Groove HQ vs Zendesk
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Groove HQ | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $20/seat/mo | From $89/seat/mo |
| Best For | Small businesses needing simple email-based customer support | Large enterprises needing comprehensive ticketing with compliance requirements |
| Standout Feature | Collision detection to prevent duplicate responses | Industry-leading ticketing system with 1000+ integrations |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.5 | 4.3/5 |
Groove HQ and Zendesk represent two different philosophies in customer support software. Groove HQ (G2 rating: 4.5/5) focuses on simplicity and affordability for small teams, while Zendesk (G2 rating: 4.3/5) offers enterprise-grade features with extensive integrations.
This comparison examines their pricing models, feature sets, and ideal use cases to help you choose the right platform for your team.
Feature Comparison
Groove HQ excels with its simple interface, affordable pricing, and solid knowledge base functionality, making it ideal for small teams focused on email support. However, it's limited in communication channels and lacks advanced features.
Zendesk offers over 1000 integrations and enterprise compliance (HIPAA/SOC2), providing comprehensive multi-channel support. The trade-off is complexity in setup and higher costs that scale with team size.
The choice depends on whether you prioritize simplicity and cost-effectiveness (Groove HQ) or comprehensive features and scalability (Zendesk).
Pricing Comparison
Groove HQ ranges from $16-$56 per agent per month, making it accessible for small teams with predictable per-agent costs.
Zendesk pricing spans $55-$169 per agent per month, significantly higher but includes more advanced features and integrations. The per-agent model can become expensive as teams grow.
For larger teams, the cost difference becomes substantial, with Zendesk potentially costing 3x more than Groove HQ's basic plans.
Groove HQ
Pros
- ✓ Simple, clean interface
- ✓ Good for small teams
- ✓ Affordable entry-level pricing
Cons
- ✗ Limited advanced features
- ✗ No modern messaging integrations
- ✗ Basic automation capabilities
Zendesk
Pros
- ✓ Industry-leading ticketing system with mature workflows
- ✓ Massive integration ecosystem with 1000+ apps
- ✓ Enterprise-grade security and compliance (HIPAA, SOC2)
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing scales with team size
- ✗ Complex setup and configuration
- ✗ AI features require additional costs
Verdict
Choose Groove HQ if you're a small team prioritizing email support with a simple interface and budget-friendly pricing. Choose Zendesk if you need extensive integrations, compliance features, and can justify the higher per-agent costs.
Choose Groove HQ if: You're a small team needing simple email support, want an intuitive interface, and prefer affordable per-agent pricing.
Choose Zendesk if: You require extensive integrations, need compliance features like HIPAA/SOC2, and can justify higher costs for advanced functionality.
Alternative consideration: Converge offers up to 15 agents for a flat $49/month, potentially providing better value for growing teams compared to both per-agent pricing models.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Groove HQ comparisons and all Zendesk comparisons.