FreeScout vs Helpwise (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Helpwise grades higher than FreeScout: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
FreeScout grades higher on the free plan. Helpwise grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FreeScout
Free open-source help desk and shared mailbox you host yourself
Helpwise
Shared inbox for email, chat, WhatsApp and SMS with a help center
Which one is for you
Pick FreeScout if
- Fits if you can run your own server and want a free help desk
- Works for groups that need control over where support data lives
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosting done for you, as there is no official cloud service
- Watch out: modules are lifetime licences per instance and non-refundable
- Not for you if you want someone else to handle updates, backups and security
- Watch out: the module prices are filled in by script and could not be read
Pick Helpwise if
- Fits if your support still lives in a shared Gmail or Outlook inbox
- Works for sales and ops teams of 2 to 10 who work in HubSpot or Pipedrive
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you work alone, since every plan needs at least 2 seats, and Advanced needs 3
- Tight if you're on Standard: 3 inboxes, 15 saved replies, 3 rules, no WhatsApp or SMS, and a 10-user cap
- Pricey if you want the chatbot and calls included, as that takes Advanced at $39 a user; on Premium they're $10 and $5 add-ons
- Watch out: 3 more inboxes cost $49 a month on top of your plan
- Skip it if you want a free plan: after the 7-day trial you pay
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFreeScoutFair | 2.6GPAHelpwiseGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree if you host it yourself, which needs a server, so it is a C and not an A. | BStandard is $12 a user a month billed yearly ($15 monthly), inside the cheaper quarter of help desks. It's sold for at least 2 users, so one person pays $24. WhatsApp, SMS, Instagram and calls need Premium at $23, still under the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree outright with unlimited agents, tickets and mailboxes, but you pay for a server and your own time. | CA 7-day free trial of every plan, and then you pay. There's no free plan to stay on. |
| Features | CShared mailbox and tickets, with extras like WhatsApp and Telegram sold as modules, whose prices we couldn't read. | BShared inboxes for Gmail, Microsoft 365, chat, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and SMS, a help center, assignment rules, CSAT, SLAs, a chatbot and calls. Across the plans it covers the job, with the chatbot and phone as add-ons on Premium and included on Advanced. |
| Ease of use | DYou handle installs, updates, backups and security on your own server. | CNo store rating on record. Connecting Gmail or Outlook is quick, but each channel, inbox and rule is its own bit of setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps and an installable web app, with Slack, Jira, WooCommerce, Zapier and Make. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Shopify, Slack, Zapier, Asana, ClickUp and Jira. No desktop app, so it stops at a B. |
| Best for | a free help desk you host yourself | moving support off a shared Gmail address |
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: FreeScout and Helpwise. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreeScout has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Helpwise starts at $12 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Helpwise scores higher, and starts $12 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, none scores higher than FreeScout for less, and 1 scores higher than Helpwise 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
- FreeScout is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| FreeScout | Helpwise | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $12 per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of every plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FreeScout | SaaS Labs, Inc. |
| Price read from | freescout.net | helpwise.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FreeScout
- There is no official cloud service; the project lists third-party hosts that can install it in one click.
- Modules are sold as lifetime licenses per instance and are non-refundable; their prices are filled in by script and could not be read.
- You handle installs, updates, backups and security on your own server.
Helpwise
- Seat minimums apply: 2 users on Standard and Premium, 3 on Advanced. Standard stops at 10 users.
- Standard covers only email, live chat and Facebook; WhatsApp, SMS, calling and Instagram need Premium.
- Add-ons: 3 more inboxes cost $49 a month, the chatbot $10 per user a month and the cloud phone $5 per active user a month.
- There is no free plan after the 7-day trial.
Key features
FreeScout
- Shared mailbox and tickets
- Brings email, plus WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Slack and live chat through modules, into one inbox with notes, tags and saved replies.
- No limits on agents or tickets
- The core software has unlimited support agents, tickets and mailboxes, and installs on ordinary PHP and MySQL hosting.
- Modules marketplace
- Paid modules add workflows and SLAs, an end-user portal, knowledge base, custom fields, time tracking, SAML SSO and an API.
- Email integration
- Connects over SMTP, IMAP or POP3, with OAuth sign-in for Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace.
- Apps and installable web app
- iOS and Android apps and a progressive web app that sends web push notifications; apps use the same modules as your install.
Helpwise
- Shared team inboxes
- Gmail, Microsoft 365, live chat, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and SMS conversations in shared inboxes, with notes, mentions, shared drafts and collision detection.
- Knowledge base
- A help center for customers to look up answers, included from the Standard plan.
- Automation and assignment
- Rules that sort and assign conversations, from 3 on Standard to unlimited on Advanced, with round-robin or load-balanced assignment.
- Helpwise AI
- AI help with drafting and summarizing replies from Premium, and automatic prioritization of conversations on Advanced.
- Cloud phone and chatbot
- Calls and a website chatbot in the same inbox, sold as add-ons on Premium and included on Advanced.
- Mobile apps
- Apps for iOS and Android alongside the web app.
Plans
FreeScout
FreeScout (self-hosted)$0
Download and host it yourself with unlimited agents, tickets and mailboxes. Optional modules are bought separately.
Helpwise
Standard$12
per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
2 to 10 users, 3 shared inboxes, 15 saved replies, a help center, email, live chat and Facebook, 3 automation rules and standard analytics.
Premium$23
per user / month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
From 2 users. 10 shared inboxes, WhatsApp, SMS, calling and Instagram, 25 automation rules, CSAT surveys, all integrations and AI reply help.
Advanced$39
per user / month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
From 3 users. 30 shared inboxes, unlimited rules, SLAs, load-balanced assignment, AI prioritization, chatbot and calling included, and SSO.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom integrations, SSO, team onboarding and training, and a dedicated account manager. Priced on request.
Ways to pay less
FreeScout
- Lifetime license
Modules sold as lifetime licenses
Each module is a one-time purchase for a single FreeScout instance, with lifetime updates included.
Helpwise
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Helpwise's pricing page lists a 20% saving on annual billing: Standard is $12 per user a month billed annually against $15 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FreeScout or Helpwise?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FreeScout is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $12 a month for each person for Helpwise. FreeScout is free, and Helpwise starts at $12 per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, FreeScout or Helpwise?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FreeScout has a free plan. Helpwise does not, though it has a free trial.
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.