BoldDesk vs HelpDesk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HelpDesk grades higher than BoldDesk: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HelpDesk grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BoldDesk
Help desk with per-agent pricing or unlimited agents plus AI credits
HelpDesk
Ticketing with an AI agent for email, chat, Messenger and SMS
Which one is for you
Pick BoldDesk if
- Fits if you have a support team that wants SLAs and automation rules
- Works for teams moving off another help desk, since migration is free
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is none
- Pricey if you lean on AI, because credits run out and extra ones cost $40 per 1,000
- Watch out: seats on the AI plans are for named people, and the fair usage policy bars shared logins
- Watch out: on the per-agent plan, SMS and voice need an integration
Pick HelpDesk if
- Fits if you answer customers by email, chat, Messenger and SMS from one inbox
- Works for a small team that wants tickets and an AI agent from $19 a user
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you lean on the AI: 10 resolutions a month on Essential, 200 on Growth, and extra 50-packs cost $49.50
- Pricey if you outgrow Essential, as Growth is $79 a user billed yearly ($99 monthly)
- Skip it if you want a free plan or phone apps, since it has neither
- Watch out: multiple brands, custom roles, SSO and HIPAA are on the custom-priced Enterprise plan
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABoldDeskFair | 2.4GPAHelpDeskFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$35 an agent a month on annual billing sits between the $29 middle and the $39 where the dearer quarter starts. The AI plans start at $99 a month for 500 credits. | B$19 per user a month billed yearly is at the edge of the cheapest quarter ($19). Growth is $79 a user, and that is where the 20 custom fields and 10 teams are. |
| Free plan and trial | C15-day free trial of the per-agent plan, no card required. No free plan. | CA 14-day trial with no credit card. There is no free plan. |
| Features | CTicketing, automation, SLAs, a knowledge base, reporting and free migration. SMS and voice come through an integration on the per-agent plan. | CEmail, chat, Messenger and SMS in one inbox, with an AI Agent and Copilot. Essential has 3 ticketing rules and 10 AI resolutions a month, which is the gap. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Channels, SLAs and automation rules all need setting up. | CNo store rating on record, and rules, teams and the AI Agent need setting up before they help. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with 6 integrations on record. | BWeb only, with 8 listed integrations. The chat widget can be embedded in your own mobile app, but there are no phone or desktop apps. |
| Best for | a support team wanting a per-agent help desk | a ticket inbox with AI replies built in |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BoldDesk and HelpDesk. How we grade
Price against what you get
BoldDesk starts at $35 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. HelpDesk starts at $19 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and HelpDesk starts $16 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 18 score higher than BoldDesk for less, and 7 score higher than HelpDesk for less.
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
Where they differ
- BoldDesk also covers reports, help center, whatsApp messaging and ticketing.
- HelpDesk also covers shared inbox, sMS marketing and chatbots.
At a glance
| BoldDesk | HelpDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $35 per agent / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly) | $19 per user / month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free 15-day trial of the per-agent plan, no card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Syncfusion | Text, Inc. |
| Price read from | bolddesk.com | helpdesk.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BoldDesk
- There is no free plan; the per-agent plan has a 15-day trial and the AI plans offer a free trial.
- AI features run on credits: the AI plans include 500 to 2,500 a month and extra credits cost $40 per 1,000.
- Agent seats on the AI plans are for named people, and the vendor's fair usage policy bars shared logins.
- On the per-agent plan SMS and voice come through an integration rather than a built-in channel.
HelpDesk
- AI resolutions are capped: 10 a month on Essential and 200 on Growth. Extra packs of 50 resolutions cost $49.50.
- There is no free plan; the 14-day trial is the only free access.
- Per-user pricing means Growth costs $79 per user / month when billed yearly, $99 billed monthly.
- The pages describe a browser-based product and list no desktop or phone apps; the chat widget can be embedded in your own mobile app.
Key features
BoldDesk
- Omnichannel ticketing
- Email, live chat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and web forms feed one ticket queue, with mobile apps and an SDK.
- Automation and SLAs
- Workflow automation, round-robin and skill routing, SLA reminders and escalations, business hours and ticket macros.
- AI agents on credits
- A response agent, a background agent and an assist agent run on AI credits, which the per-agent plan sells at $40 per 1,000.
- Knowledge base
- A public or private multilingual knowledge base with article approval and versioning, and an embeddable widget.
- Reporting
- Dashboards for SLA performance, agent and team activity and CSAT, with scheduled reports and custom dashboards.
- Free migration
- The vendor offers free migration and onboarding from other help desks, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
HelpDesk
- One inbox for four channels
- Email, website chat, Messenger and SMS land in the same inbox as tickets, with statuses, priorities and automated assignment.
- AI Agent
- An AI Agent runs conversations using the knowledge, tone and skills you give it. One resolution is counted when it directly solves a customer question.
- AI Copilot for agents
- Reply suggestions and AI text edits for human agents, plus ticket summaries, tag suggestions and similar-ticket suggestions on higher plans.
- Selling through Shopify
- Every plan lists selling through Shopify, and the pricing page describes an AI sales skill with a live Shopify catalog and cart recovery campaigns.
- Rules and routing
- Ticketing rules and automated assignment sort incoming tickets, with 3 rules on Essential and 10 on Growth.
- Teams and reports
- Growth adds up to 10 teams, chat supervision and takeover, agent activity and performance reports.
Plans
BoldDesk
Enterprise (per agent)$35
per agent / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
Every help desk feature, unlimited tickets and up to 10 brands; AI is a separate credit add-on.
Scale AI$99
per month for 500 AI credits, billed annually ($116 billed monthly)
Unlimited human agents, an email AI agent, ticketing, knowledge base and workflow automation.
Momentum AI$499
per month for 1,000 AI credits, billed annually ($587 billed monthly)
Adds an AI agent on chat, WhatsApp, social and SMS, auto-assignment, multiple SLAs and CSAT surveys.
Enterprise AI$999
per month for 2,500 AI credits, billed annually ($1,175 monthly)
Adds multi-brand help desk, HIPAA compliance, ticket approvals, agent shifts and custom dashboards.
HelpDesk
Essential$19
per user / month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly)
Inbox and tickets, 3 ticketing rules, 1 AI Agent with 10 AI resolutions a month, and AI Copilot with 5 reply suggestions per user a month.
Growth$79
per user / month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly)
20 custom fields, 10 ticketing rules, up to 10 teams, 10 AI Agents with 200 AI resolutions a month, ticket summaries, chat supervision and 30 proactive campaigns.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom AI Agents, multiple brands, custom roles, SSO and audit logs, HIPAA compliance and a dedicated account manager. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
BoldDesk
- Annual discount
15% off with yearly billing
Yearly billing saves 15% on the AI plans ($99, $499 and $999 against $116, $587 and $1,175 monthly) and about 13% on the per-agent plan.
- Other savings
Free migration and contract cover
For teams moving from Zendesk, Freshdesk or another help desk, BoldDesk migrates the data free and covers up to 6 months of remaining contract fees.
HelpDesk
- Annual discount
Save up to 24% by billing yearly
The pricing page shows yearly billing at $19 and $79 per user against $25 and $99 billed monthly, and says paying yearly saves up to 24%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BoldDesk or HelpDesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, HelpDesk is cheaper to start with: $19 a month for each person, against $35 a month for each person for BoldDesk. BoldDesk starts at $35 per agent / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly), and HelpDesk starts at $19 per user / month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, BoldDesk or HelpDesk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BoldDesk nor HelpDesk has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do BoldDesk and HelpDesk run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only BoldDesk lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.