Hesk vs SupportPal (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hesk grades higher than SupportPal: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hesk grades higher on value for money and the free plan. SupportPal grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hesk
PHP help desk you host yourself, or a flat-fee cloud version
SupportPal
Self-hosted help desk with flat pricing and unlimited agents
Which one is for you
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
Pick SupportPal if
- Fits if you have a server and want a flat price for any number of agents
- Works for agencies that run several brands from one desk
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, since the pricing page offers none
- Not for you if you have no one to run a server
- Watch out: removing the Powered by line costs $4.95 a month or $49.95 a year
- Watch out: support is by email only, a remote desktop session is $75 per 30 minutes, and extra IP addresses and Twilio are paid separately
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAHeskFair | 2.2GPASupportPalFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | B$29.95 a month for unlimited operators is about $6 a seat for five agents, under 60% of the $19 where support tools start, but you must also pay for a server. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | C30-day free trial of the self-hosted version, no card required. No free plan. |
| Features | 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. | CUnified inbox, SLAs and business hours, multi-brand support, a self-service area and an add-ons marketplace. Phone, SMS and WhatsApp need Twilio, paid separately. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. The free edition needs a PHP and MySQL server and you run the install. | DNo store rating on record. It is self-hosted, so you install, update and secure the server. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations on record. | BWeb only, with 3 integrations on record. |
| Best for | a small team wanting a plain ticket system | a team wanting a self-hosted help desk |
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: Hesk and SupportPal. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hesk starts at $29.99 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SupportPal starts at $29.95 a month and scores 2.0.
SupportPal scores higher and starts $0.04 a month lower. Of the other help desk and live chat tools on the chart, 35 score higher than Hesk for less, and 33 score higher than SupportPal 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
- SupportPal also covers shared inbox.
At a glance
| Hesk | SupportPal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud) | $29.95 per month, self-hosted license for unlimited operators |
| Free plan | Hesk Free: install it on your own PHP/MySQL server at no cost; you handle hosting, updates and backups. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free self-hosted trial, no card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Hesk | SupportPal Limited |
| Price read from | hesk.com | supportpal.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
SupportPal
- It is self-hosted only; the pricing page offers no hosted edition, and you run the server.
- Removing the Powered by line costs $4.95 a month or $49.95 a year extra.
- Support is by email only; a remote desktop session is $75 per 30 minutes.
- Additional IP addresses and Twilio phone, SMS and WhatsApp are paid separately.
Key features
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.
SupportPal
- Unified inbox
- Web forms, email, a help widget, Facebook messages and the REST API all turn into tickets shown in a single filterable grid.
- SLAs and business hours
- Service level plans set first-response and resolution times, with due dates worked out from business hours and pausable when needed.
- Multi-brand support
- Several brands run from one installation, each with its own portal, logo, email templates and self-service area.
- Self-service area
- A knowledge area and an embeddable help widget let customers search articles before contacting support.
- Phone, SMS and WhatsApp
- Calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages can be handled through your own Twilio account, which needs an extra subscription.
- Add-ons marketplace
- Extra modules can be installed from a marketplace, and sensitive ticket fields can be encrypted or purged after closing.
Plans
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.
SupportPal
Monthly license$29.95
per month, one brand, unlimited operators
All features, unlimited tickets and users, email support and updates. Extra brands $9.95 a month each.
Annual license$299.95
per year, one brand, unlimited operators
Same license billed yearly, marked as 2 months free; extra brands are $99.95 a year each.
Ways to pay less
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.
SupportPal
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual billing
The annual license is $299.95 against $29.95 a month, which the pricing page labels as 2 months free.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hesk or SupportPal?
As of Nov 12, 2026, SupportPal is cheaper to start with: $29.95 a month, against $29.99 a month for Hesk. Hesk starts at $29.99 per month for up to 10 agents (Hesk Cloud), and SupportPal starts at $29.95 per month, self-hosted license for unlimited operators.
Which has a free plan, Hesk or SupportPal?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hesk has a free plan. SupportPal 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.