How to Cancel Zendesk in 2026 (Downgrade + Export Tickets + Alternatives)

Updated 2026-02-26 · 8 min read

Zendesk Pricing Breakdown

• Support Team ($19/agent/month): Basic ticketing, email channel only
• Suite Team ($55/agent/month): Multi-channel (email, chat, phone, social), help center
• Suite Growth ($89/agent/month): Multiple ticket forms, SLA management, multilingual content
• Suite Professional ($115/agent/month): Skills-based routing, CSAT surveys, custom analytics — this is where most teams land
• Suite Enterprise ($169/agent/month): Custom roles, sandbox, advanced data protection
• Add-ons: Advanced AI ($50/agent), Workforce Management ($25/agent), QA ($35/agent) — all billed separately
• Annual billing required for best pricing. Monthly billing adds 20-30%

Step 1: Export All Tickets and Data

Before canceling, back up everything:

1. Tickets: Admin Center → Account → Tools → Reports → Export → Full JSON export (includes all tickets, comments, attachments)
2. Help Center articles: Guide Admin → each article can be exported, or use the Zendesk API for bulk export
3. User data: Admin Center → People → Bulk export users as CSV
4. Macros and triggers: Document all automation rules — screenshot or export via API
5. Views and SLAs: Screenshot all custom views and SLA policies
6. Knowledge base: Export all articles including any community forum posts

Step 2: Cancel Your Subscription

1. Go to Admin Center → Account → Billing → Subscription
2. Click Cancel subscription or Manage plan
3. If you can't cancel from the UI (common on annual plans), email billing@zendesk.com
4. Include your account subdomain, company name, and desired cancellation date
5. Request confirmation that auto-renewal is disabled
6. Annual plans: You can cancel but access continues until the contract end date. No partial refunds

Step 3: Reduce Agents to Save Immediately

If you can't cancel outright, reduce costs while you migrate:

• Remove inactive agents: Check agent activity — any agent who hasn't logged in for 30+ days can be removed
• Downgrade plan: Suite Professional → Suite Team saves $60/agent/month
• Remove add-ons: Advanced AI, WFM, and QA can each be canceled independently
• Light agents: Convert full agents to light agents (view-only, included free with Suite plans)

Better Alternatives

• Freshdesk (Free-$79/agent/month): Nearly identical features, free plan supports up to 10 agents with email and social ticketing
• Help Scout ($22/user/month): Clean interface, shared inbox, knowledge base — great for small teams
• Intercom ($29/seat/month): Conversational support with AI chatbot, better for SaaS companies
• Crisp ($0-95/month): Flat pricing (not per-agent), includes live chat, chatbot, and knowledge base
• HubSpot Service Hub ($0-$45/month): Free ticketing, knowledge base, and customer portal. Integrates with HubSpot CRM
• Zoho Desk ($0-$40/agent/month): Free plan for 3 agents, full-featured at fraction of Zendesk's price
• Tidio ($0-$29/month): Live chat + AI chatbot with flat pricing — perfect for e-commerce

Cancellation Email Template

After Canceling

1. Verify all ticket exports are complete and importable into your new tool
2. Redirect your support email forwarding to your new helpdesk
3. Update your website's chat widget and contact forms
4. Migrate knowledge base articles to your new platform
5. Recreate essential macros and triggers in your new tool
6. Update CNAME records if you used a custom help center domain
7. Notify your team of the switchover date and provide training on the new tool