What is the difference between Zendesk and Gleap?

Zendesk is best for Mid-to-large support teams needing a full help desk, while Gleap is best for Product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support. Zendesk starts at $19/agent/mo and Gleap starts at $25/mo.

Is Zendesk or Gleap cheaper?

Zendesk starts at $19/agent/mo. Gleap starts at $25/mo with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Zendesk?

Yes, Gleap offers a free tier (Free for 1 project).

Zendesk vs Gleap

Zendesk is enterprise help desk platform with ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, and AI-powered automation, while Gleap is customer feedback and bug reporting tool with visual annotations and live chat. Zendesk comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Zendesk is built for mid-to-large support teams needing a full help desk, whereas Gleap targets product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support.

At a glance

	Zendesk	Gleap
Best for	Mid-to-large support teams needing a full help desk	Product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support
Starting price	$19/agent/mo	$25/mo
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
AI Bots	✓	—
Bug Reports	—	✓
Feedback	—	✓
Knowledge Base	✓	—
Live Chat	✓	✓
Surveys	—	✓
Ticketing	✓	—

Zendesk

Strengths

Includes Ticketing as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Includes Live Chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Pricing starts at $19/agent/mo, which includes the full customer support feature set
Established product with 19+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $19/agent/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Enterprise-focused design means the interface can feel heavy for smaller teams
Ticket volume can quickly overwhelm small teams without triage automation
Overkill for freelancers or small teams who need something lightweight

Try Zendesk → Full review

Gleap

Strengths

Includes Bug Reports as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Includes Live Chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Free for 1 project — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes feedback alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ticket volume can quickly overwhelm small teams without triage automation
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Gleap → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Zendesk starts at $19/agent/mo. Gleap starts at $25/mo. Zendesk is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Zendesk offers AI Bots, Knowledge Base and Ticketing that Gleap lacks. Gleap brings Bug Reports, Feedback and Surveys that Zendesk does not have. Both share Live Chat.

Team fit: Zendesk is geared toward enterprise teams, while Gleap is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Zendesk's biggest strengths are: includes ticketing as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. Gleap's biggest strengths are: includes bug reports as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows.

Watch out for: With Zendesk, users commonly note that starts at $19/agent/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Gleap, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Zendesk if...

You need a tool built for mid-to-large support teams needing a full help desk
You want to save on per-user costs — Zendesk is $6.00/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need AI Bots and Knowledge Base
You care about includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Your team size fits the enterprise profile Zendesk is designed for

Choose Gleap if...

You need a tool built for product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support
You specifically need Bug Reports and Feedback
You care about includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Gleap is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for 1 project