# Category Compare: Customer Service vs. Call Center Software | Capterra > We define and compare call center and customer service software so you can determine which tool is right for your business. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/call-center-vs-customer-service --- Customer Services & Support # Category Compare: Customer Service vs. Call Center Software By Ashish Upadhyay Ashish Upadhyay Ashish Upadhyay is a writer at Capterra. He provides insights to help small businesses identify the right software for their needs by analyzing over 550,000 ... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/aupadhyay/) Published March 17, 2022 2 min read Table of Contents - [What is customer service software?](#what-is-customer-service-software) - [What is call center software?](#what-is-call-center-software) - [What do they have in common?](#what-do-they-have-in-common) - [Customer service software features](#customer-service-software-features) - [Call center software features](#call-center-software-features) - [Which tool is right for you?](#which-tool-is-right-for-you) ## In this report, we define and compare customer service software with call center software so you can decide which tool is suitable for your business needs. Both [customer service software](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/) and [call center software](https://www.capterra.com/call-center-software/) focus on one thing—customers. However, despite the similar audience, their functions are quite different. This report will identify the similarities and differences between the two categories to help you understand which one is better suited for your requirements. ## What is customer service software? Customer service software helps organizations manage customer queries and requests across multiple channels, including phone, email, live chat, and self-service. It helps to manage the customer service process from purchase to issue resolution. Some customer service software also offer functionality for internal support. ## What is call center software? Call center software helps organizations manage inbound and outbound communications with customers and prospects across many channels (e.g., voice, live chat, social media). Call center software is also commonly referred to as contact center software. ## What do they have in common? Customer service software helps with inbound customer complaints, orders, and inquiries regarding products and services that a business offers. Call center software, on the other hand, gets used by sales and marketing people to make sales and promotional calls and set appointments with clients. Both software solutions have a multi-channel approach that includes voice, email, and live chat. ## Customer service software features ## Call center software features ## Which tool is right for you? If you wish to increase awareness about your service or product, call center software might be ideal for you. However, if you wish to resolve customer queries and issues, then customer service software will do the job for you. The question now is: Which _specific_ tool is right for your business? To start your search, head over to our [customer service software](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/) or [call center software](https://www.capterra.com/call-center-software/) pages. There you’ll find a sortable list of products, software reviews from verified users, and comprehensive buyers guides. With so many software options to choose from, it might be helpful to narrow your search to only the most popular and highest-rated solutions. In that case, check out our Capterra Shortlist reports for the top [customer service software](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/#shortlist) and [call center software](https://www.capterra.com/call-center-software/#shortlist), based on an analysis of thousands of user reviews. ## Capterra's 2026 Software Buying Trends Report ### Download our 2026 Software Buying Trends Report to see how successful software adopters avoid disappointment and how your business can, too. * * * Looking for Customer Service software?Check out Capterra's list of the [best Customer Service software](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/) solutions. ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Author [### Ashish Upadhyay](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/aupadhyay/) Ashish Upadhyay is a writer at Capterra. He provides insights to help small businesses identify the right software for their needs by analyzing over 550,000 Capterra user reviews and nearly 48,000 interactions between Capterra software advisors and buyers. 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