The Plain Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Plain 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.
Plain
The Insider’s Guide
Support platform for B2B teams, built around Slack and AI agents
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from Plain’s own pages.
Made by Not Just Tickets Ltd · 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 Plain’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Plain’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
2.0
GPA, above 15 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
Plain is a customer support platform for B2B software teams. It takes in conversations from Slack, email, in-app forms and live chat, and pairs them with customer cards, workflows and a pair of AI agents. Pricing is per member seat with a monthly pool of AI credits.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Plain, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and workflows, channels and AI agents need setting up.
- 1
Best for B2B support that lives in Slack
Plain is a support platform for B2B software teams that pulls in Slack, email and in-app conversations next to customer cards and two AI agents.
- 2
Paid plans start at $45 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
7-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Customer Agent
An AI agent that answers customers directly. It uses 100 credits per resolution on every plan.
- 6
Sidekick Agent
An AI agent for the support team that uses 15 to 300 or more credits a task depending on effort.
- 7
Slack and email channels
Support threads come in from Slack channels, email addresses, in-app forms and live chat, with Microsoft Teams and Discord on higher plans.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 15 of 66
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 Plain 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.
Plain at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Not Just Tickets Ltd
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for B2B support that lives in Slack
Plain is a support platform for B2B software teams that pulls in Slack, email and in-app conversations next to customer cards and two AI agents. Foundation is $45 a user and stops at 5 seats, and SLAs, escalation paths and Microsoft Teams wait on Horizon at $99 a user.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | $45 per user a month billed annually is above the dearer quarter ($39), Foundation stops at 5 seats, and SLAs and escalation paths need Horizon at $99, past the dearest tenth ($89). |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 7-day trial with no credit card. There is no free plan. |
| Features | C | Slack, email and in-app channels, customer cards, workflows, a help center and AI agents. The listing's gap: SLAs, Teams and CRM links are Horizon only. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and workflows, channels and AI agents need setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with 8 listed integrations including Linear, Jira and Slack. No phone or desktop app on record. |
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 Plain is for
- Fits if your customers are software companies that talk to you in Slack
- Works for a team of 5 or fewer on Foundation
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you grow: Foundation caps at 5 seats and Horizon needs 3 to 10 at $99 each
- Skip it if you need SLAs or Microsoft Teams without Horizon
- Tight if you lean on AI: 1,000 credits a month on Foundation, with extra at $10 per 1,000
- Watch out: SSO, SCIM and HIPAA need the sales-only Frontier plan
Good to know
Good for
- B2B software teams that support customers through shared Slack channels
- Small teams that want a per-seat help desk with AI credits included
- Teams that want to build on an API and webhooks
Worth knowing
- Foundation is capped at 5 member seats and Horizon needs at least 3, up to 10; larger teams go to the sales-only Frontier plan.
- AI credits are limited per month (1,000 on Foundation, 2,500 on Horizon); extra credits are $10 per 1,000 up to $100 per 10,000.
- SLAs, escalation paths and Microsoft Teams need Horizon at $99 per user / month; SSO, SCIM and HIPAA need Frontier.
- Plain lists a startup program with a $6,000 flat fee for Horizon, 10 seats and 12 months, for early-stage teams of ten or fewer.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$45
A month to start, for each person
Plain is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
Foundation
$45
per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly)
Up to 5 member seats, unlimited viewers, 1,000 AI credits a month, Slack, email and in-app channels, Linear, Jira and a help center. 7 days of reporting.
Horizon
$99
per user / month, billed annually
3 to 10 member seats, 2,500 AI credits a month, Microsoft Teams, SLAs, business hours, escalation paths, CRM integrations and all-time reporting history.
Frontier
Custom
Custom credits and seats, multiple workspaces, SSO and SCIM, HIPAA, custom contracting and a dedicated customer success manager. Billed annually.
Trying it first
7-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from plain.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Startups
50% off Horizon for early-stage startups
A $6,000 flat fee covers 12 months and 10 seats of Horizon. Eligibility is VC-backed up to $5 million in funding, 10 or fewer on the support team, and not already a customer.
Stated on plain.comAnnual discount
20% off Foundation with annual billing
The pricing page shows Foundation at $45 per user a month billed annually against $55 billed monthly, labelled a 20% saving.
Stated on plain.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Support platform for B2B teams, built around Slack and AI agents. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, shared inbox, workflow automation, help desk, live chat, help center, AI support agent.
Slack, email and in-app channels, customer cards, workflows, a help center and AI agents.
- Customer Agent
- An AI agent that answers customers directly. It uses 100 credits per resolution on every plan.
- Sidekick Agent
- An AI agent for the support team that uses 15 to 300 or more credits a task depending on effort.
- Slack and email channels
- Support threads come in from Slack channels, email addresses, in-app forms and live chat, with Microsoft Teams and Discord on higher plans.
- Customer cards
- Unlimited customer cards show account data next to a thread, with a stated data freshness of 15 seconds.
- Workflows
- Unlimited workflows, auto-labelling, urgency detection and thread summaries are on every plan.
- Developer platform
- The comparison table lists an API, webhooks, events, MCP and custom channels.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Linear
- Jira
- GitHub
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- Attio
Plain is made by Not Just Tickets Ltd.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
15/66
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
Plain's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 15 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 6 of 66) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $45 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 43 of the 57 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 67 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Plain’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 66
- CFree plan and trialAbove 18 of 66
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 66
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 66
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 66
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Plain 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 Plain 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.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 42 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools grade higher. It costs $540 a year.
What you could make
- Help desk and help center: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- An AI model answering your customers from your own help articles.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- A chat box on your site that reaches you the moment a customer types.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
What this rests on. Plain’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
Zendesk, Intercom, Pylon, Freshdesk and HelpDesk
The 5 tools Plain is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Zendesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Ticketing, messaging, help center and AI agents for support teams.
- Only Zendesk lists iOS and Android apps.
- Plain also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.
- Zendesk also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
Intercom
Free trial · from $29/mo
Helpdesk with live chat and the Fin AI agent priced per outcome.
- Only Intercom lists iOS and Android apps.
- Plain also covers workflow automation.
- Intercom also covers reports.
- 2.0GPA
Pylon
Free trial · from $89/yr
B2B support platform that works across Slack, Teams and email.
- Plain also covers workflow automation.
- Pylon also covers whatsApp messaging.
- 2.4GPA
Freshdesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Email ticketing help desk with a knowledge base and AI agents.
- Only Freshdesk lists iOS and Android apps.
- Plain also covers workflow automation and live chat.
- Freshdesk also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
HelpDesk
Free trial · from $19/mo
Ticketing with an AI agent for email, chat, Messenger and SMS.
- Plain also covers workflow automation and help center.
- HelpDesk also covers sMS marketing and chatbots.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 Plain free?
No, Plain is a paid product, but you can try it first. 7-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Plain cost?
Plain lists 3 plans. Foundation: $45 per user / month, billed annually ($55 billed monthly).
What platforms does Plain work on?
Plain is available on Web.
Does Plain offer any discounts?
Plain publicly lists the following: 50% off Horizon for early-stage startups; 20% off Foundation with annual billing.
Does Plain have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Plain is listed for Web.
Does Plain have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Plain is listed for Web.
Is Plain open source?
Plain is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Plain have an API?
Yes. Plain offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Plain integrate with?
Plain's listing names Slack, Microsoft Teams, Linear, Jira, GitHub, HubSpot, Salesforce and Attio.
Who makes Plain?
Plain is made by Not Just Tickets Ltd.
What are the alternatives to Plain?
The closest alternatives to Plain in our directory are Zendesk, Intercom, Pylon, Freshdesk and HelpDesk.
How does Plain compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
Plain's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 15 of the 66 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 9.
Is Plain good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Plain D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $45 a month for each person, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 43 of the 57 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Plain?
To replace Plain 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 Plain’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 Plain'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 Not Just Tickets Ltd. Prices change, so check plain.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Plain, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/plain
- 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, "Plain: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/plain
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/plain/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after Plain, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 67 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
- tawk.to Insider's GuideFree live chat, ticketing and help center, with paid add-ons3.0 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 Plain’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. Plain is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Not Just Tickets Ltd. Prices and plans change: check plain.com before you buy.