B2B customer support software is challenging to evaluate. With hundreds of platforms promising similar features and comparable pricing, finding the right fit for your team can feel overwhelming.

To help you build a shortlist of serious contenders, we've researched dozens of support platforms, diving deep into their B2B capabilities, customer reviews, and real-world performance with modern business communication channels.

The result: We found 15 customer support software platforms that excel at serving B2B companies, with features that cater specifically to complex business relationships, modern communication preferences, and developer-friendly integrations.

TL;DR of the best B2B customer support software

Get a quick summary of our picks for the best B2B customer support software below. For detailed analysis of each platform, scroll down to our comprehensive reviews.

Plain is the best overall B2B customer support software because of its lightning-fast performance, native support for all messaging channels, and API-first approach. Support customers across Slack, Teams, Discord, chat, forms, and email from one unified platform with AI-powered everything.

Zendesk remains the top choice for large enterprises with complex, high-volume support operations thanks to its extensive customization options and robust reporting capabilities.

Intercom leads the AI-first category with advanced automation and conversational support, ideal for product-led growth companies.

HubSpot Service Hub is perfect for teams already using HubSpot's ecosystem, offering seamless CRM integration and comprehensive customer lifecycle management.

Front excels for teams that primarily manage customer relationships through email, with powerful shared inbox capabilities and team collaboration features.

Gorgias dominates the B2B ecommerce space with deep integrations into major commerce platforms and automated order management.

Help Scout offers excellent value for smaller B2B teams with its intuitive interface and comprehensive feature set at an affordable price point.

Freshdesk provides strong multi-channel support with AI automation at competitive pricing, suitable for growing B2B companies.

Linear (with support integrations) is ideal for technical B2B companies that need tight integration between customer feedback and product development.

Slack (as a support channel) works well for B2B companies whose customers prefer business messaging for support interactions.

Microsoft Teams (with support apps) serves enterprise B2B environments where Teams is the primary business communication platform.

Discord (for community support) benefits B2B companies with active developer or user communities.

Notion (with support templates) suits smaller B2B teams that want to integrate support with their existing workspace.

Airtable (with support workflows) is perfect for B2B companies that need highly customizable support processes and reporting.

Chatwoot (open source) provides cost-effective, self-hosted support for technical B2B teams.

What is B2B customer support software?

B2B customer support software is a system that businesses use to manage, track, and resolve support requests from other businesses. Unlike B2C support tools, B2B platforms must handle complex account relationships, longer sales cycles, and the unique communication preferences of business customers.

Modern B2B support software goes beyond traditional ticketing by integrating with the communication channels businesses actually use—like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Discord—while providing the account management capabilities needed for complex B2B relationships.

The terms "help desk software," "customer success platform," and "business support software" are often used interchangeably, though each may emphasize different aspects of the B2B support experience.

The benefits of using modern B2B customer support software

Traditional email-based support might work when you're starting out, but as your B2B relationships become more complex, you need a platform designed for business communication preferences and account complexity. Research consistently shows the business impact of superior customer support:

Deliver measurable ROI. According to research by Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can boost profits by 25-95%, with the exact percentage varying by industry. McKinsey research shows that experience-led growth companies achieve 5-10% revenue gains within two years.

Meet customers where they work. McKinsey's 2024 B2B Pulse research shows B2B customers now use an average of 10+ touchpoints across their buying journey, with roughly equal preferences for in-person, remote, and digital self-service channels (the "rule of thirds").

Handle complex account relationships. B2B support involves multiple stakeholders, ongoing projects, and complex product implementations. Purpose-built B2B tools manage this complexity effectively.

Scale support efficiently while reducing costs. Forrester research demonstrates that modern customer service platforms deliver 315% ROI over three years with less than 6-month payback periods. Gartner analysis shows agent interactions cost $8 on average while self-service costs only $0.10 per interaction.

Drive revenue growth through support. Salesforce's 2024 State of Service Report reveals that 91% of organizations now track service-driven revenue, up from 51% in 2018.

The different types of B2B customer support software

B2B customer support software can be categorized by both its primary function and the communication channels it supports. Understanding these categories will help you identify the right solution for your specific B2B support model.

Key features of modern B2B customer support software

The most effective B2B support platforms share several core capabilities that differentiate them from traditional consumer support tools:

Business messaging integration: Native support for Slack Connect, Microsoft Teams, Discord, and other platforms where your B2B customers actually communicate.

Account management: Tools to manage complex B2B relationships with multiple contacts, ongoing projects, and account health tracking.

Developer-friendly APIs: Robust APIs and webhooks that allow deep integration with your existing business tools and custom workflows.

Technical support workflows: Features designed for escalating technical issues to engineering teams and tracking resolution progress.

Team collaboration: Internal communication tools that help your team coordinate responses across complex B2B accounts.

AI and automation: Smart routing, response drafting, and issue categorization that understands B2B context and urgency. HubSpot's 2024 State of Service Report shows 92% of CRM leaders report AI has improved response times, with 77% believing AI will handle most tickets by 2025.

Integration ecosystem: Pre-built connections to CRM systems, project management tools, and development platforms commonly used in B2B environments.

Advanced reporting: Analytics that go beyond simple ticket metrics to include account health, customer satisfaction trends, and business impact.

The 15 best B2B customer support software platforms

Based on our evaluation of B2B-specific features, modern communication channel support, and real-world performance with business customers, here are the top platforms for B2B support in 2025.

1. Plain – Best overall B2B customer support software

Plain stands out as the best overall B2B customer support platform because of its lightning-fast performance, native business messaging support, and developer-first approach that modern B2B companies demand.

Unified business communication Plain's core strength is consolidating all your B2B customer communications—Slack, Teams, Discord, email, and in-app messages—into one lightning-fast interface. Unlike traditional help desks that treat business messaging as an afterthought, Plain was built from the ground up for how B2B customers actually communicate.

The platform's 100ms interface means your team can work through customer requests without the lag that plagues traditional support tools. Every customer message appears instantly in Plain's unified inbox, regardless of whether it came from Slack Connect, Teams, email, or your product's built-in support forms.

AI-powered efficiency Plain's AI capabilities are designed to augment your team rather than replace human judgment. The platform automatically triages incoming requests, drafts contextual responses based on your knowledge base and past conversations, and summarizes lengthy threads so your team can get up to speed instantly.

According to Plain's published metrics, customers report 30-50% faster response times and up to 40% lower costs compared to traditional support tools, with an average 42% reduction in response times.

Developer-centric integrations What sets Plain apart for B2B companies is its API-first architecture. The platform provides the same GraphQL API internally that it uses, meaning you can deeply customize Plain to fit your specific B2B workflows. Integration with engineering tools like Linear, GitHub, and Jira is seamless, making it easy to escalate technical issues and keep customers informed about resolution progress.

Plain's data model is fully configurable, allowing you to define custom fields, nest them, and choose from various data types—crucial for complex B2B products with unique customer data requirements.

Enterprise-ready security Plain meets the security standards that B2B customers expect, with SOC2 Type II compliance and GDPR compliance built into the platform's architecture.

Pricing Plain offers transparent, team-based pricing that scales with your support organization rather than penalizing you for customer growth. View Plain's current pricing and offers a free 14 day trial.

2. Zendesk – Best for large enterprise B2B operations

Zendesk remains the gold standard for large enterprise B2B support operations that need extensive customization and can handle complex implementation requirements.

With Zendesk Sunshine™, technical teams can create custom applications that integrate support directly into your B2B product experience. This level of customization makes it ideal for complex B2B products with unique support requirements.

According to Zendesk's CX Trends 2025 report, 75% of CX leaders expect 80% of customer interactions to be resolved without human intervention, making Zendesk's automation capabilities particularly relevant for large-scale B2B operations.

Key strengths:

• Extensive customization capabilities

• Robust reporting and analytics

• Mature integration ecosystem

• Handles high support volumes effectively

Considerations:

• Complex onboarding process

• Requires dedicated IT resources

• Can be overwhelming for smaller B2B teams

Pricing Multiple pricing tiers available. View Zendesk's current pricing.

3. Intercom – Best conversational AI B2B support

Intercom leads the market in AI-powered customer support automation, making it ideal for product-led growth B2B companies that want to scale support efficiently.

Fin 2, Intercom's AI agent, can handle sophisticated B2B conversations and integrates with your existing business data to provide contextual responses about account status, subscription details, and product usage.

Key strengths:

• Advanced AI automation

• Strong product messaging capabilities

• Excellent for product-led B2B companies

• Comprehensive conversation tracking

Pricing Multiple plans available. View Intercom's current pricing.

4. HubSpot Service Hub – Best for integrated B2B customer lifecycle

HubSpot Service Hub excels when you need support software that integrates seamlessly with your existing B2B sales and marketing operations.

The platform's strength lies in its unified view of the B2B customer journey, from initial sales contact through ongoing support relationships. This makes it ideal for B2B companies that want to align support with customer success and account management.

Key strengths:

• Deep CRM integration

• Customer lifecycle visibility

• Strong reporting across business functions

• Familiar HubSpot ecosystem

Pricing Free tier available. View HubSpot Service Hub pricing.

5. Front – Best for email-centric B2B relationships

Front excels for email-centric B2B relationships with shared inbox capabilities that handle complex business correspondence and team collaboration on customer communications.

Key strengths:

• Superior shared inbox management

• Personal and team email integration

• Strong collaboration features

• Ideal for agencies and consultancies

Pricing Multiple plans available. View Front's current pricing.

6. Gorgias – Best for B2B ecommerce

Gorgias dominates B2B ecommerce with deep integrations into commerce platforms and automated order management workflows, making it ideal for businesses selling to other businesses through online channels.

Key strengths:

• Deep ecommerce platform integrations

• Order management automation

• B2B commerce-specific features

• Strong Shopify partnership

Pricing Multiple plans available. View Gorgias' current pricing.

7. Help Scout – Best value for growing B2B teams

Help Scout provides excellent value for smaller B2B teams with its intuitive interface and comprehensive features at affordable pricing, making sophisticated support accessible to growing businesses.

Key strengths:

• Intuitive, easy-to-use interface

• Comprehensive feature set

• Affordable pricing

• Strong knowledge base capabilities

Pricing Free trial available. View Help Scout's current pricing.

8. Freshdesk – Best for multi-channel B2B support

Freshdesk provides strong multi-channel support with AI automation and competitive pricing for growing B2B companies that need comprehensive support capabilities without enterprise complexity.

Key strengths:

• Multi-channel support

• AI-powered automation

• Competitive pricing

• Easy implementation

Pricing Free plan available. View Freshdesk's current pricing.

9. Linear (with integrations) – Best for technical B2B products

Linear, when paired with support integrations, is perfect for technical B2B products requiring tight integration between customer feedback and development workflows, enabling seamless issue tracking and product improvement cycles.

Key strengths:

• Deep product development integration

• Issue tracking and prioritization

• Developer-friendly workflows

• Technical customer feedback management

10. Slack (as support channel) – Best for business messaging support

Slack works well for B2B companies whose customers prefer business messaging for support interactions, especially when integrated with dedicated support tools for comprehensive ticket management.

Key strengths:

• Native business communication

• Familiar to B2B customers

• Integration with other tools

• Real-time collaboration

11. Microsoft Teams (with support apps) – Best for Microsoft-centric enterprises

Microsoft Teams with support apps serves enterprise B2B environments where Teams is the primary business communication platform, providing seamless integration with existing Microsoft workflows.

Key strengths:

• Native Microsoft ecosystem integration

• Enterprise security compliance

• Familiar interface for business users

• Strong adoption in large organizations

12. Discord (for community support) – Best for developer communities

Discord benefits B2B companies with active developer communities and technical user bases, providing community-driven support and engagement for technical products.

Key strengths:

• Strong developer community features

• Real-time communication

• Community moderation tools

• Technical user engagement

13. Notion (with support templates) – Best for integrated workspace support

Notion with support templates suits smaller B2B teams that want integrated support documentation and processes within their existing workspace, providing flexibility and customization.

Key strengths:

• Flexible workspace integration

• Customizable templates

• Documentation capabilities

• Team collaboration features

14. Airtable (with workflows) – Best for customizable support processes

Airtable with support workflows is perfect for B2B companies that need highly customizable support processes and reporting, offering database flexibility with workflow automation.

Key strengths:

• Highly customizable database structure

• Advanced reporting capabilities

• Workflow automation

• Integration capabilities

15. Chatwoot (open source) – Best for self-hosted B2B support

Chatwoot provides cost-effective, self-hosted support for technical B2B teams that want control over their infrastructure while maintaining comprehensive support capabilities.

Key strengths:

• Open source flexibility

• Self-hosted option

• Cost-effective solution

• Technical team control

Industry research: The state of B2B customer support

Understanding current industry trends helps contextualize your platform choice. Here are key findings from recent research:

ROI and Cost Effectiveness

Forrester's Total Economic Impact study demonstrates that modern customer service platforms deliver:

• 315% ROI over three years

• Less than 6-month payback periods

• 25-45% reduction in support operations costs

AI Adoption and Impact

HubSpot's 2024 State of Service Report reveals:

• 92% of CRM leaders report AI has improved response times

• 77% believe AI will handle most tickets by 2025

• 78% of customers prefer to solve issues independently through self-service

Customer Expectations and Channel Preferences

McKinsey's customer care research shows:

• 65% of support tasks and 50-70% of contacts can be automated

• B2B customers use 10+ touchpoints across their journey

• Experience leaders achieve 17% compound revenue growth vs 3% for laggards

Cost of Poor Support

Research by Qualtrics XM Institute quantifies the impact:

• U.S. businesses risk losing $856 billion annually due to poor customer service

• 51% of customers reduce spending after negative experiences

• 1-point CSAT increase correlates with 0.04% revenue increase

How to choose the right B2B customer support software

Selecting B2B customer support software requires evaluating both your current needs and how your business communication preferences align with your customers' expectations.

Answer key questions before evaluating platforms

Where do your B2B customers prefer to communicate? According to Forrester's 2024 research on B2B buying, only 27 of 538 B2B companies qualify as "customer obsessed," and 86% of B2B purchases stall during the buying process. Your platform choice should eliminate friction in your customers' preferred communication channels.

How complex are your B2B relationships? Simple transactional B2B relationships have different support needs than complex, multi-stakeholder enterprise accounts. Choose platforms that match your relationship complexity.

What's your technical integration capacity? Some platforms require significant technical setup while others work out of the box. Be realistic about your team's ability to implement and maintain integrations.

How quickly do you need to implement? B2B support software implementation can range from same-day setup to months-long enterprise deployments. Set realistic expectations based on your timeline constraints.

Create a shortlist based on B2B-specific criteria

Focus your evaluation on platforms that specifically address B2B needs:

• Business messaging support: Does the platform natively support Slack, Teams, or Discord?

• Account management: Can it handle complex B2B relationships with multiple contacts and ongoing projects?

• Technical escalation: Does it facilitate collaboration between support and engineering teams?

• Integration capabilities: Will it connect with your existing B2B business tools?

• Security compliance: Does it meet the security standards your B2B customers require?

Test platforms with real B2B scenarios

When evaluating platforms, test them with scenarios that reflect your actual B2B support challenges:

• Complex multi-stakeholder conversations

• Technical issues requiring engineering escalation

• Account management across multiple communication channels

• Integration with your existing business tool stack

Consider the total cost of ownership

Gartner research shows significant cost variations:

• Agent interactions: $8 average cost

• Self-service: $0.10 average cost

• Implementation and training costs vary dramatically by platform complexity

Factor in not just licensing costs, but implementation time, training requirements, and ongoing maintenance when making your decision.

Conclusion

The B2B customer support landscape has fundamentally evolved. As Zendesk's 2025 CX Trends report predicts, 75% of CX leaders expect 80% of customer interactions to be resolved without human intervention, while customers increasingly expect support through business messaging platforms.

Your platform choice should reflect these changing expectations while providing the account management sophistication that B2B relationships demand. Whether you choose Plain for its lightning-fast, developer-first approach, or another platform that better fits your specific needs, the key is selecting a solution that scales with your business growth and meets your customers where they prefer to communicate.

Ready to experience modern, collaborative B2B customer support? Plain offers a free trial so you can experience lightning-fast, AI-powered B2B support firsthand.