Zendesk Support vs Ontraport vs Outgrow vs ActiveCampaign Comparison
Zendesk Support
Starting at $19 /user/month
- Free Trial
- Large Enterprises
- Medium Business
Zendesk Support is a cloud-based help desk application designed to help individuals easily manage service desk and the requests made by their users. The intuitive, easy to use interface uses natural language processing w…
Ontraport
Starting at $83 /month
- Free Trial
- Medium Business
- Small Business
Ontraport is a CRM and marketing automation platform designed for small and mid-sized businesses that need to manage contacts, automate marketing and sales, process payments, and build web experiences from a single syste…
Outgrow
Starting at Contact for pricing
- Free Trial
- Large Enterprises
- Medium Business
Outgrow is a powerful marketing automation suite that helps you grow your business with marketing and sales software integrations, lead scoring for sales, and personalization capabilities. It is an easy-to-use, powerful…
ActiveCampaign
Starting at $29 /User/Month
- Free Trial
- Freelancers / Consultants
- Large Enterprises
ActiveCampaign is the most powerful marketing automation tool designed to help you nail your next digital campaign. From nurture campaigns that convert new subscribers into long-term customers, to smart lead scoring that…
Zendesk Support leads on user satisfaction with a 4.7-star rating across 1,837 reviews.
Zendesk Support vs Ontraport vs Outgrow vs ActiveCampaign — at a glance
| Feature | Zendesk Support | Ontraport | Outgrow | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Reviews | 1,837 | 735 | 567 | 12,031 |
| Starting price | $19 /user/month | $83 /month | Contact for pricing | $29 /User/Month |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free version | No | No | No | No |
| Best for | Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business | Medium Business, Small Business | Large Enterprises, Medium Business, Small Business | Freelancers / Consultants, Large Enterprises, Medium Business |
| Category | Help Desk Software | Marketing Automation Software | Marketing Automation Software | Marketing Automation Software |
| Integrations | — | 51+ apps | — | — |
| Platforms | SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS | SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS, Browser Based (Cloud) | SaaS/Web/Cloud | SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS |
| API | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| Support modes | 24/7 (Live rep), Business Hours, Online | Business Hours, Online | 24/7 (Live rep), Online | Business Hours, Online |
| Certifications | SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001 | GDPR | GDPR | SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR |
| Data residency | Global | — | Global | Global |
Key differences between Zendesk Support and Ontraport
- Pricing: Zendesk Support starts at $19 /user/month, while Ontraport starts at $83 /month.
- Target audience: Zendesk Support is built for Large Enterprises and Medium Business, while Ontraport targets Medium Business and Small Business.
- User satisfaction: Zendesk Support scores higher with a 4.7-star average.
- Deployment: Zendesk Support supports SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS; Ontraport supports SaaS/Web/Cloud, Mobile - Android, Mobile - iOS, Browser Based (Cloud).
Compare Zendesk Support vs Ontraport vs Outgrow vs ActiveCampaign — and walk away knowing which one fits.
Which tool fits your team best
Which is actually cheaper for your team size
Where each product wins, per real buyers
Most Help Desk Software tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.
Biggest differences
Features
Pricing
Buying details
Security
Buyer feedback
Integrations
Product tour
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Biggest differences
Start here before you go deeper into features.
Best for streamlined, AI-powered help desk support in mid to large companies.
- You need an easy-to-use help desk with minimal training required.
- Your team benefits from automation and AI to boost productivity.
- You want complete visibility into customer requests across multiple channels.
- Your organization requires highly customized, complex workflows without relying on third-party integrations.
- You are a very small business or solo operator with minimal support needs.
Best for SMBs needing customizable CRM and marketing automation workflows.
- You require an all-in-one platform integrating CRM, marketing automation, and analytics.
- Your business needs highly customizable workflows with tags, triggers, and templates.
- You have a marketing or sales team ready to leverage advanced automation features.
- You want a simple, out-of-the-box solution with minimal setup and learning.
- Your team lacks time or technical skill to manage a medium-complexity platform.
Best for creating interactive lead generation content with easy marketing automation.
- You need to build quizzes, calculators, or surveys without coding skills.
- Your focus is on lead generation and customer engagement campaigns.
- You want a user-friendly platform with versatile customizable templates.
- Your company requires extensive third-party app integrations and marketplace options.
- You need complex, enterprise-level automation workflows beyond simple streamlined setups.
Best for SMBs needing powerful, flexible marketing automation with integrated CRM.
- You want robust automation workflows with a visual builder for complex campaigns.
- You need strong segmentation and targeting for personalized marketing efforts.
- You value responsive, knowledgeable customer support to help navigate the platform.
- You require highly advanced, flexible email design customization beyond platform limits.
- You prefer very simple, minimal automation tools with little to no learning curve.
Zendesk Support: Best for streamlined, AI-powered help desk support in mid to large companies. Ontraport: Best for SMBs needing customizable CRM and marketing automation workflows.
Description | Zendesk Support is a cloud-based help desk application designed to help individuals easily manage service desk and the requests made by their users. The intuitive, easy to use interface ... Read More about Zendesk Support | Ontraport is a CRM and marketing automation platform designed for small and mid-sized businesses that need to manage contacts, automate marketing and sales, process payments, and build web ... Read More about Ontraport | Outgrow is a powerful marketing automation suite that helps you grow your business with marketing and sales software integrations, lead scoring for sales, and personalization capabilities. ... Read More about Outgrow | ActiveCampaign is the most powerful marketing automation tool designed to help you nail your next digital campaign. From nurture campaigns that convert new subscribers into long-term ... Read More about ActiveCampaign |
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SpotScoreWhat's this? ↗ | 9.2/10 | 9.3/10 | 9.0/10 | 9.8/10 |
User RatingsBased on verified Spotsaas reviews | ||||
Best Company Size | 50-500 employees500+ employees | Small BusinessMedium Business | Small BusinessMedium Business | 10-500 employeesSmall to medium businesses |
Get pricing help | Get pricing help |
Where each option fits best
See where each product is strongest, which teams it fits, and what causes buyers to keep looking — before you commit.
Based on buyer reviews and verified product data collected by Spotsaas.
Key strengths
- Omnichannel Integration: Integrates customer interactions from email, chat, phone, and social media into a unified platform.
- Automation and AI Features: Offers automation tools and AI-powered responses to simplify support processes and improve efficiency.
- Scalability: Grows with your business, making it suitable for enterprises with expanding support needs.
No key benefits available yet.
No key benefits available yet.
- Smooth Automation: ActiveCampaign lets your marketing team create highly personalized customer experiences through reliable automation workflows. Set up a campaign that runs itself, engaging customers at the right moments without manual intervention.
- Advanced CRM Functionality: With its integrated CRM, ActiveCampaign helps you manage customer relationships efficiently. You'll gain insights into your sales pipeline and customer interactions, allowing you to make informed decisions that drive growth.
- Segmentation and Targeting: This platform lets you segment audiences precisely, making it easier to design messages based on user behavior and preferences. By doing so, you can significantly increase engagement rates and conversions.
Best fit
- 50–500+ Employees
- E-commerce, SaaS, Technology, Telecommunications, Retail
- Customer Support Manager, IT Support Specialist, Help Desk Administrator, Operations Manager, Customer Success Manager
No best-fit guidance available yet.
No best-fit guidance available yet.
- 10 to 500 employees
- Martech, SaaS, E-commerce, Consulting, and Nonprofits
- Marketing Managers, Sales Managers, Customer Success Representatives, and CRM Administrators
Reasons buyers look elsewhere
- While Zendesk offers a comprehensive suite of features, new support agents may face a steep learning curve due to its complex interface and ticketing system. This can lead to initial backlogs and delayed customer responses if not managed properly.
- Advanced customization options, such as personalized workflows and branding, are often restricted to higher-tier plans. Small to medium-sized businesses may find these limitations restrictive and may prefer platforms offering more flexibility at lower price points.
- Zendesk's pricing structure may be prohibitive for smaller teams or startups. The absence of a free tier and the cost of additional features can make it less appealing compared to more affordable alternatives.
No alternatives guidance available yet.
No alternatives guidance available yet.
- Pricing starts at $15/month for basic automation but scales to $300+/month for enterprise features — teams under 10 people often switch to Mailchimp or ConvertKit for lower entry costs
- Interface requires 2–3 weeks of training for non-technical users; competitors like HubSpot and Klaviyo offer faster setup paths
- E-commerce sellers need Shopify or WooCommerce native connectors that ActiveCampaign doesn't provide natively — integration requires custom API work
Software Demo
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How do Zendesk Support, Ontraport, Outgrow and ActiveCampaign Compare on Features?
Total Features | 29 Features | 69 Features | 19 Features | 30 Features |
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Unique Features | No unique features | No unique features | No unique features | No unique features |
Get Quote | Get Quote |
Compare Zendesk Support, Ontraport, Outgrow and ActiveCampaign on pricing
Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.
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Other Details
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Get help choosing | Get help choosing |
Security & Compliance
Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.
SOC 2 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
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HIPAA | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
GDPR | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
ISO 27001 | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
Single Sign-On (SSO) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Multi-Factor Auth (MFA) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Data Encryption | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Audit Logs | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Data Residency | 🌐 Global | — |
Zendesk Support vs Ontraport vs Outgrow User Reviews & Rating Comparison
User Ratings | ||||
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Rating Distribution | ||||
Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI | Buyer sentiment Overall positive sentiment highlights ease of use, automation capabilities, and comprehensive visibility, with some concerns about customization limits for large enterprises. What buyers like
Common complaints
| Buyer sentiment Overall, buyers appreciate Ontraport's powerful automation and comprehensive feature set but note a challenging learning curve and higher pricing. What buyers like
Common complaints
| Buyer sentiment Users generally praise Outgrow for its ease of use, customization options, and strong lead generation features, though some note limitations in integrations and advanced feature complexity. What buyers like
Common complaints
| Buyer sentiment Overall, buyers appreciate ActiveCampaign for its powerful automation, excellent support, and user-friendly interface, though some find the learning curve and email design limitations challenging. What buyers like
Common complaints
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Pros and Cons |
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Positive Reviews | No reviews available for the product | No reviews available for the product | No reviews available for the product | No reviews available for the product |
Integrations
Integration with other apps | No Integration information available. | No Integration information available. | No Integration information available. |
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List of Customers
Customers |  Uber  Siemens  Shopify | No Customers information available. |  Github  Codepen  VOD |  Platinum Skin Care  MOM  Heather Read Photography |
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Media and Screenshots
Screenshots |  5 Screenshots |  5 Screenshots |
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Videos |  2 Videos |  5 Videos |
Alternatives
Alternatives |
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Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better, Zendesk Support or Ontraport?
- Zendesk Support edges out the other on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.5). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
- Do Zendesk Support and Ontraport offer a free trial?
- Yes, both Zendesk Support and Ontraport offer a free trial.
- What is the starting price of Zendesk Support vs Ontraport?
- Zendesk Support starts at $19 /user/month. Ontraport starts at $83 /month.
- What are the top alternatives to Zendesk Support?
- Top alternatives to Zendesk Support include Zoho Desk, Deskero, Support Hub, HelpDesk, Desky.
- What are the top alternatives to Ontraport?
- Top alternatives to Ontraport include Outgrow, ActiveCampaign, CleverTap, Moosend, Omnisend.