professionals who prioritize real‑time engagement and marketing‑centric support.

Freshdesk, part of the Freshworks suite, offers a comprehensive help desk that blends ticketing, live chat, and knowledge base features into a single, user‑friendly interface. For event planners, Freshdesk’s multi‑channel support allows attendees to reach out via email, chat, phone, or social media, ensuring no query goes unanswered. The platform’s automation engine can route tickets to the right team members based on topic or priority, while its AI‑powered “Freshchat” tool predicts user intent and suggests relevant knowledge articles. Freshdesk also supports integration with popular event registration systems such as Eventbrite and ticketing platforms, enabling automatic ticket creation and real‑time status updates. Freshdesk’s pricing tiers—Sprout (free), Blossom $15/mo, Garden $35/mo, Estate $59/mo, and Forest $99/mo—offer flexibility for event teams ranging from small meetups to large conferences. The platform’s intuitive interface and powerful automation features make it a solid, cost‑effective alternative to Zendesk for event professionals who need a robust ticketing workflow and knowledge‑base self‑service.

HubSpot Service Hub is a customer service platform built on top of HubSpot’s CRM, offering a tightly integrated ticketing system, live chat, and knowledge base. For event planners, the benefit lies in its CRM‑first approach: attendee data, ticket status, and communication history are automatically synced with the same database used for marketing and sales. This allows planners to segment attendees, send targeted follow‑up emails, and analyze support metrics alongside marketing KPIs. The platform’s live chat widget, powered by HubSpot’s chatbot builder, can answer FAQs about event schedules, venue policies, or registration steps, and it can hand off complex queries to human agents. Additionally, HubSpot provides a knowledge base that can be embedded into event websites, giving attendees instant self‑service options. HubSpot’s pricing tiers are Starter at $45/mo, Professional at $115/mo, and Enterprise at $320/mo, with a free HubSpot CRM available for smaller teams. The integrated nature of HubSpot’s ecosystem makes it an attractive Zendesk alternative for event planners who already use or plan to use HubSpot for marketing and need a unified view of attendee interactions.

Gorgias is a help desk platform specifically engineered for e‑commerce brands, but its robust ticketing, live chat, and knowledge‑base capabilities make it an excellent fit for event planners who rely on online ticketing and need real‑time support. Gorgias consolidates all communication channels—email, live chat, phone, and social media—into a single inbox, where agents can quickly resolve attendee inquiries, process refunds, and handle last‑minute changes. The platform’s automation engine allows planners to set up triggers for common scenarios, such as sending a confirmation email when a ticket is purchased or notifying a support agent when an attendee reports a technical issue. Gorgias offers three plans: Starter at $59/mo, Growth at $99/mo, and Enterprise (custom pricing). Its integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and major ticketing systems provides seamless data flow between sales and support, ensuring that ticket status updates are reflected in real time. For event planners looking for an all‑in‑one e‑commerce‑centric help desk, Gorgias offers a powerful alternative to Zendesk.

HelpScout is a straightforward help desk solution that emphasizes a shared inbox, knowledge base, and live chat for a seamless customer support experience. For event planners, HelpScout’s shared inbox allows support teams to handle attendee emails, chat messages, and ticketing inquiries from a single interface, while the knowledge base can host FAQs about venue policies, schedule changes, and ticketing procedures. The platform’s live chat integration ensures quick responses, which is critical during peak registration periods or when attendees encounter technical issues. HelpScout offers three plans: Standard at $20/mo, Plus at $30/mo, and Pro at $45/mo. The pricing is simple and predictable, making it an attractive option for small to medium‑sized event teams. HelpScout’s focus on ease of use and collaboration makes it a practical Zendesk alternative for planners who need a reliable, no‑frills support system.

Zoho Desk is a cloud‑based help desk platform that offers ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, and AI features to streamline customer support. For event planners, Zoho Desk’s ability to integrate with Zoho CRM and third‑party tools like Eventbrite means attendee data and ticket status can be synchronized across systems. The platform’s AI assistant, Zia, can predict ticket priority, suggest knowledge base articles, and even draft responses, reducing agent workload during high‑volume registration periods. Live chat provides real‑time engagement, while the self‑service portal allows attendees to find answers to common questions about event schedules, venue logistics, and ticketing policies. Zoho Desk’s pricing tiers—Free, Standard at $18/mo, Professional at $35/mo, and Enterprise at $55/mo—offer flexibility for teams of all sizes. The platform’s integration ecosystem, AI capabilities, and cost‑effective pricing make it a solid alternative to Zendesk for event planners seeking an affordable, feature‑rich support solution.