Zendesk vs. Zoho
Don’t get stuck with a CX solution that doesn’t grow alongside your business. Try software that’s easy to use, customize, and scale.
Why is Zendesk better than Zoho?
In a world where poor experiences can cost you customers, it's crucial to have customer service software that's intuitive, scalable, and backed by expert guidance to ensure success. Here are three key reasons businesses choose Zendesk over Zoho, elevating their CX to new heights.
1. Complete CX solution
Zendesk offers an all-in-one customer experience solution that includes workforce engagement management, quality assurance, robust security, and compliance features—everything you need to run an efficient, modern support operation. Zoho Desk, while functional, lacks these advanced CX-focused capabilities, which can lead to gaps in performance and oversight as support needs grow more complex.
2. AI built for CX
Zendesk AI is purpose-built for customer service, designed to streamline workflows, reduce manual effort, and deliver faster resolutions. It comes with out-of-the-box models, agent assistance, and intelligent triage—all fine-tuned for CX. Zoho’s AI offering is more limited and generalized, requiring more manual setup and lacking the depth Zendesk delivers for service teams.
3. Proven scalability
Zendesk is the most comprehensive service solution you can rely on, now and as your business evolves. With over 1,700 apps and integrations, plus AI embedded throughout, Zendesk seamlessly scales to accommodate new use cases and easily manage increasing ticket volumes. In contrast, Zoho’s limited native features and integration capabilities make it difficult to expand the platform to meet growing business needs, reducing its scalability.
4. Intuitive design
Zendesk is intuitively designed for ease of use, meaning you can start delivering great customer service from day one, without lengthy training requirements or any technical expertise required. On the other hand, users report a steep learning curve with Zoho Desk, while its less intuitive interface can impact ongoing productivity.
5. Quality support
For over two decades, Zendesk has led the way in CX, offering a dedicated community of CX leaders and products designed with built-in best practices. In contrast, Zoho Desk, launched in 2016, is part of a broader software suite, meaning its focus isn’t solely on CX. As a result, you won’t get the same depth of CX-specific expertise and support that comes with a best-in-class customer service platform like Zendesk.
More in this guide:
- Zendesk vs. Zoho: At-a-glance comparison
- Zoho vs. Zendesk: Features comparison
- Pricing plans: Zendesk vs. Zoho
- How Zendesk wins according to customers
- Frequently asked questions
- Ready to try Zendesk?
Zendesk vs. Zoho: At-a-glance comparison
We created a table that makes it easy to compare the features and capabilities of Zoho and Zendesk. Learn more about where Zendesk stands out below.
|
What you need to deliver the best customer experience |
Critical capabilities |
Zendesk |
Zoho |
|
AI |
Advanced AI |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Actionable insights |
In-depth reporting |
✓ |
✕ |
|
Highly customizable reports |
✓ |
✕ | |
|
Agent experience |
Intuitive user interface |
✓ |
✕
|
|
Easy to use |
✓ |
✕ | |
|
Real-time speed |
✓ |
✕
| |
|
Time to value |
Easy setup |
✓ |
✕
|
|
Easy adoption |
✓ |
✕
| |
|
Robust integrations |
✓ |
✕ | |
|
Flexibility of support platform |
Customizable Agent UI and Knowledge Base |
✓ |
✕
|
|
Live chat and messaging |
Real-time chat |
✓ |
✕
|
|
Voice |
AI-powered voice |
✓ |
✕ |
Zoho vs. Zendesk: Features comparison
See how Zendesk and Zoho compare on key CX features.
AI and automation
Explore all the possibilities of Zendesk AI. |
Zendesk AI is built to drive service resolutions and trained on over 18 billion customer service interactions, empowering you to deliver an instant and personalized CX. Zendesk AI agents, for example, are advanced chatbots that deliver autonomous, 24/7 support to your customers on any channel they prefer. Or, use AI copilots as a proactive assistant to give service agents advanced insights, suggested actions, and a wealth of information to work more productively. Zoho also offers AI capabilities. The platform's chatbot, Zia, can answer customer concerns, while sentiment analysis and generative AI can help with customer interactions. That said, users need to train the chatbot themselves, which could be confusing compared to a solution like Zendesk that works right out of the box. |
Integrations and a 360-degree customer view
|
Zendesk marketplace features over 1,700 pre-built apps and integrations, giving your support team seamless alignment with the rest of your business and a 360-degree view of your customers. With our plug-and-play integrations, agents can easily access key customer data across sales, service, and marketing—all within a single platform. Zoho hosts a limited marketplace for third-party apps, with some users reporting that the available integrations can be complex to set up. |
Build a 360-degree view with the Zendesk Marketplace. |
Flexible, customizable platform
Deliver a custom CX with the Zendesk Agent Workspace. |
Zendesk offers high customizability, allowing teams to tailor the tool to their specific needs and workflows. From customizing the Agent Workspace to creating custom fields and automations, Zendesk provides flexibility without requiring technical expertise. Plus, you can use a comprehensive set of APIs for near-limitless possibilities to extend and customize your Zendesk, delivering a seamless CX by quickly building custom integrations between Zendesk and other systems. While Zoho offers basic customization options, it only allows users to make minimal customizations to their platforms. |
Reporting and analytics
|
Zendesk provides powerful reporting and analytics software for businesses of any size or industry. Our advanced reporting consolidates real-time and historical data from all customer channels in one place. With AI-powered quality assurance (QA) insights, you can evaluate every service interaction and proactively address customer churn. Our AI-driven workforce management (WFM) tools also help you forecast staffing needs and optimize team performance for ongoing efficiency. Zoho Desk has basic reporting capabilities and dashboards that might not satisfy organizations that need more detailed insights. More advanced reporting features like WFM and QA aren’t available with Zoho Desk and require an additional cost. |
Unlock new insights with the power of Zendesk reporting and analytics. |
Knowledge base
Learn how Zendesk knowledge base software can keep things fresh with AI. |
Zendesk gives you the capability to empower customers to self-serve and find answers 24/7. Our knowledge management features make it easy to keep help center articles updated, that use AI to identify and flag content gaps and outdated articles, or generative AI knowledge base tools that help to expand and enhance content quickly. Zoho offers a multilingual knowledge base but lacks advanced features, necessary to efficiently keep content fresh. |
Advanced voice capabilities
|
Zendesk Voice offers users a genuine human connection with AI at the center, assisting customers and support agents at every stage of the call. Businesses can assign AI agents to answer calls, resolve issues as soon as possible, and route the customer to a support agent if the situation calls for a human touch. After you complete a call, our AI will automatically summarize and deliver the call transcription directly into your agent's workspace so they can jump into the next conversation. Zoho also offers voice capabilities. Teams can integrate a third-party telephony system to answer and route calls directly in the software. That said, there aren't any AI voice capabilities, and users have noted the phone capabilities can be difficult to understand and set up. |
Dial up your phone support with Zendesk voice software. |
Pricing plans: Zendesk vs. Zoho
|
Zendesk |
Zoho | |
|
Pricing plans |
|
|
|
Total cost of ownership (TCO) |
Low TCO due to an intuitive design, quality customer support, and proven scalability |
High TCO due to complex integrations, limited customizations, scalability, and weak knowledge management tools |
Zendesk can grow with a business, helping teams of all sizes scale their service offering and deliver an outstanding CX. Our software is easy to set up and has an intuitive user interface that allows teams to get up and running quickly—no developers required. If you have questions, our dedicated support team can walk you through product features to ensure you are using Zendesk to our fullest potential.
Zoho, on the other hand, has a high total cost of ownership due to complex integrations, limited scalability, and hard-to-learn features. Additionally, many important features like advanced AI capabilities and complete customization options are only available in the most expensive plan.
How Zendesk wins according to customers
Don’t just take our word for it. Here are a few stories from customers who chose Zendesk.
Thinkific + Zendesk: Meeting increased business demand with scalable software
PayNearby + Zendesk: Accelerating value with expert support
CoinJar + Zendesk: Improving satisfaction with ease of use
Frequently asked questions
Ready to try Zendesk?
Zendesk is a better option than Zoho due to our comprehensive AI features, advanced voice capabilities, omnichannel agent workspace, low time to value, and more. With Zendesk, you get an intuitive, scalable AI-powered solution that’s purpose-built for CX and delivers a fast ROI. Try it today and supercharge your CX.