Help desk & live chat tools
Answer customers, with AI. 6 tools we track, checked .
Short answer page: What's the best help desk & live chat tool?
Ranked by fit for solo businesses: tools we profile in depth first, then those used in our research notes, then the rest. Affiliate status never changes the order.
- 1
Tidio
Pick this if you want small e-commerce support.
Live chat and AI support agent (Lyro) for small online stores.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 1/5
- 2
Crisp
Pick this if you want free live chat on a website.
Live chat and shared inbox with a free plan.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 1/5
- 3
Zendesk
Pick this if you want growing support teams.
Customer service software with ticketing and AI agents.
Paid plans only · Free plan: Trial only
- 4
Intercom
Pick this if you want aI-first support.
Customer service platform with the Fin AI agent.
Paid plans only · Free plan: Trial only
- 5
Freshdesk
Pick this if you want free ticketing for a small team.
Help desk with a free plan for small teams.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes
- 6
Help Scout
Pick this if you want email support that feels personal.
Shared inbox and help center for customer support.
Paid plans only · Free plan: Trial only
Side-by-side
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 1/5 | – | Small e-commerce support |
| Crisp | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 1/5 | – | Free live chat on a website |
| Zendesk | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | Growing support teams |
| Intercom | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | AI-first support |
| Freshdesk | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | – | – | Free ticketing for a small team |
| Help Scout | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | Email support that feels personal |
"Starting price" is shown only for tools we profile in depth, where we read the official pricing page on . For the others, check the official site.