# What is the most affordable service desk software for SMBs?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Hey everyone! Looking for some advice. </p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">We’re a smaller IT team trying to get a proper <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/service-desk">service desk software</a> in place, but budget is a big factor. We don’t need all the enterprise bells and whistles; just something affordable, reliable, and not a nightmare to set up.</p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">From the G2 Grid, here are some of the names that stood out:</p><ul>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/autotask/reviews"><strong>Autotask</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Strong mix of features and high satisfaction, though it might be more than some SMBs need.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/atera/reviews"><strong>Atera</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Cloud-based, lightweight, and affordable. Looks like a solid fit for SMBs that want simplicity and quick setup.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/jira-service-management/reviews"><strong>Jira Service Management:</strong></a> very popular and makes sense when using Atlassian already, but not always the cheapest option once you scale.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/freshservice/reviews"><strong>Freshservice:</strong></a> ITIL-aligned with good automation</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/servicenow-it-service-management/reviews"><strong>ServiceNow IT Service Management:</strong></a> Definitely powerful, but feels more enterprise-grade (and enterprise-priced).</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/spiceworks-cloud-help-desk/reviews"><strong>Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk</strong></a><strong>: </strong>Known for being free and straightforward</li>
</ul><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Other names I’ve seen SMBs mention a lot are <strong>Zoho Desk, SolarWinds Service Desk, and HappyFox</strong>. For those of you in SMB IT, what’s been the best bang-for-buck service desk tool? Do you go with a lightweight free/low-cost option like Spiceworks, or invest in something more scalable like Atera or Freshservice?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 11 months ago
- Author title: SaaS and Software Research
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;Is it smarter to start with something super lightweight/free mentioned here https://www.g2.com/categories/service-desk/free  and then switch later as we grow, or just bite the bullet early and pick a tool that can scale? Switching platforms down the line can get pretty painful.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 11 months ago
- Author title: SaaS and Software Research





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