Crisp and Help Scout each built loyal fans for good reason. SupportWire takes their best ideas, clean UI and a simple inbox, and adds modern AI, phone support, and pricing you can plan around.
Feature comparison
22 features.
7 categories.
No hiding.
Every feature that matters for customer support, compared honestly across 3 platforms.
| Feature | Crisp | HelpScout | SupportWire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||
| Starting Price | Free / $45 / $95 / $295 | Free / $25 / $75 / Custom | Simple per-seat pricing |
| Pricing Model | Per workspace (most pay $295) | Contact-based, unpredictable | Transparent per-seat |
| Per-Resolution AI Fees | $25 AI credits/mo on Essentials | $0.75 per AI resolution | Included in every plan |
| Channels | |||
| Live Chat | Real-time chat | Beacon widget, reactive | Real-time with proactive triggers |
| Phone Support | Not available | Not available (14+ years) | All plans |
| Ticketing | Basic, no SLA management | Shared inbox | Full ticketing with SLAs |
| Knowledge Base | Help center included | Public only, broken editor | Public and internal |
| AI | |||
| AI Chatbot | $25/mo AI credit budget | $0.75/resolution add-on | AI-native, included |
| AI Learning | Manual training only | Public articles only | Learns from conversations |
| 24/7 Automation | Bot + triggers | Keyword-matching only | Works 24/7 autonomously |
| Platform | |||
| Setup Time | Quick setup | Hours to days | Hours, not weeks |
| Design Quality | Clean, modern | Clean, simple | Modern, minimal |
| Widget Performance | Lightweight | Light Beacon widget | Performance-optimized |
| White-Label Branding | Plus plan only ($295/mo) | Limited customization | Your brand only |
| Cancellation | Account suspension risk | Straightforward | One-click, any time |
| Data & Security | |||
| Data Export | Cannot export full transcripts | CSV export available | Full data portability |
| SOC 2 Compliance | Not certified | SOC 2 certified | |
| Analytics | |||
| Reporting | Shallow analytics | Basic dashboards | Full analytics |
| SLA Management | Not available | No SLA tracking | Built-in SLA tracking |
| CSAT Surveys | Basic surveys | Satisfaction ratings | Built-in |
| Integrations | |||
| Native Integrations | Limited ecosystem | 100+ apps | Growing ecosystem |
| Open API | REST API | REST API | Full REST API |
Pricing
Starting Price
Crisp
Free / $45 / $95 / $295
HelpScout
Free / $25 / $75 / Custom
SupportWire
Simple per-seat pricing
Pricing Model
Crisp
Per workspace (most pay $295)
HelpScout
Contact-based, unpredictable
SupportWire
Transparent per-seat
Per-Resolution AI Fees
Crisp
$25 AI credits/mo on Essentials
HelpScout
$0.75 per AI resolution
SupportWire
Included in every plan
Channels
Live Chat
Crisp
Real-time chat
HelpScout
Beacon widget, reactive
SupportWire
Real-time with proactive triggers
Phone Support
Crisp
Not available
HelpScout
Not available (14+ years)
SupportWire
All plans
Ticketing
Crisp
Basic, no SLA management
HelpScout
Shared inbox
SupportWire
Full ticketing with SLAs
Knowledge Base
Crisp
Help center included
HelpScout
Public only, broken editor
SupportWire
Public and internal
AI
AI Chatbot
Crisp
$25/mo AI credit budget
HelpScout
$0.75/resolution add-on
SupportWire
AI-native, included
AI Learning
Crisp
Manual training only
HelpScout
Public articles only
SupportWire
Learns from conversations
24/7 Automation
Crisp
Bot + triggers
HelpScout
Keyword-matching only
SupportWire
Works 24/7 autonomously
Platform
Setup Time
Crisp
Quick setup
HelpScout
Hours to days
SupportWire
Hours, not weeks
Design Quality
Crisp
Clean, modern
HelpScout
Clean, simple
SupportWire
Modern, minimal
Widget Performance
Crisp
Lightweight
HelpScout
Light Beacon widget
SupportWire
Performance-optimized
White-Label Branding
Crisp
Plus plan only ($295/mo)
HelpScout
Limited customization
SupportWire
Your brand only
Cancellation
Crisp
Account suspension risk
HelpScout
Straightforward
SupportWire
One-click, any time
Data & Security
Data Export
Crisp
Cannot export full transcripts
HelpScout
CSV export available
SupportWire
Full data portability
SOC 2 Compliance
Analytics
Reporting
Crisp
Shallow analytics
HelpScout
Basic dashboards
SupportWire
Full analytics
SLA Management
Crisp
Not available
HelpScout
No SLA tracking
SupportWire
Built-in SLA tracking
CSAT Surveys
Crisp
Basic surveys
HelpScout
Satisfaction ratings
SupportWire
Built-in
Integrations
Native Integrations
Crisp
Limited ecosystem
HelpScout
100+ apps
SupportWire
Growing ecosystem
Open API
Crisp
REST API
HelpScout
REST API
SupportWire
Full REST API
Go deeper
Read the full story.
Feature tables only tell half of it. Each deep-dive walks through pricing traps, real Trustpilot quotes, and where the product breaks down for growing teams.
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