ActiveQ as a Zoho Desk alternative
Zoho Desk has a free plan and channels beyond email, and ActiveQ has neither, so the real question is whether you would use them. ActiveQ is a lighter ticketing desk and client portal for IT teams and MSPs that work by portal and email, at one flat price for a group of agents.
Start 14-day trialSee pricingNo card required. Sign-up is for US businesses.
Three questions that settle it
Zoho describes Zoho Desk as bringing customers, channels and context together to deliver customer service.2 Its pricing page lists a free plan with three user licenses and paid plans named Express, Standard, Professional and Enterprise.1 Ask yourself these, in order.
- Do customers need to reach you by live chat, WhatsApp, social media or phone? Zoho lists social, live chat, instant messaging and telephony across its plans, and ActiveQ does not offer them, taking requests by portal and email only.
- Do you need a public or multilingual help center? Zoho lists a knowledge base from Standard, a multilingual help center from Professional and a multi-brand help center on Enterprise. ActiveQ’s knowledge base is a help center for signed-in portal users only.
- Do you already run on other Zoho products, or want a free plan to start on? Then Zoho is the easier on-ramp, and Zoho says Zoho Desk integrates with more than 360 apps, including the Zoho ecosystem.
If all three answers are no, the comparison gets more even. Zoho Desk prices each user by plan, and ActiveQ charges one flat monthly price for a group of agents: $79.99 for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8 and $19.99 for each agent above 8, with no feature tiers and no free plan. For an MSP or an IT team that also supports clients, ActiveQ keeps many client organizations in one workspace, each with its own portal branding, forms, sign-in method and SLA policy; Zoho lists a multi-brand help center on its Enterprise plan, and you should check with Zoho how it handles multiple clients. ActiveQ AI assist runs only when a staff member clicks, and a person reviews each result.
The detail, as of 2026-10-12
| Topic | ActiveQ | Zoho Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $79.99 a month for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8, and $19.99 for each agent above 8, in US dollars before tax. Customers, contacts and portal users are free. See pricing. | A free plan with three user licenses, and paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional and Enterprise) priced per user, billed monthly or yearly. Prices on Zoho’s page vary by region and currency, so check Zoho for current prices. Source: Zoho Desk pricing page1 |
| Free plan and trial | 14-day trial with every feature and no card required. There is no permanent free tier. | The pricing page describes a 15-day free trial of a paid plan, after which the account is downgraded to the free plan. Source: Zoho Desk pricing page, FAQ1 |
| Customer channels | Portal and email. ActiveQ does not offer chat or phone. | The pricing page lists email, social media and web forms from Express, a live chat widget and instant messaging including WhatsApp from Standard, and telephony from Professional. ActiveQ does not offer these channels. Source: Zoho Desk pricing page1 |
| Help center | A knowledge base with a help center for signed-in portal users. Portals also let requesters follow each ticket’s progress. | A knowledge base is listed from Standard, a multilingual help center from Professional, and a multi-brand help center on Enterprise. Zoho’s product page describes a branded help center where customers track tickets and find answers. ActiveQ’s help center is for signed-in portal users only: no public site, no multilingual or multi-brand help center. Source: Zoho Desk pricing page1 Source: Zoho Desk2 |
| SLAs | Response and resolution targets by priority, with policies per team or client organization, a live countdown on each ticket, and business hours or calendar hours. The clock pauses while a ticket waits on the customer. | Zoho’s product page describes setting service level agreements with automated escalations and deadline tracking, and its pricing FAQ lists SLAs among the features gained by upgrading from the free plan. Check Zoho for which plans include which SLA options. Source: Zoho Desk2 Source: Zoho Desk pricing page, FAQ1 |
| AI | AI assist runs only when a staff member clicks, and a person reviews every result. Summaries, triage, translation, polish and resolution notes come from included runs; reply and help-article drafts use credits. | Zoho describes its Zia assistant as surfacing insights and drafting responses, and the pricing page lists Zia AI on Professional. Source: Zoho Desk2 Source: Zoho Desk pricing page1 |
| Integrations | An API and signed webhooks. No native prebuilt integrations with other tools yet; Zapier (invite-link app) connects it to other apps. | Zoho says Zoho Desk integrates with more than 360 apps, including the Zoho ecosystem. Source: Zoho Desk2 |
| IT service management | Light ITSM: incidents, requests, approvals and tasks. Problem and change are ticket types you link to other tickets. No asset management or CMDB. | Zoho’s Zoho Desk page describes customer support features and does not describe asset management or a CMDB. Check Zoho for its other products. Source: Zoho Desk2 |
Common questions
Is ActiveQ cheaper than Zoho Desk?
It depends on how many agents you have and which Zoho Desk plan you compare with. As of 2026-10-12, the Zoho Desk pricing page listed a free plan with three user licenses and four paid plans priced per user. ActiveQ has no free plan and costs $79.99 a month for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8 and $19.99 for each agent above 8, in US dollars before tax. Check Zoho’s current prices for your region against your own agent count, or use the help desk cost calculator.
Does ActiveQ have a free plan like Zoho Desk?
No. ActiveQ has no permanent free tier. Every workspace starts with a 14-day trial with every feature and no card required, and then moves to a paid plan if you keep it.
Can I try ActiveQ before moving off Zoho Desk?
Yes. Every ActiveQ workspace starts with a 14-day trial with every feature and no card required. CSV import covers contacts and organizations; tickets from your old tool are not imported, so they stay where they are.
Take it for a spin
You have 14 days with every feature, no card. Pricing and the help desk cost calculator help you size it, ActiveQ for internal IT and ActiveQ for MSPs show the two main setups, and about ActiveQ explains who builds it. Other comparisons: Freshdesk, Freshservice and Help Scout, or all comparisons.
Sources
- Zoho, Zoho Desk pricing page and FAQ. Last verified 2026-10-12.
- Zoho, Zoho Desk. Last verified 2026-10-12.