HelpSpot vs Hesk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HelpSpot and Hesk share a 2.4 GPA, and only Hesk has a free plan.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HelpSpot grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. Hesk grades higher on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
HelpSpot
Help desk with one flat annual price, hosted or self-hosted
Hesk
PHP help desk you host yourself, or a flat-fee cloud version
Which one is for you
Pick HelpSpot if
- Fits if you want a help desk at a flat yearly price for a small team
- Works for teams that need to host the data themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to pay monthly, because billing is annual only
- Tight if you have 4 agents, as tiers jump from 3 to 5 agents
- Watch out: every staff member who logs in counts as an agent
- Watch out: the listing names no ready-made integrations
Pick Hesk if
- Fits if you want a basic ticket system with no per-agent fee
- Works for a team with a server and someone to run it
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you have no server or tech help, because the free edition includes no hosting, installation or backups
- Too light for a team that wants automation and integrations, as none are on record
- Watch out: a licence only removes branding links and adds support, it unlocks no features
- Watch out: on Hesk Cloud, email-to-ticket is off by default and you must contact Hesk to turn it on
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAHelpSpotFair | 2.4GPAHeskFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$899 a year for 3 agents is about $25 an agent a month, and $1,299 for 5 is about $22. Between the cheaper quarter and the middle. | ACloud is $29.99 a month for up to 10 agents, about $6 a seat for a team of five, under 60% of the $19 where support tools start. The self-hosted licences are $49.99 and $199.99 once. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 21-day trial with no card. No free plan. | BThe free edition costs nothing to install on your own PHP and MySQL server. You handle hosting, updates and backups, so it is free only if you have a server. |
| Features | BTicketing, a knowledge base, portals, reporting, surveys, AI drafting and an API. The listing shows no gap in the core help desk job. | CTickets, a built-in knowledge base, self-hosted or cloud, language packs. Some cloud-only modules, such as escalation and surveys, cannot move to a self-hosted install. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Cloud or self-hosted setup, mailboxes and portals take configuring. | DNo store rating on record. The free edition needs a PHP and MySQL server and you run the install. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an API and webhooks, and the listing names no ready-made integrations. | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations on record. |
| Best for | a flat-price help desk, hosted or self-hosted | a small team wanting a plain ticket system |
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: HelpSpot and Hesk. How we grade
Price against what you get
HelpSpot starts at $74.92 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Hesk starts at $29.99 a month and scores 1.7.
HelpSpot scores higher, and starts $44.93 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, 5 score higher than HelpSpot for less, and 43 score higher than Hesk 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
- HelpSpot also covers surveys and reports.
- Hesk also covers ticketing.
At a glance
| HelpSpot | Hesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $899 per year for 3 agents | $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud) |
| Free plan | None | Hesk Free: install it on your own PHP/MySQL server at no cost; you handle hosting, updates and backups. |
| Free trial | 21-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | UserScape, Inc. | Hesk |
| Price read from | helpspot.com | hesk.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
HelpSpot
- Billing is annual only; there is no monthly plan.
- Price is set by agent count in tiers (3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and so on), so adding a fourth agent means moving to the 5-agent tier.
- Customers never need licenses, but every staff member who logs in counts as an agent.
- Qualified non-profits and academic institutions can get 15% off by contacting sales.
Hesk
- The free edition includes no hosting, installation, backups or email-to-ticket setup; the license does not cover them either.
- A license only removes branding links and adds support; it activates no new features.
- Cloud-only features such as the escalate and survey modules cannot be exported to a self-hosted install.
- Email-to-ticket on Hesk Cloud is switched off by default and has to be enabled by contacting Hesk.
Key features
HelpSpot
- Single-owner ticketing
- Each request is assigned to one person at a time, which the vendor contrasts with a shared inbox where anyone may reply.
- Cloud or self-hosted
- Choose the US cloud, the EU cloud in Frankfurt, or run it on your own servers, including air-gapped networks, at the same price.
- AI drafting and summaries
- Auto-categorization, translation and writing assistance are included with no separate AI charge.
- Knowledge base and portals
- Self-service help centers with unlimited portals, plus branding and customization of the customer-facing pages.
- Reporting and surveys
- Performance reports and satisfaction surveys that measure CSAT, available on every license.
- API and webhooks
- Developer tools for connecting HelpSpot to other systems and building headless support setups.
Hesk
- Ticket management
- Customers submit tickets that staff track, assign and answer, with canned responses and automatic assignment to cut repeat typing.
- Built-in knowledge base
- A self-help knowledge base sits alongside the ticket form so customers can find answers before they write in.
- Self-hosted or cloud
- Run it on your own PHP/MySQL hosting, or choose Hesk Cloud in a US, EU or Australian data center.
- Flat pricing without per-agent fees
- Cloud plans set a staff limit (10, 50 or 200 agents) and a flat monthly or yearly price, rather than charging each agent.
- Cloud-only modules
- Cloud Pro and MAX add escalation, survey and recurring-ticket modules; the site says some modules are not available self-hosted.
- Language packs
- The site lists packs for more than 35 languages that can be enabled in the admin settings.
Plans
HelpSpot
3 agents$899
per year for up to 3 agents, billed annually
Annual license for 3 agents, every feature included. Cloud or self-hosted at the same price.
5 agents$1,299
per year for up to 5 agents, billed annually
Annual license for 5 agents. Unlimited tickets and mailboxes.
10 agents$2,199
per year for up to 10 agents, billed annually
Annual license for 10 agents; the pricing calculator opens on this size.
25 agents$4,999
per year for up to 25 agents, billed annually
Annual license for 25 agents. Larger tiers run to 2,000 agents.
50 agents$9,999
per year for up to 50 agents, billed annually
Annual license for 50 agents, the largest tier shown here at under $200 a year per agent.
Hesk
Hesk Free$0
Self-hosted help desk and knowledge base on your own server, with Powered by Hesk links shown.
Hesk Cloud$29.99
per month for up to 10 agents, billed monthly
Hosted by Hesk with 10 GB of uploads, unlimited tickets and a statistics module. $299 a year if prepaid.
Hesk Cloud Pro$49.99
per month for up to 50 agents, billed monthly
Adds escalate and survey modules and recurring tickets, with 50 GB of uploads. $499 a year if prepaid.
Hesk Cloud MAX$99.99
per month for up to 200 agents, billed monthly
Everything in Pro for large teams, with 200 GB of uploads. $999 a year if prepaid.
Website License$49.99
one-time, one self-hosted installation
Removes the Powered by Hesk branding and adds a year of email support; unlocks no new features.
Advanced License$199.99
one-time, five self-hosted installations
Branding removal on five installations and five years of support from the Hesk team.
Ways to pay less
HelpSpot
- Nonprofit
15% off for non-profits and schools
HelpSpot says it gives 15% off to qualified non-profit organizations and academic institutions; the discount is arranged through its sales team.
Hesk
- Annual discount
Prepay a year of Hesk Cloud and save
Annual prepayment costs $299 (Cloud), $499 (Pro) or $999 (MAX), which the page says saves $60, $100 and $200 against monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, HelpSpot or Hesk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hesk is cheaper to start with: $29.99 a month, against $74.92 a month when paid by the year for HelpSpot. HelpSpot starts at $899 per year for 3 agents, and Hesk starts at $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud).
Which has a free plan, HelpSpot or Hesk?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Hesk has a free plan. HelpSpot 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.