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Plain alternatives · Help Desks

Free alternatives to Plain

Plain has no free plan. 25 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools in this directory are free or have a free plan.

Plain is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly). 1 of them has no paid plan at all; the rest pair a free plan with paid ones.

25 tools · Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

The 12 closest to Plain

  1. Featurebase

    Help desk, chat and feedback boards with a per-resolution AI agent

    What is free: 1 seat with live chat, inbox and ticketing, unlimited conversations, a help center and the mobile app.

    • Featurebase starts at $29 per seat / month, billed yearly ($37 billed monthly). Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Featurebase has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Plain also covers workflow automation.
    Featurebase vs PlainFeaturebase pricing and details

  2. SparrowDesk

    Help desk with shared inbox, live chat and a per-resolution AI agent

    What is free: Free plan for up to 3 users: live chat, email ticketing, shared inbox, prebuilt reports, public help center, 500 conversations a month.

    • SparrowDesk starts at $16 per agent / month, billed annually. Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • SparrowDesk has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only SparrowDesk lists iOS and Android apps.
    • SparrowDesk also covers whatsApp messaging.
    SparrowDesk pricing and details

  3. Crisp

    Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat

    What is free: 2 seats, the website chat widget, a contact form and shared inbox, mobile and desktop apps, store integrations and 100 customer profiles. No AI credits.

    • Crisp starts at $45 per workspace / month, with 4 seats. Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Crisp has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Crisp lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
    • Plain also covers workflow automation and help desk.
    Crisp pricing and details

  4. Chatwoot

    Open-source support inbox you can self-host or use in the cloud

    What is free: Hacker cloud plan: up to 2 agents and 500 conversations a month, live chat only, 30 days of history. The self-hosted Community Edition is also free.

    • Chatwoot starts at $19 per agent / month, billing term not stated. Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Chatwoot has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Chatwoot lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Chatwoot is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
    Chatwoot pricing and details

  5. Desk365

    Help desk built around Microsoft Teams, with a lifetime free plan

    What is free: Up to 50 tickets a month, for solo use or personal projects. It starts automatically at the end of the trial and has no end date.

    • Desk365 starts at $12 per agent / month, billed annually ($16 billed monthly). Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Desk365 has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Plain also covers live chat.
    Desk365 pricing and details

  6. Tidio

    Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations

    What is free: 50 billable conversations a month and 10 seats, with live chat, ticketing, email, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, 50 one-off Lyro AI conversations and 100 Flows visitors a month.

    • Tidio starts at $24.17 per month for 100 conversations, billed annually ($29 monthly). Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Tidio has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Tidio lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
    • Plain also covers shared inbox, workflow automation and help center.
    Tidio pricing and details

  7. Zoho Desk

    Low-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users

    What is free: Free edition: email ticketing for up to 3 users with one support email address. No knowledge base, automation, SLAs or AI features.

    • Zoho Desk starts at $7 per user / month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly). Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Zoho Desk has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Zoho Desk lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Zoho Desk also covers reports.
    Zoho Desk pricing and details

  8. tawk.to

    Free live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons

    What is free: The whole platform is free: live chat, inbox, ticketing, knowledge base, chat pages and CRM, with no seat charges. A "Powered by tawk.to" badge stays unless removed for a fee.

    • tawk.to starts at $29 per month for the AI Assist or Whitelabel add-on. Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • tawk.to has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only tawk.to lists Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps.
    • Plain also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.
    tawk.to pricing and details

  9. Smartsupp

    Live chat, WhatsApp and email inbox with the Mira AI shopping agent

    What is free: 1 operator, 25 conversations a month across live chat, WhatsApp and Messenger, and 14 days of chat history.

    • Smartsupp starts at $17 per month for 1 operator, billed annually ($24 billed monthly). Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Smartsupp has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only Smartsupp lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Plain also covers workflow automation, help desk and help center.
    Smartsupp pricing and details

  10. FreeScout

    Free open-source help desk and shared mailbox you host yourself

    What is free: Everything. There is no paid plan.

    • FreeScout is free. Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • FreeScout has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Only FreeScout lists iOS and Android apps.
    • FreeScout is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
    FreeScout pricing and details

  11. Enchant

    Shared inbox, live chat and knowledge base for support teams

    What is free: Up to 2 users, 3 Messengers, 3 knowledge bases, shared chat inboxes and basic reporting.

    • Enchant starts at $20 per user / month, billed monthly. Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • Enchant has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Enchant also covers business phone line and whatsApp messaging.
    • Plain also covers workflow automation and AI support agent.
    Enchant pricing and details

  12. osTicket

    Open-source support ticketing, self-hosted or as a cloud edition

    What is free: Open Source edition: free to download and host yourself, with community support.

    • osTicket starts at $12 per agent / month, for the cloud-hosted edition (billing basis not stated). Plain starts at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
    • osTicket has a free plan. Plain does not, though it has a free trial.
    • osTicket is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
    • Plain also covers live chat, help center and AI support agent.
    osTicket pricing and details

13 more that are free or have a free plan

All 25 in one table

Common questions

Is there a free alternative to Plain?

Yes. Featurebase, SparrowDesk, Crisp, Chatwoot, Desk365, Tidio, Zoho Desk, tawk.to and 17 more are free or have a free plan.

Does Plain have a free plan?

Plain has no free plan. Plain is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).

When was this checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Plain: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.