Crisp vs Help Scout
A side-by-side look at Crisp and Help Scout: what each costs to start, whether there is a free plan, how easy they are to pick up, and which features and integrations they cover.
Which should you choose?
Choose Crisp if
- Startups and small businesses that want chat-first support on a flat budget
- Teams handling WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram alongside website chat
- Founders who want a self-serve tool with desktop apps
Choose Help Scout if
- Small businesses and ecommerce brands with a handful of support staff
- Teams that want a warm, email-like support experience
- Companies that want many staff to have inbox access without paying per seat
Cheapest to start
Not confirmed
Free plan
Crisp, Help Scout
Highest editor rating
Help Scout · 4.3
| Compare | Crisp |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes |
| Starting price | From $45/mo |
| Editor rating | 3.9 |
| Ease of use | Easy (4/5) |
| Category | Customer Support |
| Pricing model | A free plan covers two seats with basic live chat. Paid plans are flat fees per workspace: Mini at approximately $45 per month, Essentials at approximately $95 per month and Plus at approximately $295 per month, each bundling a fixed number of seats, with Crisp AI sold as an add-on. |
| Plans |
|
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, API |
| Integrations | Facebook & Instagram, HubSpot, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, WhatsApp, WordPress, Zapier |
| Best for |
|
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
| AI agents | Yes |
| AI assistant | No |
| API access | Yes |
| Chatbot | Yes |
| Custom fields | No |
| Desktop app | Yes |
| Knowledge base / help centre | Yes |
| Live chat | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes |
| Multichannel inbox (email, chat, social) | Yes |
| Reporting & dashboards | No |
| Shared inbox | Yes |
| Webhooks | Yes |
| WhatsApp channel | Yes |
| Workflow automation | Yes |
Common questions
- Does Crisp or Help Scout have a free plan?
- Both do. Crisp and Help Scout each offer a free tier, so you can try either without paying.
- How long is the Crisp and Help Scout free trial?
- Crisp offers a 14-day free trial, and Help Scout offers a 15-day free trial.
- Which is easier to use, Crisp or Help Scout?
- In VERILO's editorial assessment Help Scout is the easier of the two, scoring 5 out of 5 against 4 for Crisp. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.