Help Desk Software You Might Have Missed

Customer support today isn’t just about solving problems—it’s a core part of your brand’s identity. In a world where speed, personalization, and seamless experiences are key, the way you support your customers can make or break their loyalty. Salesforce research shows that 88% of customers say a company’s experience is as important as its products or services.

That is why choosing the right customer service solution is crucial. It’s the difference between building a customer support experience that delights customers and fosters loyalty or drowning in the sea of endless support tickets that frustrate both your team and clients.

But here’s the twist: there are some hidden gems in the help desk space that you may not have come across yet.

In this guide, we’ll introduce 7 such customer service solutions that can be eye-opening. Each has unique features that can increase your customer support agents’ productivity and enhance every touchpoint of the customer journey.

Let’s shine the spotlight on those 7 best help desk tools and what they bring to the table:

1. Atera – An all-in-one IT management and remote monitoring platform.
2. Desk365 – AI-powered help desk solution for Microsoft Teams.
3. Glassix – Omnichannel communication tool with AI-driven personalization.
4. Thena – A customer service solution designed for Slack users.
5. NICE CXone – Enterprise-level customer support platform focusing on AI-driven customer experience.
6. Supportbench – Highly customizable help desk for customer retention and satisfaction.
7. Pylon – Lightweight, no-frills tool for simple ticketing and issue tracking.

We’ll now look closer at each customer service solution’s unique functionality, pros and cons, and the niches they excel in.

#1 Atera

Atera is an all-in-one IT management system. It combines remote monitoring and management (RMM), IT ticketing, professional services automation (PSA), and patch management functionality. Among other advantages, the Atera IT management platform offers integration with Microsoft Azure-OpenAI for faster resolution.

Source: Atera

Standout Features to Explore:

• This RMM tool supports real-time monitoring of device status and system performance, along with the network discovery function, which provides a 360-view of the entire IT infrastructure. The Atera RMM agent installer gathers critical data about the status of each individual device and provides an overview of system health. You can also create and customize alert thresholds based on many parameters, so immediate response to issues is on the way.
• When you do receive such alerts, use Atera’s remote access tool to manage the device from your own remotely—that’s where proactive management comes in.
• As for traditional help desk operations, Atera offers user-friendly solutions with automated IT ticketing, AI ticket tagging, remote session summaries, advanced reports, live chat, and knowledge base management.
• MSP billing capabilities include contract management, SLA management, automatic time capturing, timesheet management, and more.
• Use Atera AI Copilot to diagnose issues in real-time, summarize tickets, create responses, turn tickets into knowledge base articles, or generate custom scripts.
• As a big plus, Atera’s automated patching tool helps automatically identify and deploy system patches.

Pros	Cons
Simple and clean—that’s how Atera users describe its interface. Starting from the main screen, you can see a quick overview of all the necessary details, as well as explore more by simply clicking the necessary button.	Lack of more advanced customization options for reports to meet specific user preferences.
Atera offers robust network discovery solutions so you always have the complete picture of IT assets.	Atera doesn’t provide a free plan, which can be a barrier for newcomers.
The pricing is based on the number of techs rather than the number of endpoints, which makes it cost-effective.	Some essential options require a full user license.
Combining helpdesk and RMM/PSA functions means you don’t have to use multiple tools to fulfill your IT management goals.

Overall, Atera proposes effective solutions for MSPs and IT departments at a reasonable price. It is ideal for SMBs looking for efficient, scalable, and affordable IT support tools to manage their clients and devices. At the same time, Atera is a go-to IT management solution for businesses that don’t want to invest in on-premises infrastructure or need an automated solution to simplify internal processes.

#2 Desk365

The next help desk solution on our list is Desk365. Microsoft Teams help desk is designed for better customer interactions, especially within the Microsoft Teams environment. This customer service solution collects all customer support requests in a single inbox and provides support agents with robust feature sets. It includes automated ticket assignment, automation macros, SLAs, instant notifications, Agent Bot, multiple departments, and agent performance reports. Thanks to seamless Microsoft Teams integration, you can handle every aspect of your helpdesk inside Teams.

Source: Desk365

Standout Features to Explore:

• Convert messages into tickets, receive notifications, add notes, update statuses, or respond to your agents—all without leaving the Microsoft Teams chat.
• The “Draft with AI” feature provides personalized responses, reviews grammar, and translates messages for multiple languages.
• Use the ticket “Watchers” and “Share To” options for smooth collaboration. Share tickets with non-agents, notify ticket “Watchers” of all ticket activities, and collaborate via private notes.
• Create an internal knowledge base, share articles with other agents, and configure article visibility.
• Gather customer feedback using different types of survey modules available in Desk365 Microsoft Teams help desk.

Pros	Cons
Achieved SOC 2 Type 2 compliance certification underscores Desk365’s commitment to customer data security and privacy.	Due to the agent group structure, it may be difficult to use Desk365 for multiple unrelated departments.
Customization options are available for agent roles, ticket views, ticket forms, along with custom Teams Support Bot, and the Support Portal.	Some users claim that automation capabilities and notifications still need to be polished.
Users can access Support Bot and Agent Bot on the go from the Teams mobile app.	The Desk365 reporting could use a little more dynamic components.
Desk365 proposes ease of use and frequent updates to enhance the user experience.

To sum up, Desk365 sounds like a quite good customer service solution for SMBs seeking a simple, cost-effective way to manage customer requests. Plus, its integration with Microsoft Teams makes it an excellent choice for companies already familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem.

#3 Glassix

Let’s continue with AI-driven help desk comparisons and move on to our next option. Glassix is all about delivering consistent and tailored customer experience on their preferred channels. This AI-driven unified messaging platform excels in omnichannel customer support and collects all conversations in one place. Powered by GPT-4, the customer support software helps provide instant replies through chatbots, analyzes customer data to gain insights, and offers actionable suggestions.

Source: Glassix

Standout Features to Explore:

• Use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze customer requests and provide suitable responses.
• The no-code chatbot flow builder makes it easy to launch one. You can use Glassix templates with the option to tailor them for specific scenarios.
• Connect with over 15 communication channels, including social media, email, SMS, and more, all with a unified history.
• Glassix’s live chat helps you stay connected and provides real-time assistance. Plus, it’s easy to set up and combines with AI chatbots.
• The help desk software offers a summary at the end of each conversation, so it’s easier to analyze conversations and identify valuable insights.

Pros	Cons
Integrates with various digital channels to help maintain consistent customer service.	The initial setup may be complex and require more time than expected.
The ability to customize and schedule reports to receive a more tailored user experience and foster data-driven decisions.	Limited automation in some communication channels.
Conversational AI assists support agents in responding quickly with useful suggestions.	Although the subscription is cost-effective in the long term, the pricing tiers can be costly for small businesses with limited budgets.
Glassix’s auto-tagging helps prioritize requests by automatically sorting tickets into categories.

Glassix stands out as a robust communication tool with a focus on the omnichannel experience. Does it fit a specific industry better? Well, based on the ability to manage high volumes of customer interactions across communication channels with AI assistance, Glassix is an ideal choice for retail, eCommerce businesses, insurance services, and SaaS companies.

#4 Thena

If you are looking for a modern B2B ticketing platform, Thena may be your match. The help desk software combines Slack, Teams, and email in one place. Thena workflows automatically assign tickets, manage follow-ups, notify support reps when specific conditions are met, and overall help deliver seamless customer experience, especially within the Slack ecosystem.

Source: Thena

Standout Features to Explore:

• Thena’s Slack broadcasts made it easy to share updates, reminders, and announcements. Simply choose a template, customize it as needed, create the message, and send or schedule it to the selected audience.
• CSAT feature assesses customer sentiment and measures agent performance without leaving Slack.
• The Slack-integrated help desk automatically generates customer request responses based on previous interactions.
• External links within the Thena ticketing solution connect existing requests from other tools to the ticket. Meaning that all changes or updates made in external systems like Linear, Shortcut, or Jira are reflected in the Thena request.
• Thena AI ticketing system for Slack offers intelligent ticket management. For example, it turns Slack conversations into support tickets or auto-assigns tickets based on agent expertise.

Pros	Cons
Thena integrates across CRM, product tools, email ticketing solutions, and incident management. No switching apps.	CRM integration tools may be complex to manage.
Use Thena’s Zendesk Slack integration to maximize productivity and bring more value. Automatically detect requests with Intent Recognition models, follow the ticket activity, and benefit from enhanced configuration capabilities.	Some users claim that the message builder for sending out communications could be a bit more convenient.
Native Slack integration for customer support workflows is an ideal choice, especially when many employees are familiar with the Slack ecosystem and require less training than onboarding new customer service solutions.	It can be challenging to manage multiple workspaces.
Automated notifications and follow-ups to ensure SLA compliance.
Thena’s customer service is highly responsive and thorough.

While Thena has been in the help desk software industry for not so long (founded in 2022), this AI ticketing system is perfect for B2B companies that rely on Slack for internal communication and search for solutions to manage customer service workflows within the tool. Plus, based on user reviews, the Thena team responds to its users and regularly updates the functionality.

#5 NICE CXone

If you were waiting for an enterprise-level customer support solution on this list, now is the time. Let’s add the “enterprise IT support vs. small business solutions” flavor to our review. Introducing NICE CXone, a customer experience platform to manage every aspect across the request lifecycle. It includes journey orchestration and routing, knowledge management, CX analytics, workforce engagement management (WEM), agent assist hub, and specialized AI for CX on top of everything else.

Source: NICE

Standout Features to Explore:

• Use AI-powered routing to direct customer requests to the most suitable support agent or department.
• CXone WFM offers the Closed Loop Schedule Optimization tool to generate schedules. After a “system training process” and running several schedule combinations, the tool will present you with the most optimal schedule available.
• Another great feature is Enlighten AutoSummary. It delivers automated and consistent interaction summaries to assist support agents in gathering the context they need. This way, you can forget about manual notes after every customer interaction.
• The real-time interaction guidance feature advises support reps along the way on key follow-up actions to take that consistently increase customer satisfaction.
• Take advantage of CXone’s reports and dashboards to access every piece of data and track agent status, SLAs, and team performance.
• AI-infused knowledge management to optimize self-service content and access relevant ones when customers need it.

Pros	Cons
Scalable and robust AI-powered help desk software for enterprise needs.	High pricing for tight budgets. You may need to purchase a license or add-on packages to access advanced features.
Excellent real-time sentiment analysis.	There is a steep learning curve for newcomers to explore all capabilities.
Analytics and reporting tools help identify key areas for focus so that customer support teams can be more effective in their roles.	Technical support may take a while longer to resolve a problem when it occurs.
The enterprise-level customer support software supports various customer service workflows and offers plenty of customization options.

Indeed, NICE CXone customer experience software is a solid choice for large-scale enterprises, particularly in industries like banking, government, healthcare, or financial services. But what makes this customer service solution so desirable is the way NICE integrates AI in all possible support processes to enhance both agents’ and customers’ experiences.

#6 Supportbench

Now, let’s take a closer look at Supportbench. This automated ticketing system brings along necessary features for ticketing from any angle. It is highly customizable help desk software focused on delivering exceptional service and maintaining lasting customer relationships. The modern B2B helpdesk software offers features like ticket management, workflow automation, customer management, and in-depth analytics. So, what unique features should one pay attention to?

Source: Supportbench

Standout Features to Explore:

• Customize SLAs based on contracts and teams to ensure customers receive the service they were promised on time. For better SLA performance monitoring and issue resolution, use alerts with scorecards.
• Automatically assigns tickets based on predefined rules, like agent experience or workload.
• Another way to increase efficiency is by enabling easy knowledge-based article updates and auto-suggesting solutions.
• Supportbench also offers escalation management tools. Configure multi-step escalation paths to resolve tickets and automatically de-escalate completed ones.

Pros	Cons
The “create a response” feature helps to engage with customers swiftly and efficiently.	Limited scalability for larger enterprises compared to help desk platforms like NICE CXone.
Supportbench offers a high customization level for unique business needs.	The large amount of customization makes it a little overwhelming at first.
Supportbench’s AI-driven customer summaries provide rapid insights that help better understand customers’ needs and concerns.	Some users complain that the agent desk interface seems a bit overwhelming and differs from other web apps.
The help desk software is cost-effective, particularly when you analyze the scope of features with the price for this package.

To recap, Supportbench stands as a featured-rich customer support platform for customer retention and satisfaction. It offers all the must-have features to define it as traditional ticketing software while supporting high-level customization. That makes it ideal for SMBs seeking smooth customer interactions and aiming to deliver exceptional service.

#7 Pylon

Finally, we have Pylon. This support platform is purpose-built for the B2B segment and offers simple ticketing with issue tracking. Designed with modern customer support in mind, the Pylon lightweight help desk is easy to navigate and automated with AI. It helps manage inquiries across channels (email, Slack Connect, Microsoft Teams, in-app chat, forms, etc.)

Source: Pylon

Standout Features to Explore:

• Benefit from Pylon AI tools to draft support articles based on issue resolutions, autofill custom fields for ticket categorization, and get assistance from AI agents to deflect customer questions using content in the knowledge base or other sources.
• Use pre-built charts, build custom dashboards, and track support metrics, such as ticket volume, agent performance, response, and resolution times.
• Manage customer relationships effortlessly with tools like Product Updates for broadcasting news and tracking engagement, Account Views for organizing customer data, and a Customer Portal to give stakeholders visibility into their active issues.
• Enhance self-service and internal collaboration by hosting a Help Center or internal knowledge base for your team.
• Pylon also empowers customer support teams with automation options, including intuitive triggers, macros, and team assignment rules, all to boost efficiency.

Pros	Cons
Connect preferred tools with Pylon’s ready-to-use integrations, or build ones tailored to your needs.	While Pylon excels in simplicity, it may need more advanced functionalities that larger businesses expect.
Pylon is SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliant, ensuring clients’ data remains safeguarded.	Some users are seeking more in-depth analytics.
Integration with CRM and incident tracking systems is seamless, which helps deliver quality service without switching between tools.	Pylon delivers an intuitive UI and UX.
The customization options for certain workflows could be improved.

Pylon is a simple yet powerful support system for small to medium-sized businesses. The help desk system offers modern, AI-powered capabilities. It targets teams seeking lightweight help desk tools for startups while delivering all the core functionalities one needs.

If Pylon sounds like the perfect match for your needs, but you need to migrate your customer support data, we’ve got you covered. With Help Desk Migration, you can seamlessly transfer your data. Give our Migration Wizard a test run to see how easy it is to get started.

Find Your Ideal Customer Service Solution: A Tailored Comparison

Not all customer service tools are built the same, and choosing the right one can make or break your team’s productivity. This table breaks down the must-have features, pricing, and target audiences of top customer service platforms so you can cut through the noise and find what truly fits your business. Whether you’re scaling a startup, managing a service team, or leading a large enterprise, this comparison will help you discover a solution that works as hard as you do.

Customer Service Solutions	Core Features	Pricing	Target Use Cases
Atera	IT management (RMM), PSA (Professional Services Automation), ticketing system, device monitoring, patch management, network monitoring, remote access, time tracking, reporting, automated workflows, customer portal	From $129/month per technician, billed annually	SMBs, MSPs (Managed Service Providers), IT teams
Desk365	Multi-channel ticketing (email, chat, social media), automated ticket routing, SLA management, ticket prioritization, knowledge base, reports & analytics, email support integration with Teams	$12/month per agent, billed annually (also offers a Free Plan with a limited set of features)	SMBs, businesses using Microsoft 365 and Teams for collaboration
Glassix	Omnichannel support to enhance CX (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, email, SMS, live chat), AI-driven chatbot, ticketing system, customer feedback collection, integrations with CRMs, reporting & analytics, multilingual support	From $49/month per user, billed annually	Businesses seeking unified customer communication across multiple channels
Thena	Slack/Teams-native customer support, AI-based ticket classification and routing, automated workflows, knowledge base, conversation analytics, customizable reporting, integration with Slack/Teams, collaboration tools for teams	From $64/month per user, billed annually	Teams and organizations using Slack and Microsoft Teams for communication and collaboration
NICE CXone	Omnichannel customer experience (CX), AI-powered analytics and insights, voice, chat, email, and social media support, workforce optimization tools, IVR (Interactive Voice Response), automated workflows, reporting & dashboards, integrations with CRM and ERP systems	From $71/month per agent (custom pricing based on seats and services included)	Large enterprises needing robust CX tools, call centers, and AI-driven customer service
Supportbench	Customizable support workflows, SLA tracking, ticket management, knowledge base, multi-channel support, automated escalations, performance analytics, integrations with CRMs, ticket tagging, custom fields	From $32/month per agent, billed annually	Enterprises with complex support workflows, customer service teams requiring high levels of customization
Pylon	AI-powered support automation, ticket triaging, automated responses, multi-channel support, reporting & analytics, integrations with CRMs, intelligent routing, escalation management, customizable workflows	From $59/month per seat, billed annually	Startups, SMBs, teams looking for AI ticketing systems to reduce response times

Bottom Line

After we compare top help desk tools available today, it’s clear that there’s no place for a one-size-fits-all approach. As usual, choice depends on the complexity of your customer support operations, budget, and the specific features you require.

We advise you to experience each help desk software option, book a demo or opt for free trials, explore users’ reviews (cut to the chase, no sugarcoating), and then confidently move forward to a more informed decision. Let this guide bring you closer to selecting your ideal customer service solution.

Customer Service Solutions FAQs