Tried Zendesk. Spent 2 hours configuring triggers before I could reply to a single email. The $25/month turned into $298/month for my setup. Closed the tab.
So I built something for myself:
- Tickets left, conversation right (that's the whole UI) - AI suggestions trained on your replies, not generic stuff - Knowledge base that grows as you answer questions - 5 min setup
Left out on purpose: SLAs, workforce management, skills-based routing, phone/chat. If you need those, this isn't for you.
The goal isn't "Zendesk for small teams". It's the anti-Zendesk — do 5 things well instead of 50 things adequately.
Stack: Next.js, Prisma, PostgreSQL, AWS SES.
$9/mo (1 project), $29/mo (5 projects + teammate), $99/mo (20 projects + 10 teammates)
Code ANTIDESK = 20% off forever (ends Jan 31)
I built this for myself. If you're in the same situation, you can use it too.
Happy to answer questions about the build or product decisions.