The Gist Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Gist in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Gist
The Insider’s Guide
Live chat, help desk and email marketing in one small-business app
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Gist’s own pages.
Made by Gist · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Gist’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Gist’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 72 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Gist combines a website chat messenger and team inbox with a knowledge base, chatbots, email marketing, forms and a basic CRM. Support and marketing are priced as separate product lines, with a free plan for two support seats. It is aimed at small teams that want one tool instead of several.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Gist, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Chat, bots and a knowledge base to set up.
- 1
Best for live chat and a team inbox for a very small team
Gist is a live chat and team inbox with a free plan for 2 support seats.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29 per month for 5 support seats.
- 3
There is a free plan
Gist Support Free: 2 support seats with live chat, team inbox, unlimited conversation history, saved replies and mobile apps.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Live chat and team inbox
A messenger for your site or app and a shared inbox for the team, with saved replies, office hours and iOS and Android apps.
- 6
Knowledge base
A multilingual help center that customers can search, with article ratings and feedback. The public knowledge base starts on the Professional plan.
- 7
Chatbots and support bot
A lead qualification bot comes on Professional and custom bots on Premium. A support bot that answers repeat questions is listed as an add-on.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 72 of 92
That is against the other help desk and live chat tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Gist you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Gist at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $29 per month for 5 support seats
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 21-day free trial of paid plans
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Gist
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for live chat and a team inbox for a very small team
Gist is a live chat and team inbox with a free plan for 2 support seats. Professional is $29 a month for 5 seats, and chatbots, reports and assignment rules sit on Premium, shown at $99 against a crossed-out $499.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | $29 a month for up to 5 support seats on Professional. Premium's $99 is a promotion, shown against a crossed-out $499. |
| Free plan and trial | B | A free plan with 2 support seats, live chat, team inbox, unlimited history and mobile apps, plus a 21-day trial. |
| Features | C | Live chat, inbox, knowledge base and bots. Email, bots and reports sit on paid plans, and marketing is sold separately. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Chat, bots and a knowledge base to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web plus iOS and Android apps, with Zapier, WordPress, WooCommerce, Stripe, Google Calendar and Zoom. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Gist is for
- Fits if you are a very small team, as the free plan covers 2 support seats
- Works for teams that prefer a flat price for several seats
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay free: 2 seats, and email forwarding is a paid feature
- Watch out: Premium's $99 is shown against a crossed-out $499 and marked ending soon, with no end date
- Watch out: marketing and all-in-one bundles are priced by contact count, and no annual rate is shown
- Watch out: the page mentions 30% off for new customers in India for a limited time
Good to know
Good for
- Very small teams: the free plan covers 2 support seats
- Small businesses that want chat and email marketing in one app
- Teams that prefer a flat price for unlimited seats
Worth knowing
- Premium is shown at $99 against a crossed-out $499, marked "ending soon" with no end date; the regular price may apply later.
- Marketing and All-in-One bundle prices are separate and depend on contact count; only the Support plans are listed here.
- The pricing page was read with its billing toggle hidden, so these are monthly prices; the page did not show an annual rate.
- The pricing page says new customers based in India can get 30% off some plans for a limited time.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Gist has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per month for 5 support seats.
Free (Support)
$0
2 support seats, live chat, team inbox, unlimited conversation history, saved replies, office hours and mobile apps.
Professional (Support)
$29
per month for up to 5 support seats
Adds email forwarding, Facebook and Twitter integrations, a public knowledge base, chat triggers, a lead qualification bot, satisfaction ratings and Zapier.
Premium (Support)
$99
per month for unlimited support seats
Adds custom chatbots, surveys, product tours, assignment rules, reports and roles. Shown as $99 against a crossed-out $499, marked "ending soon".
The free plan
Gist Support Free: 2 support seats with live chat, team inbox, unlimited conversation history, saved replies and mobile apps.
Trying it first
21-day free trial of paid plans
Read from getgist.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Live chat, help desk and email marketing in one small-business app. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: shared inbox, marketing automation, email campaigns, live chat, help center, chatbots.
Live chat, inbox, knowledge base and bots.
- Live chat and team inbox
- A messenger for your site or app and a shared inbox for the team, with saved replies, office hours and iOS and Android apps.
- Knowledge base
- A multilingual help center that customers can search, with article ratings and feedback. The public knowledge base starts on the Professional plan.
- Chatbots and support bot
- A lead qualification bot comes on Professional and custom bots on Premium. A support bot that answers repeat questions is listed as an add-on.
- Email marketing and automation
- Email campaigns, workflows, event tracking, forms and a deal pipeline sit in a separate Marketing product line priced by contact count.
- Meetings and surveys
- Automated meeting scheduling syncs with Google and Office 365 calendars; surveys and product tours are on the Premium support plan.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Zapier
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- Segment
- Stripe
- Google Calendar
- Zoom
Gist is made by Gist.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
72/92
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Gist's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 72 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 77 of 92) and worst on features (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 34 of the 78 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 19 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 93 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Gist’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 65 of 92
- BFree plan and trialAbove 77 of 92
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 92
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 92
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 12 of 92
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 80 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Gist is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Gist you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 72 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools we grade. It costs $348 a year.
What you could make
- Help center: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- A chatbot builder hooked into the messaging apps.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Zapier, WordPress and WooCommerce among them.
What this rests on. Gist’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Intercom, Crisp, Tidio, HelpCrunch and Text by LiveChat
The 5 tools Gist is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Intercom
Free trial · from $29/mo
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
- Gist has a free plan. Intercom does not, though it has a free trial.
- Gist also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and chatbots.
- Intercom also covers reports, help desk and AI support agent.
- 2.6GPA
Crisp
Free plan · from $45/mo
Live chat and shared inbox priced per workspace, not per seat.
- Only Crisp lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Gist also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and chatbots.
- Crisp also covers AI support agent.
- 3.2GPA
Tidio
Free plan · from $24.17/mo
Live chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations.
- Only Tidio lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Gist also covers shared inbox, marketing automation, email campaigns, help center and chatbots.
- Tidio also covers help desk and AI support agent.
- 2.4GPA
HelpCrunch
Free trial · from $12/mo
Live chat, shared inbox, chatbot and email in one platform.
- Gist has a free plan. HelpCrunch does not, though it has a free trial.
- Gist also covers marketing automation.
- HelpCrunch also covers AI support agent and popups.
- 2.4GPA
Text by LiveChat
Free trial · from $19/mo
Website chat, ticketing and an AI agent from the LiveChat team.
- Gist has a free plan. Text by LiveChat does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Text by LiveChat lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Gist also covers shared inbox, marketing automation, email campaigns, help center and chatbots.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Gist free?
Gist has a free plan. Gist Support Free: 2 support seats with live chat, team inbox, unlimited conversation history, saved replies and mobile apps.
How much does Gist cost?
Gist lists 3 plans. Free (Support): $0.
What platforms does Gist work on?
Gist is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Gist have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Gist is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Gist have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Gist is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Gist open source?
Gist is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Gist integrate with?
Gist's listing names Zapier, WordPress, WooCommerce, Segment, Stripe, Google Calendar, Zoom and Facebook.
Does Gist have a free trial?
Yes. 21-day free trial of paid plans.
Who makes Gist?
Gist is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Gist?
The closest alternatives to Gist in our directory are Intercom, Crisp, Tidio, HelpCrunch and Text by LiveChat.
How does Gist compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Gist's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 72 of the 92 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 10.
Is Gist good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Gist B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 34 of the 78 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Gist?
To replace Gist you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Gist’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Gist's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Gist. Prices change, so check getgist.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Gist, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/gist
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Gist: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/gist
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/gist/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Gist, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 93 help desk and live chat tools we grade, compared
- Zoho Desk Insider's GuideLow-cost ticketing help desk with a free plan for three users3.4 GPA
- Tidio Insider's GuideLive chat, ticketing and the Lyro AI agent priced by conversations3.2 GPA
- ProProfs Live Chat Insider's GuideLive chat with an AI agent, free for a single operator3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Gist’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Gist is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Gist. Prices and plans change: check getgist.com before you buy.