Helpwise vs Trengo
We give Helpwise a 2.6 GPA and Trengo a 2.2, out of 4.0. Helpwise 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.
Helpwise
Shared inbox for email, chat, WhatsApp and SMS with a help center
Trengo
Shared inbox for WhatsApp, email and chat with AI agents, in euros
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHelpwiseGood | 2.2GPATrengoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | DBoost is €299 a month billed yearly (€349 monthly) for up to 10 users, so a team of five pays about €60 a head, well above the dearest tenth of help desks at $39. On your own, it's the full €299. It does include 6,000 conversations a year and the WhatsApp API. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day free trial of every plan, and then you pay. There's no free plan to stay on. | CA 7-day free trial with no card needed, which is short for a tool this costly. There's no free plan after it. |
| Features | 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. | BOne inbox for email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, chat and SMS, the HelpMate AI agent, a help center, multi-step automations and links to stores, CRMs and booking sites. Phone calling is an add-on, but the job is covered. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Connecting Gmail or Outlook is quick, but each channel, inbox and rule is its own bit of setup. | CNo store rating on record. You connect the WhatsApp Business API and each other channel, then set up AI flows, and the AI Journeys part is still marked as a beta. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Shopify, Slack, Zapier, Asana, ClickUp and Jira. No desktop app, so it stops at a B. | BIt runs in a browser only, with no app for phones or computers, though you can add it to a phone's home screen. The connections help: Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Booking.com and Airbnb, plus an API. |
| Best for | moving support off a shared Gmail address | WhatsApp-heavy service teams in Europe |
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: Helpwise and Trengo. How we grade
Price against what you get
Helpwise starts at $12 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Trengo starts at about $335.06 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Helpwise starts $323.06 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Helpwise for less, and 4 score higher than Trengo 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
- Helpwise starts at $12 per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly). Trengo starts at €299 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually (€349 billed monthly).
- Only Helpwise lists iOS and Android apps.
- Helpwise also covers help desk.
- Trengo also covers AI support agent.
At a glance
| Helpwise | Trengo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $12 per user / month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly) | €299 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually (€349 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of every plan | 7-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | SaaS Labs, Inc. | Trengo |
| Price read from | helpwise.io | trengo.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Helpwise
- Small teams moving support off a shared Gmail or Outlook address
- Teams that answer customers on WhatsApp and SMS as well as email
- Businesses that want CRM links such as HubSpot or Pipedrive
Trengo
- European businesses that handle much of their service over WhatsApp
- Hospitality, travel and leisure companies using booking platforms
- Teams of up to 10 or 20 people who want one fixed monthly price
Worth knowing
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.
Trengo
- Prices are set in euros; the dollar view on the pricing page converts them at a live exchange rate.
- Conversations past the allowance cost €18 per 100 billed monthly (€15 yearly); AI-handled ones add €0.30 each (€0.25 yearly).
- Extra users cost €30 a month on Boost and €50 on Pro (€25 and €40 yearly); broadcasting and phone calling are add-ons.
- There are no native apps: Trengo runs in a browser and can be added to a phone's home screen.
Key features
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.
Trengo
- One inbox for messaging channels
- Email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok, live chat and SMS arrive in one shared inbox with assignment, labels, mentions and internal comments.
- Official WhatsApp Business API
- WhatsApp is built in on every plan, and WhatsApp service conversations are not charged; broadcast campaigns over messaging apps are an add-on.
- HelpMate AI agent
- An AI agent that suggests and sends replies on its own, with an AI surcharge on each conversation it handles and reports on how it resolves questions.
- AI Journeys
- Automations that run conversations and workflows across several steps and channels. The pricing page marks it as a beta whose packaging may change.
- Help center
- A customer help center hosted at help.trengo.com, which can be moved to your own domain.
- Store, booking and CRM links
- Integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, HubSpot and Salesforce, and with holiday and booking platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb.
Plans
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.
Trengo
Boost€299
per month for up to 10 users, billed annually (€349 billed monthly)
Unified inbox, WhatsApp Business API, website widget, auto and quick replies; 6,000 conversations a year billed annually, or 500 a month billed monthly.
Pro€499
per month for up to 20 users, billed annually (€599 billed monthly)
Adds API actions in AI flows, custom integrations through the API, enforced 2FA and phone support; 18,000 conversations a year, or 1,500 a month.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom users and conversations, custom-built integrations and channels, a dedicated success manager and full voice integration. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
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.
Trengo
- Annual discount
Up to 20% off with annual billing
Trengo's pricing page says annual billing saves up to 20%: Boost is €299 a month billed annually against €349 monthly, and Pro €499 against €599.
