What software should I use to manage support tickets across email and chat?

# Popular Support Ticket Management Tools

**All-in-one platforms** (best for most teams):

- **Zendesk** – mature, widely-used, handles email/chat/phone

- **Freshdesk** – good balance of features and affordability

- **HubSpot Service Hub** – integrates with CRM, free tier available

- **Intercom** – strong on chat, lighter on email

**Lighter-weight options**:

- **Help Scout** – focused on email, clean interface

- **Groove** – simple, good for small teams

- **Front** – treats email as a collaboration tool

**Open-source/self-hosted**:

- **Osticket** – free, requires setup

- **Zammad** – modern open-source alternative

## What to consider:

- **Volume** – how many tickets/month?

- **Team size** – impacts per-seat costs

- **Integrations** – does it connect with your other tools?

- **Automation** – routing, templating, workflows

- **Reporting** – metrics that matter to you

- **Budget** – ranges from free to $100+/month

**Quick picks:**

- Starting out? → **Freshdesk** or **HubSpot**

- Need simplicity? → **Help Scout**

- Want everything? → **Zendesk**

What's your team size and approximate ticket volume? That would help narrow it down.