Zendesk is a polished, general-purpose helpdesk used by some MSPs as their PSA. Lavawall® Help Desk Pro is built specifically for MSPs — same console as your RMM, security, GRC, and remote support, with per-named-agent pricing, full ticket-import from Zendesk including embedded images and attachments, and AI-suggested KB articles.
Where Lavawall® wins for MSPs
Per-named-agent pricing (US$59/agent/month) with unlimited tickets, KB articles, web chat, and automations — not per-seat.
Bundle with Remote Support Pro at US$89/named agent/month for unlimited remote sessions.
Tickets carry the device GUID when they originate from a remote-support session, so the panel shows current device health, patch status, last reboot, and disk space inside the ticket.
AI-suggested KB articles surface as the technician types, with knowledge-base gap detection that flags recurring questions with no documented answer.
AI-analyzed task and scheduling breakdown for complex multi-step work (onboardings, migrations, incident response).
Tabbed multi-ticket view, Kanban or list view per saved view, internal-comment @-mentions, drag-to-status, WIP limits per assignee or column.
Macros and Liquid placeholder canned responses imported and translated automatically from Zendesk.
Existing Zendesk tickets — including embedded images and attachments — are imported automatically. No data left behind, no support history lost.
One platform: helpdesk + RMM + security + GRC + breach detection + remote support, billed in either USD or CAD with native GST/HST/PST/QST handling.
Where Zendesk wins
Industry-standard general-purpose helpdesk with deep workflow customisation and many third-party integrations.
Mature reporting and analytics suite for high-volume B2C and enterprise support teams.
Large agent and customer ecosystem; many candidates in the labour market are Zendesk-trained.
Strong omni-channel capabilities (chat, voice, social, email) for non-MSP support models.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Lavawall® | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Built specifically for MSPs | Yes | No — general-purpose |
| Tickets carry device GUID; device health visible inside ticket | Yes | No — requires custom integration |
| Per-named-agent pricing model with unlimited tickets | US$59/agent/month | Per-seat, multiple tier add-ons |
| Helpdesk bundled with RMM / patching / security / GRC | Yes | No — separate vendors |
| Bundled remote support | Yes — Remote Support Pro at $45/agent or $89 bundle | Add-on |
| AI-suggested KB articles in-ticket | Yes | Available in higher tiers |
| AI knowledge-base gap detection | Yes | Not standard |
| AI-analyzed task / scheduling breakdown | Yes | Not standard |
| Macros / Liquid templates imported from Zendesk | Yes — translated automatically | Native |
| Embedded image and attachment ticket import | Yes — preserved | Native |
| Native CAD billing for Canadian MSPs | Yes | Typically USD |
| Switching cost from Zendesk | Low — automated import preserves history | — |
Who should pick which?
Pick Lavawall® if…
You are an MSP and your tickets are about devices, networks, M365 tenants, and patches — not generic CRM cases.
You want one console where the technician sees the current device, the open ticket, the elevation history, the patch status, and can launch a remote session — without context-switching across four tools.
You want per-named-agent helpdesk pricing instead of paying per seat for every shared technician login.
You are paying separately for Bomgar / BeyondTrust or another remote-support tool today and want to consolidate.
You are concerned about the Zendesk migration cost — Lavawall® imports tickets, attachments, macros, and KB automatically.
Pick Zendesk if…
You run a large B2C or general-purpose support operation and need omni-channel features (voice, social, deep IVR) that Lavawall® does not focus on.
You have deep custom Zendesk Sunshine workflows or Zendesk-specific integrations that you cannot replicate elsewhere.
Your support model isn't MSP-shaped (e.g., you support a single product to millions of consumer users).
Frequently asked
- How much does it cost to switch from Zendesk?
- There is no migration fee. Lavawall® imports tickets, attachments, KB, and macros automatically. The cost is the time to retrain technicians — typically a single afternoon.
- Will my agents lose ticket history during the cutover?
- No. Tickets, comments, CCs, attachments, embedded images, and macros are all imported. The connector continues to sync incrementally during the cutover so neither system is the source of truth alone until you cut over.
- Does Lavawall® support classic Outlook + new Outlook + Outlook on the web?
- Yes — and Outlook for Mac, Outlook for iOS, and Outlook for Android. The phishing reporter add-in is supported across all six.
- Can I bundle helpdesk with remote support?
- Yes — Help Desk Pro + Remote Support Pro is US$89/named agent/month, a 14% saving over the two add-ons individually. Both come with unlimited tickets and unlimited sessions.