Comparison
SLA Desk vs Zendesk
Zendesk is the broadest customer service suite on the market. SLA Desk does less, on purpose: email and portal ticketing with SLA policies, business hours and escalation built into one flat price.
No payment card for the trial. £5 per agent per month after that.
At a glance
| SLA Desk | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Price compared | £5 per agent / month, one plan | £45 per agent / month (Suite Team, billed annually) |
| SLA policies and business hours | Included | No. SLA policies sit on higher plans. |
| Channels | Email and customer portal | Email, web, messaging, live chat, voice, social |
| Free plan | No. A month free, no card | No, free trial only |
| Contract | Monthly, pro-rata, cancel any time | List prices shown are for annual billing |
Zendesk plans as listed on its pricing page on 30 September 2026: Support Team £15, Suite Team £45, Suite Professional £89, Suite Enterprise (quote only). Prices exclude VAT and add-ons, and vendors change them, so check before you decide. Zendesk is a trademark of Zendesk, Inc.; SLA Desk is not affiliated with it.
What a year costs
Seat cost for twelve months at list price. SLA Desk bills in pounds; Zendesk is shown in the currency it lists.
| Agents | SLA Desk | Zendesk Suite Team |
|---|---|---|
| 3 agents | £180 | £1,620 |
| 5 agents | £300 | £2,700 |
| 10 agents | £600 | £5,400 |
| 20 agents | £1,200 | £10,800 |
Which one fits
Where Zendesk is stronger
- Every channel in one place: messaging, live chat, voice and social alongside email.
- A very large marketplace of apps and integrations.
- Native mobile apps and mature AI agents, billed per automated resolution.
- Enterprise features such as sandboxes, skills-based routing and workforce management.
Choose Zendesk if you need live chat, phone and social in the same tool, or you depend on its integrations marketplace.
Where SLA Desk is stronger
- SLA policies, business-hours calendars and escalation rules on every account, not a higher tier.
- One price per agent with nothing held back for an upgrade.
- A branded customer portal and knowledge base that can run on your own domain.
- A smaller product that a team can set up in an afternoon.
Choose SLA Desk if your support runs on email and a portal, you commit to response times, and you want a bill that does not grow with every feature you switch on.
Questions
Is SLA Desk a full Zendesk replacement?
For email and portal ticketing with SLAs, yes. SLA Desk has no live chat, phone or social channels, so teams that rely on those should keep a tool that has them.
Can we move our Zendesk tickets across?
Yes. Tickets, customers and knowledge base articles can be imported. Tell us about your setup during the trial and we will help with the mapping.
How much does SLA Desk cost?
£5 per agent per month, every feature included, billed monthly with no annual commitment. Every account starts with a month free and no payment card.
Try SLA Desk alongside Zendesk for a month.
Point a copy of your support email at it, set up your SLA policies, and compare. No payment card needed.