The SupportBee Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SupportBee 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.
SupportBee
The Insider’s Guide
Email ticketing and shared inbox with a knowledge base and portal
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among help desk and live chat tools, read from SupportBee’s own pages.
Made by SupportBee Inc. · checked Oct 18, 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 SupportBee’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SupportBee’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 22 other help desk and live chat tools we grade
SupportBee is a help desk built around email: messages to a support address become tickets that a team can assign, comment on privately and label, while customers only ever see ordinary email replies. It adds a knowledge base, a customer portal for tracking requests and satisfaction ratings, and is priced per seat on two plans.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about SupportBee, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for email support that still looks like email
It's email only, though, with no live chat, chatbot or WhatsApp, and no phone app.
- 2
Paid plans start at $17 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $17 per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Team inbox
Emails become tickets that can be assigned to a team and then a person, with private comments, shared draft replies, labels and Gmail-style keyboard shortcuts.
- 6
Knowledge base
A public or private help site with categories, inline images, file uploads, search, your own branding and domain, and an embeddable widget called Hive.
- 7
Customer portal
Customers open, track and reply to their requests through a private link with no password. Included on the Enterprise plan.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 22
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 SupportBee 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.
SupportBee at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $17 per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- SupportBee Inc., since 2011
- Category
- Help Desks & Live Chat
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for email support that still looks like email
SupportBee turns a support email address into a ticketing inbox: assign, label and comment privately, while customers only ever see normal email replies. A knowledge base and satisfaction ratings come with it, from $17 a seat on annual billing. It's email only, though, with no live chat, chatbot or WhatsApp, and no phone app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Startup is $17 a seat a month billed annually ($20 monthly), right on the edge of the cheaper quarter of help desks. That already covers the shared inbox, a knowledge base, the API and satisfaction ratings. The customer portal and business hours need Enterprise at $21, still under the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Two weeks is long enough to run your real support email through it and decide. |
| Features | C | Email ticketing done properly: assignment to teams then people, private comments, shared drafts, labels, a knowledge base on your own domain, a customer portal, reports and an audit trail. The gap its listing names: no live chat, chatbot or messaging-app inboxes. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. Customers just see email, which keeps their side simple, but you'll route your support address into it and set up teams, labels and snippets first. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with Slack, Linear, Notion, Pipedrive, Asana, Trello, GitHub Issues and QuickBooks, plus webhooks and a public API on both plans. No desktop or phone 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 SupportBee is for
- Great if you're a small team outgrowing a shared Gmail or Outlook login
- Handy when you want tickets behind the scenes but plain email for your customers
- Good for software teams who pass bugs on to Linear or GitHub Issues
Who it is not for
- Skip it if customers want to reach you by live chat, WhatsApp or social messages
- Not for you if you answer tickets from your phone, as no mobile app is on record
- Tight if you're on Startup, which allows 1 knowledge base and 1 team
Good to know
Good for
- Small teams outgrowing a shared Gmail or Outlook login for support
- Teams that want ticketing to look like plain email to customers
- Support run mainly over email rather than chat or social channels
Worth knowing
- Email is the channel it is built for; the site lists no live chat, chatbot or messaging-app inboxes.
- The customer portal and business hours need the Enterprise plan; Startup includes 1 knowledge base and 1 team.
- The site lists no native desktop or mobile apps; the team works in a browser and through email notifications.
- There is no free plan after the 14-day trial.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$17
A month to start, for each person
SupportBee is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $17 per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
That already covers the shared inbox, a knowledge base, the API and satisfaction ratings.
Startup
$17
per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Shared inbox, snippets, 1 knowledge base and 1 team, filters, basic integrations, API access, unlimited email inboxes, satisfaction ratings and audit trails.
Enterprise
$21
per seat / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
Everything in Startup plus enterprise integrations, business hours, the customer portal, audit log and data history, and portal access for customer groups.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from supportbee.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
SupportBee's pricing page lists a 20% saving on annual billing: Startup is $17 a seat a month billed annually against $20 monthly, and Enterprise $21 against $25.
Stated on supportbee.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
Email ticketing and shared inbox with a knowledge base and portal. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, shared inbox, reports, help desk, help center.
The gap its listing names: no live chat, chatbot or messaging-app inboxes.
- Team inbox
- Emails become tickets that can be assigned to a team and then a person, with private comments, shared draft replies, labels and Gmail-style keyboard shortcuts.
- Knowledge base
- A public or private help site with categories, inline images, file uploads, search, your own branding and domain, and an embeddable widget called Hive.
- Customer portal
- Customers open, track and reply to their requests through a private link with no password. Included on the Enterprise plan.
- Teams for departments
- Separate inbox views for groups such as Sales or Billing, which can be made private to their members and admins.
- Reports and audit trail
- Performance reports by agent, team and label, customer satisfaction ratings, and a log of every action taken on a ticket.
- Integrations and API
- Links to project tools such as Linear, Asana and GitHub Issues, CRMs such as Pipedrive, Slack notifications, webhooks and a public API on both plans.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Slack
- Linear
- Notion
- Pipedrive
- Asana
- Trello
- GitHub Issues
- QuickBooks
SupportBee is made by SupportBee Inc., and has been around since 2011.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/22
Other help desk and live chat tools it is graded above
SupportBee's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 22 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 13 of 22) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $17 a month for each person, against a middle price of $21.59 for the category: 4 of the 21 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 23 help desk and live chat tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. SupportBee’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 13 of 22
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 22
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 22
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 22
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 22
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 22 help desk and live chat tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. SupportBee 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 SupportBee 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: 9 of the 22 other help desk and live chat tools grade higher. It costs $204 a year.
What you could make
- Help desk, help center and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Slack, Linear and Notion among them, and has an API.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
What this rests on. SupportBee’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
Help Scout, Front, Hiver, Helpwise and Freshdesk
The 5 tools SupportBee is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Help Scout
Free plan · from $25/mo
Shared inbox and help desk with a knowledge base and AI answers.
- Help Scout has a free plan. SupportBee does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Help Scout lists iOS and Android apps.
- SupportBee also covers help desk and help center.
- 2.4GPA
Front
Free trial · from $25/mo
Shared inbox and customer operations platform with AI and ticketing.
- Only Front lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- SupportBee also covers reports, help desk and help center.
- Front also covers workflow automation.
- 2.2GPA
Hiver
Free trial · from $25/mo
Shared inbox and AI help desk that runs inside Gmail or standalone.
- Only Hiver lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Hiver lists a browser extension.
- SupportBee also covers help desk and help center.
- 2.6GPA
Helpwise
Free trial · from $12/mo
Shared inbox for email, chat, WhatsApp and SMS with a help center.
- Only Helpwise lists iOS and Android apps.
- SupportBee also covers reports.
- Helpwise also covers live chat.
- 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.
- Freshdesk also covers AI support agent.
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 SupportBee free?
No, SupportBee is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does SupportBee cost?
SupportBee lists 2 plans. Startup: $17 per seat / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
What platforms does SupportBee work on?
SupportBee is available on Web.
Does SupportBee offer any discounts?
SupportBee publicly lists the following: Save 20% with annual billing.
Does SupportBee have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. SupportBee is listed for Web.
Does SupportBee have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. SupportBee is listed for Web.
Is SupportBee open source?
SupportBee is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does SupportBee have an API?
Yes. SupportBee offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does SupportBee integrate with?
SupportBee's listing names Slack, Linear, Notion, Pipedrive, Asana, Trello, GitHub Issues and QuickBooks.
Who makes SupportBee?
SupportBee is made by SupportBee Inc. It dates from 2011.
What are the alternatives to SupportBee?
The closest alternatives to SupportBee in our directory are Help Scout, Front, Hiver, Helpwise and Freshdesk.
How does SupportBee compare with other help desk and live chat tools?
SupportBee's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 22 other help desk and live chat tools we grade, and level with 7.
Is SupportBee good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SupportBee B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $17 a month for each person, against a middle price of $21.59 for the category: 4 of the 21 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of SupportBee?
To replace SupportBee 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 SupportBee’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SupportBee's own pages on 18 October 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 SupportBee Inc. Prices change, so check supportbee.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,021
Tools graded, in 54 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.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,021
tools graded
54
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- SupportBee, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/supportbee
- 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, "SupportBee: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/supportbee
Know someone choosing between help desk and live chat tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/supportbee/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded help desk and live chat tools after SupportBee, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Help Desks & Live Chat Insider's GuideEvery one of the 23 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 SupportBee’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. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. SupportBee is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by SupportBee Inc. Prices and plans change: check supportbee.com before you buy.