Whether you’re running a small or large business, to manage customer support and run an efficient ticketing system, you need effective helpdesk software.
Although there are plenty of options for Windows users, there are very few ticketing apps that are made specifically for Macs.
In fact, I found that none of the best helpdesk platforms provide a desktop client for Macs.
The closest I found was the lesser known Help Desk+ but according to the developer site, it looks more like an iPhone app with a token Mac app tagged on for good measure.
However, I did find that pretty much all of the most well known ticketing platforms are Cloud based meaning they all work on all Macs in any browser so I decided to concentrate on those.
I also looked at a few more robust IT helpdesk support solutions that require compliance with Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) or the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).
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What We Looked For In Ticketing Software
In this roundup, I looked for these main criteria:
- Preference was given to those that offer a free version to begin with paid plans to scale up if necessary.
- Third party integration with CRM software and other remote desktop software for providing remote IT support.
- Utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for initial contact and screening via Chatbots.
- Ability to deploy support across multiple channels including social media.
Helpdesk vs Remote Support Apps
In my research, I found that there’s an important distinction to be made between helpdesk software and helpdesk remote support.
The helpdesk applications I reviewed were ticketing software to help you manage support queries from initial contact to resolution.
Remote helpdesk support apps however are used to provide remote technical assistance by using remote desktop software.
Some IT support focused services however such as ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus and Freshservice provide both although these are aimed more at large enterprises.
If you’re a freelancer or SMB that wants to provide remote IT support, then I recommend taking a look at RemotePC Helpdesk for Mac which is the best remote desktop solution I’ve tried and the Helpdesk feature specializes in providing remote IT support.
You can also find a full roundup of the best remote IT support options available for helpdesks in our look at the best remote desktop software for Mac.
With this in mind, here are the best helpdesk and ticketing software that can be used on any Mac.
1. Zoho Desk (Free)
One of the big attractions of Zoho Desk is that it offers a free helpdesk plan for minimal ticketing support alongside very reasonably priced plans for small businesses starting as low as $5 per month for the Zoho Desk Express plan.
It’s also one of the easiest helpdesk platforms to setup and use with an emphasis on those that have little technical knowledge.
Zoho Desk is suitable for one man operations, SMBs and Enterprises with scalable plans depending on the number of users you need to add.
Zoho Desk also has some of the best third party app integration of any customer support ticketing solution we’ve seen including Zapier, Slack, Mailchimp and Google Workspace.
It also of course integrates with other Zoho products such as Zoho CRM and Zoho Assist for providing remote IT support.
There’s also support for creating tickets from X and Facebook requests.
You can also use the Zoho Desk mobile app to check or manage tickets on the move and a dedicated training program is available for larger organizations.
Although there’s no Mac desktop app, you can add Zoho Desk widgets for iOS to macOS Sonoma and higher thanks to widget support in macOS.
Pricing: Free / Plans start from $5 per month for Zoho Desk Express
2. Freshdesk (Free)
Freshdesk by Freshworks is one of the biggest names in helpdesk support and one of the big attractions is that it has a free forever version for up to 10 agents.
Freshdesk is an AI driven ticketing platform that’s used by businesses of all sizes including giants such as Pearson, Bridgestone and Decathlon.
Freshdesk features AI bots that work 24/7 for initial contact which can be deployed on most major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and of course your business website.
Freshdesk also includes a CRM so that agents can easily view the history of customer interactions with clients.
The platform now also includes the funky sounding “Freddy AI” which monitors agent productivity, tracks tickets that need follow-up and gives you information on the most frequently asked questions by customers.
Pricing: Free for up to 10 agents. Plans start at $15/month.
3. RingCentral Contact Center
RingCentral is one of the biggest names in desktop communication suites including even fax software and offers its own helpdesk solution, RingCentral Contact Center.
RingCentral Contact Center allows you deploy helpdesk support via most major channels including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
There are various plans for scaling up and down with the Advanced plans offering CRM integration with Salesforce, Zendesk and others.
The platform also offers AI agent assistance 24/7, automatic scheduling of agent allocation based on call volume and real time analytics.
Its also the only customer support solution I found that even supports faxing through integration with RingCentral’s own fax software.
There’s no free version or free trial but you can use a free demo of RingCentral Contact Center.
Pricing: On Request
4. ZenDesk
ZenDesk is one of the most widely used ticketing software out there and caters for teams as small as a couple of people up to 5000+.
ZenDesk puts a focus on reducing effort per ticket and making the software simple to maintain so that you don’t need an army of system admins to run it.
The helpdesk uses AI to answer initial queries before referring customers to helpdesk agents when no solution can be provided.
ZenDesk has the best third party integration of any helpdesk solution I’ve seen including CRM platforms such as Salesforce and productivity tools like Slack.
There’s no free version but you can try a free tour of ZenDesk to get a basic idea of how it works and see just how easy it is to get up and running with it compared to some helpdesk solutions.
Pricing: Starts at $19/m
5. Hiver
If you’re a big fan of Gmail then Hiver is completely different type of ticketing solution as it’s built around integration with Gmail.
Hiver is a Gmail based productivity suite that uses Google Workspace to provide helpdesk support without having to install any other software.
Hiver works best for a shared email account as any emails received can be turned into actionable items and delegated to members of your team.
The software also uses AI Chatbots on top of Gmail to provide initial support and screening of customer support requests.
One of the best things about Hiver is that as long as you’re already familiar with Gmail, you can be up and running with it very quickly compared to most ticketing solutions.
It also offers features such as integration with WhatsApp, Asana, Jira, QuickBooks and Slack. The Advanced plan also integrated with Salesforce and other business apps via Zapier.
There’s no free version of Hiver but you can try a demo of it first.
Pricing: Starts at $15
6. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus MSP is designed for Enterprise level IT Help Desk support and is used by some of the biggest companies out there including Sony and Swiss Post.
ManageEngine specialize in Enterprise level IT solutions including network monitoring software and remote desktop access.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus MSP is designed for companies that need an all-in-one IT Service Management (ITSM) solution with help desk, service desk, account management, asset management and remote control support in one.
ManageEngine is strictly a business to business solution but if you need to provide IT help desk support to large corporations or companies, it’s one of the most powerful solutions around.
There is no free version of ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus MSP but you can try a free trial.
Pricing: On Request
7. Freshservice for ITSM
Freshservice is another helpdesk solution for enterprises that need support for ITSM. Freshservice is designed for IT organizations to simplify IT support and offers a ticketing system, self-service portal and knowledge base.
Freshservice is a spin-off from Freshdesk but differs in that it’s focused more on internal ITSM workflows and offers GDPR compliance for customers in the EU.
It’s also ITIL compliant which means that it follows a strict set of guidelines and best practices for IT support including asset management.
Other features in Freshservice include asset management, change management and incident management.
The Freshservice platform aims to eliminate silos so that IT customer service agents can find the answers they need for customers without having to start a ticket.
It also tracks agent productivity, offers a mobile app for system admins and AI chat bots to screen customer support requests.
There’s no free version of Freshservice but you can try a free trial.
Pricing: Starts at $29/month
Comparison Table
Below is a comparison table to see how these ticketing services compare including pricing.
| Software | Pricing | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Desk | Free/$5 per user/month | – Ticketing system |
| – Multi-channel support | ||
| – Knowledge base | ||
| – Automation | ||
| – Reporting | ||
| Freshdesk | Free/$15/user/month | – Ticketing system |
| – Multi-channel support | ||
| – Knowledge base | ||
| – Automation | ||
| – Reporting | ||
| RingCentral Contact Center | On Request | – Omnichannel routing |
| – CRM integrations | ||
| – Analytics | ||
| – Call recording and monitoring | ||
| – IVR and ACD | ||
| ZenDesk | $19/user/month | – Ticketing system |
| – Multi-channel support | ||
| – Knowledge base | ||
| – Automation | ||
| – Reporting | ||
| Hiver | $15/user/month | – Shared inbox |
| – Email collaboration | ||
| – Workflow automation | ||
| – Analytics | ||
| ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus | On Request | – Incident management |
| – Problem management | ||
| – Change management | ||
| – Asset management | ||
| Freshservice | $29/user/month | – Incident management |
| – Problem management | ||
| – Change management | ||
| – Asset management |