If you’re weighing the options between Zendesk and Jira Service Management, you’re likely wondering which one will best suit your needs. Both are top-tier tools, but they cater to different aspects of service management.
Zendesk is designed with customer support teams in mind. It’s all about managing customer inquiries, tracking tickets, and providing a seamless support experience across multiple channels. Whether it’s email, chat, phone, or social media, Zendesk helps you stay organized and ensures that your customers get the help they need quickly and efficiently.
On the other hand, Jira Service Management is built for IT service management (ITSM). If you’re managing internal support, incidents, service requests, or even change management within your organization, Jira Service Management is your go-to tool. It’s perfect for IT teams or any team that needs a customizable, ITIL-compliant platform to handle more technical support processes.
So, whether you’re focused on customer-facing support (Zendesk) or internal IT and service management (Jira Service Management), it all depends on the nature of your work. Zendesk helps you streamline customer service, while Jira Service Management brings structure to IT service workflows. Let’s dive deeper into each to help you figure out which one is the right fit for your team!
Zendesk vs Jira Service Management comparison
When comparing Zendesk and Jira, it’s essential to consider your organization’s specific needs and context. Here’s a breakdown of what Redditors have to say about each platform:
1. Functionality and customization
Zendesk:
Customization: Zendesk is highly customizable, allowing you to create custom fields, workflows, and more. “You can easily customize fields, workflows, and more.”
Integrations: It integrates well with various tools, including Salesforce and Jira. “Salesforce integration” and “Jira integration”.
Learning Curve: Some users find it has a steeper learning curve but offers more depth. “It does feel like it has a steep learning curve when you get to the various rules and automations it is capable of.”
Jira:
- Customization: Jira is also highly customizable, especially for agile and software development teams. “Jira is a good choice to consider if you already have Jira.”
- Integrations: It integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products like Confluence. “If you guys already use Jira, drop ServiceNow. Use JSM for better integration.”
- Complexity: Jira can be complex and overwhelming for some users. “Jira was so unintuitive. Freshdesk just made sense.
Pricing
Zendesk:
- Cost: Zendesk is generally more expensive compared to Jira. “Zendesk looks very similar to Freshservice but more expensive.”
- Value: Some users feel it’s worth the cost due to its comprehensive features. “Zendesk is solid but know that it’s over 15 years old.”
Jira
- Cost: Jira can be more affordable, especially if you already use other Atlassian products. “You can look into self-hosting Jira Service Desk, pricing is one-shot.”
- Licensing: Jira’s licensing can be complex and costly for larger organizations. “Jira Service Management is their ITSM tool.”
User experience
Zendesk
- User-friendly: Zendesk is often praised for its user-friendly interface, though some find it a bit outdated.
- Customer support: Opinions on Zendesk’s customer support are mixed. “Zendesk is awful. After you sign the PO, their customer support is zero.”
Jira
- User-friendly: Jira can be less intuitive and more complex, especially for non-technical users. “We got a demo of Jira ITSM a few months back. It’s so laughably bad we almost felt sorry for the team that demoed it.”
- Performance: Jira’s performance and stability can be a concern. “Jira Service Management misses some basic features of a ticketing system.”
Use cases
Zendesk
- Customer service: Best for organizations needing a robust customer service solution with strong integration capabilities. “If you want a system with persistent ticket tracking and meaningful data, ZD is much stronger.”
- Versatility: Suitable for various industries and company sizes. “Zendesk is a good option for companies of all sizes.”
Jira
- Software development: Ideal for teams already using Atlassian products, especially in software development. “Jira is decent if you have DevOps processes implemented within your workflows.”
- IT service management: It can be effective if set up correctly, but it may require more effort. “Jira Service Management misses some basic features of a ticketing system.”
Comparison of Zendesk vs Jira Service Management
Here’s a comparison based on the 10 key parameters between Jira Service Management and Zendesk.
| Parameters | Jira Service Management | Zendesk | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Types of User Roles | Administrators, Project Managers, Developers, Support Agents | Administrators, Agents, Light Agents, End-Users | Zendesk: Offers more diverse roles, including Light Agents and End-Users, making it better for teams supporting a wide range of customer interactions. |
| Ticket Management | Robust ticket management with customizable workflows and detailed tracking | Comprehensive ticketing system with easy categorization and prioritization | Jira Service Management: More robust, customizable workflows for complex IT service processes like incident and change management. |
| Knowledge Base Management | Basic knowledge base with article creation and search functionality | Advanced knowledge base with article creation, AI-driven search, and feedback integration | Zendesk: Has a more advanced knowledge base, with AI-driven search and feedback integration, ideal for customer self-service. |
| Reporting & Analytics | Detailed reporting and analytics with customizable dashboards and reports | In-depth reporting with pre-built and custom reports, dashboards, and real-time analytics | Zendesk: Provides more detailed, real-time reporting with the ability to create custom reports tailored for customer service teams. |
| Automation Capabilities | Automation for workflows, ticket assignments, and notifications | Extensive automation for workflows, ticket assignments, responses, and follow-ups | Zendesk: Offers more extensive automation options across workflows, responses, and follow-ups, which is crucial for scaling customer support. |
| Ease of Use | Requires some learning, especially for non-technical users. Excellent for teams using other Jira products | Intuitive and user-friendly, especially for non-technical customer service teams | Zendesk: Designed to be very user-friendly, especially for non-technical users, making it easier for customer service teams to adopt quickly. |
| Customization & Flexibility | Highly customizable workflows, issue types, and integration capabilities | Customization available but more focused on customer service needs | Jira Service Management: Offers more flexibility, ideal for complex IT workflows and detailed configurations. |
| Integration with Other Tools | Strong integration with development and IT tools (Jira Software, Bitbucket, Confluence) | Strong integrations with customer support tools, CRMs, social media, and email platforms | Jira Service Management: Deeper integrations with development and IT tools, making it better suited for tech teams already using Jira products. |
| Scalability | Scalable for large teams and complex IT service management needs | Scalable for both small and large customer service teams | Zendesk: Scales well for customer support teams of any size, providing robust capabilities for growing teams. |
| ITIL Compliance | Built for ITIL-compliant processes, great for IT service management | Not inherently ITIL-compliant but can be customized with plugins | Jira Service Management: Specifically built for ITIL compliance, making it a better fit for IT service management processes. |
Why Desk365 is better than Zendesk and Jira Service Management
Desk365 is often praised for its simplicity, affordability, and integration capabilities. Here’s a breakdown of why some users prefer it over Zendesk and Jira Service Management:
Simplicity and ease of use
- User-friendly interface: Desk365 is noted for its clean and intuitive interface, making it easy for users to adopt and manage tickets efficiently. “Desk365 is so easy to get running.”
- No complexity: Unlike Zendesk and Jira Service Management, which can be complex and require extensive setup, Desk365 is straightforward and requires minimal training. “Desk365 is cheap and more simple to use.”
Cost-effectiveness
- Affordable pricing: Desk365 is significantly more budget-friendly compared to Zendesk and Jira Service Management, which can be quite expensive, especially for larger teams. “Try desk365. has all the features will come under ur budget.”
- Transparent costs: Desk365 offers transparent pricing with no hidden fees, making it easier to manage your budget. “Actually looks quite good and reasonably priced.”
Features and customization
- Basic to advanced features: Desk365 offers a comprehensive set of features including ticketing, automation, and multi-channel support, which can meet the needs of most small to medium-sized businesses. “It has good set of features including automations.”
- Customizable workflows: The platform allows for customizable workflows, making it adaptable to different business processes. “You can interact and close it via email without even needing to get back into the dashboard.”
Adoption and support
- Easy adoption: Desk365 is praised for its ease of adoption, which is crucial for teams that may not be very tech-savvy.Â
- Solid support: The platform offers robust customer support, ensuring that users can get help when they need it.Â
"We love Desk365! Former Zendesk Client"
Desk365 can be customized to your absolute liking. You can pull granular reporting, view and sort your tickets with ease and stay organized. There is so much automation, it’s very user friendly and easy to set up. We are so glad to have made the switch from Zendesk and we would not go back! Desk365 is also Soc 2 Type 2 compliant! This is a premium helpdesk at a great price. I couldn’t manage IT without it! I am also continuously impressed with their client dedication – if you suggest an improvement, they genuinely take it into consideration! They consistently roll out improvements. We are so grateful!
Robin B
Business Administration ManagementÂ
Switch to a better Ticketing System now!
Overview of Zendesk ticketing system
Zendesk is a customer service and support platform designed to help businesses manage their customer interactions efficiently. At its core, Zendesk uses a ticketing system that turns each customer inquiry (whether it’s a question, complaint, or request) into a “ticket” that gets tracked and resolved by your support team. The ticketing system is essentially an organized way of handling each customer interaction from start to finish, ensuring nothing gets lost and everything is addressed.
Here’s how it works: When a customer reaches out—whether through email, live chat, social media, or even over the phone—their message gets converted into a ticket in the Zendesk system. These tickets are then sorted and organized based on priority and type, allowing your team to manage them effectively. Zendesk’s system is built to keep things flowing smoothly by automating tasks like ticket categorization, routing to the right agents, and sending automated responses or follow-up reminders.
Key features of Zendesk
Automation
Zendesk offers powerful automation tools that help streamline processes. For example, you can set up triggers to automatically route tickets to the appropriate department or agent, or even create pre-written responses for common questions. This saves your team valuable time and ensures quicker responses.
Multi-channel support
One of Zendesk’s standout features is its ability to handle customer interactions from multiple channels in one place. Whether customers reach out via email, chat, social media, or even SMS, everything gets funneled into the Zendesk system, so your team doesn’t have to jump between different platforms.
Ticket prioritization
Zendesk allows you to set priorities for tickets based on urgency or customer needs. This means that critical issues can be addressed faster, while less urgent inquiries are handled accordingly, helping teams stay organized and focused on what matters most.
Collaboration
Zendesk also allows teams to work together on tickets. Support agents can leave internal notes, tag other agents for help, or even escalate tickets to a higher tier if needed, ensuring every issue gets resolved efficiently.
Read more – 12 Key Zendesk features in 2025
Zendesk pricing
Zendesk offers a variety of pricing plans designed to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Whether you’re just starting out or need advanced features, there’s a plan that fits both your budget and your business needs. Here’s a breakdown of the different pricing options:
1. Zendesk suite plans (Essential, Team, Professional, and Enterprise)
Zendesk’s pricing is organized into four main plans: Essential, Team, Professional, and Enterprise. Each plan offers a different set of features, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
Essentials:
Starting at $5 per agent/month
This is the most basic plan, providing core ticketing functions like email and ticket management. It’s ideal for businesses just starting with customer support.
Best for: Small businesses or startups looking for a simple way to manage customer inquiries.
Team:
Starting at $19 per agent/month
The Team plan includes live chat, more integrations, and some automation features. It’s a great option for businesses that want to offer more support options and improve team efficiency.
Best for: Growing businesses that need more than just email support and are ready to offer live support options.
Professional:
Starting at $49 per agent/month
This plan adds advanced features like customizable ticket fields, reporting, and automation. It’s perfect for businesses that need more control over their workflows and customer interactions.
Best for: Medium-sized businesses looking for a more comprehensive support system with powerful automation and reporting tools.
Enterprise:
Starting at $99 per agent/month
The Enterprise plan offers full customization, advanced analytics, and multi-brand support. It’s designed for large businesses with complex needs and provides extensive support features for managing a high volume of tickets.
Best for: Large organizations with complex support operations and the need for advanced features and customization.
2. Zendesk for large enterprises
For larger enterprises, Zendesk offers even more tailored solutions through its Enterprise Suite, which includes custom features and more advanced integrations. Pricing for these plans varies depending on the specific needs and scale of your business, so it’s best to contact Zendesk directly for a custom quote.
Custom Enterprise Solutions:
These are fully customizable solutions for businesses with extensive support needs. Pricing is dependent on the complexity and scale of the required features.
Best for: Large global companies that need a scalable, customized solution to handle support across different regions and teams.
3. Add-ons and extras
In addition to the core plans, Zendesk offers several add-ons that can enhance your customer support experience. These include:
Zendesk Talk (Phone support): Add phone support capabilities to your plan.
Zendesk Guide (Knowledge Base): Build a self-service portal where customers can find answers on their own.
Zendesk Chat: Add live chat functionality for real-time customer support.
These add-ons are priced separately, and you can choose the ones that best suit your business needs.
4. Free trial
Zendesk offers a 30-day free trial for all its plans. This gives you full access to the features of the plan you choose, so you can explore the platform and see if it meets your business’s needs before committing to a paid plan.
One drawback is that the pricing structure of Zendesk Suite can be relatively higher compared to some competitors, which might be a consideration for budget-conscious organizations
Jira Service Desk overview
Jira Service Desk is a cloud-based service management platform designed to help businesses manage and resolve customer service requests, IT support issues, and internal team requests. It’s built on the Jira platform, which is popular for project management and agile workflows, making it particularly suitable for development teams, IT teams, and service desks. It combines ticket management, automation, and collaboration features to improve efficiency and response times.
Key features of Jira
Incident management: Tracks and resolves issues quickly, ensuring customers and employees get timely support.
Self-service portal: Allows users to submit requests, check status, and access knowledge base articles without direct agent involvement.
SLAs (Service Level Agreements): Help define and enforce response and resolution times, ensuring consistent service delivery.
Automation rules: Automates repetitive tasks, such as ticket routing and notifications, improving team efficiency.
Knowledge base integration: Allows users to find solutions to common problems before submitting tickets, reducing the workload for support teams.
Reporting and analytics: Offers powerful reporting tools to track performance, customer satisfaction, and service desk metrics.
Customizable workflows: Enables businesses to tailor workflows to their specific needs, especially for IT and support teams.
Collaboration tools: Facilitates team collaboration with features like @mentions, internal comments, and notifications to keep everyone in the loop.
ITIL compatibility: Supports ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) best practices for IT service management, including incident, problem, and change management.
Integration with Jira Software: Seamlessly integrates with Jira Software, enabling better communication between development and support teams.
Pricing
Jira Service Desk offers a subscription-based pricing model, with pricing based on the number of agents and features. It has tiered pricing, which makes it affordable for small businesses but also scalable for larger organizations. There’s also a free plan for small teams with limited features.
Plan Name
Cost
Key Features
Free Plan
$0 per agent per month
Multi-channel support (customer portal, email, chat), Customizable forms, Workflows, and Queues, Embedded knowledge base, Incident, and problem management Support via Atlassian Community
Standard Plan
$19.04 per agent per month
Everything in free plan, Custom-branded help center Alerts, On-call schedules, and Incident escalation, Unlimited email notifications, Audit logs and Multi-region data residency Up to 20,000 agents, and Unlimited customers 9/5 regional support.
Premium Plan
$47.82 per agent per month
AI-powered service and operations, Virtual agent for conversational support, Asset and configuration management, Deployment gating with CI/CD tools, Advanced alert integrations and incident investigation, Real-time incident monitoring, 24/7 support for critical issues, 99.9% uptime SLA.
Enterprise Plan
Contact sales for pricing (billed annually)
Cross-product insights with Atlassian Analytics and Data Lake, Advanced admin controls, Security Enterprise-grade identity, Access management, Unlimited automations, Multiple instances (up to 150) 24/7 support for all issues, and 99.95% uptime SLA.
Read more – Jira Service Desk pricing 2025
Desk365: A Better Alternative to Zendesk and Jira Service Management
Ease of use
Desk365 is designed to be simple and intuitive, making it easy for non-technical teams to manage customer service operations without a steep learning curve. This makes it an appealing option for businesses looking for an easy-to-implement solution without needing specialized knowledge, compared to the more complex interfaces of Zendesk or Jira.
User roles and flexibility
Desk365 offers a broad set of roles (including end-users and managers), which gives flexibility for different team members to interact with the system as needed. This is useful for companies with varying levels of involvement across customer service and internal support processes.
Ticket management
Desk365 provides a simple yet effective ticketing system that supports multiple channels (email, chat, etc.), making it a solid alternative to Zendesk. It’s a good option for teams looking for straightforward ticket management without the complexity of advanced custom workflows in Jira.
Knowledge base management
While Desk365 offers basic knowledge base functionality, it doesn’t match Zendesk’s advanced AI-driven search and feedback integrations. However, it might be sufficient for teams with more basic knowledge management needs.
Cost-effectiveness for small-to-medium teams
Desk365 could be a more cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized businesses that need strong ticketing and customer support features without the complexity and price tag of Zendesk or Jira Service Management.
Want to experience Desk365 before committing? Sign up for a free 21-day trial to get full access to all of its features and capabilities. Alternatively, if you’d prefer a hands-on demonstration, you can book a personalized demo with one of our experts to see how Desk365 can meet your specific needs.
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