# Zoho Desk vs Hiver for help desk software

Zoho Desk and Hiver are closely matched for core workflows. Both support email ticketing, shared inbox, live chat, phone support, and whatsapp support. Zoho Desk has confirmed free plan. Hiver has confirmed API access, gdpr compliance, and customer portal.

## Key decision points

- Zoho Desk has confirmed free plan; free plan is not yet confirmed for Hiver.
- Hiver has confirmed API access; API access is not yet confirmed for Zoho Desk.
- Hiver has confirmed gdpr compliance; gdpr compliance is not yet confirmed for Zoho Desk.
- Hiver has confirmed customer portal; customer portal is not yet confirmed for Zoho Desk.

## Choose Zoho Desk if…

- Choose Zoho Desk if confirmed free plan matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Hiver.

## Choose Hiver if…

- Choose Hiver if confirmed API access matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Zoho Desk.
- Choose Hiver if confirmed gdpr compliance matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Zoho Desk.
- Choose Hiver if confirmed customer portal matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Zoho Desk.

## Features

| Feature | Zoho Desk | Hiver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Email ticketing | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Shared inbox | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Live chat | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Phone support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| WhatsApp support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Social media support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Knowledge base | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/features/knowledge-base)) |
| Customer portal | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| SLAs | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Ticket routing | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Automation | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Macros | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| AI replies | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/features/ai)) |
| AI ticket summaries | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Not confirmed |
| CSAT | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Custom fields | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |
| Multiple brands | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Not confirmed |
| Multilingual support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/features/knowledge-base)) |

## Integrations

| Feature | Zoho Desk | Hiver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shopify integration | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/integrations)) |
| CRM integrations | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/integrations)) |

## Technical

| Feature | Zoho Desk | Hiver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| API | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/integrations)) |
| Webhooks | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/integrations)) |

## Platforms

| Feature | Zoho Desk | Hiver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mobile apps | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |

## Security and compliance

| Feature | Zoho Desk | Hiver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GDPR compliance | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni)) |

## Pricing

| Feature | Zoho Desk | Hiver |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free plan | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage)) | Not confirmed |

## Evidence

- **Zoho Desk — Email ticketing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Email Support your customers across multiple email channels.”
- **Hiver — Email ticketing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Shared Inbox and ticketing Manage team inboxes (like support@) and track every request with clear ownership and full history.”
- **Zoho Desk — Shared inbox:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/. Evidence: “All your support conversations, one tidy inbox Bring customer conversations from every channel, organized in one contextual workspace.”
- **Hiver — Shared inbox:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Shared Inbox and ticketing Manage team inboxes (like support@) and track every request with clear ownership and full history.”
- **Zoho Desk — Live chat:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Business Messaging Embed a live chat widget on your website or app to engage in real-time conversations with logged-in customers and seamlessly convert chats into support tickets.”
- **Hiver — Live chat:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Omnichannel Manage email, live chat, and self-service support from one unified workspace.”
- **Zoho Desk — Phone support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Telephony Integrate with leading telephony providers and set up a toll-free number to provide inbound and outbound phone support to your customers.”
- **Hiver — Phone support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Voice Handle inbound and outbound calls, alongside other customer conversations.”
- **Zoho Desk — WhatsApp support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Instant messaging Communicate with customers on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, WeChat, and Line from Zoho Desk's Instant Messaging module.”
- **Hiver — WhatsApp support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Hiver Omni is a standalone platform that works with Gmail, Outlook, and other email providers. It brings email, live chat, Slack, voice, WhatsApp, and social into one workspace.”
- **Zoho Desk — Social media support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Social media Respond to brand mentions and support tickets received from Instagram, Facebook, and X using Zoho Desk's social media module.”
- **Hiver — Social media support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Hiver Omni is a standalone platform that works with Gmail, Outlook, and other email providers. It brings email, live chat, Slack, voice, WhatsApp, and social into one workspace.”
- **Zoho Desk — Knowledge base:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Knowledge base Create a repository of help articles, guides, and FAQs so customers can find assistance anytime.”
- **Hiver — Knowledge base:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/features/knowledge-base. Evidence: “Hiver AI builds your help center from scratch, drawing on your docs and past conversations.”
- **Hiver — Customer portal:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Customer Portal Give customers a self-service portal to submit and track requests.”
- **Zoho Desk — SLAs:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/. Evidence: “Commit Set service level agreements with automated escalations and deadline tracking.”
- **Hiver — SLAs:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “SLAs Set response and resolution targets to keep customer commitments on track.”
- **Zoho Desk — Ticket routing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Skill-based assignment Automatically route tickets to agents based on their proficiency and availability.”
- **Hiver — Ticket routing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Routing and assignments Route conversations and assign clear owners so nothing slips through the cracks.”
- **Zoho Desk — Automation:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/. Evidence: “Orchestrate Auto-trigger actions based on events and guide teams through step-by-step resolution processes.”
- **Hiver — Automation:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Rule-based Automations Automate repetitive work with rules that trigger actions when certain conditions are met.”
- **Hiver — Macros:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Email templates Save answers to common questions so teams can respond faster and stay consistent.”
- **Hiver — AI replies:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/features/ai. Evidence: “AI Copilot An intelligent coworker that routes requests, triages them, drafts the reply and surfaces resolution steps.”
- **Zoho Desk — AI ticket summaries:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Generative AI (BYOK) Connect your OpenAI (Availability: US, EU, AU, IN, JP, CA, UAE DCs ) or DeepSeek (Availability: CN DC) API key to enable GenAI capabilities such as customer sentiment analysis, contextual ticket summarization, and smart reply suggestions.”
- **Zoho Desk — CSAT:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Customer happiness ratings Automate the process of asking customers to rate the service upon ticket closure or after each response.”
- **Hiver — CSAT:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “CSAT surveys Capture feedback with customer satisfaction surveys.”
- **Zoho Desk — Custom fields:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Custom lookup fields Establish a one-to-many relationship between data fields across different modules.”
- **Hiver — Custom fields:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Custom Fields Capture details in predefined fields for better context, categorization, and analysis.”
- **Zoho Desk — Multiple brands:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Multi-brand help center Create self-service portals for multiple brands within the same Zoho Desk account.”
- **Zoho Desk — Multilingual support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Multilingual help center Publish Knowledge Base articles in over 40 languages.”
- **Hiver — Multilingual support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/features/knowledge-base. Evidence: “Multilingual Write an article once and publish it in every language your customers speak.”
- **Hiver — Shopify integration:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/integrations. Evidence: “Shopify See order status, fulfillment, and refunds beside the customer's message.”
- **Zoho Desk — CRM integrations:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/. Evidence: “Deeply integrated Integrates with 360+ apps, including the Zoho ecosystem and your existing stack.”
- **Hiver — CRM integrations:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/integrations. Evidence: “Salesforce Pull account, opportunity, and case data into the ticket and log every interaction back to the CRM.”
- **Hiver — API:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/integrations. Evidence: “Open APIs and webhooks let you pull any data point in and push updates back out.”
- **Zoho Desk — Webhooks:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Webhooks Send automated messages or information to third-party apps every time an event occurs in Zoho Desk.”
- **Hiver — Webhooks:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/integrations. Evidence: “Open APIs and webhooks let you pull any data point in and push updates back out.”
- **Hiver — Mobile apps:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Hiver Mobile apps Manage email and chat conversations on the go with Hiver’s mobile apps for Android and iOS.”
- **Hiver — GDPR compliance:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://hiverhq.com/pricing/hiver-omni. Evidence: “Hiver is GDPR, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, CCPA, and HIPAA compliant.”
- **Zoho Desk — Free plan:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.zoho.com/desk/pricing.html?source_from=zdesk_homepage. Evidence: “Zoho Desk Free Edition Easy email ticketing, right out of the box! Zoho Desk's free plan offers three user licenses to help you start small and grow your support team. ₹ 2,600 Free Forever”