To do this you need an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet plus the free app. Alternatively, you can use a card reader to ‘swipe, dip or tap’ as Intuit puts it. On paper this sounds like the perfect arrangement that should be able to make your business more efficient and hopefully, due to the added flexibility, push up profits despite the current coronavirus crisis. So does it work like that in reality?
QuickBooks GoPayment lets you use one of their card readers to process payments (Image credit: Intuit)
Pricing
Considering that GoPayment has the backing of a large company like Intuit there is less clarity when it comes to pricing for the service. On the face of it the QuickBooks GoPayment app is free, so that does at least get you started. From there though you’ll need to get yourself an account with the likes of QuickBooks, TurboTax or Mint in order to get the best from it.
QuickBooks Online is actually the best way to milk most from the system and ensure you get value as it integrates of a lot of the features found within that package. Currently it’s down from $25 per month to $12 for the Simple Start package, while the Essentials bundle is down from $40 to $20 per month.
And, at the time of writing you simply pay per transaction, with the QuickBooks website quoting the following figures: ACH bank transfers 1% (max $10), Card – swiped – 2.4% plus 25 cents, card – invoiced – 2.9% plus 25 cents or card – keyed coming in at the most expensive with a 3.4% plus 25 cents cost.
However, deals change continually on this site and it also says that it’s possible to make additional savings if you’re a larger concern by calling them.
QuickBooks GoPayment displays current transaction fees on its website (Image credit: Intuit)
Features
Quickbooks GoPayment is flexible in that it you can accept payments from customers who want to use credit cards, cash or old school cheques too. You’ll need to order the free card reader from them, which will allow you to enter the customers card information, using a variety of options including swiping or tapping it.
Of course, being part of Intuit means that this large concern has produced an array of solutions for whatever kind of business you run. Using the app-based approach GoPayment is therefore tailored more to an on-the-go or mobile business where you don't necessarily have the traditional point of sale arrangement in place. And, as you would expect, transactions can be handled via Apple or Android devices.
QuickBooks GoPayment works best when integrated with other Intuit products (Image credit: Intuit)
Performance
As you would hope and expect, the performance of QuickBooks as a service has already proven itself over many years. The GoPayment part of this equation adds to that, by allowing business owners to use the card reader to take payments on-the-go, and by having everything linked this means that you can do quick everyday essentials such as generating invoices and receipts in larger volumes.
There are currently two readers, the QuickBooks All-in-One and the QuickBooks Chip and Magstripe. The former comes free if you sign up for QuickBooks Payments. However, the All-in-One unit does have the Bluetooth benefit of being able to handle Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay too, plus regular contactless cards or EMV and magstripe variants too.
You'll get the best from QuickBooks GoPayment if you sign up for an integrated account (Image credit: Intuit)
Ease of use
The good thing with GoPayment is that it’s not essential to have a QuickBooks user account in order to enjoy what it offers. That said, you will find the experience an easier more seamless adventure if you do tie all of your business elements together.
So, to be honest, you’ll probably find that it’s best to have an account or, perhaps, look elsewhere instead if you don't like the idea of being tied in to one solution.
Nevertheless, if you do go down the GoPayment path you’ll need to get yourself an Intuit merchant account and from there it’s a case of using the free reader whenever you want to process a card payment.
Support
One of the obvious benefits of being signed up to a large concern like QuickBooks and Intuit is that you should get the bonus of having lots of support. And that’s exactly what you do get via an array of different options. There are online FAQs, tutorials, video explainers, blogs and community resources too.
While the QuickBooks GoPayment app is okay it could be improved somewhat (Image credit: Intuit)
Final verdict
GoPayment looks to offer much, and it seems to do the job particularly well if you’re a fully paid up member of the QuickBooks community. However, we think it seems rather confusing to get started with, the pricing and different deals that change frequently don't help either.
While the app is workmanlike and acceptable enough, it could still benefit from improvements. Similarly, while the hardware in the shape of those card readers is suitable for the job in hand, you’ll still find it most appealing if you’re an existing QuickBooks customer. There’s potential, but improvements to the whole package would be welcome. Competition-wise, lookout for Square, SumUp, Shopify, PayAnywhere as well as iZettle.
Pocketguard is perfect you’re often in the position where you’re feeling a little bit nervous about just how much you're spending and need to do a bit of expense tracking. This is a financial management app, for both Mac OS and Android, plus there’s a desktop edition too and it's particularly useful during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, if you're looking for a handy quick reference guide to your finances at any time of the day, or night, then the mobile edition of this package is certainly one to try.
It’s available for both the US and Canadian markets and allows you to get all of your incomings and outgoings into one convenient place and subsequently get budgeting much more efficiently thanks to its central In My Pocket star feature. It sits alongside other similar products in this area including QuickBooks, Rydoo, Expensify, Hurdlr and Zoho Expense.
Both the desktop and app editions of Pocketguard are great to use (Image credit: Pocketguard)
Pricing
Pocketguard comes in a basic edition, which is still pretty well stacked, that comes with no cost attached. If you’re suitably smitten with what it does then you may want to boost the usability by plumping for the Pocketguard Plus model, that comes with a $3.99 monthly subscription cost or it can also be had for a one-off $34.99 annual charge.
Pocketguard requires you to connect to all of your available bank accounts (Image credit: Pocketguard)
Features
Pocketguard gets straight to the point when you first download it with a no-nonsense approach of doing a deep dive into your finances and getting you on the straight and narrow. In a nutshell, it’ll provide you with a one-stop money management solution that lets you track spending and develop a clearer picture of your financial situation.
Highlights include the capacity for tracking your incoming and expenses, seeing just how much you've got spare while it also lets you build up a bigger picture of your money matters over time. Other key features are the options for creating spending limits so you can cap outgoings where needed, as well as the capacity for setting savings goals.
Add it all together and the picture of your finances becomes very clear indeed. Once you’ve got all your data into the software you’ll have an In My Pocket zone, which is the true strength of the app as it gives an instant overview of your money.
Pocketguard works best in its mobile edition, with versions for iOS and Android (Image credit: Pocketguard)
Performance
You’ll find that Pocketguard works with zingy efficiency on both the Mac iOS and Android app editions of the software, with a neat and tidy interface that is suitably tap-friendly.
While the web-based variation on the theme is similarly speedy you’ll find that Pocketguard is most able when it’s getting on with business on your mobile phone or tablet. There’s very minimal effort involved in setting up the app to link to your bank accounts and once you’ve got that in place you should find that Pocketguard will work very dependably.
Pocketguard is also a cool addition to your Apple Watch apps (Image credit: Pocketguard)
Ease of use
There’s very little to get tangled up with when you’re using Pocketguard. In fact, as finance management and budgeting tools go, this is one of the easiest to master there is.
The developers behind Pocketguard have obviously thought long and hard about how to make money management tools visually interesting and while the app does a lot, it gets the job done in a wonderfully simplistic way. It's hard to make any kind of personal finance or budgeting software interesting, but Pocketguard provides you with a really rather enjoyable way to shuffle through your money matters.
You might find that there are a few hiccups during the initial setup that involves connecting to your accounts, but the Pocketguard engineers have been working hard at making this just as straightforward as the rest of the user experience.
Support
Like most other budgeting software tools you’ll find that Pocketguard comes with a support option, although currently that doesn't seem to extend to calling them up. Nevertheless, if you head over to the Help section on their website you’ll find that it’s provides a cornucopia of information and answers.
And, even if all this information doesn't get to the bottom of your query then there is also the ability to email them and ask a question first hand. Another bonus on the support front is the Pocketguard blog, which delivers a neat additional insight into the way the software ticks.
Pocketguard comes in a free and a Pocketguard Plus edition edition too (Image credit: Pocketguard)
Final verdict
Pocketguard comes highly recommended if you’re after a budgeting software solution that can stay with you wherever you go. Being able to dip into the app on your phone or tablet gives you a safe and secure overview of money going in and out.
Pocketguard uses 256-bit SSL encoding to safeguard that data, while there’s a neat 4-digit PIN system for keeping sensitive information even more locked down, which makes it ideal for mobile devices.
With a user interface that has been optimized for the mobile environment, this is also a power-packed budgeting package that should reassure you if you regularly fret about what kind of shape your finances are in.
Moneydance has been a popular desktop money management solution for a long while now and has lots of Mac users as fans. Whilst it’s certainly a treat to use on the Apple OS platform, this personal finance software is also available for Windows and Linux.
Whichever flavor you’re keen on the software is undeniably quick and easy to use, which is a bonus during the coronavirus crisis. And, if you’re in the US then it has been continually improved to work with all of your bank accounts, which makes it hugely appealing, as well as credit cards and investments.
Getting setup is a no-fuss operation and it represents pretty good value, especially as your Moneydance license is able to cover your household, rather than unique machines. If you’re looking for an alternative to something like Quicken then Moneydance is certainly up there in the running. Other similar budgeting software options include Banktree and Money Dashboard.
Moneydance comes with a price tag of $49.99 and that covers any of the different versions, so from the Mac OSX edition through to the Windows and Linux versions the cost is the same. There are also editions available for those who prefer a mobile solution, with versions on iOS and Android.
However, the good news is that when you download the software you do actually get a demo edition, which allows you to discover the features and functionality of Moneydance before committing fully.
That said, you’ll subsequently need to pay the $49.99 fee for the software in order to lift the limitations that prevent the demo option being a full bells and whistles experience.
Moneydance is packed with tools for getting a better insight into your investments (Image credit: The Infinite Kind Ltd)
Moneydance: Features
Moneydance comes full-to-the-brim with a comprehensive selection of features. Central to getting the best from this software is its ability to hook up with countless American financial institutions. If you’ve got multiple bank accounts and want to streamline your finances then Moneydance is therefore great at tackling the job in hand.
The best thing about this is that, once configured, Moneydance can download and send payments online, whilst also producing a clean and easy-to-digest overview of what’s going on with your cashflow. The Moneydance interface is comprehensive it has to be said, with a cool hierarchical menu system that lets you dip into every facet of your money, from bank accounts to credit cards to investments and more besides.
Being able to see all of your transactions makes Moneydance a good rival to Quicken (Image credit: The Infinite Kind Ltd)
You’ll also find some dazzling multi-colored graphs and reports to pick through once you’ve got the software in top gear, which is brilliant for getting a comprehensive overview of your money.
Moneydance is able to deliver superb graphical overviews of all your finances (Image credit: The Infinite Kind Ltd)
Moneydance: Performance
Moneydance has been designed to work across multiple platforms and, it has to be said, seems to have been honed perfectly to work on them all. Most notably, the mobile editions have a really nice edge to them and, as well as being enjoyable to use, are also stable and dependable.
If you're using the software on a desktop machine then the experience is just as good, even if you’ve got mountains of financial data to manage. Indeed, considering how complex a picture Moneydance often has to work with the whole process seems to enjoy being given a run for its money.
The Infinite Kind Limited, those clever people behind the software, also underline that all of your data is private, encrypted and never shared, which is what you would hope for.
Once configured the Moneydance reminder system proves to be an invaluable aid (Image credit: The Infinite Kind Ltd)
Moneydance: Ease of use
On initial examination novice users might find that Moneydance looks a little bit intimidating. Fear not though, as the software is actually pretty intuitive. As with any money management software solution, there is an element of effort involved in getting the service set up, but once you’ve got it running Moneydance is wonderfully efficient.
The same can be said of the mobile editions, which have been optimized to work on smaller screens. Considering you are invariably dealing with lots of transactions and plenty of facts and figures this can often be a weakness with software of this ilk. However, Moneydance pulls off this feat beautifully, and works quite happily, whether you’re on iOS or Android.
Moneydance also delivers a great experience on the mobile platform too (Image credit: The Infinite Kind Ltd)
Moneydance: Support
With such a packed collection of features all jostling for position within the Moneydance interface it might be possible that you end up getting stuck. While Moneydance is actually very easy to master there is also help at hand, with several different options to choose from, depending on the level of your query.
The ability to open a discussion with its creators is one practical way to go, with the option for keeping these private if you prefer. Elsewhere, you might want to tour the knowledge base, or simply get in touch with any one of several online support staff who will get you back on track.
Being able to view other public discussions is also a great way to get hints, tips and tricks that you might not otherwise have realized are available within the Moneydance workspace.
After initial setup has been completed Moneydance just gets on the with job (Image credit: The Infinite Kind Ltd)
Moneydance: Final verdict
Moneydance is one of the better financial management software options out there. It comes bristling with all of the tools you need to get a comprehensive overview of your financial circumstances.
Better yet, Moneydance is also super-efficient at getting your money sorted, categorized and managed as you move forward. Much of the appeal is the way it can be connected to a raft of American financial institutions, but it also excels and sorting out things like payment schedules and so on.
In fact, if you're looking for a solution that can take on all of your bill-paying chores and remind you that it’s going to happen then Moneydance could be the software for you. Top marks should also be extended to the developers for producing versions that work seamlessly across a variety of platforms efficiently too.
Mint is software specifically designed for managing your money and is now part of the Intuit product portfolio.
Keeping tabs on your finances can get complicated if you have numerous bank accounts as well as investments, pension contributions and savings to monitor alongside your daily outgoings. And that’s why money management app Mint is therefore perfect for covering all bases and joining up those dots.
Being owned by Intuit, which is also behind TurboTax and Quickbooks, means security is at the forefront of its appeal. It’s therefore reasonable to expect a well-designed and engineered package and that’s exactly what you get.
Mint generates revenue to cover its free status by delivering affiliate offers, but if you can put up with that aspect of the software then you’ve got a very decent package at your disposal. However, you might also want to try Quicken, Banktree, Money Dashboard or Moneydance.
Connecting to your bank accounts has been engineered to be safe and secure (Image credit: Intuit)
Pricing
One of the best things about Mint is that it is absolutely free to use, no matter if you’re signed up to enjoy its charms on iOS, Android or a good old desktop computer or laptop. Considering that Mint comes with a plethora of great features, and delivers a great user experience, the fact that it's free makes the software very appealing.
However, it should be noted that Mint has to earn its keep one way or another and so, as a result, there are affiliate offers to deal with along the way. That’s fine if you’re in the market for another credit card, but it has to be said that some of the offers are less appealing. While we understand the need to turn a profit, this is perhaps the only real downside of the Mint experience.
The Mint interface offers a quick but comprehensive overview of your finances (Image credit: Intuit)
Features
Mint might sound like a fairly simplistic proposition and it’s certainly not complicated to master, but the options it provides you with are actually many and varied. The action centres on a few main features, with Mint offering the ability to connect to your bank, or banks, and other financial interests along with keeping an eye on your credit score.
The good thing is that you can also ‘unplug’ these as and when you need to, or if you want to block out specific areas of your finances. Doing all this is really easy and involves nothing more than adding in accounts with the odd screen tap or two.
As you’d expect, Mint keeps a firm grip on security and uses 256-bit data encryption, plus VeriSign security scanning. In fact, as you pick through the Mint landscape you’ll find that there are plenty of places where its meticulous authentication procedures safeguard both you and your data.
Fear not; this is most notable on the app editions, which take into consideration what would happen if your phone gets lost or stolen. Mint subsequently allows you to delete your financial data remotely.
Mint works best on mobile devices but can be used via a desktop or laptop connection too (Image credit: Intuit)
Performance
Mint is all about connectivity as it taps into your various financial interests and keeps the picture updated in a dynamic fashion. That’s good news, as you should therefore always have an overview that’s bang up to date. We’d heard some reports that earlier incarnations were subject to connectivity issues, with connecting to specific banks proving problematical on occasions.
However, these days Mint seems to be in very good shape, with its carefully honed interface being complemented by its ‘always on’ edge. If you're running it on a mobile device, be it an Apple iPhone, iPad, Watch or on the Android platform you should find that it ticks over just fine. In fact, in most respects the mobile edition of the Mint experience is the best way to be using it. The whole thing just works.
One of the finest aspects of Mint is its edition for the Apple Watch (Image credit: Intuit)
Ease of use
Getting to grips with Mint is very straightforward, with nothing major to get your head around. In fact, due to the way the software has been designed it works in a very intuitive manner.
While it’s easy enough to find your way around the desktop web browser edition, it’s the app route that really bristles with stress-free functionality. Indeed, the Apple Watch version features a crisp and clear interface that gives you all the information you need in a very good-on-the-eyes format. Getting Mint up and running is also wonderfully easy.
You’ll need to sign up with a username and password and once you're past that stage it’s simply a case of hooking up to your different accounts. This starts with banks, but you can add on every other aspect of your financial world in much the same way.
Mint lets you plug-in your online bank accounts and other financial interests (Image credit: Intuit)
Support
One of the most appealing aspects of the Mint experience is its ease of use and fuss-free functionality. In that respect there is not too much that requires support, although thankfully its creators have produced a sizeable FAQ area within the application.
Dipping into this section of the Mint app lets you find answers to most questions, although it requires persistence if you want to get to the bottom of less commonly asked questions. As a bonus, however, there is a chat option that lets you get in touch with staff around the clock at the Mint headquarters.
One of the best aspects of Mint is the ease with which you can get up and running (Image credit: Intuit)
Final verdict
If you struggle with keeping your finances in order, and even if you don't for that matter, Mint makes a lot of sense. It’s free, despite the downside of being beefed up to make money using affiliate offers within the software, and is very easy to use. In terms of getting started Mint could not be easier.
With the capacity of adding in some or all of your financial interests, and also removing them where needed, it is super flexible. The mobile editions deliver really good experiences too, with even the Apple Watch option being detailed and delightful to use, with piles of information on your financial status being available at a glance.
Mint also tops it all off with a safe and secure build, one that provides you with the reassurance that your sensitive data is in good hands.
Mint is software specifically designed for managing your money and is now part of the Intuit product portfolio.
Keeping tabs on your finances can get complicated if you have numerous bank accounts as well as investments, pension contributions and savings to monitor alongside your daily outgoings. And that’s why money management app Mint is therefore perfect for covering all bases and joining up those dots.
Being owned by Intuit, which is also behind TurboTax and Quickbooks, means security is at the forefront of its appeal. It’s therefore reasonable to expect a well-designed and engineered package and that’s exactly what you get.
Mint generates revenue to cover its free status by delivering affiliate offers, but if you can put up with that aspect of the software then you’ve got a very decent package at your disposal. However, you might also want to try Quicken, Banktree, Money Dashboard or Moneydance.
Connecting to your bank accounts has been engineered to be safe and secure (Image credit: Intuit)
Pricing
One of the best things about Mint is that it is absolutely free to use, no matter if you’re signed up to enjoy its charms on iOS, Android or a good old desktop computer or laptop. Considering that Mint comes with a plethora of great features, and delivers a great user experience, the fact that it's free makes the software very appealing.
However, it should be noted that Mint has to earn its keep one way or another and so, as a result, there are affiliate offers to deal with along the way. That’s fine if you’re in the market for another credit card, but it has to be said that some of the offers are less appealing. While we understand the need to turn a profit, this is perhaps the only real downside of the Mint experience.
The Mint interface offers a quick but comprehensive overview of your finances (Image credit: Intuit)
Features
Mint might sound like a fairly simplistic proposition and it’s certainly not complicated to master, but the options it provides you with are actually many and varied. The action centres on a few main features, with Mint offering the ability to connect to your bank, or banks, and other financial interests along with keeping an eye on your credit score.
The good thing is that you can also ‘unplug’ these as and when you need to, or if you want to block out specific areas of your finances. Doing all this is really easy and involves nothing more than adding in accounts with the odd screen tap or two.
As you’d expect, Mint keeps a firm grip on security and uses 256-bit data encryption, plus VeriSign security scanning. In fact, as you pick through the Mint landscape you’ll find that there are plenty of places where its meticulous authentication procedures safeguard both you and your data.
Fear not; this is most notable on the app editions, which take into consideration what would happen if your phone gets lost or stolen. Mint subsequently allows you to delete your financial data remotely.
Mint works best on mobile devices but can be used via a desktop or laptop connection too (Image credit: Intuit)
Performance
Mint is all about connectivity as it taps into your various financial interests and keeps the picture updated in a dynamic fashion. That’s good news, as you should therefore always have an overview that’s bang up to date. We’d heard some reports that earlier incarnations were subject to connectivity issues, with connecting to specific banks proving problematical on occasions.
However, these days Mint seems to be in very good shape, with its carefully honed interface being complemented by its ‘always on’ edge. If you're running it on a mobile device, be it an Apple iPhone, iPad, Watch or on the Android platform you should find that it ticks over just fine. In fact, in most respects the mobile edition of the Mint experience is the best way to be using it. The whole thing just works.
One of the finest aspects of Mint is its edition for the Apple Watch (Image credit: Intuit)
Ease of use
Getting to grips with Mint is very straightforward, with nothing major to get your head around. In fact, due to the way the software has been designed it works in a very intuitive manner.
While it’s easy enough to find your way around the desktop web browser edition, it’s the app route that really bristles with stress-free functionality. Indeed, the Apple Watch version features a crisp and clear interface that gives you all the information you need in a very good-on-the-eyes format. Getting Mint up and running is also wonderfully easy.
You’ll need to sign up with a username and password and once you're past that stage it’s simply a case of hooking up to your different accounts. This starts with banks, but you can add on every other aspect of your financial world in much the same way.
Mint lets you plug-in your online bank accounts and other financial interests (Image credit: Intuit)
Support
One of the most appealing aspects of the Mint experience is its ease of use and fuss-free functionality. In that respect there is not too much that requires support, although thankfully its creators have produced a sizeable FAQ area within the application.
Dipping into this section of the Mint app lets you find answers to most questions, although it requires persistence if you want to get to the bottom of less commonly asked questions. As a bonus, however, there is a chat option that lets you get in touch with staff around the clock at the Mint headquarters.
One of the best aspects of Mint is the ease with which you can get up and running (Image credit: Intuit)
Final verdict
If you struggle with keeping your finances in order, and even if you don't for that matter, Mint makes a lot of sense. It’s free, despite the downside of being beefed up to make money using affiliate offers within the software, and is very easy to use. In terms of getting started Mint could not be easier.
With the capacity of adding in some or all of your financial interests, and also removing them where needed, it is super flexible. The mobile editions deliver really good experiences too, with even the Apple Watch option being detailed and delightful to use, with piles of information on your financial status being available at a glance.
Mint also tops it all off with a safe and secure build, one that provides you with the reassurance that your sensitive data is in good hands.
CountAbout is pretty simple and straightforward in its structure. It has a web-based design that offers a reasonably comprehensive suite of onscreen tools that cover most bases when it comes to managing your finances. It’s really as simple as that and could come in very useful during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The extra bonus alongside the connected convenience is that it’s very affordable, and is therefore ideally suited to anyone who needs a helping hand with finance management, but needs to do it on a budget.
There’s a free 15-day trial available on the CountAbout website too, which provides you with the opportunity to try the service before committing to it and without the need to pay any money. So far, so good. It's up against the likes of Mint, YNAB, Quicken, Moneydance and Pocketguard in the budgeting software stakes.
Choose between a Basic or Premium edition with additional add-ons if you need them (Image credit: CountAbout)
Pricing
Currently, CountAbout keeps things nice and simple when it comes to the pricing and availability of its services. There are, in essence, two options to choose from with a simple-but-effective Basic package that costs $9.99 annually. For that you get full access to most of the CountAbout features and functions, although more advanced elements are off limits.
That means you can’t enjoy automatic downloading of bank, credit card and other transactions. There’s also a lot more manual input required. The good news though is that you can plump for a Premium edition instead, with a yearly cost of $39.99 and gain access to all of the extra options. For the money CountAbout therefore seems like pretty good value.
Adding a little more functionality for $10 a year lets you gain the ability to attach images to transactions. Similarly, there’s an invoicing add-on aimed at small-businesses that lets you create, send and track them, all for $60 extra per annum.
The CountAbut interface can be customized to suit a wide variety of budgetary needs (Image credit: CountAbout)
Features
CountAbout is certainly a practical solution, not least of which because it lets you import data from Quicken or Mint. When you sign up you're encouraged to do that early on, and there are some decent instructions that walk you through the steps.
You also get an easy access Account Maintenance approach, which during setup means you can select the option to have transactions automatically downloaded from the financial institutions you deal with. Once you’re into the main working area you’ll find that the interface is clean, fuss-free and easy to navigate.
The interface is additionally impressive in that it can be customized to suit your individual needs. For example, any kind of additional category can be added into the left-screen menus, while others that you don't need can be removed. If you need it the ability to add in and manage invoices is also another boon, especially if you’re a small business owner.
There are useful extra options, such as widgets and invoicing tools for small business owners (Image credit: CountAbout)
Performance
There’s an app edition of CountaAbout for both iOS and Android and either of these are decent enough supplements to the online browser edition. They do, of course, provide you with a one-stop option that can bypass the desktop model altogether if you prefer to keep tabs on your budgeting on the go.
We’re also encouraged about the way CountAbout has been designed and engineered, with a good level of encryption being built in to ensure that your financial data is as secure as can be. Indeed, CountAbout states that the only personal identifying information it collects from users is their email addresses, and these are not made available to anyone else either.
The other big bonus here is that CountAbout can be used in tandem with something like Quicken, which means that you’ve got a powerful arsenal of financial management tools at your disposal. And, in the case of CountAbout, that’s for a relatively small outlay too.
CountAbout is a paid-for solution although there is a free 15-day trial so you can check it out (Image credit: CountAbout)
Ease of use
You’ll find that CountAbout is really very simple to master, even if you’re something of a novice when it comes to online services. For budgeting and taking care of your finances, CountAbout takes it step-by-step with a very methodical page layout.
The service features main tabs along the top of the interface, which take you into the core day-to-day management areas of your finances, such as Transactions, Budgets and Reports. You can customize the interface too, with a Widgets option that allows the creations of additional tools aimed at comparing the different aspects of your financial activity.
We also rather like the Recurring tab, which lets you create and manage regular financial transactions, such as mortgage and rent payments. Meanwhile, the left-hand side of your screen contains other nuts and bolts options, such as an Accounts list, Categories and a Tag list too.
CountAbout's widget creation feature lets you beef up the potential of this online solution (Image credit: CountAbout)
Support
Help is always at hand within the CountAbout interface. There’s a dedicated link to the Help area at the top of the page and this takes you to a comprehensive information area.
Whilst it might look a bit spartan on first glance this assistance zone packs a decent punch once you get into its inner workings. If you’ve got a specific issue then it’s possible to open a ticket inside here, although you may find many queries and questions can be tackled by dipping into the Knowledge Base.
We also found the Suggestions area quite a good idea as this lets you tell CountAbout of any issues you think could be tweaked or improved during your experience of the online service.
Help is at hand whenever you need it thanks to a knowledge base and a ticketing system (Image credit: CountAbout)
Final verdict
Overall we think CountAbout has a lot going for it, not least of which is that impressive price tag. Even if you splurge and go for the Premium edition it’s pretty cheap. Combine that with a very easy to master interface, lots of fun and funky options, such as the ability to add custom widgets for even more powerful money management, and you’ve got a winning combination.
With a free 15-day trial at your disposal it’s really worth giving CountAbout a go and, with it’s minimalistic layout and help on hand when you need it, this budgeting service comes recommended. With a safe and secure design, plus the capacity for co-existing with something like Quicken you’ve got a beefy little option at your disposal if you need to get your budgeting in order fast.
CountAbout is pretty simple and straightforward in its structure. It has a web-based design that offers a reasonably comprehensive suite of onscreen tools that cover most bases when it comes to managing your finances. It’s really as simple as that and could come in very useful during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The extra bonus alongside the connected convenience is that it’s very affordable, and is therefore ideally suited to anyone who needs a helping hand with finance management, but needs to do it on a budget.
There’s a free 15-day trial available on the CountAbout website too, which provides you with the opportunity to try the service before committing to it and without the need to pay any money. So far, so good. It's up against the likes of Mint, YNAB, Quicken, Moneydance and Pocketguard in the budgeting software stakes.
Choose between a Basic or Premium edition with additional add-ons if you need them (Image credit: CountAbout)
Pricing
Currently, CountAbout keeps things nice and simple when it comes to the pricing and availability of its services. There are, in essence, two options to choose from with a simple-but-effective Basic package that costs $9.99 annually. For that you get full access to most of the CountAbout features and functions, although more advanced elements are off limits.
That means you can’t enjoy automatic downloading of bank, credit card and other transactions. There’s also a lot more manual input required. The good news though is that you can plump for a Premium edition instead, with a yearly cost of $39.99 and gain access to all of the extra options. For the money CountAbout therefore seems like pretty good value.
Adding a little more functionality for $10 a year lets you gain the ability to attach images to transactions. Similarly, there’s an invoicing add-on aimed at small-businesses that lets you create, send and track them, all for $60 extra per annum.
The CountAbut interface can be customized to suit a wide variety of budgetary needs (Image credit: CountAbout)
Features
CountAbout is certainly a practical solution, not least of which because it lets you import data from Quicken or Mint. When you sign up you're encouraged to do that early on, and there are some decent instructions that walk you through the steps.
You also get an easy access Account Maintenance approach, which during setup means you can select the option to have transactions automatically downloaded from the financial institutions you deal with. Once you’re into the main working area you’ll find that the interface is clean, fuss-free and easy to navigate.
The interface is additionally impressive in that it can be customized to suit your individual needs. For example, any kind of additional category can be added into the left-screen menus, while others that you don't need can be removed. If you need it the ability to add in and manage invoices is also another boon, especially if you’re a small business owner.
There are useful extra options, such as widgets and invoicing tools for small business owners (Image credit: CountAbout)
Performance
There’s an app edition of CountaAbout for both iOS and Android and either of these are decent enough supplements to the online browser edition. They do, of course, provide you with a one-stop option that can bypass the desktop model altogether if you prefer to keep tabs on your budgeting on the go.
We’re also encouraged about the way CountAbout has been designed and engineered, with a good level of encryption being built in to ensure that your financial data is as secure as can be. Indeed, CountAbout states that the only personal identifying information it collects from users is their email addresses, and these are not made available to anyone else either.
The other big bonus here is that CountAbout can be used in tandem with something like Quicken, which means that you’ve got a powerful arsenal of financial management tools at your disposal. And, in the case of CountAbout, that’s for a relatively small outlay too.
CountAbout is a paid-for solution although there is a free 15-day trial so you can check it out (Image credit: CountAbout)
Ease of use
You’ll find that CountAbout is really very simple to master, even if you’re something of a novice when it comes to online services. For budgeting and taking care of your finances, CountAbout takes it step-by-step with a very methodical page layout.
The service features main tabs along the top of the interface, which take you into the core day-to-day management areas of your finances, such as Transactions, Budgets and Reports. You can customize the interface too, with a Widgets option that allows the creations of additional tools aimed at comparing the different aspects of your financial activity.
We also rather like the Recurring tab, which lets you create and manage regular financial transactions, such as mortgage and rent payments. Meanwhile, the left-hand side of your screen contains other nuts and bolts options, such as an Accounts list, Categories and a Tag list too.
CountAbout's widget creation feature lets you beef up the potential of this online solution (Image credit: CountAbout)
Support
Help is always at hand within the CountAbout interface. There’s a dedicated link to the Help area at the top of the page and this takes you to a comprehensive information area.
Whilst it might look a bit spartan on first glance this assistance zone packs a decent punch once you get into its inner workings. If you’ve got a specific issue then it’s possible to open a ticket inside here, although you may find many queries and questions can be tackled by dipping into the Knowledge Base.
We also found the Suggestions area quite a good idea as this lets you tell CountAbout of any issues you think could be tweaked or improved during your experience of the online service.
Help is at hand whenever you need it thanks to a knowledge base and a ticketing system (Image credit: CountAbout)
Final verdict
Overall we think CountAbout has a lot going for it, not least of which is that impressive price tag. Even if you splurge and go for the Premium edition it’s pretty cheap. Combine that with a very easy to master interface, lots of fun and funky options, such as the ability to add custom widgets for even more powerful money management, and you’ve got a winning combination.
With a free 15-day trial at your disposal it’s really worth giving CountAbout a go and, with it’s minimalistic layout and help on hand when you need it, this budgeting service comes recommended. With a safe and secure design, plus the capacity for co-existing with something like Quicken you’ve got a beefy little option at your disposal if you need to get your budgeting in order fast.
Zoho Invoice is another addition to the growing roster of products from Zoho, the India-based company that has built up a reputation for good value software. With Zoho Invoice they’ve done another fine job, producing software that is aimed at small to medium-sized business owners looking for a powerful yet cost-effective invoicing solution.
Better still, Zoho Invoice has been tailored towards app use, which makes it an ideal option if you’re trying to keep the wheels of business turning while you’re on the go. With its ability to work alongside other business solutions and payment gateways it makes a good compliment to your existing business infrastructure, especially with the rise of coronavirus.
Zoho Invoice can be mastered by anyone thanks to its straightforward design (Image credit: Zoho Invoice)
Pricing
As with their other products, Zoho makes it easy to get acquainted with Invoice as there’s a version that’s completely free, although this is a single-user product limited to invoicing five customers. From there you can choose from a variety of options, which moves up to the Basic package, which is $9 per organization a month. This comes with the capacity to invoice up to 50 customers, but is still limited to one user.
Zoho Invoice also comes as a Standard package, which is its most popular, at $19 per organization per month. That lets you invoice up to 500 customers, with a three-user limit and 10 automated workflows capacity, compared to five with the other two.
A Professional package rounds it out, which is $30 per organization per month and allows unlimited invoicing, 10 users, 10 automated workflows and a custom domain too. Paying yearly also attracts a two months off discount.
Additional users can also be paid for, priced at €2 per month or $20 annually. Similarly, extra auto-scans can be purchased, with 50 a month priced at $5 or annually at $50.
You can manage payments with ease from within Zoho Invoice (Image credit: Zoho Invoice)
Features
Zoho Invoice comes with a full compliment of features and functions aimed at increasing the efficiency of your business. You can use the software to create and send professional-level invoices, as well as setting up your business to issue automated payment reminders and also accept subsequent credit card payments online.
For a personalised touch Zoho Invoice allows you to choose from invoice templates, which can then be customized to suit your business. Usefully, Zoho Invoice can also be used to create multilingual and multicurrency invoices, meaning it's a very versatile option, especially if you trade across geographical boundaries.
There is also the capacity for adding digital signatures as well as a suite of distribution options, including the capacity to automate a lot of your invoicing procedures. Zoho Invoice works in harmony with Stripe and PayPal as well as other Zoho products.
Zoho Invoice lets you create custom billing paperwork from within the app (Image credit: Zoho Invoice)
Performance
One of the most appealing aspects of Zoho Invoice is the app option, versions of which work for iOS, Android and Windows devices. For anyone wanting to get things done on the road, or who needs to stay on top of invoicing and other office admin on the go, Zoho Invoice thrives in this environment. If you're using it as a desktop application then the software is also plain-sailing. Its lean interface runs like clockwork.
Ease of use
There’s a very gentle learning curve when it comes to getting to grips with Zoho Invoice. The interface has been well thought out and is straightforward to use, even if you're not all that experienced with invoicing and other office administration tasks. In that respect it makes a great option, although the power tools on offer also means it’s suitably powerful enough for larger businesses.
The ability to generate reports with ease is a real boon, allowing you to drill down into the way your business is running and letting you make tweaks accordingly. Better still, thanks to the earlier-mentioned app version of Zoho Expense, for iOS, Android and Windows, it’s also easy to keep working if you travel a lot for business.
Zoho One is a package that lets you get premium support along with the usual help hub information (Image credit: Zoho Invoice)
Support
As with the other products that exist under the Zoho brand name you’ll find that Zoho Invoice comes well supported. That begins when you first start exploring the program interface, with lots of useful help files. The software is pretty intuitive anyway, so its unlikely you’ll get too bogged down along the way, but if you do Zoho also has a network of support options, with a Help Hub, Knowledge Base and Community options to choose from.
As part of its comprehensive Zoho One plan there are also three support routes for ongoing users of Zoho products, which includes Classic, Premium and Enterprise grades, depending on your staff numbers and their ability to get to grips with the software. The latter two options feature fees of 20% and 25% respectively of the licence fee you pay.
Zoho Invoice also features some excellent time management tools (Image credit: Zoho Invoice)
Final verdict
Zoho Invoice is a very commendable package that is certain to help small business owners get on top of their invoicing, billing and reporting duties. It’s priced realistically, with a free edition that while being limited is an excellent base-level option.
Meanwhile, the paid-for editions represent great value and can be expanded and scaled as and when it’s needed. With an impressive interface that can be mastered with ease and a selection of tools inside that allow you to tackle everything from taking payments through to printing out complex reports, Zoho Invoice offers SMBs pretty much all they’ll need.
LiveAgent is a complete customer service platform that combines help desk features with live chat integration. This cloud-based tool offers a unified way to handle customer support — letting businesses manage all interactions from a single dashboard.
LiveAgent simplifies communication across various channels. These include email, live chat, social media, voice calls, and video calls. It turns all customer queries into tickets, regardless of where they come from. This helps support teams track and resolve issues more efficiently. The software also includes features like automated ticket routing, canned responses, and a built-in call center. Together, these tools enhance the speed and quality of customer service.
With tools for faster responses and personalized interactions, LiveAgent has data to prove that it improves customer satisfaction and loyalty. It claims that businesses can see up to a 325% increase in conversion rates within the first month of using LiveAgent. Better customer service leads to higher retention, more positive recommendations, and increased sales.
LiveAgent serves a wide range of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises. But, it's most popular among retail and software companies, with many users in the U.S. and U.K. Thanks to its scalability, it's ideal for growing businesses and for those adapting hybrid work models. Larger organizations also find its features and integrations appealing for complex workflows. Whether you're a small e-commerce store or a multinational company, LiveAgent provides the tools to enhance your customer support.
LiveAgent's new 'Business' plans start at $15 per agent per month billed annually. (Image credit: LiveAgent)
LiveAgent: Plans and pricing
Since our previous review, LiveAgent's Pricing page has had a revamp.
Paid 'Business' plans start at $19 per month per agent if billed monthly or $15 per agent if you're paying annually. The lowest tier 'Small' plan includes ticketing for up to three incoming/outgoing email accounts, two live chat buttons, 10 departments, a single live chat button, an API key, and the bespoke Knowledge Base. Ticket history is stored indefinitely and you can create up to 20 predefined answers.
The 'Medium' plan includes all of the above as well as ticketing for up to 10 incoming/outgoing email accounts. You also get five live chat buttons, 20 departments, custom domain hosting and most crucially Call Center Support. Prices start at $29 per agent per month if paying annually or $35 per month if paying monthly.
LiveAgent claims that their 'Large' Business plan is their most popular. This includes everything in the 'Medium' plan as well as ticketing for up to 150 incoming/outgoing email accounts. (We noticed though that when we signed up for a trial membership our Account page said that the 'Large' plan only offered 40 incoming/outgoing email accounts). You'll also receive 20 live chat buttons and three WhatsApp accounts. Other features include up to 150 departments (the account page says this is 50) and two knowledge bases. Prices start at $49 per agent per month if billed annually or $59 per agent if paid monthly.
The 'Enterprise' plan is LiveAgent's most expensive tier at $69 per agent per month if paying annually or $85 per agent if paying month to month. It includes all the perks of the 'Large' plan, plus ticketing for up to 500 incoming/outgoing email accounts. (Again our account page had a discrepancy with this, showing the number to be just 100). You'll also receive three WhatsApp accounts, 300 departments and 10 knowledge bases.
You can optionally add support for the social networks Viber, Twitter and Facebook/Instagram for $39 each per month. (Facebook and Instagram seemingly count as one social network as far as LiveAgent is concerned). This is disappointing, considering many similar platforms support popular social media networks like Facebook for no extra charge.
Each plan comes with its own set of limitations, which are explained well in the LiveAgent support pages. You can trial any of the paid plans for 30 days provided you have a company email address. But if you use a regular email, your trial lasts no more than seven days.
LiveAgent offers basic automated rules for auto-routing tickets and assigning importance (Image credit: LiveAgent)
LiveAgent: Features
LiveAgent is a complete customer service platform. It offers many features that improve customer support operations. This software combines help desk functions with live chat tools. Businesses can manage customer interactions across multiple channels. From ticketing systems to advanced analytics, LiveAgent gives support teams the tools for efficient, personalized service.
The platform serves businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. LiveAgent scales with growing businesses, allowing them to adapt their customer service as they expand. Larger organizations also benefit from its robust, all-in-one solution. By integrating various communication channels into one dashboard, LiveAgent helps support teams handle customer queries effectively. This leads to better customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Omnichannel communication
LiveAgent's omnichannel communication feature lets businesses manage customer interactions across many platforms. These include email, live chat, social media, voice calls, and video calls. This helps customer support teams provide consistent service, no matter the channel. By centralizing all interactions, LiveAgent reduces response times and boosts overall customer satisfaction.
These omnichannel capabilities let businesses meet customers where they feel comfortable. This enhances the customer experience and drives loyalty. Customers appreciate the flexibility of communicating through their preferred channels, which can lead to higher retention rates.
Unified ticketing system
LiveAgent's ticketing system turns customer queries from every support channel into tickets. This helps support teams track, manage, and resolve issues from one place. It offers advanced features like automated ticket distribution, which sends tickets to the right agent or department based on set rules.
By simplifying ticket management, LiveAgent improves response times and resolution rates. This efficiency can boost customer satisfaction scores and increase customer lifetime value. The ticketing system also provides insights into common customer issues, helping businesses find areas to improve their products or services.
Real-time chat and visitor tracking
LiveAgent's real-time chat feature lets businesses engage with website visitors instantly. This provides immediate support and can turn browsers into customers. The platform includes customizable chat widgets, proactive chat invitations, and visitor tracking. These tools help support teams monitor visitor behavior and start conversations at key moments.
The real-time chat feature, along with visitor tracking, can greatly affect conversion rates. By offering timely and personalized support, businesses can guide potential customers through the sales funnel more effectively. Some businesses have seen a 325% increase in paid customer conversion rates within the first month of using LiveAgent, the company claims.
Automation and AI integration
LiveAgent now uses automation and AI to enhance customer service efficiency. The platform includes canned responses, which are pre-written messages for common questions. This saves agents time and ensures consistent communication. Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities help teams understand customer inquiries, sentiments, and intents in real-time.
These features allow businesses to handle more customer interactions without losing quality. By automating routine tasks, LiveAgent lets support teams focus on complex issues that need human attention. The increased efficiency can lead to faster resolution times, improved agent productivity, and higher customer satisfaction scores.
LiveAgent provides a complete set of analytics and reporting tools. (Image credit: LiveAgent)
LiveAgent: Analytics
LiveAgent provides a complete set of analytics and reporting tools. These tools help businesses gain insights into their customer service operations. The analytics dashboard offers a quick view of incoming and outgoing messages, chats, and calls. This lets users monitor performance across different channels. With this bird's eye view, businesses can spot trends, measure agent productivity, and make informed decisions to enhance their support strategies.
Then there's the Performance Report. This report shows how the company, departments, or individual agents are performing. It includes metrics like average response times, ticket resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores. You can filter these reports by time, department, agent, tag, and channel. It helps managers identify top agents, find areas for improvement, and allocate resources effectively within the help desk team.
LiveAgent also provides specialized reports. Tag Reports show the most common customer issues. Channel Reports reveal which communication methods customers prefer. The Agent Ranking overview lists all positive and negative agent reviews, along with customer comments and links to specific tickets. All these features help businesses monitor and improve service quality, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
For businesses wanting more advanced analytics, LiveAgent integrates with tools like Zoho Analytics. This integration enables deeper data analysis, including custom report creation, data blending from various sources, and AI-powered insights. With these robust analytics tools, businesses can discover hidden patterns in their data, forecast trends, and make strategic decisions to improve the customer experience.
The LiveAgent web app interface (Image credit: LiveAgent)
LiveAgent: Ease of use
LiveAgent has a simple interface that lets support teams navigate seamlessly across features. But according to some users, it takes a minimal learning curve when initially setting it up. It features a universal inbox that consolidates all customer messages into one place, enabling agents to easily monitor and respond to inquiries from various channels.
The software is made to be easy to use, but many complain that parts of the interface appear old and require refreshing. People also sometimes have problems with performance, where the system will slow down or freeze, requiring a restart that interrupts work flow for a brief time. But other than these occasional problems, LiveAgent's simple way of managing tickets is generally an improvement for most support teams.
Onboarding is simple and welcoming. Installation times are described as quick, with the system being operational "in minutes." For companies searching for a help desk product that contains lots of features but is easy to use, LiveAgent provides a solid user experience that supports smooth customer service functions.
LiveAgent offers 24/7 technical support by phone, live chat, and email. (Image credit: LiveAgent)
LiveAgent: Support
LiveAgent offers 24/7 technical support by phone, live chat, and email. There's also an extremely comprehensive online support portal.
We were particularly pleased to see a link at the very top of the portal to the new 'live status' page, which reported that unless you were relying on LiveAgent's New Jersey data centers, the network has been functioning perfectly for the past 90 days.
The 'Getting Started' section of the Knowledge Base also has some extremely useful articles, including the one mentioned above about the limitations of paid plans. There's a similar one for users of the free plan as well as a helpful video tour, which walks you through the basics like adding live agents.
The Knowledge Base also contains a dedicated video section with tutorials on common tasks such as adding live chat buttons, departments and email templates. It should be straightforward for you to create aesthetically pleasing knowledge repositories or FAQs for your customers.
You can easily create articles, how-to guides, and other useful information to meet the needs of every customer. Given that many modern customers prefer self-service, the support offered by LiveAgent's Knowledge Base could be exactly the kind of thing being asked for. But self-service doesn't mean offering inferior support. There are still plenty of bespoke options available, from forums to technical product guides.
The 'Tech Support' section is particularly weighty, containing almost 500 articles on subjects like integrating plugins, general tips and tricks, and how to set up various LiveAgent features.
Take some time to peruse the 'Awards and Certificates' section to see how LiveAgent ranks in the help desk solution industry.
LiveAgent claims they work with third-party security researchers to identify vulnerabilities. (Image credit: LiveAgent)
LiveAgent: Security
LiveAgent hasn't been slacking on this end either. The platform claims to use 'renowned' data centers protected by 24-hour surveillance, security cameras, and biometric locks.
All of the company's servers are hosted at Tier IV or III+, PCI DSS, SSAE-16, or ISO 27001-compliant facilities. The data centers are based in US, Asia and Europe - but you can choose to where you wish to store your data for compliance with local regulations.
Their pricing page also mentions that all accounts are secured using SSL to keep your data safe. After probing into the knowledge base, we found that LiveAgent uses TLS 1.2 encryption for all data during transit. Database backups are also fully encrypted when at rest.
Not all information in 'live' databases prioritizes encryption, however. But the company claims that sensitive information like passwords and login credentials is always secured.
LiveAgent's Security and Privacy Policy also notes that you can boost your security by configuring the Agent panel to only allow access from specific IP address ranges such as network addresses at your office site.
On the same page, LiveAgent claims they also work with third-party security researchers to identify vulnerabilities. Customers will have to take them at their word on this and there doesn't seem to be any links to the results of independent audits to prove it.
LiveAgent: The Competition
LiveAgent competes closely with helpdesk services like LiveChat, which focuses primarily on chat but also offers multi-platform messaging support. LiveChat offers prices comparable to LiveAgent’s All-Inclusive plan, from $20 per agent per month if you're paying annually. However, LiveChat doesn’t have a free plan for smaller businesses like LiveAgent does.
LiveChat’s chat functions are somewhat more robust than what LiveAgent offers. For example, it supports chat-to-SMS, customizable post-support surveys, and more advanced real-time monitoring of visitors on your site. However, LiveChat won’t help with phone support and some important administrative features like audit logs are restricted to its Enterprise plan.
LiveAgent: Final Verdict
LiveAgent is high-quality helpdesk software for businesses that want to integrate phone, email, and live chat customer support. The free trial is impressively fitted out for a thorough first-time user experience, while the plans aren’t outrageously expensive. We’d like to see cheaper support for social media accounts and the addition of chat-to-SMS, but these aren’t critical flaws for most businesses.
In addition to everything else, LiveAgent does a nice job with auto-routing tickets across teams and helping your support agents stay on the same page when dealing with an influx of customer requests.
Zendesk Support is a complete customer service helpdesk system. It brings together customer interactions from many channels into one platform. This cloud-based solution helps businesses track, prioritize, and resolve support issues efficiently. Zendesk acts as a shared inbox for your support team, collecting requests from email, chat, social media, and phone. It also offers tools to nurture customer relationships with more personalized interactions.
Zendesk Support offers many powerful features. These include multi-channel support, ticketing management, automation, and self-service options. The ticketing system gathers customer requests from various sources and manages them all in one place. Support agents can handle multiple tickets at once, improving efficiency. Automation takes care of repetitive tasks like ticket routing and follow-ups. This gives agents more time to tackle complex customer issues. Moreover, Zendesk's knowledge base and self-service tools help customers find answers independently through FAQs and AI-powered bots.
Zendesk's impact is no joke. A Forrester Consulting study found that a single organization received an ROI of $31.2 million over three years against a total cost of $8.1 million after implementing Zendesk Support. Companies like Spartan Race have also recorded a 27% sales increase after integrating Zendesk with their Shopify store. Many others reported different benefits, such as better response times and customer satisfaction.
Zendesk Support serves organizations of all sizes, from startups to large firms. Major companies like Uber, Shopify, Airbnb, Slack, and Netflix use Zendesk to handle millions of customer queries daily. The platform is often used by companies with 50-200 employees and $10-50 million in revenue. A flexible pricing structure makes it accessible to businesses at various growth stages, from small teams needing basic email support to large organizations needing full omnichannel capabilities.
As of 2025, there are three main plans for Zendesk Support (Image credit: Zendesk)
Zendesk Support: Plans and pricing
Zendesk has a tiered pricing structure for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. As of 2025, there are three main plans for Zendesk Support:
Support Team: $19 per agent per month
Support Professional: $55 per agent per month
Support Enterprise: $115 per agent per month (billed annually)
The entry-level Support Team plan includes essential features. It offers a ticketing system, support via email, Twitter, and Facebook, workflow automation, and basic reporting dashboards.
For businesses needing more comprehensive solutions, Zendesk has Suite plans that bundle multiple products. The Suite Team plan starts at $55 per agent per month. It includes the ticketing system and omnichannel support through email, chat, voice, social media, and knowledge bases. It also has 24/7 standard chatbots.
The Suite Growth plan is $89 per agent per month, adding private internal collaboration, SLAs, multi-language support, and multiple ticket forms. The Suite Professional plan at $115 per agent per month enhances capabilities with customizable reporting, automatic ticket routing based on skills, and HIPAA compliance.
Enterprise-level businesses can choose the Suite Enterprise plan, which has custom pricing and advanced features. These include enhanced data protection, a sandbox environment for testing workflows, and sophisticated access controls for agents. All plans provide annual billing discounts compared to monthly payments, making them more cost-effective for long-term commitments.
Zendesk also offers add-ons, which can be purchased separately:
Advanced AI: $50/agent/month
Workforce Management: $25/agent/month
Quality Assurance: $35/agent/month
Advanced Data Privacy and Protection: $50/agent/month
Zendesk combines customer interactions from email, chat, social media, and phone (Image credit: Zendesk)
Zendesk Support: Features
Zendesk Support provides a wide range of features to improve customer service across channels. At its core, Zendesk is a ticketing system. It brings together customer interactions from email, chat, social media, phone, and messaging apps. Its omnichannel approach offers a consistent experience for agents and customers. It also gives agents full visibility of customer interaction history.
In 2025, Zendesk updated its helpdesk platform with AI automation, customization tools, and advanced analytics. Zendesk supports businesses of all sizes, from early-stage startups to Uber, Shopify, and Netflix. It offers a lot of customization freedom, while still keeping the interface simple for non-technical users.
Omnichannel support
Zendesk's omnichannel support feature helps businesses deliver more well-informed customer service. It lets support teams handle all interactions from one interface. Your team can manage emails, live chats, social media, phone calls, and messaging apps without switching between tools. Zendesk's dashboard keeps track of past conversations, so agents always know exactly where they are jumping in.
As a result, customers too can move between channels without repeating themselves. Zendesk saves the context of their previous chats. And with smart routing, complex questions go straight to the right agents. AI chatbots also help, by answering common questions quickly. This leads to happier customers, better efficiency, and consistent service at every touchpoint.
Ticketing system
The ticketing system is the backbone of Zendesk Support. It turns customer requests from different sources into trackable tickets. Agents can manage multiple tickets at once without missing a beat. It boosts efficiency and ensures no customer inquiry is missed. Zendesk's workflow helps teams assign and track ticket status — like assigned, routed, or escalated — so all interactions stay on track.
With features like conditional and custom ticket fields, agents can collect specific details about support issues. This gives them the context needed for personalized support. The system also has agent collision detection, which alerts staff when multiple agents view or work on the same ticket. It prevents duplicate work and supports real-time collaboration. By centralizing customer support requests, the ticketing system speeds up resolution times, boosts agent productivity, and improves customer satisfaction.
AI automation
Zendesk's automation features are among its most valuable. They help deal with repetitive tasks that take up agents' time. The platform uses AI-powered tools to automate ticket routing, follow-up emails, and escalation processes. This lets agents focus on more complex issues.
Automation also helps with workflow management. You can set up triggers that start actions based on ticket changes or customer interactions. Custom macros let agents create standard replies for common inquiries. These can be shared across teams as templates. Overall, these features lead to better business results.
Self-service options
Zendesk helps customers find answers on their own with strong self-service tools. Businesses can build knowledge bases, community forums, and FAQs that tackle common questions without needing an agent. The basic plan allows companies to create and share help center articles in one language. Higher tiers support over 40 languages with more advanced self-service features.
Zendesk lets you publish support articles that can be added as widgets on a company's website. This makes information easy for customers to access. For those on Professional and Enterprise plans, Zendesk Gather lets businesses create online communities. Customers can connect with each other and the brand, giving feedback and boosting loyalty. These options lower ticket volume, cut support costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.
SLA management
Zendesk's Service Level Agreement (SLA) management helps businesses set response and resolution times based on ticket priority. Support teams can mark issues as urgent, high, or low priority. This ensures urgent customer problems get quick attention, while less urgent inquiries are still managed properly. SLA views let teams track status by the minute and avoid breaching their service commitments.
Real-time tracking and alerts notify agents when tickets near their SLA deadlines. This helps teams stay focused on high-priority issues. It also ensures accountability within support teams and provides clear work prioritization guidelines. However, businesses must set realistic SLAs to match team capacity and ticket volumes to avoid agent burnout.
Zendesk offers several analytics and reporting tools for customer service. (Image credit: Zendesk)
Zendesk Support: Analytics
Zendesk offers several analytics and reporting tools for customer service. With customizable dashboards and detailed metrics tracking, businesses can gain valuable insights. The key feature, Zendesk Explore, helps managers monitor crucial performance indicators. These include ticket response times, resolution rates, customer satisfaction scores, and agent productivity in real time.
Zendesk's analytics dashboards are fully customizable. Managers can focus on data points that matter most to their goals. For example, if improving response times is important, teams can create dashboards showcasing real-time response data. If customer satisfaction is the main goal, they can highlight satisfaction scores and feedback trends.
The reporting tools in Zendesk gather data from various channels into one dashboard. Its omnichannel approach gives managers a complete view of customer interactions. They can track performance consistently everywhere, whether customers reach out via email, chat, phone, or social media. The platform also provides pre-built dashboards for quick insights and lets users create custom reports for specific analysis. Teams can even share reports with colleagues, promoting collaborative analysis and keeping everyone updated on past data and current trends.
Zendesk's analytics tools are strong, but they have some limitations. Custom report creation can be tough for those unfamiliar with data tools, plus there’s a learning curve for setting up dashboards properly. Some users find it hard to generate reports and question the accuracy of the data. For those needing more advanced analytics or integration with data from other sources, third-party tools like Power BI or SquaredUp can enhance Zendesk Explore.
Zendesk Support’s ticketing system aims to make support agents more productive (Image credit: Zendesk)
Zendesk Support: Ease of use
After you’ve created an account and logged in for the first time, you’re presented with a getting started wizard to guide you through the first-time setup. With that done, you can move on to the dashboard, where you get an overview of all your tickets.
Hovering over a ticket will give you a popup with a quick view of the latest replies. Clicking on a ticket adds a tab for it to the top of the window for quick access later, (until you manually remove the tab). Each ticket has a lot of fine-grained controls, like setting the ticket type, its priority, tags, who it’s assigned to, and others who should be following it.
In general, Zendesk is intuitive and easy to use, but there were a couple of aspects we found could be improved. One is that a lot of functionality — like the ability to relate tickets, display the five most recent ones, and link tickets to others — has to be installed as separate apps. Installing these only takes a few seconds for each one, but a lot of this functionality seems like it could be included by default.
Another thing was that reporting is part of a separate app called Zendesk Explore. It’s still included with Zendesk's support solution, but you have to launch the platform in a separate tab or window. It has its own navigation, so it doesn’t feel as tightly integrated with the helpdesk as some of the reporting tools from other helpdesk solutions.
Zendesk advertises three main support channels (Image credit: Zendesk)
Zendesk Support: Support
As a system designed to provide support to others, Zendesk itself features many of the support methods built into its own products, including a knowledge base, community forums, help widgets, and live chat (which is only available when you’re logged into your account).
Zendesk advertises three main support channels: a self-service help center, a community forum, and contacting their support team from within your product. There's also a Zendesk Community 101 video and you can comment on specific articles for further information.
Also, regardless of which payment plan you are signed up to, Zendesk Support users can purchase several add-ons for the support they receive. They can pay a little extra for 24/7 proactive support and engagement, professional services, and hands-on help with Zendesk Assist. So there's lots of support options to choose from.
Zendesk has 23 offices in various locations around the world, with many of them having phone numbers or email addresses listed, but office hours aren’t mentioned.
Zendesk includes a range of enterprise-class security features (Image credit: Zendesk)
Zendesk Support: Security
Help desk solutions make use of large amounts of customer data - some of which is bound to be of a sensitive nature. A single breach here could prove hugely damaging. Luckily, Zendesk is fully compliant with security and privacy frameworks like HIPAA and PCI DSS.
Zendesk Support has a globally distributed security team and uses AWS data centers, which have a number of on-site security measures in place like security guards and intrusion detection technology.
All communications with Zendesk and its APIs use encryption as standard, and customers can enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) or single sign-on (SSO) for end-user protection.
Collectively, this adds up to some pretty decent security. Plus, the company offers frequent guidance on security best practices for users. This is important because no technological safeguard can completely protect against human failings. So, it's essential that agents and other members of staff understand how best to keep customer information protected.
Zendesk Support: The Competition
Zendesk has a lot of competition in the online helpdesk space. Among the alternatives to consider are Zoho Desk and Freshdesk, which both offer free plans.
Freshdesk also offers five plans, with its free plan available for unlimited agents but with a limited feature set. The paid plans go from $15/agent/month up to $99/agent/month, and all plans come with a 21-day free trial.
Zoho Desk also has a comprehensive feature set, with four plans available, starting with the free plan for three agents and going up to $35/agent/month for unlimited agents. All paid plans come with a 15-day free trial.
There are also other help desk programs that work especially well with specific third-party solutions. For instance, Social Intents is an obvious alternative if you use Slack or Microsoft Teams a lot internally.
But there are sadly very few help desk tools that can compete with Zendesk Support on the integration front. And if you already use any of Zendesk's other platforms, it's a no-brainer to also employ Zendesk Support.
Zendesk Support: Final Verdict
Zendesk is competitively priced, but it doesn’t have a free option like some competitors. But it does have a large feature set and an impressive approach to customer security. And if Zendesk Support isn't enough for your team, you can always give the full suite a look, which is more of a complete solution with better pricing.
Zendesk Support's ticketing management system provides a lot of fine-grained control over tickets, but we found the separation of reporting into a separate app, and the fact that some functionality has to be installed rather than being included by default, slightly detracting from the user experience.
