HubSpot vs Zendesk: Which Customer Support Platform Wins?

In this HubSpot vs Zendesk comparison, we assess the two CRM market leaders. But even among leaders, there’s a clear winner. That winner happens to be HubSpot CRM. 

The HubSpot Service Hub is the best customer support platform, owing to its shared inbox that integrates with CRM, AI-powered Breeze agents, and skills-based ticket routing. Additionally, unlike Zendesk, HubSpot allows users to access these features in its free-forever plan or through transparent pricing starting at $9/month per seat.

Here’s how we came to that conclusion.

HubSpot vs Zendesk Comparison Evaluation Criteria

To make this comparison useful, we chose five metrics:

These metrics make it easier to choose the best customer support software. Because they help us accurately decide which platform will boost customer experience and your team’s productivity.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is a vital metric in deciding a CRM’s impact on productivity. A winning customer support platform is intuitive and user-friendly. It doesn’t require lengthy training to get your team up to speed on how to use and operate it. When a system requires in-depth training for your team to extract the most value, you’ll lose valuable time and resources.

To choose which of the two is easier to use, we ask questions like:

Features and Cost

Features and cost are two sides of the same coin. A serious assessment never considers cost in isolation. You’re paying for features. Therefore, we can only accurately assess cost when we assess it alongside the CRM’s features. When we assess these two metrics in tandem, we answer the questions:

Capabilities:

Capabilities help you understand what you can achieve from HubSpot and Zendesk. During our assessment, we attempt to answer the questions:

App Integrations

App integrations help you estimate if the CRM can grow with your business. The number of app integrations helps you forecast whether or not the software can scale. The more app integrations, the greater the chance a CRM can be scaled as your team and business needs grow. Some questions we’ll answer include:

Real-World Use

But metrics aren’t the only part of the story. To ensure these metrics are true-to-life, we also run real-world analysis. The analysis assesses user reviews to determine if the platforms live up to their promises.

We consider user experience. For that reason, we factor in reviews from different regions and industries. This helps us determine if the CRM has a universal performance.

HubSpot vs Zendesk: Ease of Use

What Makes HubSpot Easy to Use

The Company’s Interface:

You don’t need much training to start using the Service Hub. In fact, in just over 2 hours you can learn to leverage the help desk and customer portal like a pro. The free Service Hub Software certification course teaches you how to navigate the help desk and set up your knowledge base.

Because the Service Hub’s shared inbox is cleaner and more visually organized than Zendesk’s, teams can manage customer conversations across multiple channels.

Seamless Integration:

The Service Hub easily integrates into existing processes and systems. Even in complex business structures, the Service Hub eliminates data silos.

Automation:

The Service Hub’s workflow builder leverages straightforward drag-and-drop logic. Additionally, users can automate processes by setting up triggers. These triggers can enrol customers into a nurture sequence or create a deal based on the support ticket.

What Makes Zendesk Easy to Use:

Integrating into Existing Processes:

Zendesk enables companies to manage thousands of tickets from a single, convenient dashboard. Additionally, the system can operate as a standalone ticketing system, which can be easier for some businesses to navigate.

Advanced Routing Rules:

In real-world analysis, Zendesk excels at handling complex ticketing systems. It simplifies these complex tickets by automating ticket routing to relevant departments.

However, it takes weeks of training for teams to become familiar with this feature.

Ease of Use Winner

HubSpot is easier to use because the platform provides any technical expertise you need to use the system. Because it integrates easily with other Hubs, teams can access a customer’s entire history. This enables faster, more personalized support.

In real-world testing, users could set up HubSpot three times quicker than Zendesk. It took one week instead of three.

HubSpot vs Zendesk: Capabilities

Users rate HubSpot 12 percent more effective than Zendesk at helping support teams prioritize customer requests. This speed defines the Service Hub’s capabilities. Because when teams can prioritize requests, they can respond to them more quickly.

Contrast this with reviews of Zendesk. On sites like G2, clients complain about the software slowing down during busy periods. In fact, some of the CRM’s cons include speed.

HubSpot vs Zendesk: Features and Pricing

In this HubSpot vs Zendesk comparison, HubSpot performs better than Zendesk on cost and features. Here’s why:

HubSpot Features and Pricing:

The Service Hub’s entry-level package starts at $0. Teams of up to two users can access powerful features across marketing, customer support, and sales for free. Then the platform’s premium packages range from $9 to $159. Among these features, a handful stand out, including:

Zendesk Features and Pricing:

ROI Winner

HubSpot prioritizes customer retention and CX within the same platform. Because it integrates with its hubs, the platform offers outstanding cost performance. Additionally, it simplifies customer support with skills-based routing, ticketing pipelines, and a shared inbox allowing teams to quickly offer meaningful support.

HubSpot vs Zendesk: App Integrations

You can accurately forecast if software will scale with your business by researching its app integrations.

App integrations reflect the platform’s versatility and limits.

Ideally, you want a lot of apps. More apps mean your business can customize the platform to suit its needs. Additionally, you can improve productivity.

During this HubSpot vs Zendesk comparison, we asked and answered the one question that matters:

Who Has More App Integrations?

HubSpot has over 2,000 app integrations compared to Zendesk’s roughly 1700. User data suggests teams find the former’s apps more useful. Because there are currently more than 2.5 million active app installations among users, each app is downloaded 1,250 times.

These integrations also mean you don’t have to invest in building your own integrations through APIs. Instead, you can leverage an existing app to expand the use case of the foundational customer platform.

App Integration Winner:

HubSpot performs better than Zendesk in app integrations. Besides having 300 more apps than its biggest competitor, these integrations expand the base platform. The result? It becomes easier to tailor the platform for your business’s needs.

Comparing HubSpot vs Zendesk in the Real-World

In a real-world comparison between these two customer support CRMs, we analyzed user reviews and the businesses that use these platforms.

Reviews

HubSpot’s Service Hub has a 4.4-star rating on G2. This rating is across 2,896 user reviews. Some of the strong suits users noted about the CRM include:

Zendesk has a 4.3-star rating on G2 based on 6,782 user reviews. Users suggest its pros are:

Because user reviews are subjective and only relay one user’s experience of the platform, we rely on data about who uses each platform. Data about the companies and industries using these customer support CRMs reveal how well these platforms perform in the real world.

Which Big Companies Use HubSpot?

Each of these companies relies on the Service Hub to expedite customer interaction across large teams.

Which Big Companies Use Zendesk?

Companies across industries, including Fortune 500 companies, prefer the Service Hub. Whereas Zendesk typically works in service industries where customer support and the customer pipeline are straightforward.

FAQs

Which is better: HubSpot vs. Zendesk?

Surveys suggest businesses prefer HubSpot Service Hub over Zendesk, even when you add Zendesk Sell. The reason for this is simple: the Service Hub allows teams to prioritize customer communication. For example, the shared inbox makes it easier to manage the customer journey.

Although Zendesk excels at high-volume support tickets, it fails to maintain a cohesive customer journey. This reduces retention and raises marketing costs.

What is the best customer support software?

According to user reviews on trusted websites like G2, HubSpot is the number one customer support software. The Service Hub achieves a 4.4-star rating. Second to that is Zendesk with a 4.3-star rating.

But reviews are only part of the picture. Dozens of billion-dollar companies trust and use the Service Hub. Typically, these businesses prefer the Service Hub because it integrates into their marketing and sales efforts. Which means they can use their CRM to boost customer retention.

Is HubSpot Service Hub really free?

Yes, you can access the HubSpot Service Hub with the software’s free-forever version. For up to two users, you’ll gain access to must-have premium features, including ticketing, a shared inbox, and live chat at no cost.

How does HubSpot compare to Zendesk on implementation time?

HubSpot software is designed for fast adoption and implementation, and unlike Zendesk, which typically requires technical setup, HubSpot allows support teams to get started in days rather than weeks.

How can businesses improve their customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores?

Businesses can improve CSAT scores by reducing response times and offering personalized, proactive support. HubSpot’s Service Software enables this by providing automated ticket routing and Breeze customer agents. Breeze is HubSpot’s AI-powered support agent that instantly handles routine inquiries, allowing your customer support team to focus on the complex issues that drive higher satisfaction.

The Final Verdict on HubSpot vs Zendesk: What is the Best Customer Support Platform?

Because of its performance, HubSpot is the best customer support platform. It makes problem-solving and customer support easy and convenient.

But your search should not be limited to ease and convenience. You should be searching for a customer support CRM that supports the entire customer lifecycle. The Service Hub is the only CRM that positions itself perfectly in the customer lifecycle. This transforms customer support from a one-time contact into a valuable part of the sales and marketing pipeline.