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Bettermode vs Zendesk Gather: In-Depth Analysis for Community Builders

Compare Bettermode and Zendesk Gather for community building. Discover key differences in features, pricing, and customization. Choose the best platform for your needs.

Written by

Kerry Leech

Last updated

November 1, 2024

BettermodeHQ

Table of contents

So, you were looking for tools to help you build your online community platform and you can't decide which community software is right for you?

If you're already using Zendesk products, it might make sense to upgrade to Zendesk Gather as well. But is that the wisest decision you can make?

Bear in mind that Zendesk basic plan doesn't include this community platform and that Zendesk Gather is available only in the most expensive plans.

On the other hand, there's Bettermode, an all-in-one community website builder that allows you to build different types of spaces. From community forums and discussion boards to comprehensive knowledge bases.

Let's dive deeper and compare these two tools to help you choose the right customer community platform for your needs.

Bettermode vs Zendesk Gather: A quick overview

Bettermode

Bettermode streamlines your customer experience with an all-in-one community engagement platform. You can say goodbye to the hassle of multiple tools. And hello to better user engagement, fewer support tickets, improved NPS & CSAT scores, and increased organic traffic.

What's more, it comes with plenty of ready-to-use templates that let you create and customize a professionally-looking community in minutes.

Zendesk Gather

In contrast, Zendesk Gather is a community forum software that integrates with the Zendesk Suite, offers moderation tools, customization options, and analytics. It helps to enhance customer engagement, reduces service costs, and offers valuable business insights.

🔎 The big takeaway: Bettermode's all-in-one community platform comes with robust customization tools, templates and integrations. In contrast, Zendesk Gather is a more basic customer community forum tool. But in order to use Zendesk Gather, you must have Zendesk Suite, and in particular one of its most expensive plans starting at $115/month.

Bettermode vs. Zendesk Gather: Comparing key features

When it comes to key features, Bettermode and Zendesk Gather each have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. So let's take a closer look and break down some of the most important features of both platforms to see how they compare. 🕵️‍♀️

Feature 1: Community Forum

Zendesk Gather

Zendesk Gather’s community forum feature enables customers to share and discuss ideas with each other, comment on posts and pose questions. Community posts can include ideas, tips or any other community items and answers can include observations, clarifications, praise etc. The forum is well organized, and users can easily navigate between topics.

However, you must have Zendesk Guide before you can use Gather to set up your community and users say “If you need support for this software, they take a long long time to get back to you” (GetApp).

Bettermode

On the other hand, Bettermode is an all-in-one customer community platform that helps you centralize all customer interaction in one place. It focuses on powerful customization options, a beautiful template gallery, and a rich App Store for integrations and easy embed options.

As well as building customer communities it also enables you to build better products with your customers by collecting product feedback and feature requests.

Bettermode is one of the most popular no-code website builders as it allows you to build professionally-looking communities effortlessly and without any coding skills.

You can either create your online community from scratch using our drag-and-drop editor or you can choose one of our pre-made templates and customize it according to your needs.

Here are some of the most popular community templates:

Users say: “Customer engagement is a huge factor for our organization. The best part of our organization is its people and our customers. It was essential for us to find a way to keep our positive culture moving in the right direction when the pandemic hit, and this (Bettermode) has been the perfect space for us” (Sourced from GetApp).

📈 Typical results from using Bettermode:

3x better user engagement - Where customers are engaged in peer-to-peer discussions and groups
50% customer ideas implemented - Where you can align your product roadmap based on what your customer needs
50% Fewer support tickets
+20 increase in NPS and CSAT scores
30% increase in organic traffic
40% higher retention - Educate customers and help them get the most out of your product

The verdict 🔎

In a nutshell, Bettermode is designed to help brands build online customer communities with complete customization capability, data ownership, and robust integrations with third-party tools. This means that companies can tailor the forum to their specific needs and branding, which can be a big plus for some businesses. Plus, it's highly scalable supporting anywhere from thousands to millions of members for any given community.

If you want to create a thriving community, click hear to learn more about community management.

Feature 2: Knowledge Base

Zendesk Gather

First up, let's take a closer look at Zendesk Gather and its companion knowledge base app called Zendesk Guide. Zendesk's help desk solution is a leading cloud-based software that empowers support agents. However, it is not designed to integrate into products to deliver contextual support.

That's where Zendesk Guide comes in, a separate knowledge base app that complements Zendesk Gather. This user-friendly platform is designed to simplify the customer experience. With its clean and organized format, customers can navigate through articles with ease, uncovering the answers they seek in a flash.

Zendesk Gather also has a powerful search function that can quickly locate relevant articles based on keywords. However, users say: “The self-service articles and help desk features were never easy enough for us to utilize fully with our customers, and therefore we had to rely on our own website and tools to help with recurring questions” (GetApp).

Bettermode

In contrast, Bettermode's unified self-service customer service platform includes a knowledge base, Q&A, and resource center, all seamlessly integrated into one platform.

Let's see some of the templates:

Common questions can be addressed with help articles and a comprehensive knowledge repository. Content can be created with text, images, and videos. Customers can share feedback and engage in conversations, building stronger relationships and more overall general satisfaction. Plus, customers can share their knowledge and help others in the community.

And customers can filter through the content and find the right answer for them with context.

Perhaps that's why users say: “(Bettermode is) one of the easiest self-service community platforms out there. The quality of the software and the ease of use truly makes it an outstanding experience for our members... I would highly recommend it to organizations looking to strengthen their brand and build credibility with their customers” (GetApp).

The verdict 🔎

Both platforms offer a knowledge base feature that provides customers with answers to frequently asked questions. However, there are some key differences between the two. Bettermode's knowledge base is more customizable using block-based builder.

Bettermode vs Zendesk Gather: Cost comparison

When it comes to selecting the right software for your business, cost is always a significant factor. In this section, we will take a closer look at the cost comparison between Bettermode and Zendesk Gather.

Bettermode

Bettermode has different plans allowing everyone to create an online customer community tailored to their needs. Whether you're a small business owner, digital creator or an enterprise with a huge customer community, we've got you covered. Here's our pricing structure:

Free: With a free plan, you can create up to five community forums or spaces. This plan is forever free, with no hidden costs or tricky conditions.
Lite: $19/month, ideal for small businesses, freelancers and content creators. You can create up to 10 spaces and add unlimited community members.
Pro: $49/month, ideal for businesses that want to scale their online community. This plan includes up to 20 community spaces and 25GB of storage for hosting files and media.
Business: $99/month, ideal for large businesses and enterprises. It includes 100GB of storage and priority customer support.

You can find out more about Bettermode's pricing packages here.

Bettermode pricing based on yearly subscriptions

Zendesk Gather

When it comes to Zendesk pricing there are five plans, but Zendesk Gather is included only in the three most expensive plans. Previously, it was possible to purchase it with any plan, as an add-on, but that's no longer the case and it's available only for Suite customers.

Zendesk Gather is included in the following three pricing tiers and there's no need to pay extra for it:

Suite Professional: $115 per agent per month, billed only annually
Suite Enterprise: price available upon request. The Enterprise plan includes advanced AI features.
Suite Enterprise Plus: you can create custom suite plans tailored to your needs, but they come with a premium price too.

The verdict 🔎

As you can see, both platforms have their own pricing structure, but Bettermode is more affordable, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Also, you can create up to five community spaces completely for free, while Zendesk doesn't offer any free option.

Get started for free and build your community with Bettermode today!

Bettermode vs Zendesk Gather: Pros and cons

Choosing the right platform for your business can be a daunting task. With so many options available, it's important to weigh the pros and cons of each before making a decision. In this section, we'll take a closer look and explore their advantages and drawbacks.

Bettermode pros:

Customizable templates: One of the biggest advantages of Bettermode are its customizable templates that make it easy to launch a community and customize based on the needs of the brand. This feature allows you to create a tailored database of information that is specific to your business and customers, with templates to create a help center etc. Users say: “great to work with. I use their chatbot often and get responses quickly. I test and buy many software platforms and this is one that has been an awesome addition to my agency” (GetApp).

Design Studio: Customers can visually build communities using blocks such as CTA, announcement bar, posts, members, and leaderboard. Design Studio allows you to customize every aspect and layer of your community space. You can use your brand colors, custom typography and choose among different themes, including a dark theme.

App Store: Third-party integrations with over 30 apps allow users to merge the community workflow with tools they already use. Users say: “an amazing platform for community building. Users can customize the UI and Experience of the user with custom fields. Providing multiple app plugins like Amplitude, Sendgrid, Telegram, Google Analytics, SSO, Zapier etc. are awesome and very easy to implement with basic tech knowledge only” (GetApp).

Native apps: such as cookie consent and custom code snippets allow users to extend the power of the community.
Embeddable widgets: allow users to add social elements of the community inside their product.
White label option: allows users to make the community completely their own. Users say: “It only took me a day or two of playing around with the settings to make things the way I wanted them. It is simple and user-friendly. Some other options have way too many bells and whistles to navigate through and most of them you don't even need” (GetApp).
Federated search: This feature allows your community members to search content from your Bettermode community and Zendesk knowledge base directly from your community.

And when it comes to Bettermode customer service, users said “The Support and Success team have been highly responsive... most of the queries get answered within a day (sometimes even a few hours). They helped us immensely with brainstorming and suggesting the best practices to set up the community for success during our onboarding period” (Trustradius.com).

Bettermode Cons:

No mobile app

Zendesk Gather Pros:

Community forum is well organized and easy to use: Zendesk Gather is well-organized and an easy-to-use community forum. This feature allows customers to connect with each other, share ideas, and find answers to common questions.
Seamless integration with Zendesk Support: Zendesk account seamlessly integrates with Zendesk Support, making it easy to manage customer support requests and feedback in one place. You can also integrate it with Zendesk Talk to add voice support.
Feedback tools allow customers to submit suggestions: Another great feature of Zendesk Gather are its feedback tools. These tools allow customers to submit suggestions and feedback directly to your team, helping you improve your products and services.

Zendesk Gather Cons:

Knowledge base is less customizable: One drawback of Zendesk Gather is that its knowledge base is less customizable than Bettermode's. This may be an issue for businesses that require a high degree of customization.
Lack of customer support: Users say “In my opinion, it is horrible support. I cannot emphasize that enough, but every manager in my team constantly complains about the inattentiveness and lack of basic comprehension abilities of Zendesk managers” (Trustradius.com).

The verdict 🔎

Ultimately, the decision of which platform to choose will depend on your specific business needs and goals. Bettermode is more customizable and integrates with Zendesk. However, Zendesk Gather is a simple discussion forum software that acts as an add-on to Zendesk.

Understanding the Different Use Cases for Bettermode and Zendesk Gather

Bettermode

As we've already touched on, Bettermode is an all-in-one community engagement platform which focuses on powerful customization options, a beautiful template gallery, and a rich App Store for integrations and embed options.

In short, Bettermode increases user engagement, promotes peer-to-peer support and leverages user-generated content to drive organic traffic. It can be used in all stages of customer journey as it has unique spaces to support customer interactions in every phase of the community flywheel and keep your users active and engaged.

Bettermode's platform makes it easy to organize and present information to your customers in a way that makes sense for your business as it is designed to help brands and creators build online communities with complete customization capability, data ownership, and improve customer retention rates. Plus, it can support anywhere from thousands to millions of members of any given community.

In fact, Bettermode has everything you need to run your community, all in one place — with spaces for different use cases such as forum discussions, ideation, help center, events, product roadmap.

Primary use cases

Here are some of the most popular formats you can create with our web app builder:

Forums and discussion boards: You can create engaging and interactive forums and discussion boards where users can ask questions, share insights, comment and react on other users' posts. For example, check out our super-customizable Discussion Forum template below.

Knowledge base: You can build robust but searchable knowledge bases where users can quickly find answers and resolve issues on their own. For example, check out our Knowledge Base template below.

Self-service help desk: You can build an all-in-one customer self-service portal that can save a significant amount of time to your customer service teams. For example, check out our Help Center template below.

Learning communities: If you have an online course, you can create a community where learners can share resources, exchange tips and learn together. For example, check out our online learning community platform template below.

Collaboration: Our community spaces can be used for collaboration among different teams where employees can easily share files, work on projects and communicate in real-time. For example, check out our Developer Collaboration Platform below. Of course, the template can be customized for any other industry, whether you work in marketing, sales, etc.

Product ideation and feedback: You can use our spaces to improve your product offerings by gathering valuable ideas, customer feedback and requests for certain features. For example, check out our Customer Feedback Platform template below.

Key industry segments

Software and SaaS
Consumer products and services
Online training and cohort-based courses

Another benefit of Bettermode is its ease of use. The platform is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy for businesses of all sizes to get started quickly.

Zendesk Gather

If you're looking for a way to engage with your customers and build a sense of community around your brand, Zendesk Gather is a good choice. With Gather, you can create a space where your customers can connect with each other and share their experiences with your brand. This can help to build customer loyalty and create a sense of brand advocacy among your customer base.

Additionally, Gather's feedback tools allow you to collect valuable insights from your customers that can help you improve your products and services. By listening to your customers' feedback and incorporating it into your business strategy, you can create a better overall experience for your customers.

On the other hand, Zendesk Gather is a community forum platform that allows businesses to create a space where customers can ask questions, share ideas, and provide feedback. With Gather, you can create discussion topics, moderate comments, and track engagement metrics to gain insights into how your customers are interacting with your brand.

Primary use cases

Zendesk Gather is one of the best forum software for those who are looking to create simple customer forums and don't need other types of community spaces. It creates a space where customers can talk, share ideas, request features, and help each other instead of the support team constantly helping them.

Here are some primary use cases for Zendesk Gather:

Customer engagement: Zendesk Gather can help increase customer engagement by providing a platform for customers to connect with each other and share ideas.
Customer support: Zendesk Gather can also be used to create a customer support community and simplify your ticket management system by allowing customers to ask questions and get answers from other customers or support agents.
Product feedback: Zendesk Gather can be used to collect support tickets and feedback from customers about products or services, which can help companies improve their offerings.
Community building: Zendesk Gather can be used to build a community around a brand or product, which can help increase customer loyalty and advocacy.
Gathering customer insights: Zendesk Gather can be used to identify, collect, and organize all the helpful feedback, feature requests, bug reports, and use cases so they can be analyzed and acted upon.

Bettermode vs Zendesk Gather: The final verdict

Choosing the right customer community engagement platform depends on your business's specific needs and budget. Both Bettermode and Zendesk Gather are excellent solutions, but they differ in their features and benefits. If you are looking for a powerful community forum, advanced customization options, and feedback tools, Bettermode may be a better choice. But ultimately, the final decision comes down to your business's unique requirements.

With all this in mind, let's take a final look at the similarities and differences.

Similarities:

Both solutions allow customers to connect and collaborate with each other, creating a channel to harness customers' expertise and promote feedback.
Both solutions offer modern design and customizable widgets.
Both solutions aim to improve customer support by providing self-service options.

Differences:

Bettermode is an all-in-one comprehensive offering, while Zendesk Gather is a product of Zendesk.
Bettermode comes with plenty of ready-to-use templates that let you create not only customer forums but all other types of customer spaces as well. You can also create self-service help centers, knowledge bases, collaboration platforms and more.
Bettermode offers highly engaging apps, while Zendesk Gather offers messaging functionality.
Plus, Bettermode offers more customization options, which can make it more suitable for larger organizations or those with specific needs

Try for free and build your first Bettermode community today. Yes, it's that simple!

If you still have unanswered questions, you can take a look at the most frequently asked questions below. 👇

This article was originally published on June 26th, 2024, and was updated on October 27th, 2024.

FAQs

What is Gather in Zendesk?

Gather is an online community forum that can be added to help centers created in Zendesk and it enables customers to discuss and help each other. With this interactive feature, you can publish posts, ask questions and comment on posts from other users.

How do I gather settings in Zendesk?

You have to be an admin in order to access Gather Settings. Go to the Guide Admin, tap the Settings icon in the sidebar and then click on Gather Settings. That's where you can active or deactivate your community. Other settings include enabling mentioning people, creating an alias, using community badges and tags.

What does Zendesk Explore do?

Zendesk Explore is a reporting and analytics Zendesk feature. It comes with pre-built reports and templates that allow you to analyze your customer behavior and other key metrics related to customer support.