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Best Customer Support Software for Phone-Based Support 2025

Written by Paddy Stobbs

Co-Founder & CEO

Edited by Steph Leung

Product & Operations Lead

Updated onApr 11, 2025

Phone-based customer support remains a vital channel for businesses to deliver personalized service and resolve complex issues.

As companies look to optimize their support operations, they need software that can handle high call volumes, route calls efficiently, and provide agents with relevant customer information. Customer support software for phone-based support enables businesses to improve first-call resolution rates, reduce wait times, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

Best Customer Support tools for different use cases

For phone call support:

Freshdesk Omni product logo

Freshdesk Omni

Stackfix Rating:

5.9 / 10

Freshdesk Omni performs well as a phone support solution, earning an 8/10 in our testing for its comprehensive call handling capabilities. Its dedicated "Contact Center" module operates as a VoIP service supporting agents across 90+ countries, with the flexibility to use your existing carrier if preferred.

What sets Freshdesk Omni apart is how it integrates phone support with your entire customer service operation. Agents receive calls in the same workspace where they handle other channels, and automatic call recording and transcription provide valuable documentation. The system supports sophisticated phone trees based on customer dialpad selections, and agents can transition customers from calls to live chat when needed—useful for sharing visual information or links. Despite scoring only 3/10 for ease of use due to its somewhat cluttered interface, the phone functionality itself remains intuitive and powerful. Teams focused primarily on voice support will find Freshdesk Omni’s call-centric features outweigh the platform’s general complexity.

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For SMS support:

Crisp product logo

Crisp

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

Crisp is a solution for businesses that need SMS support in their phone-based customer service. With SMS functionality integrated into its unified inbox, Crisp manages text conversations with voice support. The platform’s routing system (rated 8/10 in our testing) directs messages based on customer data, language, and segmentation across SMS and phone channels.

Crisp’s operational flexibility is notable for SMS support. Support agents can respond to SMS inquiries from their mobile devices using Crisp's app, ensuring responses regardless of location. The platform’s integration with telephony services like Aircall streamlines workflow by allowing agents to move between SMS conversations and voice calls with the same customer - a critical capability for phone-based support.

One limitation is Crisp’s lack of AI-powered tagging for SMS conversations. However, its analytics suite (8/10) provides insights into SMS resolution times and conversation trends, helping teams improve text-based support. For businesses prioritizing SMS and phone support in 2025, Crisp offers an integrated solution that balances features with simplicity.

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For e-commerce businesses:

Gorgias product logo

Gorgias

Stackfix Rating:

6.0 / 10

When it comes to phone-based support for ecommerce businesses, Gorgias performs well compared to competitors. Built for online retailers, Gorgias received a 10/10 in our testing for its Shopify integration, offering a customizable Shopify sidebar and macros with Shopify-specific actions. Its AI agent can automate common ecommerce requests like order tracking, delivery rescheduling, and cancellations—allowing phone agents to handle more complex customer needs.

Gorgias' analytics suite (8/10) provides insights into phone performance alongside other channels, while its ticket routing system efficiently directs calls to the right agent. Though Gorgias excels at ecommerce support, it has limitations—notably its clunky rules-based chatbot interface (3/10) and lack of mobile SDK for in-app support. Still, for online retailers seeking phone-based support software with deep ecommerce platform integration, Gorgias delivers a solution tailored specifically to your business model.

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For businesses with high ticket volumes:

Zendesk for Service product logo

Zendesk for Service

Stackfix Rating:

5.5 / 10

For organizations managing a large number of support tickets, Zendesk provides scalability with its ticket routing system. Our testing showed Zendesk’s ticket routing automation received a 10/10 score, and it offers omni-channel capabilities that handle phone calls, email, chat, and social media inquiries within one workflow. This makes it useful for support teams that handle many phone calls and high volumes across multiple channels.

Zendesk’s AI-powered tools are particularly helpful as volume increases. The platform’s AI Context Suggestion (8/10) provides agents with knowledge base articles and solution recommendations, and automated tagging organizes tickets without manual input. Zendesk’s customizability (10/10) allows teams to create specialized workflows and views for their specific needs. A drawback is its interface can be overwhelming for new users (2/10 for ease of use), and it requires training—though this complexity benefits experienced teams handling substantial ticket loads.

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For teams who also need a powerful AI chatbot :

Intercom product logo

Intercom

Stackfix Rating:

7.9 / 10

For support teams that need strong AI alongside phone support, Intercom is a top contender. Its AI chatbot, Fin, scored 8/10 in our testing and goes well beyond scripted replies. It pulls from past conversations and help center content to deliver contextual answers in your brand’s tone, and it can take real action for customers, like processing refunds or unblocking accounts.

Intercom’s automation workflow builder also scored 9/10 and plays well with voice. While native phone support is still in beta, Intercom integrates smoothly with tools like Aircall and Dialpad, giving teams flexibility to connect AI and phone support without friction.

Customisation is a strong point. You can design end-to-end support journeys that move between bots and humans, with ticket routing that prioritises urgency and assigns based on agent skills. It is built to scale as your team grows and your needs become more complex.

The downside is Intercom's own support times - which can be slow, sometimes reaching six business hours. And with a feature-rich platform, there is a learning curve - especially if you are rolling it out without a dedicated admin.

Still, for teams looking to combine automation, personalisation, and phone support in one workflow, Intercom brings a lot of power to the table.

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PS

Meet your expert: Paddy Stobbs

Stackfix Co-Founder & CEO

I've spent over a decade deep in the world of business software - personally managing more than $2M in purchases across companies I've built and led. From intimate 10-person teams to organizations of 150+, I've developed a particular obsession with Sales and HR tools – testing, implementing, and scaling them at every stage of growth. My journey started at Cambridge University, led me through Google, and most recently culminated in selling my previous venture to TikTok. Now, I'm channeling all of that hands-on experience into helping others navigate the complex landscape of business software.

Freshdesk Omni logo

Freshdesk Omni

Crisp logo

Crisp

Gorgias logo

Gorgias

Zendesk for Service logo

Zendesk for Service

Intercom logo

Intercom

Our rating
Functionality
9

Functionality

9/10

<p>Freshdesk Omni offers very rich support functionality. It supports most channels, and the creation of help centres and community forums. It also has pretty advanced chat automation, AI and reporting functionality.</p><p>However, Freshdesk doesn't support offer unified analytics and automation workflows across its two modules - ticketing and chat.</p>
8

Functionality

8/10

<p>Founded in 2015, it’s not surprising that Crisp offers a mature, well-rounded and complete feature set as a customer support tool. We found all the basics features to be present such as a strong live chat offering, a deeply customisable help centre and very complete omni-channel support. We also appreciated some less common, but nevertheless powerful touches such as the ability to ‘co-browse’ with a customer via live chat to enable an agent to troubleshoot customer issues right on their screen.</p>
7

Functionality

7/10

<p>As a product tailored to e-commerce brands, Gorgias offers a fairly robust range of features. It offer support for all the channels you'd expect including email, live chat, phone, text and socials. Additionally, you'll also find a decent help centre offering and AI agent functionality provided natively too. Though Gorgias does not excel in any one particular area, we did find each feature to be relatively well executed.</p>
10

Functionality

10/10

<p>Zendesk packs all the essential support tools most SMBs—and even enterprises—could ask for. It stands out with the most comprehensive range of support channels in our curation, making it easy to manage seamless cross-channel communication with customers within a single ticket. Plus, its advanced automation, AI capabilities, and robust reporting features are hard to beat.</p><p>In our experience, Zendesk tends to be the go-to platform for companies looking to level up their customer support as they grow.</p>
9

Functionality

9/10

<p>Intercom provides most of the essential support functionality needed by SMBs, covering a wide range of communication channels (excluding Twitter, Slack, and Discord) and offering industry-leading live chat capabilities. It also includes advanced AI, automation, and reporting features. However, some features that larger teams may find valuable, such as approval workflows, community forum management, and advanced telephony capabilities (e.g., group routing and overflow handling), are not currently supported.</p>
Ease of Use
3

Ease of Use

3/10

<p>Freshdesk Omni has a steep learning curve and rather frustrating set up.</p><p>We also found a lot of setting unintuitive and unnecessarily complex. For instance, to set up automations for live chat, you'll have to visit at least 3-4 settings page (assignment, routing, conversation skills, advanced automation).</p><p>Its chatbot builder, in particular, is one of the most complex builders we've come across.</p>
6

Ease of Use

6/10

<p>Due to its rich functionality and customisability, we found Crisp to have a moderate learning curve but is generally straight-forward and intuitive to use. An average SMB employee can become proficient with the platform after 1-2 days and some guidance. The interface is simple, making daily use straightforward for most team members.&nbsp;</p>
5

Ease of Use

5/10

<p>Though individual screens were generally well presented, we did find the sheer breadth of features slightly overwhelming at times. Gorgias' sidebar navigation system is non-standard which initially made it hard to navigate between core features swiftly (like between inboxes and analytics pages).</p>
2

Ease of Use

2/10

<p>Zendesk has one of the steepest learning curves we’ve seen. The interface can feel overwhelming, with settings spread out across different areas like Zendesk Chat and the Admin Center. If you don’t have an admin with prior experience configuring and managing Zendesk, getting up to speed can quickly become frustrating.</p>
7

Ease of Use

7/10

<p>Due to its rich functionality and customisability, Intercom has a moderate learning curve but is generally user-friendly. An average SMB employee can become proficient with the platform after 1-2 days and some guidance.</p><p>The interface is intuitive, making daily use straightforward for most team members.&nbsp;</p>
Look and feel
3

Look and feel

3/10

<p>Freshdesk Omni feels rather dated and cluttered, both internally and externally. The amount of customisability and functionality can be overwhelming on many screens. age load times can also be painfully slow, taking up to 10 seconds on some screens and forcing a page reload.</p>
5

Look and feel

5/10

<p>Though we found its web app and live chat offerings to be fast, responsive and easy to use - Crisp’s web app and customer facing widgets/help centres felt a little bit dated from a design perspective. If you’re looking for a more modern design aesthetic, both from an agent and customer facing perspective, you’re better off looking elsewhere.</p>
6

Look and feel

6/10

<p>Overall, we found Gorgias to be relatively well designed and intuitive to use. Most interfaces were modern and fast to load (load times &lt; 2 seconds). However, some interfaces did lack refinement or were hidden away in settings - for example, creating chatbots with the same interface used to generate other rules/workflows in the product presented some challenges - a simple drag and drop interface would have been preferable here.</p>
4

Look and feel

4/10

<p>From both an agent and admin perspective, Zendesk’s interface feels plain, and some pages can come across as cluttered and overwhelming. But on the bright side, page load times are quick.</p>
7

Look and feel

7/10

<p>We find Intercom's interface modern, sleek, with just the right touch of colour. However, page load times can be a bit slow, sometimes taking 2-3 seconds.</p>
Customisability
8

Customisability

8/10

<p>Freshworks offers a good level of customisability. It supports using custom code for deep customization of the Help Centre. You can also track custom events about customers for create personalized proactive messages and workflows. Custom data objects can be created, and agents can customize their workspace layout.&nbsp;</p>
7

Customisability

7/10

<p>Crisp offers a huge amount of options when it comes to customisability of just about everything - help centres, live chat widgets and analytics dashboards. Almost every element of customer facing widgets and sites can be customised - including the basics you’d expect such as logos, colours and header/welcome messages. It’s internally facing features are also fairly customisable - for example, you can create custom analytics dashboards to help you find the metrics you care about most more easily on the fly.&nbsp;</p>
6

Customisability

6/10

<p>At present, Gorgias offers a fairly standard set of customization options for both internal and external interfaces. For its live chat widget and help centre, you can customize the usual elements including logos, colours and titles. For internal facing screens we appreciated the ease of saving custom views or adding custom tags to tickets to suit your specific business needs.</p>
10

Customisability

10/10

<p>Zendesk offers a high level of customization for both internal and external pages. Externally, you can deeply customize the style and layout of your Help Center (supporting over 40 languages), even using custom code to make it uniquely yours. Internally, the agent workspace is also highly flexible—you can tailor the layout and how information is displayed, with dynamic updates based on the content of each ticket.</p>
9

Customisability

9/10

<p>Intercom is one of the most customisable Customer Support we've come across. User-facing elements (e.g. live chat, help centre) allow for deep customisation in appearance and layout.</p><p>Intercom also allows you to create custom data objects and track custom events about your customers to create highly personalised proactive messages and workflows.</p>
Ease of Setup
6

Ease of Setup

6/10

<p>Missive offers a simple self-serve free trial for their platform. We found the initial setup to be relatively simple, but somewhat unintuitive taking around 10 minutes. Setting up your first channels is also a confusing process from a UX perspective - but once you've figured your way around the interface, channels like email are simple to integrate (one-click for common providers). </p>
7

Ease of Setup

7/10

<p>Crisp offers a simple self-serve free trial for their platform. We found the initial setup to be very simple, taking less than 10 minutes. Setting up your first channels is also a simple process - live widgets involve pasting a simple script into your website and email integrations can be achieved in just a few clicks. However, when it comes to deeper customization, Crisp's sheer breadth of features means that you can spend a number of days tweaking appearances of widgets and setting up help centres.</p>
7

Ease of Setup

7/10

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gorgias offers a simple self-serve free trial for their platform. We found the initial setup to be simple, taking less than 30 minutes. Setting up your first channels is also a simple process - for example connecting your email can be done with just a couple clicks instead of needing to set up email forwarding manually.&nbsp;However, some features do require some up-front investment to get the most out of such as their AI agents feature as well as any ticket-routing automations you might want.</span></p>
3

Ease of Setup

3/10

<p>We found Zendesk's onboarding process to be clunky and a bit overwhelming. Configuring even a basic setup can take over 30 minutes, largely because the interface feels disjointed, with settings scattered in different places. Connecting your first channels can be especially frustrating—for instance, linking external emails requires manual configuration unless you’re using Gmail. And because the platform is so customizable, it’s easy to spend an entire week fine-tuning everything to fully unlock its potential.</p>
7

Ease of Setup

7/10

<p>Intercom offers a simple, self-service free trial for their platform. Initial setup is relatively simple, taking less than 10 minutes to complete. Connecting your initial channels is fairly simple too with simple scripts for live widget integrations and easy email connection options. However, when it comes to deeper customization, there are a number of rabbit holes within which you could spend days e.g. setting up FinAI or customizing help centre appearances. </p>
Customer Support
6

Customer Support

6/10

<p>While Frehworks offers 24/7 support live chat in-app and the support team is quick to reply, they don't always offer helpful/ relevant information.</p><p>We also found the live chat widget with Freshworks support unreliable, as you lose your current conversation when you switch between Freshdesk/ Freshchat.</p>
10

Customer Support

10/10

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We found Crisps's customer support to be best in class. Whilst you can contact the team through a range of channels - the easiest remains via a live chat widget via their app/website. From our testing, we found it incredibly easy to get in touch with a real agent, often in under a minute, who'd be able to help troubleshoot even the most complex of issues.</span></p>
4

Customer Support

4/10

<p>You can contact Gorgias' support agents via a live chat widget in their web app. When tested, you initially have to get through an AI agent which we found to be relatively helpful, however, unable to answer more complex queries. Real agents took an average of an hour to respond and though helpful, often seemed biased to wanting to book demo/sales calls if questions around pricing were asked.</p>
2

Customer Support

2/10

<p>Multiple users we’ve spoken to have raised concerns about Zendesk’s customer support. A common frustration is the support team’s tendency to provide unhelpful responses, often redirecting users to irrelevant Help Center articles and requiring far too much back-and-forth. We also found navigating Zendesk’s Help Center to be a challenge—it’s missing the clear visuals and video guidance that other platforms do so well.</p>
8

Customer Support

8/10

<p>Intercom provides in-app live chat with Fin AI and their support team. We’ve found that while Fin AI delivers helpful responses, and it's possible to connect with a human agent - although this can take up to 6 business hours which can be painfully long in our experience.</p>
Integratability
8

Integratability

8/10

<p>Freshworks offers hundreds of pre-built integrations with common third-party tools that SMBs use, including CRMs, email marketing tools, and project management systems. It also has an extensive marketplace for additional integrations and an API for custom integrations.</p>
7

Integratability

7/10

<p>Crisp has a deep and rich integrations ecosystem, which includes popular CRMs (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce), project management tools (JIRA, Trello), and email marketing platforms (Mailchimp). They also provide an API for custom integrations as well as a Zapier integration for even more extensibility.</p>
7

Integratability

7/10

<p>For their target customer segment, e-commerce brands, Gorgias offers a very comprehensive integrations store - providing integrations with all the major players like Shopify, BigCommerce etc. Additionally, we appreciated the fact that they also offer a mobile app with which you can handle tickets on the go more easily.</p>
9

Integratability

9/10

<p>Zendesk boasts a massive ecosystem of pre-built integrations that cover most of the tools startups rely on. This includes popular CRMs like HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce, email marketing tools like Mailchimp, and project management platforms like Asana, Jira, and Trello. Beyond that, it offers an extensive marketplace for even more integrations, plus a robust API for building custom connections.</p>
10

Integratability

10/10

<p>Intercom boasts a robust integrations ecosystem that includes popular CRMs like HubSpot and Pipedrive, project management tools such as JIRA, and email marketing platforms like Mailchimp. They also offer an API for custom integrations and are continually expanding their integration offerings, with the flexibility to develop new ones upon request.</p>
Ease of Migration
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Freshworks allows users to export key data (e.g. ticket and agent volume) via self-serve. Export of most other data are also available via API.</p>
5

Ease of Migration

5/10

<p>Crisp does offer users the ability to export customer profiles self-serve to a CSV. However this is limited to a maximum of 200,000 profiles. Beyond this, Crisp offers relatively little in terms of data export options. However, it is worth noting that there are plenty of other ways you can interact with data within Crisp via either its API or one of many third-party integrations (e.g. Zapier).</p>
5

Ease of Migration

5/10

<p>Users can export data on tickets and other analytics via a self-serve option directly within Gorgias' dashboards.</p>
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Zendesk allows you to self-serve export key data with ease. For most other data, exports are available either through the API or by making a request to their support team.</p>
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Users can export key data independently through self-serve options, while most other data can be accessed via API or provided upon request. Additionally, Intercom enables seamless data exports to relevant third-party vendors through pre-built integrations.</p>

Best for phone call support

Freshdesk Omni product logo
Freshdesk Omni

Stackfix Rating:

5.9 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 11, 2025

Freshdesk Omni performs well as a phone support solution, earning an 8/10 in our testing for its comprehensive call handling capabilities. Its dedicated "Contact Center" module operates as a VoIP service supporting agents across 90+ countries, with the flexibility to use your existing carrier if preferred.

What sets Freshdesk Omni apart is how it integrates phone support with your entire customer service operation. Agents receive calls in the same workspace where they handle other channels, and automatic call recording and transcription provide valuable documentation. The system supports sophisticated phone trees based on customer dialpad selections, and agents can transition customers from calls to live chat when needed—useful for sharing visual information or links. Despite scoring only 3/10 for ease of use due to its somewhat cluttered interface, the phone functionality itself remains intuitive and powerful. Teams focused primarily on voice support will find Freshdesk Omni’s call-centric features outweigh the platform’s general complexity.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Freshdesk Omni's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Powerful phone support capabilities

  • Comprehensive functionality across channels

  • Strong customization capabilities

  • Extensive integration ecosystem

  • Robust data export capabilities

  • Tight integration with Freshworks's CRM & Marketing products

Cons

  • Poor User Experience

  • Cluttered and Dated Interface

  • Poor Analytics Implementation

  • Mediocre Customer Support

  • Complex and Unintuitive Chatbot Builder

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for SMS support

Crisp product logo
Crisp

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 11, 2025

Crisp is a solution for businesses that need SMS support in their phone-based customer service. With SMS functionality integrated into its unified inbox, Crisp manages text conversations with voice support. The platform’s routing system (rated 8/10 in our testing) directs messages based on customer data, language, and segmentation across SMS and phone channels.

Crisp’s operational flexibility is notable for SMS support. Support agents can respond to SMS inquiries from their mobile devices using Crisp's app, ensuring responses regardless of location. The platform’s integration with telephony services like Aircall streamlines workflow by allowing agents to move between SMS conversations and voice calls with the same customer - a critical capability for phone-based support.

One limitation is Crisp’s lack of AI-powered tagging for SMS conversations. However, its analytics suite (8/10) provides insights into SMS resolution times and conversation trends, helping teams improve text-based support. For businesses prioritizing SMS and phone support in 2025, Crisp offers an integrated solution that balances features with simplicity.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Crisp's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Feature-rich live chat with innovative extras

  • Highly customizable help centre

  • Best-in-class customer support

  • Advanced ticket routing system

Cons

  • Dated User Interface Design

  • Missing some Advanced Reporting Metrics

  • Missing SLA Management

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for e-commerce businesses

Gorgias product logo
Gorgias

Stackfix Rating:

6.0 / 10

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Starting at

$10

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Updated onApr 11, 2025

When it comes to phone-based support for ecommerce businesses, Gorgias performs well compared to competitors. Built for online retailers, Gorgias received a 10/10 in our testing for its Shopify integration, offering a customizable Shopify sidebar and macros with Shopify-specific actions. Its AI agent can automate common ecommerce requests like order tracking, delivery rescheduling, and cancellations—allowing phone agents to handle more complex customer needs.

Gorgias' analytics suite (8/10) provides insights into phone performance alongside other channels, while its ticket routing system efficiently directs calls to the right agent. Though Gorgias excels at ecommerce support, it has limitations—notably its clunky rules-based chatbot interface (3/10) and lack of mobile SDK for in-app support. Still, for online retailers seeking phone-based support software with deep ecommerce platform integration, Gorgias delivers a solution tailored specifically to your business model.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Gorgias's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Best-in-class Shopify Integration

  • Solid Live Chat Implementation

  • Comprehensive Analytics Suite

  • Strong Integration Capabilities

  • Efficient Setup Process

Cons

  • Poor Customer Support Experience

  • Clunky Rules-Based Chatbot Interface

  • Mediocre Help Centre Functionality

  • Navigation and Usability Issues

  • Limited Data Export Capabilities

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for businesses with high ticket volumes

Zendesk for Service product logo
Zendesk for Service

Stackfix Rating:

5.5 / 10

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Starting at

$69

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Updated onApr 11, 2025

For organizations managing a large number of support tickets, Zendesk provides scalability with its ticket routing system. Our testing showed Zendesk’s ticket routing automation received a 10/10 score, and it offers omni-channel capabilities that handle phone calls, email, chat, and social media inquiries within one workflow. This makes it useful for support teams that handle many phone calls and high volumes across multiple channels.

Zendesk’s AI-powered tools are particularly helpful as volume increases. The platform’s AI Context Suggestion (8/10) provides agents with knowledge base articles and solution recommendations, and automated tagging organizes tickets without manual input. Zendesk’s customizability (10/10) allows teams to create specialized workflows and views for their specific needs. A drawback is its interface can be overwhelming for new users (2/10 for ease of use), and it requires training—though this complexity benefits experienced teams handling substantial ticket loads.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Zendesk for Service's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Richest Functionality Of All Customer Support Tools

  • Excellent Help Centre Functionality

  • Best-In-Class Telephony

  • Highly Customizable

  • Advanced Ticket Routing System

  • Strong Integration Capabilities

Cons

  • Steep Learning Curve

  • Expensive

  • Poor Customer Support Experience

  • Underwhelming Live Chat Experience

  • Uninspiring User Interface

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for teams who also need a powerful AI chatbot

Intercom product logo
Intercom

Stackfix Rating:

7.9 / 10

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Starting at

$39

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Updated onApr 11, 2025

For support teams that need strong AI alongside phone support, Intercom is a top contender. Its AI chatbot, Fin, scored 8/10 in our testing and goes well beyond scripted replies. It pulls from past conversations and help center content to deliver contextual answers in your brand’s tone, and it can take real action for customers, like processing refunds or unblocking accounts.

Intercom’s automation workflow builder also scored 9/10 and plays well with voice. While native phone support is still in beta, Intercom integrates smoothly with tools like Aircall and Dialpad, giving teams flexibility to connect AI and phone support without friction.

Customisation is a strong point. You can design end-to-end support journeys that move between bots and humans, with ticket routing that prioritises urgency and assigns based on agent skills. It is built to scale as your team grows and your needs become more complex.

The downside is Intercom's own support times - which can be slow, sometimes reaching six business hours. And with a feature-rich platform, there is a learning curve - especially if you are rolling it out without a dedicated admin.

Still, for teams looking to combine automation, personalisation, and phone support in one workflow, Intercom brings a lot of power to the table.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Intercom's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Sophisticated analytics and reporting

  • Best-in-class live chat functionality

  • Powerful "Fin" chatbot and automation capabilities

  • Comprehensive integration ecosystem

  • Advanced customization options

Cons

  • Complex pricing that gets expensive

  • Limited AI Context Suggestions

  • No Kanban Board View

  • Limited Content Collaboration

  • No Community Forum Functionality

  • Limited Social Media Channel Support

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

How we test products

With countless Customer Support platforms available, we focus on identifying the best options for small and midsize businesses. Our evaluation process is built around real-world usage, prioritizing functionality, ease of use, and overall value. Here’s how we do it:

Functionality

Great customer support software should help businesses resolve issues quickly and efficiently. We start by identifying key use cases—ticket management, live chat, automation, and reporting—then test how well each platform delivers on these needs. Tools that offer essential features without unnecessary complexity score highest.

User Experience & Onboarding

Support teams need fast, intuitive tools. We test each platform’s interface by navigating core features without prior training and track onboarding time—from account setup to resolving a first ticket. Software that requires extensive setup or technical expertise loses points.

Automation & AI Capabilities

Automation can streamline customer support and reduce response times. We evaluate each platform’s automation features, such as chatbots, canned responses, workflow automation, and AI-driven ticket triaging. We prioritize tools that improve efficiency without adding unnecessary complexity.

Integrations & Compatibility

Customer Support software must work seamlessly with CRMs, knowledge bases, and communication tools. We test how well each platform integrates with essential business systems and assess whether native integrations or third-party connectors are required.

Pricing & Value

We compare pricing across competitors, analyzing what each plan includes and whether critical features are locked behind paywalls. Hidden costs—such as per-agent fees, add-ons for automation, or premium support tiers—are factored into our assessment. Platforms that offer strong core functionality at a fair price score highest.

Stackfix’s Fit Score

All of these factors contribute to Stackfix’s Fit Score, a proprietary ranking system that measures how well each Customer Support tool aligns with a buyer’s needs. It combines two key elements:

  • Requirements Met – How many buyer requirements the software fulfills
  • Stackfix Rating – Our expert assessment of the software’s overall quality, usability, and value

The result? A clear, data-driven recommendation that helps businesses choose the right Customer Support software—without hours of trial and error.

FAQs

What is Customer Support Software?

Customer support software helps teams manage tickets, live chat, and self-service. Consider ease of use, integrations, scalability, and pricing. Avoid overcomplex tools, ignoring automation, and poor planning. The key features of customer support software usually include:

  • Ticketing System: A structured way to track customer inquiries from start to resolution, ensuring that no requests slip through the cracks.
  • Live Chat & Chatbots: Tools that enable real-time communication with customers, including AI-powered bots that can handle common questions automatically.
  • Self-Service Knowledge Base: A library of FAQs, guides, and troubleshooting articles that empower customers to find answers without contacting support.
  • Automation & Workflows: Features like automated ticket assignment, canned responses, and escalations to reduce manual work and speed up resolution times.
  • Reporting & Analytics: Insights into response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores to help teams continuously improve their service.

What should I consider when buying Customer Support Software?

Start by assessing your current and future support requirements. Are you handling a high volume of tickets daily? Do you need omnichannel support (email, chat, social media)? Are you focused on automation or personalized service? Here are the key factors to consider before making your decision.

  1. Your Support Needs. Start by assessing your current and future support requirements. Are you handling a high volume of tickets daily? Do you need omnichannel support (email, chat, social media)? Are you focused on automation or personalized service? Identifying your priorities will help you choose the right tool.
  2. Ease of Use. Support software should make your team’s job easier, not harder. Look for an intuitive interface that agents can pick up quickly without extensive training. Overly complex platforms can slow down response times and frustrate both customers and agents. That’s why Stackfix rates every support platform on ease of use—click into each product above to see how they compare.
  3. Integration with Your Tech Stack. Your support platform needs to work seamlessly with your CRM, email, chat, and other essential business tools. If you’re using Slack for internal communication or Shopify for e-commerce, check if the software offers native integrations or if third-party connectors are needed.
  4. Scalability & Flexibility. As your business grows, your support needs will evolve. Ensure that the software can handle increased ticket volume, support multiple teams, and offer advanced automation features when you’re ready for them. Look at the vendor’s product roadmap to see if they regularly release useful updates.
  5. Pricing & Hidden Costs. Support platforms often charge per agent, but costs can add up with extra fees for automation, integrations, or advanced analytics. Check pricing tiers carefully—what looks affordable now could become expensive as you scale.
  6. Customer Support from the Vendor. Ironically, not all customer support tools come with great support. If something breaks or you need help with setup, will the vendor be there? Look at response times, support availability (24/7 or business hours?), and self-serve resources like help centers or forums. Stackfix rates each platform on support quality—click into each product to see how they compare.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when buying Customer Support software?

Some platforms are packed with advanced features but are overly complicated for smaller teams. Make sure you’re picking a tool that fits your workflow, not just one with an impressive feature list. Here are some of the biggest mistakes startups make—and how to avoid them.

  1. Choosing based on features, not usability. Some platforms are packed with advanced features but are overly complicated for smaller teams. Make sure you’re picking a tool that fits your workflow, not just one with an impressive feature list.
  2. Ignoring automation & AI. Many startups manually handle support requests when automation could significantly reduce workload. Look for tools that allow automated responses, ticket routing, and AI-driven suggestions.
  3. Forgetting about self-service. A knowledge base can dramatically reduce support volume by enabling customers to find answers on their own. Make sure the platform includes an easy-to-use self-service portal.
  4. Not planning for scaling. Startups often pick software based on current needs, without considering future growth. Will the platform support more agents, additional features, or multi-channel support when you need it?
  5. Overlooking integration depth. A platform might “integrate” with your CRM, but does it sync customer data properly? Always test integrations before committing to a tool.

How much does Customer Support Software typically cost?

Most solutions range from $20-150 per agent monthly, with entry-level options starting around $15-25 and premium solutions exceeding $150 monthly. Most vendors provide structure pricing in tiers based on features and scale, so be sure to enter your requirements as accurately as possible in our pricing calculator. 

Many providers offer free plans with core functionality for very small teams but restrict users, contacts, or available channels.

For enterprise plans and above, you can expect to speak to sales for a bespoke price. To skip the demo calls, be sure to check out our pricing calculator.

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