Zendesk for Startups: up to two years of Zendesk free

What you get

• Baseline: 6 months free for every accepted startup
• Up to 2 years free of the Zendesk Professional Suite and Copilot for up to 50 agents. The longer term and the agent count depend on your funding profile and partner
• Partner discounts from AWS, Notion and GitHub, plus guides, webinars and events

Eligibility

• Brand-new Zendesk subscriber (no past or current paid account)
• Outside funding: Angel, Pre-seed, Seed, Series A or Series B. No more than Series B
• Company under 10 years old
• Fewer than 250 employees. Companies with 50–249 employees must be referred by a partner

How long Zendesk for Startups lasts

Credit types and validity

• Free Zendesk Suite Professional + Copilot: 6 months baseline
• 1- or 2-year terms via partner VCs/accelerators
• Up to 50 agents (varies by funding profile and partner)
• Startup community hub, events and partner discounts (AWS, Notion, GitHub)

How the credits are applied and when they expire

A free trial, not credits: no card is needed up front. When the trial ends you must choose a paid plan to keep using the account. Zendesk can revoke the trial if you don't meet the requirements.

For founders in India

No India-specific terms published. Zendesk's FAQ welcomes bootstrapped companies, but the form's legal note says the offer is for companies with outside funding (Angel to Series B); confirm before relying on it if you're self-funded.

How to apply, step by step

1. If you have a VC or accelerator, get its Zendesk community referral link and apply through that (needed for the 1–2-year offers)
2. Otherwise click Apply now on zendesk.com/business/startups/ and submit the form
3. No credit card is needed upfront
4. Before the free period ends, choose a paid plan to keep using the account

Documents and details to keep ready

• Partner referral link, if you have one
• Zendesk does not publish a document list for the application

Common reasons applications are declined

• Previous or active paid Zendesk customer
• 250 or more employees, or 50–249 employees without a partner referral
• Venture funding beyond Series B
• Company 10 or more years old

Tips before you apply

• Apply through your VC or accelerator's referral link if you have one; only partner referrals unlock 1–2 years
• Partner referral is also required if you have 50–249 employees
• Pick a paid plan before the trial ends or you lose access to the account
• Use the work email you'll run support from: it's used to connect customer email and invite agents

Terms to know

• Zendesk may revoke the free trial if you don't meet the criteria