Best Help Desk Software (2023)

To ensure the best possible help desk software solutions for our readers, we use a rating system ranging from one to five stars. This allows us to objectively compare and contrast each solution against its competitors. Our ratings are not influenced by any third-party relationships. We assign weighted scores to each factor to come up with an overall star rating for each product.

When we rate help desk solutions on our website, we take into account the following factors.

For pricing, we considered several factors, such as how much the software costs, is it a good value for the price and were there any hidden costs or fees. If a provider offered a free trial or a free version of its software, we gave bonus points for that. We also looked at how inexpensive a provider’s lowest-price plan compared to its highest-priced plan and how much benefit a user received by upgrading to a higher plan. This accounted for 10% of our weighted scoring.

We wanted to know what kinds of features the software offers and if it had all of the features that users need. We broke features down into two categories: general features and additional features. For general features, these were features that we expected every software provider to offer, either as part of its regular plan or at least as a paid add-on. These included offering mobile apps―bonus points for offering software for both iOS and Android―plus self-service capabilities, asset management, social media connectivity, access to a knowledge base and community forum for assistance and the ability to work remotely.

For additional, or “nice-to-have” features, we focused on customer support. We were looking for chatbots or live chat options, support widgets, self-service ticketing and reporting dashboards. We wanted to see how responsive each provider’s customer support was and if it was available by phone, email or live chat. We weighted features at 50% of our total score.

Looking at third-party customer reviews on websites that included Capterra, G2 and Trustpilot, we looked at customer responses to using the software. We gave higher ratings to providers that had at least 300 or more reviews on these websites and then again to those providers that had positive reviews of at least 3.5 out of 5 on each site.to give a complete picture of reality and reduce bias. These accounted for 10% of the total score.

Factors that included ease of use made up the final aspect of our analysis by our panel of experts. When looking at ease of use, they wanted to know how easy it is to set up and use the software, if the interface was intuitive and if the software required any training to get started using it. Besides ease of use, other factors our experts considered were the overall popularity of the software, any stand-out features and the value for the money each provided. Altogether, these criteria make up 30% of the total score.

The best desk pads of 2023, tested and reviewed

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Updated Jul 31, 2023 1:00 PM

If you’re careful, a good desk can last a lifetime—and a good desk pad can help. Sometimes you drop a heavy steel roleplaying die on the surface, or maybe an industrious kid gets curious about what their name would look like permanently etched in it. A desk pad can both add color and organization to your desktop while protecting the surface from scuffs, dents, and chips—prolonging the life of the desk by years for just a few dollars. If you regularly use a computer at your desk—and, honestly, who doesn’t—a desk pad can also play the role of mouse pad, giving you a large scrollable surface. These are the best desk pads we’ve found and tested.

Desk pads come in many sizes and are made from various materials. Realistically, it’s hard to say what’s “best” for any individual because so much of the choice comes down to personal taste. For our list of the best desk pads, we scoured Amazon and other retailers to look for unique desk pads that are well-designed, stylish, and made from quality materials. We can’t predict your taste, but we can offer up pieces that make sense for a wide range of technical and aesthetic sensibilities.

If you’ve invested in a nice desk, it doesn’t hurt to invest just a little more to maintain that desk. From the hobbyist to the office worker to the gamer, there’s a desk pad here for everyone. We went with popular and non-traditional suggestions to ensure everyone can find something interesting and exciting to perfect their desk space.

Why it made the cut: People looking for an upgrade over the feel of their raw desk should stop here first.

Pros

Cons

Twelve South is best known for its Apple-focused tech accessories, so we were surprised when the company announced the DeskPad, which can be used with any computer or tablet. Even more surprising was how much we really liked it during our tests. Part of the DeskPads’ appeal is its comfortable feel, courtesy of vegan leather. If you’re used to keeping your arms planted on plastic or wood, you’ll notice the extra padding very quickly. In our experience, the DeskPad’s supple feel was a noticeable improvement.

We had no problem using an optical Bluetooth mouse on the DeskPad, with no hit to performance or hitches. The mouse slid over the surface of this desk pad with ease. We also dropped a little water on the DeskPad to check its “spill resistance” and found that its materials did impede water from soaking in. You’re not going to want to replace your desk pad often, so it’s important that it doesn’t absorb water and get moldy or begin cracking.

There aren’t any major downsides to using Twelve South’s DeskPad, save for the fact that it’s only offered in one size. If you can make it work on your desk, we highly recommend trying it.

Why it made the cut: Organization-minded design elements like a secret paper compartment and a cord organizer make the Orbitkey desk mat a useful choice.

Specs

Pros

Cons

While the Orbitkey desk mat seems a bit expensive at a glance, its smart design stands out compared to other pads, with features that make it worth a look. A long pen holder runs along the far edge of the pad, which also creates a path to hide cables that need to run under it. Beneath its vegan leather top and felt bottom, the pad has a compartment for storing papers, whether you just need to keep a receipt handy until you can expense it or need to stash a secret treasure map that you need to keep safe. It looks basic but delivers much more functionality than most similarly simple desk pads.

Why it made the cut: You can cut it without ruining it!

Specs

Pros

Cons

Most of the desk pads on this list are pretty stylish. This one, however, is purely practical. Adir’s self-healing cutting mat is made for tinkerers and craftsmen–anyone whose desk serves as both a computing workstation and a workbench. The self-healing vinyl surface closes up as a blade cuts through it, protecting your desk and keeping the workspace smooth. It serves the most basic need of a desk pad, protecting your desk surface, better than any other pad on this list.

Why it made the cut: This gigantic cloth mouse pad was designed for precision gaming performance.

Specs

Pros

Cons

Razer is one of the biggest names in PC gaming hardware, with its own take on just about every peripheral. With the Goliathus Extended Chroma, Razer gives you an extremely wide mouse pad that gives you plenty of surface space made specifically for great mouse response. If you plug it into your PC, it also adds a bit of flash to your s