Help desk comparisons and pricing, at published prices.
Choosing a help desk is mostly a pricing question that looks like a features question. Per-seat, per-workspace and per-ticket pricing give very different bills for the same small team, and AI charges now add a second line on top.
These comparisons use prices from each vendor's own pricing page, say when a vendor does not publish a number, and are rechecked monthly. Convot makes one of the tools compared, and every page says so.
Prices, checked at the source
Start with the numbers. Every price here comes from the vendor's own pricing page, with annual and monthly billing kept apart.
Help desk pricing index 2026: what 24 support tools charge
Seat, ticket and AI prices for 24 help desk, chat, roadmap, status and scheduling tools, each checked on its own pricing page in October 2026.
Help Desk Price Calculator
The monthly bill on Intercom, Zendesk, Help Scout, Front, Crisp and Convot at your seats, products and AI volume.
AI Support Cost Calculator
What you really pay per AI-resolved ticket across Intercom Fin, Zendesk AI and Convot.
Pricing explained, tool by tool
What each plan costs, what it includes, and what a small team really pays once seats, workspaces and AI are added up.
Intercom pricing (2026): seats, Fin outcomes and add-ons explained
Intercom pricing in 2026: what each plan costs per seat, how Fin's $0.99 outcome is counted, which add-ons cost extra, and what a small team really pays.
Zendesk pricing explained (2026): what you'll actually pay
Zendesk pricing in 2026: each plan's per-agent price, what each tier includes, how AI resolutions are charged, and what a small team really pays a month.
Crisp pricing (2026): plans, workspaces and AI credits explained
Crisp pricing in 2026: what Free, Mini, Essentials and Plus cost per workspace, what each includes, how AI credits work, and what several apps cost.
Alternatives to the tool you use now
If you already know what you want to leave, start here. Each guide compares the realistic replacements at published prices.
The best Intercom alternatives for SaaS support teams (2026)
The best Intercom alternatives for SaaS support teams in 2026: Zendesk, Help Scout, Front, Crisp, Pylon and Convot, with verified prices and AI costs.
The best Zendesk alternatives for small support teams (2026)
Leaving Zendesk with a team of one to five? Per-agent costs, free plans and trials, and what you give up, across Help Scout, Freshdesk, Front, Crisp and Convot.
The best Help Scout alternatives for small support teams (2026)
Eight Help Scout alternatives compared on cost for three people, free plans, AI pricing and multiple products, from vendor pricing pages.
The best Freshdesk alternatives for small support teams (2026)
Eight Freshdesk alternatives compared on price for three agents, live chat, AI pricing and fit, checked on each vendor's own pricing page.
The best Front alternatives for small support teams (2026)
Eight Front alternatives compared on cost for three seats, email plus chat, free plans and AI pricing, from shared inboxes to help desks.
The best Crisp alternatives for Shopify app teams (2026)
The best Crisp alternatives for Shopify app teams in 2026: Intercom, Help Scout, Tidio, Chatwoot and Convot, with verified prices and who each one suits.
The best tools for your situation
Shortlists built around a constraint: a small team, no budget yet, a hatred of per-seat pricing, several apps, or a changelog and status page in the same tool.
The best help desk software for small teams and small businesses (2026)
Help desk software for a small business or a team of 2 to 50: seven tools with checked prices, cost as you grow, and which suits email, chat or many products.
The best free help desks for startups under $1k MRR (2026)
Free help desk plans compared for early-stage SaaS: seats, limits, help center, AI, and what the first paid step costs when you outgrow them.
The best help desks with flat pricing, no per-seat fees (2026)
Flat-priced help desks compared on what 3, 7 and 12 agents cost a month, against per-seat tools like Help Scout, Intercom and Zendesk.
The best help desks for teams running more than one app (2026)
Seven help desks compared for teams supporting several apps: which plan multi-brand needs, and what 5 agents across 3 apps cost a month.
The best help desks with a built-in changelog and status page (2026)
Which support platforms include a help center, changelog, roadmap and status page in one subscription, and what the same stack costs bought separately.
The best changelog tools for SaaS and app teams (2026)
Eight changelog tools compared on free plans, price, what the price grows with, and what else they include, from roadmaps to live chat.
Convot compared, head to head
Side-by-side pages for Convot against each tool. Convot publishes these, so check the vendor's own page before you decide.
Crisp vs Intercom for Shopify app developers: which to pick
Crisp vs Intercom for a Shopify app team: verified prices, AI costs, what each does well, and what neither shows you about the merchant you are talking to.
Convot vs Intercom
Several brands in Intercom need Expert, $132 a seat, and Fin costs from $0.99 per outcome. Convot runs every app in one inbox, with Cove AI at $0.20.
Convot vs Zendesk
A Zendesk alternative for teams running more than one app: chat, inbox and help center per app, one flat bill by app count, and AI at $0.20 a resolution.
Convot vs Crisp
Crisp bills per workspace, one per website. Convot runs every app in one inbox for $89 a month for 3 apps, with a help center and changelog for each.
Convot vs Help Scout
A Help Scout alternative for teams running more than one app: a shared inbox, chat and help center per app, plus changelog, roadmap and status on one flat bill.
Every Convot comparison
How Convot compares to Intercom, Zendesk, Crisp, Help Scout, Freshdesk, Canny, Statuspage, Calendly and more, for teams running more than one app.
Switching help desks
How the move actually works, what comes across, and what changed at Intercom this year.
How to leave Intercom or Zendesk without losing your conversation history (2026)
The three ways to move years of support history to a new help desk, what each keeps and drops, how long it takes, and how to switch without downtime.
Migrating from Crisp to Convot: a step-by-step guide
How to move from Crisp to Convot: what the built-in importer brings over, how to run it, how to swap the widget code, and what to check before switching.
Intercom and Salesforce: what the Fin acquisition means for Intercom customers
Salesforce now owns Fin, formerly Intercom. What changed on 10 September 2026, what has not, and what Intercom customers should check before renewal.