R-Drive Image is a backup software product of R-Tools Technology Inc., a software company based in Canada. The company develops software tools compatible with Windows, macOS, or Linux for individual and enterprise use. 

R-Drive Image is one of its most popular products, alongside others like R-Wipe & Clean for privacy and security and R-Studio for data recovery. You can use R-Drive Image primarily to create disk image files for backup, disk cloning, or other duplication purposes.

As a company that commits to “setting new standards in the software development industry,” we’ve got high hopes for R-Drive Image.

Plans & pricing

Although thirty-day trial periods are available, R-Drive Image is a premium product without any free version. It’s also Windows-only, although some of R-Drive’s other products – like R-Wipe & Clean and R-Studio – are available for Mac.

R-Drive Image costs $45 and includes basic options, like drive and file backup, disk copying, boot disk creation, partition management and a scheduler.

The Corporate licence costs $189 and works with one PC or server, and that licence can be transferred to another system if the first one is decommissioned. It’s a lifetime licence and adds features like support for VDI virtual disks.

Technician costs $299 per license per PC and unlocks unlimited data transfer and custom rotation schemes – and this version of the app can be used to manage as many PCs as required as long as the app isn’t installed on more PCs than you have purchased licences. It’s a great deal if you want to manage many PCs or laptops in a business.

The Commercial plan costs $499 per license per PC and, as its name suggests, allows administrators to backup, restore, and deploy multiple machines in commercial settings.

The OEM kit plan costs $399 per license per PC. As its name suggests, this version only comes with a fully assembled computer. You can’t download it directly from R-TT.

Features

You can create images of entire hard drives, individual partitions, and individual files. In the process, you may choose to compress the size of the images to save storage space and, consequentially, costs. You can also lock image files with passwords to provide extra protection and ensure no unauthorized person can access them.

This software also lets you scan image files for errors and alert you immediately to anyone it detects. If you're using Corporate, Technician, or Commercial licenses, you can create image files in the VMDK file format adopted by virtual machines.

You can restore and navigate images, copy disks, create system recovery media and use extensive scheduling and scripting options to personalize your backups, how often they run, and how your computer behaves before, during and after the process.

Users can check images for integrity and accuracy, mount disks, and create batch backups for larger jobs.

With the ability to send backups to Dropbox folders, Google Drive destinations or Microsoft OneDrive, cloud options are present here, too.

Your backups can be created in R-Drive’s proprietary format, as a differential copy straight to another folder, or in VDI, VHD, VHDX or VMDK formats. There are varying compression speeds, the option to split your backup into smaller files, and use password protection with encryption.

Email notifications can be programmed, and this software lets you perform common disk management operations thanks to its flexible Partition Manager. You can create, wipe, delete or resize partitions at any time. 

Duplication implies when you want to copy the whole contents of a PC to another, often when you get a new PC and want to transfer all files from the older one to the new one. In such a case, simply create a hard drive image of the old one and restore it on the new one, and you can continue using your PC like you never ever changed it.

After creating an image of a hard drive, partition, or specific files, R-Drive Image lets you restore them at any time. You can restore to their original drives, new drives, partitions, and even free hard drive space. For example, you can restore the hard drive images from one drive onto another drive in case the former one has been damaged and is no longer suitable to use.

If you're using the Corporate, Technical, or Commercial license, you can restore images in the VMDK format, which is significantly faster than other file formats the app supports, including NTFS, FAT, and HFS.

This software lets you perform common disk management operations thanks to its flexible Partition Manager. You can create, wipe, delete or resize partitions at any time. You can also use this feature to wipe entire hard drives before disposing or transferring them to avoid sensitive data leaks.

You can set automatic schedules for R-Drive Image to back up your computer regardless of if you're present or not. This feature helps users to maintain frequent backups without much manual input. To always remain in the loop, you can set the program to send you automatic emails for any backup task that completes or fails.

Interface & use

The R-Drive Image interface may look a little dated, but it’s still one of the clearest we’ve seen from any backup app.

Key tasks are represented on the home screen with huge icons that make it very easy for even novice users to know what to do, and if you click those buttons you’ll get a straightforward dialog that instructs you to select what you want to backup and where you want those files or disks to go.

Destinations, cloud options and backup image formats are all easy to tweak. You’re kept away from advanced settings unless you head into the specific options menu – and even then it’s very easy to set password protection, notifications and more.

We tested our latest slate of backup apps with a 42GB document folder, a 2.5GB spreadsheet folder, a 162GB folder of media and an 82GB file that mixes all of those file types. We backed them up to three different SSDs to weed out any inconsistency.

This is one area where R-Drive Image failed to perform, with mediocre results in all four categories.

Its best result came with our folder of media files, where it averaged over fifteen minutes – but rivals from EaseUS and Macrium were twice as quick. It took over 26 minutes to back up our document folder, while some apps only took three or four minutes. And when tasked with backing up our folder of mixed files, it took nearly an hour.

It’s not the slowest backup app we’ve tested in this latest slate of reviews, but it’s not particularly impressive.

Support

The official R-Drive Image website has a lot of support resources. You can visit the FAQ page to find solutions to frequently encountered problems or the Knowledge Base, which contains comprehensive tutorials and user guides for the platform. There’s also an official forum where users interact and exchange tips and problem solutions.

Users who want further support can also contact R-TT's support team by email or telephone. Email support is available 24/7 but phone support is limited to 9 AM to 6 PM on Monday to Friday except on public holidays.

Competition

Apps like EaseUS ToDo Backup and Macrium Reflect have beat R-Drive in speed, but there’s not much to choose between R-Drive Image and its rivals regarding features. And depending on which version you buy, R-Drive could easily become more affordable.

Verdict

R-Drive is packed with features and is very easy to use, and several versions are affordable too. Combine that with its extensive support offering and there’s lots to like, especially for people in businesses who may need quick help if anything goes wrong.

When many rival apps relegate support to a single web form and perhaps a knowledge base or forum, that’s heartening.

R-Drive’s biggest negative is its mediocre pace, but it’s not a dealbreaker when other apps are slower. Just be aware that you can find much faster backup elsewhere.

EaseUS Todo Backup  is one of the most significant worldwide names in data management, PC utilities and backup software. It has been around since 2004 and now serves millions of worldwide customers from its HQ in China.

2009 saw the launch of EaseUS Todo Backup, and it’s since become one of the firm’s most popular products.

There’s a free version available, and if you want to splash the cash, you can buy the Home, Enterprise and Technician editions for individual, business and enterprise use, respectively.This has grown to amass tens of thousands of users globally. 

EaseUS Todo Backup: Plans and pricing

We’re always keen to see a free version of a backup tool, but it’s worth bearing in mind that EaseUS Todo Backup Free has some restrictions.

For starters, it’s deliberately made slower than the paid versions. While you can use the free version for basic backups of files, disks, operating systems, and app data, you miss out on advanced features, and you can only use 250GB of cloud storage space.

That means the free version is only suitable for home and professional use if you have basic requirements and lots of free time.

ToDo Backup Home costs $40 for an annual licence or $60 for a perpetual licence with no upgrades. A lifetime upgrade costs $80, which is the best long-term option for home or SMB users who only need to back up one device. Bundles are also available for around $100 and include ToDo Backup, Partition Master Pro, and Data Recovery Wizard – a great deal.

For any business owner who needs more backup versatility and power, though, there’s a definite step up in features if you opt for one of the ToDo Backup Business packages – like faster backups and support for Windows Server.

Workstation Edition costs $49 per user for one year, Server Edition includes Windows Server backup and PXE network boot tools for $199 per year per server, and Advanced Server adds SQL Server and Exchange backup and recovery for $299. For anyone with more advanced business needs, head here.

Technician packages start at $999 for people who need to manage loads of devices, with a lifetime license costing $2499. That’s a mammoth price, but it’ll be worth it if you handle dozens of PCs or laptops across an SMB or enterprise.

EaseUS ToDo Backup also has a Mac version, which has been updated for compatibility with macOS 14 Sonoma and costs $40. It’s largely an equivalent of ToDo Backup Home in terms of features, without the high-end additions you can expect with Server or Technician.

EaseUS Todo Backup: Features

EaseUS ToDo Backup has options for file, disk, OS or app data backups, and it also has a module to back up Outlook, Chrome or save game data – handy if you want to preserve data from specific applications.

You can send files to specific local drives, the EaseUS cloud servers, network locations or a secure, encrypted partition on your PC, too, so there’s plenty of scope for customization here.

Users can pick from different speed levels and maximum transfer speeds, and backups can be split, encrypted or password-protected. There are also options for custom commands – ideal for wrapping backups in with other automated PC tasks and scheduling your backups.

You’re also able to schedule backups based on other PC events, like if you connect a specific USB device or boot your PC, and the Smart Backup option is particularly impressive as it can detect if files have changed and start new backups accordingly,

Elsewhere, EaseUS offers disk, system and partition cloning, full system transfer, image-checking, the option to create boot disks and a PreOS Manager. And if you want to recover full backups or files from your backups, you can browse to the file and navigate easily.

Opt for Workstation edition or beyond and you don’t get security zone backup, presumably because you should have your own cybersecurity protection by that point. If you deploy the Workstation or Server versions, you can back up to tape and use faster backups.

People using those versions can export or import backup plans and create complex backup plans, which makes managing multiple machines easier, and Command Line options are available at this level. Advanced Server and Technician users get Exchange backups and extra server options too.

Users on the various business plans also get email notifications, file exclusion, automatic backup checking, partition management, MBR fixing tools and offsite copying.

It’s an excellent range of features, although we recommend at least the Workstation option if you’re in a business and want to take backups seriously.

EaseUS Todo Backup: Interface and use

No matter your version, the interface is decent – attractive and clean. Click the New Backup button and you’re guided through every option, with the backup source and destination settings particularly clear.

It can be a little tricky to spot the New Backup button, which isn’t particularly large. On other apps, this is quite often the largest button or feature in the app – but that’s a tiny criticism.

Start a backup and you benefit from a clear, attractive screen that details its progress, including the estimated time remaining.

And impressively, there probably won’t be much time remaining at all – because EaseUS ToDo Backup is extremely fast.

We tested our latest slate of backup apps with a 42GB document folder, a 2.5GB spreadsheet folder, a 162GB folder of media and an 82GB file that mixes all of those file types. We backed them up to three different SSDs to weed out any inconsistency.

In Document testing, EaseUS averaged just 3 minutes and 36 seconds, and it averaged just 5 minutes and 56 seconds with our mixed media folder. Both averages were the fastest in our latest round of app testing. Its Spreadsheet result of 2 minutes 12 seconds and media pace of 7 minutes 18 seconds were similarly impressive – the second and third-best results out of nearly twenty apps.

On the Mac side, the Apple version of EaseUS ToDo Backup fits smoothly into Sonoma, and its speeds tallied with the Windows version.

EaseUS Todo Backup: Support

EaseUS offers direct customer support through email and live chat. The official website also has detailed user guides and documentation to help you navigate through Todo Backup.

Users who have purchased the Advanced Server or Technician products can access priority support.

However, many users complain that the support is inadequate due to slow response times and language barriers.

EaseUS Todo Backup: The competition

There’s no shortage of alternatives to a platform like Todo Backup. One noteworthy competitor is Acronis Cyber Protect, which provides backup tools and endpoint security in one bundle (for a similar price), giving it an advantage over Todo, which offers only data backup/recovery.

EaseUS Todo Backup: Final verdict

That said, there’s loads to like about EaseUS ToDo Backup. It’s packed with backup features that should sate SMBs and enterprises, especially if you pay for the Server or Technician options, and it’s pretty easy to navigate.

And if you’re a home user or sole trader or need more basic backups for office workstations, it has great products there, too. There’s no shortage of speed here, either: on balance, this is the fastest backup app we’ve tested.

The interface could use a little tweaking, and those Server and Technician options do get pricey, but there’s no denying that EaseUS ToDo Backup is a fast, effective option for home and business backup.

• We've also highlighted the best disk cloning software

Western Union has been around for a long time with origins that date back to the mid-1800s and has developed its range of money transfer options over the years to move with the times. While it’s still got plenty of the old-style infrastructure that made it appealing to many people in days gone by, the latest incarnation of Western Union is bang-up-to-date.

• Want to try Western Union? Check out the website here

With more of us needing to move and monitor our money on the go then the Western Union app is going to be of particular interest. At the same time, you can still make good use of its desktop website to do the same thing if you're not bothered about mobile convenience. Topping out the lasting appeal of Western Union is its many physical locations around the world too, which for many makes it a go-to solution no matter where they happen to be.

Similar products worthy of investigation include WorldRemit, Venmo, PayPal and Zelle.

Pricing

There’s a useful tool on the Western Union website called the Price Estimator, which is, as it sounds, a practical way of finding out how much a transfer will cost you. Enter a destination for the money, the amount and currency. 

You can then choose from online, in-store or mobile app as your chosen means of transfer. The different options adjust their settings depending on which country is chosen, allowing recipients to pick the money up at Western Union branches or get it straight to their bank account. 

We tried an example sending $500 to Jamaica and got quoted a fee of $7 for debit card, $21.50 for credit card, $5 for a bank account option and $9 for an in-store payment. The transfer, we were told, would take minutes and could also be picked up at a Western Union location. 

We also tried the bank account option, and this offered a $2.99 transfer fee and the arrival of funds would take up to 1 business day. In other words, there are numerous variables involved in working out individual costs, although the estimator tool is great for helping navigate those costs.

Features

Flexibility is the key feature with Western Union offering an array of ways to transfer money, albeit for wildly varying fees depending the means of moving the funds and location you’re sending cash to. You can do everything online if needed, sending money directly to bank accounts using the Western Union app. 

Cash pickup is also an option favored by many, while increasing numbers of users are opting to use the mobile wallet feature that is available in selected countries. Using the Western Union app comes with added functionality and convenience features too, such as one-touch fingerprint login, instant access to contacts that you regularly send money to, as well as being able to dynamically track your transfers.

Performance

With a company as big as Western Union it is reasonable to expect the money transfer service to work quickly and efficiently, although there is often more expense involved compared to others in the market. The online experience via web browser is fine, but it's the app where Western Union currently excels, with a slick mobile experience offering plenty of tools to ensure swift and seamless transfers.

Ease of use

When you use Western Union you do at least have the benefit of a huge company, with countless physical outlets around the globe. Add to that the extensive range of currencies it can handle, in excess of 125 and you’ve got a service that’s quick and convenient. The other bonus is the raft of different methods for sending money, from online and using the app through to bank accounts, mobile wallets and those worldwide outlets.

Support

With something the size of the Western Union operation you’d be right to expect a rock-solid support structure. Therefore, the array of help options available are numerous. If its basic information and frequently asked questions you’re after then the Western Union help center makes an obvious first point of call. 

However, it’s also possible to chat with a representative, email Western Union with a query and, naturally, call them on the phone if you'd prefer to speak to someone in person. There’s even a mailing address for postal enquires and correspondence. It’s also possible to track the status of transfers, which is often the first thing many of us want to do if we’re concerned about the whereabouts of our funds. The app comes into its own for this sort of thing.

Final verdict

Western Union is a very large global concern, which means that it can help you with money transfer tasks pretty much wherever you are and whatever currency you want to move. There’s also the flexibility of being able to transfer money both domestically and internationally. 

There are some downsides however, with one key issue being that pricing can be rather bewildering, with the Price Estimator being a useful tool on the Western Union website to gauge costs. As with any money transfer tool, you’ll also need to keep an eye on your security settings, but having the benefit of speedy transfers as well as being able to let someone pick up physical cash at the other end might appeal to many. 

Western Union’s main benefit is that it can let you get money to pretty much anywhere. There are other money transfer services that maintain lower overheads though. In that respect, if you’re sending cash to a fairly common destination then the best advice would be to see what the competition is offering alongside Western Union.

• We've also highlighted the best money transfer apps

WorldRemit is just one of many different money transfer services that have become increasingly popular, especially since coronavirus has taken hold. Money transfer services are perfect for moving funds around, and thanks to quite a lot of competition they're now a relatively cheap and easy way of getting the job done. WorldRemit was set up in 2010, is headquartered in London and sits in the same marketplace as the likes of Azimo, Transferwise, CurrencyFair, Lebara Money Transfer, PayPal, Zelle and other competitors.

• Want to try WorldRemit? Check out the website here

You can access the service online using a web browser or app and the company aims to provide competitive prices if you’re looking to send money overseas. This is particularly so when WorldRemit put up against traditionally major players in the money transfer marketplace, such as Western Union.

Pricing

WorldRemit offers plenty of different ways to pay for your transfer such as cards, including debit, credit and prepaid options, bank transfer, Poli, Interac, iDEAL, Klarna, Apple Pay and Trustly. WorldRemit doesn’t accept Google Pay any longer though. When it comes to determining just how much you’ll pay for a transfer then a good practical way to establish this is to use the WorldRemit site to set up your transaction and then view the resulting costs that will be shown. 

The pricing is not completely black and white due to the variables involved with sending cash from different countries to other locations around the globe. Costs can also fluctuate depending on the transfer method you’re employing and what the currency is. Nevertheless, WorldRemit still gets praised for its affordability levels.

Features

If you’re looking for plenty of options when it comes to transferring money then WorldRemit is a good bet. Currently the service allows you to send money from over 50 countries to more than 150. This is helped by the way that WorldRemit has partnered with the likes of M-Pesa, EcoCash, MTN, Metrobank and others. 

Convenience is a big part of transferring money and WorldRemit is pretty good at offering a smooth and seamless experience, with transfers that can be received as bank deposits, often within 10 minutes, a cash pickup, mobile money or even an airtime top-up. If you’re likely to send money to the same people on a regular basis then it’s possible to build up a contact list of recipients. 

WorldRemit will also send both you and the recipient of the funds an SMS or email alert once a transfer has completed, while the service is FCA approved and fully licensed. In addition, WorldRemit employs the latest technology standards to protect customer transfers.

Performance

Being a web-based money transfer solution, WorldRemit offers a quick and efficient means of moving funds. All you need to do is create an account by registering on the site. Alternatively, the app for either iOS or Android makes a good option too as it offers that little bit more mobile convenience. 

Considering WorldRemit offers an array of different transfer methods, including bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile money, WorldRemit Wallet and AirTime Top-Up the service has been nicely engineered to work effectively across all options.

Ease of use

Using WorldRemit is just as easy as transferring money with many of the other services in this arena. Core actions for getting the job done involve selecting a destination for the money transfer, confirming the service, choosing the amount of money that you want to move and adding a recipient for the funds. You’ll then need to specify a payment method and, once you’ve done that you should be good to go. There’s not much more to it than that.

Support

Although there’s not a huge amount of work involved with transferring money WorldRemit still offers piece of mind by having a Help Hub within its website. Inside here you can find answers to any queries you might have about the service and its capabilities. 

There are frequently asked questions, which cover most topics and there’s a neat little chat-style tool in the bottom left of your web browser that does a fine job of helping you with quick pointers along the way. 

This virtual assistant also pings up helpful videos on core points. If the FAQs and Chat solutions don't hit the spot then there are email and phone options, with numbers available for all of the geographical regions served by WorldRemit.

Final verdict

WorldRemit is a practical money transfer solution for all kinds of users and will appeal especially to individuals who don't have easy access to everyday banking services. WorldRemit has developed a useful selection of options that make it quick and easy to transfer funds, including mobile to mobile, which adds a useful variation to the money moving theme. 

Having been authorized by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority the service is carefully regulated, while WorldRemit itself has strong connections with international partners. The benefit of this is that the transfer services it offers are competitively priced and, invariably, pretty efficient too. There’s plenty of choice in the money transfer market and WorldRemit is doing a good job of convincing many that it’s as good an option to use as any.

• We've also highlighted the best money transfer apps

WorldRemit is just one of many different money transfer services that have become increasingly popular, especially since coronavirus has taken hold. Money transfer services are perfect for moving funds around, and thanks to quite a lot of competition they're now a relatively cheap and easy way of getting the job done. WorldRemit was set up in 2010, is headquartered in London and sits in the same marketplace as the likes of Azimo, Transferwise, CurrencyFair, Lebara Money Transfer, PayPal, Zelle and other competitors.

• Want to try WorldRemit? Check out the website here

You can access the service online using a web browser or app and the company aims to provide competitive prices if you’re looking to send money overseas. This is particularly so when WorldRemit put up against traditionally major players in the money transfer marketplace, such as Western Union.

Pricing

WorldRemit offers plenty of different ways to pay for your transfer such as cards, including debit, credit and prepaid options, bank transfer, Poli, Interac, iDEAL, Klarna, Apple Pay and Trustly. WorldRemit doesn’t accept Google Pay any longer though. When it comes to determining just how much you’ll pay for a transfer then a good practical way to establish this is to use the WorldRemit site to set up your transaction and then view the resulting costs that will be shown. 

The pricing is not completely black and white due to the variables involved with sending cash from different countries to other locations around the globe. Costs can also fluctuate depending on the transfer method you’re employing and what the currency is. Nevertheless, WorldRemit still gets praised for its affordability levels.

Features

If you’re looking for plenty of options when it comes to transferring money then WorldRemit is a good bet. Currently the service allows you to send money from over 50 countries to more than 150. This is helped by the way that WorldRemit has partnered with the likes of M-Pesa, EcoCash, MTN, Metrobank and others. 

Convenience is a big part of transferring money and WorldRemit is pretty good at offering a smooth and seamless experience, with transfers that can be received as bank deposits, often within 10 minutes, a cash pickup, mobile money or even an airtime top-up. If you’re likely to send money to the same people on a regular basis then it’s possible to build up a contact list of recipients. 

WorldRemit will also send both you and the recipient of the funds an SMS or email alert once a transfer has completed, while the service is FCA approved and fully licensed. In addition, WorldRemit employs the latest technology standards to protect customer transfers.

Performance

Being a web-based money transfer solution, WorldRemit offers a quick and efficient means of moving funds. All you need to do is create an account by registering on the site. Alternatively, the app for either iOS or Android makes a good option too as it offers that little bit more mobile convenience. 

Considering WorldRemit offers an array of different transfer methods, including bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile money, WorldRemit Wallet and AirTime Top-Up the service has been nicely engineered to work effectively across all options.

Ease of use

Using WorldRemit is just as easy as transferring money with many of the other services in this arena. Core actions for getting the job done involve selecting a destination for the money transfer, confirming the service, choosing the amount of money that you want to move and adding a recipient for the funds. You’ll then need to specify a payment method and, once you’ve done that you should be good to go. There’s not much more to it than that.

Support

Although there’s not a huge amount of work involved with transferring money WorldRemit still offers piece of mind by having a Help Hub within its website. Inside here you can find answers to any queries you might have about the service and its capabilities. 

There are frequently asked questions, which cover most topics and there’s a neat little chat-style tool in the bottom left of your web browser that does a fine job of helping you with quick pointers along the way. 

This virtual assistant also pings up helpful videos on core points. If the FAQs and Chat solutions don't hit the spot then there are email and phone options, with numbers available for all of the geographical regions served by WorldRemit.

Final verdict

WorldRemit is a practical money transfer solution for all kinds of users and will appeal especially to individuals who don't have easy access to everyday banking services. WorldRemit has developed a useful selection of options that make it quick and easy to transfer funds, including mobile to mobile, which adds a useful variation to the money moving theme. 

Having been authorized by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority the service is carefully regulated, while WorldRemit itself has strong connections with international partners. The benefit of this is that the transfer services it offers are competitively priced and, invariably, pretty efficient too. There’s plenty of choice in the money transfer market and WorldRemit is doing a good job of convincing many that it’s as good an option to use as any.

• We've also highlighted the best money transfer apps

DriverFinder is brought to you by California software engineer DeskToolsSoft Inc. Like many others on the market, it's a driver updater that scans your PC for missing or out-of-date device drivers. By identifying your system accurately, DriverFinder can pinpoint the drivers most suitable for your devices and operating system. You can also download and install drivers from within the program.

• Want to try DriverFinder? Check out the website here

DriverFinder promises fast download speeds and a library of over one million drivers. But how does it fare upon closer examination? In this DriverFinder review, we test whether it’s one of the best driver update software choices available today. 

DriverFinder: Plans and pricing

You can install the software for free from the DriverFinder website. However, to actually scan for missing drivers, you need to purchase a license. The free version lets you find missing and outdated drivers, download individual drivers, and manually install individual drivers but other features are restricted, including automatic driver installs and access to technical support. 

If you do decide to plump for the paid version, there are three licenses to choose from: Basic, Premium, and Lifetime. All plans unlock all features, with the only differences between the payment systems being the duration of the license and the number of PCs that it can be activated on. 

The Basic plan is the cheapest option at $29.95 for a one-year license for a single PC. Premium provides a two-year license for three PCs, costing $39.90. Finally, a Lifetime license costs $199.97. All come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Features

DriverFinder supports both plugged and unplugged devices, so you can update hardware such as an MP3 player, webcam, or external hard drive. You can even do this without having the device connected to your computer. 

The database includes more than a million drivers, with DeskToolsSoft stating that this database is constantly growing. Drivers are delivered via Amazon Web Services, so driver download speeds should always be fast.

The Driver Backup and Restore features are straightforward but useful if you need to back up a specific driver or indeed, all of them. Backups can be loaded onto an external device, such as a flash drive or external HDD. You can then later restore your files from the backup location. This is useful because sometimes, driver updates can cause your device to start operating incorrectly. With the backup functionality, you can easily roll back the driver to before you updated. 

Other features that come with a paid version of Driver Updater include a unique combination for its driver recommendation, made up of automated crawlers, electronic driver file analyzers, and manual checks by computer professionals that take place before any driver file is added to the DriverFinder database. DriverFinder is also self-updating so whenever you launch DriverFinder, you will be asked to download the latest version of the application.

Interface and in use

DriverFinder’s interface is direct and easy to navigate. With just a few clicks, you can access almost all of its features, such as scanning, backing up, restoring drivers, viewing your system and device list, and accessing the software’s settings. With its minimalist interface and simple driver installation process, everyone can quickly master DriverFinder. The program also works on a wide range of operating systems, including Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11. The installation file size is tiny too, so it won't clog up your device storage.

However, one of DriverFinder’s major flaws is that it lacks an "Install All" button. While you can download all drivers at once, you still need to manually select each update to install, which can be time-consuming if you have numerous updates.  

Support

Support is available from various avenues within the support center. You can also retrieve your DriverFinder license details from here. There are also a host of knowledge base articles, such as how to fix missing audio in Windows 11, how to create a system restore point, and finding the latest version of the program.

If you have a specific query, raising an email ticket is your best option, as this puts you directly in touch with a customer service representative. We tested the email ticket support and received a response to our login-related query within approximately 15 hours. This response time aligns with DriverFinder’s 24-hour response policy. You can also check the status here of your ticket for extra transparency. 

For insight on how to use DriverFinder, it's easy to locate written and downloadable content through the knowledge base. Here, you’ll find a series of downloads and updates, how-to guides, and a catalog of frequently asked questions. It’s relatively simple but covers all the important points.

The competition

There are several good alternatives to DriverFinder. Driver Booster 8 has more features, and you can run driver scans in the trial version. It beats DriverFinder in terms of pricing too, with a one-year license for three PCs costing $22.95.

If you like the relative simplicity of DriverFinder, we recommend Driver Reviver. In our testing, it performed well, finding all the out-of-date drivers on our Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 PCs. It also has an Update All button that you can use to update all your drivers at once, making it more convenient than DriverFinder.

Final verdict

DriverFinder is driver update software that works but comes with a few flaws. Its large driver database and precision scanning technology are not enough to bring it in line with the best driver update software available today. 

DriverFinder lacks features typical of a driver updater, such as an Install All button. Also, there’s no way to test if the software will work for your needs without buying it. The trial version of DriverFinder comes with heavily reduced speeds and lacks technical support. If either of these are deal-breakers for you, you'll need to take the gamble that buying the software will solve your driver problems.

DriverFinder is eclipsed by better software that you can buy for a lower price. But it is at least easy to use and has interesting features, like Backup and Restore functionality.

• We've also highlighted the best driver update software

Uninstalling software on Windows 11 is straightforward, but not always successful. To combat the various bits of data and registry entries that get left behind, various third-party tools are available. 

One of these is Advanced Uninstaller PRO, developed by Innovative Solutions. Based in Bucharest, Romania, this software company has been producing Windows utilities since 2000, although Advanced Uninstaller PRO currently appears to be its only product.

To find out if this is the uninstaller utility that will work for you, we’ve reviewed the software based on pricing, features, usability, customer support options, and how it compares with competing apps.

• Want to try Advanced Uninstaller Pro? Check out the website here

Advanced uninstaller pro: Plans and pricing

Almost all of the functionality from Advanced Uninstaller PRO can be enjoyed for free. 

While it has a subscription option (in the form of a Daily Health Check), which adds startup virus detection, application leftover cleanup, priority support, Windows log files removal, and Windows memory dump cleaning, the main purpose of the tool and its features can be used without this.

The Daily Health Check has three options available. The 30-day plan is $14, the 1-year plan is $29, and the 2-year plan is $39. Note that various discounts may be available depending on what promotions are available at a given time.

Note that the paid option is essentially a scheduler that automates the app’s main features to run on a daily basis.

Payment is via credit card, PayPal, wire transfer, or Webmoney. Note that payments are recurring, with repeat subscription fees charged at the end of the billing period.

Advanced uninstaller pro: Features

Advanced Uninstaller PRO is arguably the most feature-packed free tool of this type we’ve reviewed.

In addition to the standard uninstall option, various file and registry management options are also included.

Uninstall programs

The core purpose of Advanced Uninstaller PRO is to remove software from your computer without a trace, which it does via the primary feature. However, it does this by first initiating the uninstall wizard of the software you wish to remove. This is then followed by Advanced Uninstaller PRO closing for the completion of the uninstall, without subsequently restarting automatically. As such, you don’t immediately know if the uninstall has worked without restarting and checking.

We tested by uninstalling an app and a Microsoft update for the Edge browser. Both were removed, with the update requiring further interaction as it was extracted from the registry.

We noticed that, unlike some other tools, Advanced Uninstaller PRO does not remove pre-installed Windows 11 software.

General tools

Various general tools include a Windows startup manager, easy access to the Windows services (usually accessed via the Windows Computer Management interface), and a Start Menu cleaner. There is also a Monitored Installations tool to help you keep an eye on how software is uninstalled, maintain a log, and use that log for complete removal.

File and registry tools

In many ways, Advanced Uninstaller PRO is a complete Windows app and file management tool, and this is never more evident than in the selection of utilities it offers a duplicate file checker, file compression, a file shredder, and a tool for cleaning up temporary files. A collection of three registry tools is also included: a cleaner, an optimizer, and a backup and restore tool. Temporary internet files can also be removed with this software.

System requirements

We were unable to find specific hardware minimums for Advanced Uninstaller PRO. However, the software is specifically stated as running on Windows 11 and Windows 7 through 10. It also apparently runs on Windows XP and Windows Vista and is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions.

Quirky user interface

The first thing you notice running this software (and from the accompanying screenshots) is the odd user interface. Evoking the Windows XP era, you get the feeling that a “one hat fits all” approach has been taken here. The result is software that boasts features and performance but stands out (in the wrong way) alongside other software.

We’d even go so far as to say that the way Advanced Uninstaller PRO looks might put you off. It shouldn’t, but there may be an inevitability about it...

Advanced uninstaller pro: Interface and in use

Advanced Uninstaller has a big, bright interface right out of the Windows 98 era. Its varied tools are spread across four menus, and nothing about it is too complicated to understand. A major feature of the Uninstall Programs tool is the ability to queue up multiple uninstalls at once. This can save time if you have a long list of programs that you want to get rid of. We were able to uninstall 29 programs in a row, only needing to click a button occasionally.

However, Advanced Uninstaller PRO works on the assumption that each uninstall is successful. When something goes wrong when you’re uninstalling a program, you’re not presented with any alternative options for removing it. You do have the option to run a cleanup scan after each uninstall, and invariably, Advanced Uninstaller PRO will find a few stray registry entries or files.

By default, Advanced Uninstaller PRO runs a service in the background that watches for the uninstallation of programs. It scans for any files and registry entries left over. In practice, we found that this resulted in constant disk checking that slowed down our test machine. Thankfully, you can disable it in the Settings menu.

Advanced uninstaller pro: Support

Should you have a problem using Advanced Uninstaller PRO, your options are limited. While other apps have comprehensive support portals, Innovative Solutions provides a simple web form for you to complete with your details and queries. A response can be expected “within two business days.” 

While priority support is available for paid users, the lack of any substantial support materials is surprising and disappointing.

Advanced uninstaller pro: Competition

The Windows app uninstaller market is split between paid tools and free software with paid versions. So, you might opt for something like Bulk Crap Uninstaller, Ashampoo Uninstaller, or IObit Uninstaller PRO, or prefer something that doesn’t require a subscription for long-term use, such as Wise Program Uninstaller, Geek Uninstaller, or Advanced Uninstaller PRO.

It is important to recognize that third-party uninstaller tools should all have the same basic level of functionality. The additional features and any bells and whistles in the subscription or support area are what typically set them apart.

Advanced Uninstaller PRO’s dated appearance and lack of support options are definitely factors that might leave you looking elsewhere. But its basic app removal and general performance features are in its favor.

Advanced uninstaller pro: Final verdict

Poor support options let this software suite down, and the user interface is friendlier to those fond of Windows XP. But if you can get past those issues, you will have the pleasure of using an almost complete suite of Windows file removal and data deletion utilities.

The paid scheduler option is only necessary if you need specific tasks to be checked or performed on a daily basis. Otherwise, Advanced Uninstaller PRO will find the apps you want to remove and delete all related data and registry entries. No, it won’t handle Windows’ preinstalled apps and games, but otherwise, it functions as required.

• We've also highlighted the best free software uninstallers

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is an all-in-one IT service management solution. It combines IT service management, IT asset management, and configuration management database (CMDB) features. It also includes enterprise service management for departments like HR, facilities, and finance.

The platform can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. This gives organizations flexibility while ensuring a secure and scalable service management solution. It includes AI capabilities from proprietary technologies and integrates with tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. These features help service delivery teams improve their ITSM practices and workflows.

ServiceDesk Plus allows you to manage and troubleshoot IT issues through various modules. These include incident management, asset management, and service level management. The platform streamlines workflows for IT support teams. This helps them handle ticket backlogs, automate routine tasks, and enhance service experiences for end users. It follows ITIL-certified practices in areas like knowledge management, monitoring, event management, service financial management, and service level management. This makes it a strong choice for organizations looking to adopt industry best practices.

Now acquired by Zoho, this solution is ideal for small to mid-sized organizations needing powerful IT help desk functionality. While it can accommodate teams of different sizes, it may not meet the needs of larger enterprises as well as some competitors. The platform features a user-friendly interface and a short learning curve. This makes it accessible to teams without extensive technical skills, although some advanced features may need specialized knowledge.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Plans and pricing

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus no longer shares its pricing details. But based on recent reviews, it has a tiered pricing structure with three main editions: Standard, Professional, and Enterprise.

The Standard Edition starts at about $13 per technician per month. It costs around $1,195 annually for 10 technicians. This edition focuses on core help desk tasks. Up to 5 technicians can use it for free, with no limits on tickets or end users.

The Professional Edition begins at around $27 per technician per month. It starts at $495 annually for 2 technicians and 250 nodes. This edition enhances the Standard Edition by adding IT asset management. It suits growing teams tracking hardware and software assets.

For larger organizations, the Enterprise Edition starts at about $67 per technician per month. It costs $1,195 annually for 2 technicians and 250 nodes. This edition includes all features from the Professional Edition, plus advanced tools like problem management, service catalog, change management, CMDB, project management, and ITIL compliance.

ServiceDesk Plus pricing mainly depends on the number of technicians and, for asset management editions, the number of nodes managed. There are no limits on end users who can submit tickets.

For those who don't need the full Enterprise Edition but want specific advanced features, ServiceDesk Plus offers add-ons. These include service catalog ($1,195 annually), problem management ($1,195 annually), project management ($1,195 annually), and change and release management ($2,395 annually).

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Features

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus provides a full range of features to improve IT service management for all organizations. It merges standard help desk functions with advanced IT asset management. With over 50 features, ServiceDesk Plus enables organizations to embrace ITIL best practices while retaining full flexibility in service delivery.

A standout aspect of ServiceDesk Plus is its new embedded AI capabilities at no extra cost. AI features support intelligent ticket triaging, virtual support agents, and knowledge discovery, helping organizations adopt advanced technologies without losing their ROI.

Incident management

The incident management module in ServiceDesk Plus helps organizations reduce outages, boost agent productivity, and meet service level agreements. It manages the full lifecycle of IT tickets. The system automates ticket routing, directing requests to the right technicians based on set rules. This also covers ticket prioritization and notifications, ensuring urgent issues get prompt attention.

ServiceDesk Plus improves incident resolution with features like ticket collaboration and knowledge base integration. These tools let support staff tackle complex issues together and use existing solutions. Multi-channel access allows end-users to submit tickets via email, phone, or self-service portals, creating a smooth support experience that adapts to user preferences.

Asset management

ServiceDesk Plus's asset management features help organizations maximize asset use, avoid security risks, and ensure license compliance. Its robust asset tracking offers visibility into hardware and software assets from procurement to retirement. This insight helps organizations make informed decisions about resource allocation and technology investments.

The platform includes tools for software license management, tracking usage patterns, and spotting over- or under-licensing. Asset discovery features automatically detect and catalog network assets, keeping inventory accurate without manual input. With device management and remote monitoring, IT teams can efficiently manage devices and address issues before they affect end-users.

Change Management

ServiceDesk Plus simplifies planning, approval, and implementation of IT changes with automated workflows that ensure governance and minimize risk. The change management module offers a structured way to evaluate, authorize, and document IT modifications.

The platform's workflow capabilities allow for customized approval paths and validation steps for various changes. This ensures appropriate oversight based on impact and scope. ServiceDesk Plus also includes release management features that coordinate multiple related changes, minimizing disruptions to business operations.

Service catalog

The service catalog in ServiceDesk Plus enables IT departments to display available services to end-users through a customizable portal that simplifies requests. Organizations can create detailed service offerings with specific service level agreements, approval workflows, and fulfillment processes. This helps set proper expectations for service delivery and transforms the help desk into a proactive service provider.

With customizable branding and self-service options, the service catalog fosters an intuitive user experience. It encourages adoption and cuts down on basic support inquiries. The platform supports multi-stage approval for complex requests, ensuring proper authorization while keeping fulfillment efficient.

AI-powered capabilities

ServiceDesk Plus integrates artificial intelligence across the platform, enhancing service delivery without extra investment. Its predictive intelligence uses machine learning to analyze incoming tickets and automate triage, routing, assignment, and sentiment analysis. This reduces manual work and speeds up response times, ensuring requests reach the right resources quickly.

The platform's virtual support agent allows users to interact via text and voice, providing immediate help for common issues without needing a technician. ServiceDesk Plus also uses generative AI technologies like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot for knowledge discovery, low-code script generation, and complex request summaries.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Analytics

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus provides strong analytics tools with over 400 ready-made reports and dashboards. Users can easily track help desk performance across different areas like incident management, request history, asset management, and project tracking.

For those needing more advanced analytics, ServiceDesk Plus works well with ManageEngine's advanced analytics suite. You can track hardware and software usage, plan budgets, monitor ticket journeys, improve agent productivity, and ensure compliance with SLAs.

The solution also features Zia, ManageEngine's conversational AI assistant. Zia provides quick answers to questions about ticket history, asset expenses, and critical KPIs. Users can ask follow-up questions to explore their data further.

ServiceDesk Plus goes beyond basic reporting with predictive and collaborative features. It offers scenario analysis to help organizations visualize future outcomes and prepare for various situations.

Users can combine data from different ServiceDesk Plus modules into unified dashboards. They can also mix information from other IT applications, like Endpoint Central, for a complete view of their IT environment. This leads to better analysis and decision-making.

ServiceDesk Plus boosts collaboration by letting users share visualizations, comment on reports in real-time, tag colleagues, and highlight sections for group problem-solving. The platform also has alert features that send email or in-app notifications when data meets or exceeds set conditions.

With its drag-and-drop interface, users can easily customize reports and dashboards. Automatic insight generation helps spot less obvious anomalies in help desk data. This allows teams to focus on resolving issues instead of interpreting reports.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Ease of use

When we first logged in to ServiceDesk Plus, we were greeted with a very dated-looking user interface. But there is a button that you can click to switch to a new beta version of the UI. We were originally using Firefox and found that clicking the switch button did nothing, so changed browsers to Chrome. This time, we were able to get the new version of the UI, which is a big improvement on the old one.

All the main sections are easily accessible from menu items in the left column of the page, although transitions between them weren’t as quick as with some web apps we’ve used.

Each page that presents items in list view has a variety of sorting and filtering controls, and you can customize which columns appear and save the configuration as a separate view.

When you’re creating new incidents, there’s a large number of templates to choose from. Or, you can start a new one from scratch. There’s also a handy Quick Actions menu item for creating new content like announcements, purchase orders, or problems,. It also provides instant access to your tasks and reminders.

The settings section of the dashboard provides access to a huge number options that can be configured to suit your business. For instance, for help desk tickets, you can change options for category, status, level, mode, impact, urgency, priority, and more.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Support

ManageEngine provides a variety of methods for obtaining support for ServiceDesk Plus, including email, live chat, support ticket submission, and toll-free phone numbers in the US, the UK, and Australia.

A large range of self-help resources is also available, including FAQs, forums, videos, guides, and bug trackers.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Security

ManageEngine maintains its own Security Response Center which actively monitors various security forums to identify any vulnerabilities reported about its products. Customers and security researchers are encouraged to report any vulnerabilities they find, and once identified, product experts provide fixes as soon as possible.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: The Competition

Several software companies produce alternative IT helpdesk solutions that are worth considering, among them Freshservice by Freshworks and Solarwinds Service Desk.

Freshservice is another ITIL-ready service desk solution that has a choice of four plans that go from $19/month/agent up to $99/month/agent and come with a 21-day free trial period. While ServiceDesk Plus has a large number of integrations with other ManageEngine and Zoho products, Freshservice has a greater number of integrations with third-party apps like Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce, Shopify, and Mailchimp.

Solarwinds Service Desk also offers four different plans that start with the Team plan at $19/month/agent and go up to the Enterprise plan for $89/month/agent (subscriptions are billed annually). All plans are available with a 30-day trial. Again, Solarwinds Service Desk offers more third-party integrations.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Final Verdict

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is aimed at large organizations that need ITIL-ready helpdesk software. It offers a very good feature set at reasonable prices, and can even be used for free by businesses with only a few technicians that don’t need asset management and ITIL features.

The current version of the UI is very dated, but the new beta version, which is now available, is a vast improvement, although we found it didn’t work in all the browsers we tried.

Check out our list of the best ITSM software.

Kayako is a complete customer service help desk platform designed to improve support operations. Founded in 2001 and based in London, it serves over 50,000 customers in more than 100 countries. Notable users include Peugeot, De Beers, and NASA. Kayako features an AI-enabled help desk management system that changes how companies support their customers.

Kayako helps businesses manage inquiries through email, live chat, social media, and web forms, all from one dashboard. Its strong ticketing system lets support teams create, track, and resolve issues efficiently. Automation features take care of repetitive tasks, allowing agents to focus on complex problems. The platform also offers collaboration tools that help teams work together smoothly, breaking down barriers to enhance customer interactions.

You'll find Kayako useful if you want to reduce response times and boost customer satisfaction. It aims to eliminate "content friction," "contact friction," and "context friction." This makes it easier for customers to find solutions, reach out through their preferred channels, and avoid repeating information. With features like SingleView™, you can see a customer's full journey and interaction history in one spot for more personalized support.

Kayako is ideal for growing businesses looking to scale customer support without losing quality. Organizations of all sizes use the platform, from small teams of 10-50 employees to large enterprises with over 1,000 staff. If you're in IT, computer software, or e-commerce — key sectors for Kayako — you'll likely find its features match your needs. The platform's capacity to support growth makes it a reliable long-term choice for businesses planning to expand their support operations.

Kayako: Plans and pricing

Kayako has a tiered pricing model for different business sizes. But the company has recently changed its pricing structure. Before, there were three main tiers:

• Essential: $39 per agent per month
• Professional: $99 per agent per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing, billed annually

The Essential plan offered core features like a ticketing system and unlimited AI-suggested responses. The Professional plan included knowledge base audits, a self-learning mode (limited to 100 tickets per month), multiple chatbots, API access, and integrations.

The Enterprise plan had the most features, such as unlimited self-learning mode, ticket summaries, ticket responses co-pilot, audio file transcriptions, multilingual content, powerful reporting, and the ability to change the Kayako/Atlas logo.

Now, Kayako has removed the Professional plan and updated the pricing for the Essential and Enterprise plans. The new pricing isn’t on the website, but you can schedule a call with their sales team to get a tailored quote.

There used to be a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it’s unclear if that still exists. Kayako also offered a 14-day free trial for new users, which now seems to have been replaced by an interactive demo during sales calls. This is disappointing, as a demo may not fully capture the platform experience like a trial would.

Kayako: Features

Kayako provides a full suite of customer service tools to streamline support and enhance experiences. It merges classic help desk features with modern, AI-driven capabilities across various channels. At its core, Kayako offers ticketing, live chat, self-service options, and collaboration tools. Together, these create a unified support ecosystem suitable for businesses of all sizes.

What makes Kayako unique is its SingleView™ technology. This feature visualizes the entire customer journey in one interface. With the new AI-driven ticket summaries and suggestions, support teams can offer personalized help. The platform balances automation with human interaction, allowing businesses to grow their support without losing quality or connection.

Ticketing system

Kayako's ticketing software turns traditional email support into a collaborative workflow that boosts team productivity. Agents can create, track, and resolve customer issues by quickly assigning tickets to the right people. Features like AI-suggested responses, ticket summaries, and smart workflows help teams reduce repetitive tasks and focus on high-value interactions.

The system also supports collaboration among agents, internal experts, and external vendors directly within tickets. Every input is saved for future reference, ensuring clear communication and thorough problem-solving. This, along with features like canned responses and internal notes, helps businesses resolve complex issues faster while keeping a complete record of all interactions.

Live chat features

Kayako Messenger delivers a user-friendly live chat experience that feels like chatting with friends. This real-time tool allows support teams to treat customers as individuals, fostering personal connections. The live chat function can handle multiple conversations at once, enabling agents to manage high inquiry volumes without losing quality.

Proactive engagement features help businesses convert website visitors into customers by starting conversations based on user behavior. It ensures timely support during key moments in the customer journey. Kayako also provides live chat support for mobile sites and apps, allowing customers to get help wherever they are, which boosts satisfaction and shortens resolution times.

Self-service portals

Kayako's self-service options let customers find answers on their own through an easy-to-search repository of articles, videos, and FAQs. The knowledge base lowers ticket volume by enabling customers to resolve common problems without agent help, especially when support teams are offline. The platform suggests relevant content as customers type, providing instant answers and cutting wait times.

The self-service portal is fully customizable, enabling businesses to create multiple Help Centers with tailored content and branding for different products or audiences. Help Center Analytics tracks search terms to spot gaps in content, leading to ongoing improvements. This not only raises customer satisfaction but also cuts operational costs by reducing agent ticket volume. Some companies report a 50% decrease in tickets after using Kayako's self-service tools.

SingleView technology

Kayako's SingleView™ technology offers a complete view of the customer journey in one easy interface. It combines all customer interactions and activities—including site visits, purchases, shipping history, support inquiries, and self-help searches—giving agents context for more personalized support. By avoiding the need to switch between systems, SingleView™ allows for quicker, more accurate responses.

A comprehensive view of customer data enables support teams to provide proactive, personalized support with every interaction. Agents can see when messages are read, view all active conversations for each customer, and access past events for better context. These features help businesses avoid repetitive questions and create seamless experiences that strengthen customer relationships and loyalty.

Automated workflows

Kayako's automation features save time by managing routine tasks like routing conversations, updating ticket statuses, and sending notifications. These processes ensure consistent handling of inquiries while allowing agents to focus on complex issues. The platform's macros and canned responses let teams send predefined, personalized replies to common questions with one click, improving response times.

SLA management tools help teams stay on track by monitoring performance against internal goals for response and resolution times. Automated SLA notifications remind agents of deadlines, ensuring they never miss critical timeframes. Smart routing prevents multiple agents from responding to the same issue by automatically combining inquiries across channels and directing them to a designated agent. These features have helped businesses cut response times by up to 40%, enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Kayako: Analytics

Kayako's reporting and analytics turn help desk data into useful business insights. It offers dashboards that show key performance metrics at a glance. This helps support managers track customer satisfaction, measure team performance, and find areas for improvement. With over 100 ready-made reports, businesses can quickly evaluate agent productivity and customer effort scores.

The analytics suite includes strong SLA management tools. These help teams track their response and resolution times against goals. Automated alerts notify agents of upcoming deadlines, so they never miss important timeframes. Kayako's reporting also gives detailed insights into customer behavior and support performance. Some organizations have seen CSAT score improvements of up to 18 points after using Kayako's analytics.

In addition to standard reporting, Kayako lets teams build custom dashboards for deeper analysis. The Help Center Analytics feature tracks search terms to find gaps in self-service content. This allows for ongoing improvements to meet customer needs. Some companies report a 50% drop in ticket volume after using Kayako's self-service tools.

With new AI features, Kayako's analytics are even more effective. The system can spot patterns in thousands of support tickets. It identifies issues before they affect customer satisfaction. This lets support teams tackle root causes instead of just symptoms. For instance, if the platform sees a customer frequently checking their order status, it can automatically suggest proactive communication strategies.

Kayako: Ease of use

The sign-up process for Kayako wasn’t as smooth as we would have liked. We got errors after filling in the registration form and couldn’t access our account. We had to email sales support to gain access, but it took a few days for the issue to be resolved.

However, while we weren’t very impressed by the sign-up process, we were very impressed by what we found when we were eventually able to log in. Kayako is one of the most user-friendly helpdesk solutions we’ve looked at. It’s also one of the fastest in terms of how quickly pages load and how user interface elements respond to interaction.

We liked the display of the customer journey for each ticket, which you can access by scrolling up from the latest message in any conversation you’ve selected. There are so many different elements that you can interact with for a conversation in terms of how you view or update it, but Kayako is designed in such a way as to not make it feel overwhelming. It’s the sort of interface that you can start using straight away, picking up new things as you go along.

It’s not just the conversations that feel this way—all sections of the Kayako dashboard are the same. Settings for web apps can sometimes be intimidating places that take some time to get used to, but here again with Kayako, everything is clear and easy to understand.

Kayako: Support

Unfortunately, we found the process of getting support as disappointing as the process for signing up for a Kayako account. The help widget in the dashboard says to use the form at support.kayako.com for technical support but doesn’t link directly to it.

Once there, you have to log in to be able to lodge a support ticket. We initially assumed we’d log in with the same credentials we’d used to log in to our dashboard, but we had to create a separate support account.

The verification email that arrived after filling in the support registration form linked to a page on a Zendesk subdomain with no mention of Kayako that we could see. We had to return to the Kayako support page and then refresh it to find that we were actually logged in. But we weren’t impressed by the fact that getting access to support from Kayako involved signing up for a service provided by a competitor.

Kayako: Security

Kayako has a lot of built-in security measures, including two-factor authentication (2FA), role-based access restrictions, DKIM and SPF authorization of outbound emails, spam filtering, password policies, and the ability to authenticate logins against your own systems and third-party apps.

Layers of security protect the platform, such as SSL encryption, DDoS mitigation, and disaster recovery and redundancy strategies. The physical security of data centers is maintained through backup generators, state-of-the-art fire suppression systems, and background checks on all employees.

Kayako: The Competition

The online helpdesk space is very crowded, and Kayako has many viable alternatives, including Zoho Desk and LiveAgent.

Zoho Desk also has an extensive array of features but offers a free plan in addition to paid plans. It can be used with three agents, while at the other end of the scale, the Enterprise plan, which costs $35/agent/month, can be used with unlimited agents. All paid plans come with a 15-day free trial.

LiveAgent also offers four plans, including a free one, and a 14-day free trial. The free plan has no limit on agents but does have a seven-day ticket history limit. The paid plans range in price from $15/agent/month up to $39/agent/month and have no limits on ticket history.

Kayako: Final Verdict

We found ourselves quite conflicted about Kayako because, on the one hand, it is one the best online helpdesk solutions we’ve used, but on the other, it also gave us one of the worst registration experiences.

Kayako’s well-designed user interface and the performance of the web app made it so easy to use. It also has a great feature set and reasonable pricing.

But we had to contact support to be able to create an account and had to wait several days for that process to conclude. And when it came to reviewing support options, we had to create a separate account with a helpdesk competitor.

Once the initial registration and setup issues were resolved, though, we found Kayako a pleasure to use. If you’re having similar trouble, it’s worth persevering with.

We've highlighted the best ITSM tool.

Chrome River Expense is just one of several productivity software packages available from this provider. In fact, Chrome River offers a wide range of business-focused options that cover everything from invoicing and corporate credit cards through to travel management and analytics software. Chrome River Expense is, unsurprisingly, tasked with helping your business make better use of the time spent on handling expenses.

• Want to try Chrome River Expense? Check out the website here

Being a SaaS based solution means that Chrome River is easily scaled if you need to use it more as your business grows. At the same time, it offers plenty of convenience for both administrators and managers, as well as employees. Indeed, the latter will find that the mobile edition of the software will allow them to stay on top of expenses no matter where they happen to be.

Other expense trackers in this marketplace include QuickBooks, Expensify, Hurdlr and Zoho Expense all of which are worthy of investigation.

Pricing

Anyone looking to move over to Chrome River Expense can get a guided tour of the package thanks to a demo option. Pricing, meanwhile, comes in three different variations currently, with something to suit any kind of business. It’s possible to base your costings on the volume of monthly expense reports that you expect to need, or the number of employees submitting expenses within your company. 

Larger businesses, however, will probably want to make use of the unlimited volume option that gives them the freedom to process as much as they want when it comes to expense admin. Whichever option appeals you’ll need to contact them and talk through the options after getting the demo as specific pricing details are not revealed until you do.

Features

There’s everything you need to get on top of expenses within the Chrome River Expense software framework. It features automated spend control, in-application feature training and assistance, plus automated approval routing too. You get embedded OCR technology, which means faster scanning of receipts, plus credit card integration for a more streamlined workflow. 

Another benefit with Chrome River Expense is that it can be integrated to work with other popular financial systems, which will be a bonus for businesses that ideally want a seamless transition if they sign up for it. The SaaS package can also work in harmony with other products in the portfolio, thanks to its modular system that enables the integration of purchase orders and so on. 

Employees can carry out the majority of expense-related tasks from their mobiles, and there’s the ability to get approvals on the go. Meanwhile, administrators can also authorise the likes of cash advances and personal expenses from anywhere while the whole system can be configured to suit individual business needs. There’s international appeal too, as the system can also support 173 different currencies.

Performance

The Chrome River Expense experience has been designed to be as smooth and seamless as possible, with a cloud-based SaaS philosophy that also includes excellent mobile appeal. 

In fact, the designers have made sure that you get the same experience no matter what device you’re using to access the system. For anyone going down the mobile app route there’s the option of using biometric authentication to log in to accounts. 

Better still, there’s no real crossover between using the desktop edition and the mobile app, so employees get the same experience with the system when they're out in the field. Being cloud-based also means that updates are automatic and can be applied company wide, so everyone is on the same page.

Ease of use

Employees who need to stay on top of their expenses invariably want convenience and the Chrome River Expense app takes a lot of hassle out of the equation. The software allows anyone within a company to carry out the same tasks and duties on the road in the same manner as they’d do it back in the office. 

Administrators can set everything up in advance, so the configurable business rules features allow employees to just get on with the job without having to worry about spending limits and so on. 

Chrome River Expense is certainly focused on speed and efficiency, with the Snap application for example allowing employees to get receipts digitized and into the system within seconds. In addition, much of the day-to-day work involved in filing expenses is done by the system itself, which makes it a very efficient all-rounder.

Support

Subscribers to Chrome River Expense will get all of the usual levels of support, including teams who are able to respond to queries via the phone and email. The package also comes with a large collection of instructional videos and other supporting literature aimed at getting business owners, administrators and staff alike familiarized with the workings of this cloud-based package.

Final verdict

Chrome River Expense is one of numerous products that sit under the Emburse umbrella, and what that gets business owners is consistency. It’s possible to run all of their cloud-based packages in tandem, which helps join up a lot of the dots when it comes to things like expenses, travel and reporting too. 

There’s also the benefit of being able to integrate the system with Emburse Cards, which allow businesses to roll all of their outlay into one place and make sure that spending limits and other company policies are all adhered to. 

However, there’s also card reconciliation for the likes of Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, American Express and more. Another appealing aspect is the powerful reporting capabilities of Chrome River Expense, which allows finance departs and business owners alike to really drill down into company expenditure.

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