Comparison
Enterprise helpdesk or SME solution?
Big helpdesk platforms are built for contact centres with many channels and many agents. A team of five to fifty people whose work centres on email pays there for scope it does not use, and still gets no CRM, no boards and no time tracking.
The comparison by criteria
No brand names. The criteria come from the questions small teams ask most often when switching.
| Criterion | Enterprise helpdesk | SME solution like 5sDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Contact centres and large service organisations with many channels and agents. | Teams of 3 to 50 people whose customer communication runs by email, portal and form. |
| Plan structure | Several tiers, with important features often only in the most expensive package. Add-on packages per topic. | Three plans, every module in each. The differences are only seats, API and white label. |
| AI | As an add-on per agent per month or per resolved conversation, on top of the licence. | Included in every plan. You use your own key with Anthropic or OpenAI, choose the model and set the spending limit. |
| CRM, boards, time tracking | Through integrations with further providers, each with its own subscription. | Built in, on the same data as the tickets. |
| Setup | Often with onboarding packages and consulting days. | Create an account, connect a mailbox, choose a plan. Setup checklist in the dashboard. |
| Hosting and data protection | Data centres depending on provider and plan, location sometimes selectable. | Hosted in Germany, DPA. |
| Language and who you talk to | International providers, support depending on plan. | A provider from Germany, interface in German and English, an answer from a human being. |
| Cost for a team of eight | Licence per agent plus AI package per agent plus further tools for CRM and time. | Basic: 8 × €29 = €232 per month, every module, AI at no extra cost. €200 per month with annual payment. |
Evidence
A support case in a small team
Step 1: An email becomes a ticket
Number, department, deadline. The sender is known, and the customer history sits in the sidebar.
Step 2: AI helps, at no extra cost
A summary of the thread at a click, a reply drafted from bullet points, checked and sent. The costs run through your own key.
Step 3: A card for the remaining work
The email becomes a card on the board, with a timer and billable time. No second tool.
Step 4: The customer sees the status
In the portal, in three plain-language groups. The reply becomes a help article.
When an SME solution is the better choice
For teams that combine customer service and project work, not for contact centres.
- Customer communication runs by email, portal and website form
- The team has 3 to 50 people
- CRM, boards, time tracking or appointments are needed alongside tickets
- AI should be usable without an add-on package and with cost control
- Hosting in Germany and a provider based in Germany are criteria
Features
The features behind it
Frequently asked questions
What does the AI cost with 5sDesk, by comparison?
Are we too small for an enterprise helpdesk?
How do we switch from a big platform?
Every module, AI at no extra cost, one plan
Try it for 30 days, cancel free of charge during the trial.