Brandwave

How popular isZendesk?

In September 2026, people searched for Zendesk by name about 304,000 times worldwide, an 18.6% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 48.1% of all global AI customer support tool searches, placing Zendesk first out of eight tools. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI customer support tools, Zendesk appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the eight.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Zendesk is the most searched of 8 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. ZendeskShare of searches 48.1%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. GorgiasShare of searches 26.1%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  3. FreshdeskShare of searches 14.5%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. Intercom FinShare of searches 5.2%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. TidioShare of searches 4.3%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

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Top AI customer support tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Zendesk appeared in all five answers. Zendesk is the most recommended of the eight.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Zendesk1st
  2. Intercom Fin2nd
  3. Freshdesk3rd
  4. Gorgias4th
  5. Forethought5th
  6. Ada6th
  7. Tidio–
  8. Kustomer–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Zendesk5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Freshdesk4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Gorgias3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Intercom Fin3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Ada1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Forethought1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Tidio0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Kustomer0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about AI customer support tools

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Which AI customer support tools compete with Zendesk?

Zendesk against AI customer support tools worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Zendesk, Gorgias, Freshdesk, Intercom Fin, Tidio. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthZendeskGorgiasFreshdeskIntercom FinTidioKustomerAdaForethought
Oct 202547.5%25.6%14.2%4.2%6.3%1.3%0.86%<0.01%
Nov 202541.7%33.5%12.5%3.7%6.7%1.1%0.75%<0.01%
Dec 202545.4%29.9%13.7%3.3%6%0.98%0.67%<0.01%
Jan 202649%26.4%12.1%4.3%6.5%1.1%0.65%<0.01%
Feb 202648.5%26.1%11.9%5.2%6.4%1%0.76%<0.01%
Mar 202651.4%22.7%11.5%5.6%6.8%1.1%0.86%<0.01%
Apr 202643.8%28.8%10.8%5.8%8.6%1.2%1%<0.01%
May 202649.5%26.7%10%5.4%6.5%1.1%0.84%<0.01%
Jun 202648.4%26.2%12%6.4%5.2%1%0.78%<0.01%
Jul 202643.1%34.8%10.7%4.7%4.7%1.1%0.87%<0.01%
Aug 202646%30.4%11.5%5%5%1.2%0.87%<0.01%
Sep 202648.1%26.1%14.5%5.2%4.3%1%0.7%<0.01%

  1. 1.Zendesk

    48.1%

    Held 1st. 304K estimated branded searches, +21.9% vs prior month. Share +2.1 points.

  2. 2.Gorgias

    26.1%

    Held 2nd. 165K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -4.3 points.

  3. 3.Freshdesk

    14.5%

    Held 3rd. 91.8K estimated branded searches, +47.8% vs prior month. Share +3.1 points.

  4. 4.Intercom Fin

    5.2%

    Held 4th. 33.1K estimated branded searches, +22.1% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  5. 5.Tidio

    4.3%

    Held 5th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.

  6. 6.Kustomer

    1%

    Held 6th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  7. 7.Ada

    0.7%

    Held 7th. 4.4K estimated branded searches, -6.8% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  8. 8.Forethought

    <0.01%

    Held 8th. 30 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Zendesk and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Zendesk

53 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Zendesk changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Zendesk worldwide fell from 373K to 304K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zendesk’s share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide increased from 47.5% to 48.1%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zendesk’s share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide peaked at 51.4% in March 2026 and was lowest at 41.7% in November 2025.

How did search popularity change for AI customer support tools worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Freshdesk gained share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide, from 11.5% to 14.5%.

  2. In September 2026, Zendesk gained share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide, from 46% to 48.1%.

  3. In September 2026, Gorgias lost share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide, from 30.4% to 26.1%.

  4. In September 2026, Tidio lost share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide, from 5% to 4.3%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Ada worldwide fell 34.5% over 12 measured months, from 6.7K to 4.4K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Kustomer worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 6.6K in September 2026.

How are Zendesk’s branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Zendesk’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • zendesk
  • zendesk ai
  • zendesk suite

Do you work for Zendesk? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does Zendesk compete?

Zendesk is ranked in 12 competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Business messaging platforms5th of 112.4%Show ranking
Self service portals4th of 65.8%Show ranking
Omnichannel messaging platforms2nd of 1024.4%Show ranking
IT service management platforms2nd of 1034.4%Show ranking
Call centre software1st of 835.1%Show ranking
Service desk software2nd of 737.8%Show ranking
Help desk software1st of 744.1%Show ranking
AI customer support tools1st of 848.1%Shown above
Customer support platforms1st of 749.3%Show ranking
Omnichannel support platforms1st of 752.5%Show ranking
Customer knowledge base platforms1st of 965.6%Show ranking
Live chat platforms1st of 969.2%Show ranking
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