Zendesk vs HubSpot Service Hub: An Honest Comparison for 2026

Let's talk about your options

If you're reading this, you're probably knee-deep in researching customer support platforms. Maybe you're frustrated with your current setup. Maybe your team is scaling and your tools aren't keeping up. Or maybe you're just starting out and want to make the right choice from day one.

Either way, you've likely come across both Zendesk and HubSpot Service Hub. They're frequently mentioned in the same breath, which makes comparing them important if you want to make an informed decision.

Zendesk (2007) positions itself as “Support Specialist” — Dedicated customer support platform.

HubSpot Service Hub (2006) takes a different approach: “CRM-Connected Support” — Support built into the HubSpot CRM ecosystem.

We've spent significant time with both platforms. Here's what we honestly think.

Who should actually consider each option?

Before we dive into features and pricing, let's be real about who each platform is actually built for. Not every tool is right for every team, and that's okay.

What each platform does well

Let's start with the positives. Both platforms have been around for years and have real strengths.

What we like about Zendesk

Zendesk has built a solid reputation over the years, and for good reason:

• Purpose-built for customer support
• Larger integration marketplace
• More advanced ticketing features
• Stronger reporting for support metrics
• Better for support-only teams

What we like about HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub brings its own set of strengths to the table:

• Native CRM integration (single source of truth)
• Free tier available
• Unified customer timeline
• Sales + Support + Marketing alignment
• Better for revenue-focused teams

Where each platform falls short

No software is perfect. Here's where each platform will likely frustrate you.

Our frustrations with Zendesk

After spending time with Zendesk, these issues stood out:

• No native CRM - requires integration
• Sales and support data siloed
• AI is expensive add-on
• No marketing alignment
• Higher total cost if using separate CRM

Our frustrations with HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub isn't without its problems either:

• Less sophisticated ticketing
• Smaller integration marketplace
• Full features require expensive Enterprise
• Can be slow with large databases
• Overwhelming for support-only use cases

Feature-by-feature breakdown

If you're the type who wants to see exactly what you get with each platform, here's the detailed breakdown. We've highlighted the features that we think matter most.

Let's talk money

Pricing is often the deciding factor, so let's break down what you'll actually pay. Keep in mind that both platforms love to hide costs in add-ons, so the sticker price rarely tells the whole story.

What Zendesk will cost you

What HubSpot Service Hub will cost you

So, which one should you choose?

After all this analysis, here's our honest take: HubSpot Service Hub wins for teams wanting CRM-integrated support. Zendesk wins for dedicated support teams.

If you use HubSpot CRM, Service Hub is the obvious choice. If you want standalone support with AI automation, consider Open instead.

Common questions

Here are the questions we hear most often from people comparing these platforms.