Alternatives · Help Desks
Plain alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded Plain alternative is Zendesk (2.4 GPA). The best free one is Featurebase (2.4 GPA).
Plain compared with 9 alternatives: Zendesk, Intercom, Pylon, Freshdesk, HelpDesk and 4 more.
Plain is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly). 1 of the 9 alternatives is free or has a free plan. 7 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Plain sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlainThis tool | Free trial · from $45/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Zendesk | Free trial · from $19/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Intercom | Free trial · from $29/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Pylon | Free trial · from $89/yr | Trial only | Web |
| Freshdesk | Free trial · from $19/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| HelpDesk | Free trial · from $19/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Featurebase | Free plan · from $29/mo | Yes | Web |
| Helply (formerly Groove) | Free trial · from $99/mo | Trial only | Web |
| Thena | From $29/mo | No | Web |
| Unthread | Free trial · from $85/mo | Trial only | Web |
Price against what you get
Plain starts at $45 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 4 of the 9 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Zendesk, Intercom, Pylon and Freshdesk.
Helply (formerly Groove) scores higher without starting lower. HelpDesk, Featurebase and Thena start lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Plain
Zendesk
Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams
- Zendesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
- Zendesk also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Zendesk also covers reports.
- Zendesk does not cover shared inbox and workflow automation, which Plain does.
Suits: Support teams handling email, chat and phone in one queue
Intercom
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome
- Intercom starts at $29 per seat / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
- Intercom also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Intercom also covers reports.
- Intercom does not cover workflow automation, which Plain does.
Suits: Software and app companies that support customers through in-app chat
Pylon
B2B support platform that works across Slack, Teams and email
- Pylon starts at $89 per seat, on an annual contract.
- Pylon also covers whatsApp messaging.
- Pylon does not cover workflow automation, which Plain does.
Suits: B2B software companies that support customers inside shared Slack channels
Freshdesk
Email ticketing help desk with a knowledge base and AI agents
- Freshdesk starts at $19 per agent / month, billed annually.
- Freshdesk also lists iOS and Android apps.
- Freshdesk also covers reports.
- Freshdesk does not cover workflow automation and live chat, which Plain does.
Suits: Support teams that work mainly from email
HelpDesk
Ticketing with an AI agent for email, chat, Messenger and SMS
- HelpDesk starts at $19 per user / month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly).
- HelpDesk also covers sMS marketing and chatbots.
- HelpDesk does not cover workflow automation and help center, which Plain does.
Suits: Small ecommerce teams on Shopify that want support and sales in one inbox
Featurebase
Help desk, chat and feedback boards with a per-resolution AI agent
- Featurebase starts at $29 per seat / month, billed yearly ($37 billed monthly).
- Featurebase has a free plan, which Plain lacks.
- Featurebase does not cover workflow automation, which Plain does.
Suits: Startups that want support and feedback in one product
Helply (formerly Groove)
Help desk with AI support agents, now sold as Helply
- Helply (formerly Groove) starts at $99 per month for up to 2 human agents, billed annually.
- Helply (formerly Groove) also covers chatbots.
- Helply (formerly Groove) does not cover workflow automation, which Plain does.
Suits: Small B2B and SaaS support teams that want AI agents bundled with the help desk
Thena
Ticketing and AI support agents for B2B teams working in Slack
- Thena starts at $29 per user / month, billed annually.
- Thena does not cover workflow automation, which Plain does.
Suits: B2B SaaS teams that already support customers through shared Slack channels
Unthread
AI helpdesk that tracks support requests in Slack and Teams
- Unthread starts at $85 per agent / month, shown with the annual-billing toggle selected.
Suits: Companies whose customers or employees already ask for help in Slack or Teams
Limits worth knowing in Plain
- Foundation is capped at 5 member seats and Horizon needs at least 3, up to 10; larger teams go to the sales-only Frontier plan.
- AI credits are limited per month (1,000 on Foundation, 2,500 on Horizon); extra credits are $10 per 1,000 up to $100 per 10,000.
- SLAs, escalation paths and Microsoft Teams need Horizon at $99 per user / month; SSO, SCIM and HIPAA need Frontier.
- Plain lists a startup program with a $6,000 flat fee for Horizon, 10 seats and 12 months, for early-stage teams of ten or fewer.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Plain?
The alternatives to Plain in this directory are Zendesk, Intercom, Pylon, Freshdesk, HelpDesk, Featurebase, Helply (formerly Groove), Thena and Unthread. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Plain.
Is there a free alternative to Plain?
Yes. Featurebase has a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Plain alternatives work on Android?
The Plain listing does not include an Android app. Zendesk, Intercom and Freshdesk list one.
Which Plain alternatives work on iOS?
The Plain listing does not include an iOS app. Zendesk, Intercom and Freshdesk list one.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.