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Customer Support · head to head

Groove vs Zoho Desk

Groove logo

Groove

Customer Support

Simple, powerful support for growing businesses

From
$12/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Desk logo

Zoho Desk

Customer Support

Context-aware help desk software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho Desk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Groove billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch; Zoho Desk free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats
  • They diverge on capability: Groove covers Shared inbox, Zoho Desk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Groove and Zoho Desk actually diverge.

Attributes where Groove and Zoho Desk differ
AttributeGrooveZoho Desk
Starting price$12/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20111996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Groove

  • Shared inbox
  • Live chat
  • Automation rules
  • Collision detection
  • Zapier
  • Trello
  • Jira
  • SSL

Only in Zoho Desk

  • Ticket management
  • Multi-channel support
  • AI assistant
  • Automation
  • Zoho CRM
  • G Suite
  • Microsoft 365
  • SOC2

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Groove

  • Shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teamsnot Zoho Desk
  • Handling email, chat and messaging support in one queuenot Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

  • Multi-channel supportnot Groove
  • IT help desknot Groove
  • Customer servicenot Groove

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Groove

  • Billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • A minimum of 250 tickets a month applies, which is a $3,000 annual commitment before any usage
  • A quiet month still pays the 250 ticket floor
  • No mailbox limit is published

Zoho Desk

  • Free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats

Pricing, plan by plan

Groove

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • 1 mailbox
    • Knowledge base
    • Live chat
  • Plus$20/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Full reporting
    • Rules
  • Pro$35/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Salesforce
    • Enterprise SSO

Zoho Desk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 agents
    • Email ticketing
    • Help center
  • Standard$14/month
    • Social channels
    • Workflow automation
    • Customer happiness ratings
  • Professional$23/month
    • Multi-department
    • Round-robin assignment
    • Custom fields
  • Enterprise$40/month
    • AI Zia
    • Multi-brand help center
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Groove if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want live chat.
Groove review

Choose Zoho Desk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want multi-channel support.
Zoho Desk review

Questions people ask

Is Groove or Zoho Desk better?
Neither clearly leads. Groove starts at $12/month and Zoho Desk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Groove or Zoho Desk?
Zoho Desk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/month for Groove and Free for Zoho Desk.
Does Groove or Zoho Desk run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Zoho Desk for free?
Yes. Zoho Desk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Groove starts at $12/month.
What is Groove best used for?
Groove is most often used for shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teams, handling email, chat and messaging support in one queue. Of those, shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teams and handling email, chat and messaging support in one queue are not what Zoho Desk is typically brought in for.
What can Groove do that Zoho Desk cannot?
Groove covers Shared inbox, Live chat, Automation rules, Collision detection. Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation. Both handle Knowledge base, Reporting, Slack, Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Groove: How is Helply priced?

Helply uses per-ticket pricing at 1 dollar per ticket. This single price covers all features including resolutions, drafts, churn alerts, upsell flags, feature requests, and documentation.

Source
Zoho Desk: What is the starting price and trial period?

Zoho Desk offers a free forever plan with 3 user licenses, plus paid tiers starting from ₹420 per user per month when billed annually. A 15-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card.

Source
Groove: Do I need to pay per team member for Helply?

No, Helply charges per ticket, not per seat. You can bring your entire team, AEs, PMs, and integrations without additional per-person charges.

Source
Zoho Desk: Are there lock-ins or hidden costs?

No lock-ins and no hidden costs. Once your 15-day free trial ends, your plan automatically downgrades to the free plan.

Source
Groove: What's included in Helply's per-ticket price?

The per-ticket price of 1 dollar includes resolutions, drafts, churn alerts, upsell flags, feature requests, documentation, and all AI capabilities with no separate add-on charges.

Source
Zoho Desk: What payment methods are accepted?

Zoho Desk accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal. Bank transfer or check transfer is accepted for yearly subscriptions.

Source
Groove: Is there a free trial for Helply?

Helply offers a free 12-minute demo walkthrough. Enterprise plans are also available for larger organizations.

Source
Zoho Desk: Are there discounts for annual commitments?

Yes, Zoho Desk offers discounts on upfront annual commitments, with savings up to 34% off monthly rates.

Source
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