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Notes on when the inbox starts to feel thin.","shared-inbox-vs-help-desk","Guides","Antoine Minoux","Co-founder","\u002Fimages\u002FAntoine-Minoux@2x.png","6 min read","2026-10-16","October 16, 2026","2026-10-16T09:00:00+01:00","2026-11-04T16:00:00+01:00",{"type":21,"children":22,"toc":397},"root",[23,31,36,41,48,53,58,63,68,74,96,109,114,127,133,260,265,270,276,281,286,291,296,302,307,328,333,339,352,364,377,382],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":26,"children":27},"element","p",{},[28],{"type":29,"value":30},"text","Most small SaaS teams do not start with a help desk. They start with a Gmail alias. Then a Google Group. Then a shared inbox. Then a long argument about tickets.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":32,"children":33},{},[34],{"type":29,"value":35},"The words get used as if they were the same. They are not, quite.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":37,"children":38},{},[39],{"type":29,"value":40},"A shared inbox is how two people share email. A help desk is how a software company answers someone who has a plan, a bug, and a billing history. We built Fernand as both, so I have a preference. The distinction still shows up in the work.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":43,"children":45},"h2",{"id":44},"what-a-shared-inbox-is",[46],{"type":29,"value":47},"What a shared inbox is",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":49,"children":50},{},[51],{"type":29,"value":52},"Several people can see the same mailbox, assign a thread, and reply from the company. Collision detection, so two of you do not send the same answer. Drafts, tags, snooze. It looks like email because it is email.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":54,"children":55},{},[56],{"type":29,"value":57},"Help Scout is the version that stays close to mail. Front is the version for a few departments living in the same threads. 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Jira Service Management is still tickets, and a good one for internal IT. Calling either of those a shared inbox is how a small team inherits a configuration project.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":266,"children":267},{},[268],{"type":29,"value":269},"A help desk should still feel like a conversation. The moment a customer has to create an account to ask where their invoice is, something has drifted.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":271,"children":273},{"id":272},"when-the-inbox-starts-to-feel-thin",[274],{"type":29,"value":275},"When the inbox starts to feel thin",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":277,"children":278},{},[279],{"type":29,"value":280},"We noticed it in combinations, not in a single symptom.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":282,"children":283},{},[284],{"type":29,"value":285},"The same five questions were half the queue, and they were not in a help center. People chatted in the product, then emailed, and someone stitched the story together. 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If the tool needs an admin and you are the admin, you may have bought software for a company you do not run yet.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":297,"children":299},{"id":298},"slack",[300],{"type":29,"value":301},"Slack",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":303,"children":304},{},[305],{"type":29,"value":306},"B2B customers often want a shared Slack channel, not a ticket number. That is still support. It is a channel the inbox has to hold.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":308,"children":309},{},[310,312,318,320,326],{"type":29,"value":311},"Fernand does Slack Connect on the paid plan. ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":313,"children":315},{"href":314},"\u002Falternative\u002Fplain\u002F",[316],{"type":29,"value":317},"Plain",{"type":29,"value":319}," and ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":321,"children":323},{"href":322},"\u002Falternative\u002Fpylon\u002F",[324],{"type":29,"value":325},"Pylon",{"type":29,"value":327}," are built around Slack for larger B2B companies, with the account next to the thread. 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",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":761,"children":763},{"href":762},"\u002Fintegrations\u002Flinear\u002F",[764],{"type":29,"value":765},"Linear",{"type":29,"value":319},{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":768,"children":770},{"href":769},"\u002Fintegrations\u002Fgithub\u002F",[771],{"type":29,"value":772},"GitHub",{"type":29,"value":774}," let you turn a bug report into an issue, and the conversation automatically reopens once you push a fix, so you can close the loop with customers that were impacted. You can even build your own custom elements from your own API endpoint with ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":776,"children":778},{"href":777},"\u002Fintegrations\u002Fcustom-data\u002F",[779],{"type":29,"value":780},"Custom Data",{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":783,"children":784},{},[785],{"type":29,"value":786},"Our AI agent trains on your website, docs, and anything you want to feed it. You can also customize the system prompt so it behaves exactly as you want. It's yours. It drafts in the inbox and answers in the widget. There is no fee per resolution, so everything is always predictable, and you know what your bill will be at the end of the month. You also only pay for members of your team that can directly reply to customers.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":789,"children":794},"tool-facts",{"best":790,"name":508,"pricing":791,"short":792,":demo":793},"SaaS teams of 1 to 15 people who want one calm tool instead of a stack.","Free with 100 messages a month. $29 per human per month removes the limit and the \"Sent via Fernand\" line, and adds Slack Connect.","No phone channel, no advanced SLA reporting, and no outbound campaigns. If you run a 50-agent support floor, the enterprise tools below fit better.","true",[],{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":796,"children":798},{"id":797},"_2-help-scout",[799],{"type":29,"value":800},"2. Help Scout",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":802,"children":803},{},[804],{"type":29,"value":805},"Help Scout is a great tool, but still feels like email. A new teammate usually understands it in an afternoon.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":807,"children":808},{},[809],{"type":29,"value":810},"It fits teams that have left a shared Gmail and want to stay close to mail. Automation and reporting are lighter than in the larger platforms. But, that's often the point. The free plan supports email only and up to 100 contacts. Live chat and AI are only available until Standard, at $30 a user.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":812,"children":819},{"best":813,"name":534,"pricing":814,"short":815,"image":816,"source":817,"url":818},"Small to mid-size teams whose support happens mostly over email.","Free for 5 users and 100 contacts a month, with no live chat and no AI. Standard starts at $30 per user per month. AI Answers cost $0.75 per resolution on paid plans.","No native phone support. Live chat and AI are not on the free plan.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas\u002Fhelp-scout.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.helpscout.com\u002Finbox\u002F","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.helpscout.com\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":821,"children":822},{},[823,825],{"type":29,"value":824},"If you are already on Help Scout and curious on how Fernand compares, we wrote a detailed guide: ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":826,"children":827},{"href":346},[828],{"type":29,"value":829},"Help Scout alternative ",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":831,"children":833},{"id":832},"_3-freshdesk",[834],{"type":29,"value":835},"3. Freshdesk",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":837,"children":838},{},[839],{"type":29,"value":840},"Freshdesk gives you the outline of a full help desk at a pretty low seat price. Ticketing, automations, and a customer portal. Teams that want that outline, and are watching cost, tend to land here.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":842,"children":843},{},[844,846,852],{"type":29,"value":845},"The product has grown wide. Live chat and \"Freddy\", their AI agent, sit on other plans and add-ons. The free offer is a six-month program for two agents, which I wrote about in ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":847,"children":849},{"href":848},"\u002Fblog\u002Ffree-help-desk-for-saas\u002F",[850],{"type":29,"value":851},"the free help desk for SaaS",{"type":29,"value":853}," article.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":855,"children":861},{"best":856,"name":560,"pricing":857,"short":858,"image":859,"source":860,"url":860},"Budget-conscious teams that want classic ticketing.","A Free Program for 2 agents, for 6 months, then Growth from $19 per agent per month billed annually. Extra Freddy AI Agent sessions are $49 per 100 after a one-time grant of 500.","The interface feels older, and AI costs are harder to predict at volume.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas\u002Ffreshdesk.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.freshworks.com\u002Ffreshdesk\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":863,"children":864},{},[865,871],{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":866,"children":868},{"href":867},"\u002Falternative\u002Ffreshdesk\u002F",[869],{"type":29,"value":870},"Fernand and Freshdesk",{"type":29,"value":872},", side by side.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":874,"children":876},{"id":875},"_4-zendesk",[877],{"type":29,"value":878},"4. Zendesk",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":880,"children":881},{},[882],{"type":29,"value":883},"Zendesk is what a large support operation runs. Routing, reporting, a long list of integrations. Teams of hundreds rarely leave it.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":885,"children":886},{},[887,889,895],{"type":29,"value":888},"We see early teams adopt it because it feels like the serious choice, then spend the next year ignoring most of it and counting the days until they can get out of their annual contract. There is a ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":890,"children":892},{"href":891},"\u002Falternative\u002Fzendesk\u002F",[893],{"type":29,"value":894},"Zendesk vs Fernand comparison",{"type":29,"value":896}," if that is the question you are asking yourself at the moment.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":898,"children":905},{"best":899,"name":586,"pricing":900,"short":901,"image":902,"source":903,"url":904},"Teams with hundreds of agents, complex workflows, and strict reporting needs.","Suite Team at $55, Professional at $115, and Enterprise at $169 per agent per month, billed annually. Copilot is $50 per agent, on Professional and above. Automated resolutions are extra after a small allowance, about $1.50 each.","Heavy setup, cluttered, and expensive for a small team.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas\u002Fzendesk.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.zendesk.com\u002Fservice\u002Fticketing-system\u002F","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.zendesk.com\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":907,"children":909},{"id":908},"_5-intercom",[910],{"type":29,"value":911},"5. Intercom",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":913,"children":914},{},[915],{"type":29,"value":916},"Intercom now leads with Fin, the AI agent.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":918,"children":919},{},[920],{"type":29,"value":921},"It is built for volume across chat, email, and phone, with the testing and controls a large support org wants before an agent talks to customers. You pay $29 a seat, then $0.99 each time Fin resolves a conversation. The invoice follows the agent's success.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":923,"children":924},{},[925,927,933],{"type":29,"value":926},"For a team handling a very large number of conversations, that can still be simpler than hiring. For a two-to-fifteen-person SaaS, it is a lot of product surface to manage. ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":928,"children":930},{"href":929},"\u002Falternative\u002Fintercom\u002F",[931],{"type":29,"value":932},"Notes on Intercom",{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":935,"children":942},{"best":936,"name":612,"pricing":937,"short":938,"image":939,"source":940,"url":941},"Large support organizations that want an enterprise-grade AI agent handling volume.","$29 per seat per month, plus $0.99 per resolution.","Costs are hard to forecast, and it is far more than a small team needs.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas\u002Ffin.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.intercom.com\u002Fhelpdesk","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.intercom.com\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":944,"children":946},{"id":945},"_6-front",[947],{"type":29,"value":948},"6. Front",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":950,"children":951},{},[952],{"type":29,"value":953},"Front is a shared inbox for people who work in the same threads. Comments, drafts, assignment. B2B teams that share customer email often prefer it because it still feels like mail.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":955,"children":956},{},[957],{"type":29,"value":958},"AI is sold as add-ons, which is where the seat price tends to move.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":960,"children":966},{"best":961,"name":638,"pricing":962,"short":963,"image":964,"source":965,"url":965},"B2B teams where several departments share customer email.","Starter at $35, Professional at $65, and Enterprise at $105 per user per month.","Less suited to high-volume support, and AI costs extra.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas\u002Ffront.webp","https:\u002F\u002Ffront.com\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":968,"children":969},{},[970,974],{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":971,"children":972},{"href":359},[973],{"type":29,"value":362},{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":976,"children":978},{"id":977},"_7-plain",[979],{"type":29,"value":980},"7. Plain",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":982,"children":983},{},[984],{"type":29,"value":985},"Plain is a beautiful API-first and Slack-native, for technical B2B companies. Engineering can build on it endlessly in a true \"headless customer support\" fashion.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":987,"children":988},{},[989,991,996],{"type":29,"value":990},"It is aimed at larger companies. A small team often pays for a scale they are not using, or not needing yet. If you are curious, check out our ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":992,"children":993},{"href":314},[994],{"type":29,"value":995},"Plain alternative",{"type":29,"value":997}," guide.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":999,"children":1005},{"best":1000,"name":317,"pricing":1001,"short":1002,"image":1003,"source":1004,"url":1004},"Developer-tool companies with customers in shared Slack channels. Delightful UI.","The Foundation plan starts at $55 per user per month.","Built with enterprise and larger companies in mind, so a small team pays for scale it does not use yet.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas\u002Fplain.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.plain.com\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1007,"children":1009},{"id":1008},"_8-pylon",[1010],{"type":29,"value":1011},"8. Pylon",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1013,"children":1014},{},[1015],{"type":29,"value":1016},"Pylon holds the B2B relationship in one place: support, success, renewals, each conversation tied to an account. While they market to everyone, the platform is clearly geared more towards companies with enterprise customers and a success team.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1018,"children":1019},{},[1020,1022,1027],{"type":29,"value":1021},"The entry price starts at $89 a seat. If you mainly need an inbox, it is a lot of surface area, and probably overkill. Also, you'll need to book a demo to sign up... ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1023,"children":1024},{"href":322},[1025],{"type":29,"value":1026},"Fernand vs Pylon",{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":1029,"children":1036},{"best":1030,"name":325,"pricing":1031,"short":1032,"image":1033,"source":1034,"url":1035},"Large B2B companies with enterprise accounts and a dedicated customer success team.","Plans start at $89 per seat per month.","The most expensive entry price on this list, and built for large companies rather than small teams.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas\u002Fpylon.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.usepylon.com\u002Fticketing","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.usepylon.com\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1038,"children":1040},{"id":1039},"so-how-does-ai-customer-support-gets-billed",[1041],{"type":29,"value":1042},"So, how does AI customer support gets billed?",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1044,"children":1045},{},[1046],{"type":29,"value":1047},"All these platforms try to hook you with the low seat price number on the homepage. AI is often the number that moves, and scales dangerously as you grow.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1049,"children":1050},{},[1051],{"type":29,"value":1052},"Fin is $0.99 per resolution. Help Scout is $0.75. Zendesk Copilot is $50 a seat on Professional, then about $1.50 per automated resolution. Freshdesk sells sessions in packs. Fernand and Plain include it directly in the initial price, so you always know what to expect.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1054,"children":1055},{},[1056,1058,1064],{"type":29,"value":1057},"Per-resolution billing has a strange shape. The better your knowledge base gets, the more the meter runs. The question I would take into a demo call with a provider is simple: what do 1,000 AI-handled conversations cost next month? If you are curious, I put that arithmetic in ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1059,"children":1061},{"href":1060},"\u002Fblog\u002Fai-help-desk-pricing\u002F",[1062],{"type":29,"value":1063},"what AI resolution actually costs",{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1066,"children":1068},{"id":1067},"by-stage-as-we-see-it",[1069],{"type":29,"value":1070},"By stage, as we see it",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1072,"children":1073},{},[1074,1076,1082],{"type":29,"value":1075},"A founder or a first support hire usually wants something they can start today, with email, live chat and an AI agent included. That is the setup we run, and the one I wrote down ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1077,"children":1079},{"href":1078},"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-set-up-support-as-a-founder\u002F",[1080],{"type":29,"value":1081},"here",{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1084,"children":1085},{},[1086],{"type":29,"value":1087},"A small team that lives in email often ends up on Fernand or Help Scout. Shared Slack channels show up on Fernand, and later on Plain or Pylon as the company gets bigger. Freshdesk appears when the seat budget is tight and classic ticketing is the goal. Zendesk and Fin show up when the team is scaling to hundreds of employees.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1089,"children":1090},{},[1091],{"type":29,"value":1092},"I would still try a few tools before deciding. This comparison page is not the work. The mailbox is, and how you feel about it is what really matters.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1094,"children":1095},{},[1096,1097,1102],{"type":29,"value":386},{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1098,"children":1100},{"href":389,"rel":1099},[391],[1101],{"type":29,"value":394},{"type":29,"value":1103}," if you want to see this stack on your own mail.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":398,"depth":398,"links":1105},[1106,1107,1108,1109,1110,1111,1112,1113,1114,1115,1116,1117],{"id":436,"depth":398,"text":439},{"id":462,"depth":398,"text":465},{"id":710,"depth":398,"text":713},{"id":797,"depth":398,"text":800},{"id":832,"depth":398,"text":835},{"id":875,"depth":398,"text":878},{"id":908,"depth":398,"text":911},{"id":945,"depth":398,"text":948},{"id":977,"depth":398,"text":980},{"id":1008,"depth":398,"text":1011},{"id":1039,"depth":398,"text":1042},{"id":1067,"depth":398,"text":1070},"content:blog:best-help-desk-for-saas.md","blog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas.md","blog\u002Fbest-help-desk-for-saas",{"_path":1122,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1123,"description":1124,"slug":1125,"category":11,"author":12,"authorRole":13,"authorImage":14,"readingTime":1126,"date":1127,"dateDisplay":1128,"datePublished":1129,"dateModified":19,"body":1130,"_type":406,"_id":1499,"_source":408,"_file":1500,"_stem":1501,"_extension":411},"\u002Fblog\u002Ffree-help-desk-for-saas","The best free help desk for SaaS in 2027","Four free plans we see SaaS teams try. What each one includes, where the cap shows up, and which ones are still free next year.","free-help-desk-for-saas","7 min read","2026-11-03","November 3, 2026","2026-11-03T09:00:00+01:00",{"type":21,"children":1131,"toc":1490},[1132,1137,1157,1171,1176,1182,1187,1192,1197,1203,1318,1322,1327,1332,1337,1342,1348,1352,1357,1362,1367,1373,1382,1388,1393,1405,1412,1422,1428,1433,1438,1443,1449,1457,1463,1468,1473,1478],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1133,"children":1134},{},[1135],{"type":29,"value":1136},"\"Free help desk\" tends to mean three different things:",{"type":24,"tag":1138,"props":1139,"children":1140},"ul",{},[1141,1147,1152],{"type":24,"tag":1142,"props":1143,"children":1144},"li",{},[1145],{"type":29,"value":1146},"A plan that stays free",{"type":24,"tag":1142,"props":1148,"children":1149},{},[1150],{"type":29,"value":1151},"A trial with an expiration date",{"type":24,"tag":1142,"props":1153,"children":1154},{},[1155],{"type":29,"value":1156},"A chat widget that cannot receive email.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1158,"children":1159},{},[1160,1162,1169],{"type":29,"value":1161},"They are easy to mix up on a pricing page. But they are not the same product, especially if you already have a ",{"type":24,"tag":1163,"props":1164,"children":1166},"code",{"className":1165},[],[1167],{"type":29,"value":1168},"support@",{"type":29,"value":1170}," email address running.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1172,"children":1173},{},[1174],{"type":29,"value":1175},"We make Fernand, so you know where this is going. What follows is still just what four free plans include, and the first cap you are likely going to hit. Checked in November 2026.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1177,"children":1179},{"id":1178},"what-free-has-to-cover",[1180],{"type":29,"value":1181},"What free has to cover",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1183,"children":1184},{},[1185],{"type":29,"value":1186},"A small SaaS team already has a mailbox.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1188,"children":1189},{},[1190],{"type":29,"value":1191},"A free plan that is useful on day one has to take all those emails and live chats, not only a widget on the marketing site. Two people in your company have to see the same threads without having to share a password. And there has to be a place for the answers you already repeat.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1193,"children":1194},{},[1195],{"type":29,"value":1196},"But what no other tool is offering is a free AI agent. Fernand is the only one that offers an agent in your live chat that can take over repeating questions, onboarding frustrations and can seamlessly escalate to a human when it's needed.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1198,"children":1200},{"id":1199},"the-caps",[1201],{"type":29,"value":1202},"The caps",{"type":24,"tag":134,"props":1204,"children":1205},{},[1206,1231],{"type":24,"tag":138,"props":1207,"children":1208},{},[1209],{"type":24,"tag":142,"props":1210,"children":1211},{},[1212,1216,1221,1226],{"type":24,"tag":146,"props":1213,"children":1214},{},[1215],{"type":29,"value":158},{"type":24,"tag":146,"props":1217,"children":1218},{},[1219],{"type":29,"value":1220},"Stays free?",{"type":24,"tag":146,"props":1222,"children":1223},{},[1224],{"type":29,"value":1225},"Email on the free plan",{"type":24,"tag":146,"props":1227,"children":1228},{},[1229],{"type":29,"value":1230},"The cap you hit first",{"type":24,"tag":165,"props":1232,"children":1233},{},[1234,1255,1275,1297],{"type":24,"tag":142,"props":1235,"children":1236},{},[1237,1241,1246,1250],{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1238,"children":1239},{},[1240],{"type":29,"value":508},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1242,"children":1243},{},[1244],{"type":29,"value":1245},"Yes",{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1247,"children":1248},{},[1249],{"type":29,"value":1245},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1251,"children":1252},{},[1253],{"type":29,"value":1254},"100 messages sent per month",{"type":24,"tag":142,"props":1256,"children":1257},{},[1258,1262,1266,1270],{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1259,"children":1260},{},[1261],{"type":29,"value":534},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1263,"children":1264},{},[1265],{"type":29,"value":1245},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1267,"children":1268},{},[1269],{"type":29,"value":1245},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1271,"children":1272},{},[1273],{"type":29,"value":1274},"100 contacts per month. No live chat, no AI",{"type":24,"tag":142,"props":1276,"children":1277},{},[1278,1283,1287,1292],{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1279,"children":1280},{},[1281],{"type":29,"value":1282},"Crisp",{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1284,"children":1285},{},[1286],{"type":29,"value":1245},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1288,"children":1289},{},[1290],{"type":29,"value":1291},"No, chat only",{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1293,"children":1294},{},[1295],{"type":29,"value":1296},"Two seats, and no shared mailbox",{"type":24,"tag":142,"props":1298,"children":1299},{},[1300,1304,1309,1313],{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1301,"children":1302},{},[1303],{"type":29,"value":560},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1305,"children":1306},{},[1307],{"type":29,"value":1308},"For 6 months",{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1310,"children":1311},{},[1312],{"type":29,"value":1245},{"type":24,"tag":172,"props":1314,"children":1315},{},[1316],{"type":29,"value":1317},"Two agents, then you have to pay",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1319,"children":1320},{"id":710},[1321],{"type":29,"value":713},{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1323,"children":1324},{},[1325],{"type":29,"value":1326},"Well, this one is obviously ours, so we know it best! Bring up to 5 separate email addresses, hook up live chat with an AI agent you can actually train, build a knowledge base, and handle all of this through a calm shared inbox à la Superhuman Mail.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1328,"children":1329},{},[1330],{"type":29,"value":1331},"When we say free, we mean it. No credit card. No fee per AI resolution. Free, really.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1333,"children":1334},{},[1335],{"type":29,"value":1336},"The limit is 100 messages sent per month, and a \"Sent via Fernand\" line on outgoing email. Stripe, Linear, GitHub, Paddle, Polar, and Lemon Squeezy are on the free plan, so billing context and issue tracking can sit next to the thread without an upgrade.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1338,"children":1339},{},[1340],{"type":29,"value":1341},"$29 per human who can reply removes the cap and the footer, and adds Slack Connect. Until then, free is the product, not a preview of it.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":1343,"children":1347},{"best":1344,"name":508,"pricing":1345,"short":1346,":demo":793},"Founders and small SaaS teams who need email, chat, docs, and AI on day one.","Free forever with 100 messages a month. $29 per human per month removes the cap.","No phone channel, and 100 outbound messages a month is tight if you already have a busy mailbox.",[],{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1349,"children":1350},{"id":797},[1351],{"type":29,"value":800},{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1353,"children":1354},{},[1355],{"type":29,"value":1356},"Help Scout's free plan is a real shared inbox. Five users, one inbox, one Docs site with up to ten articles. You can help 100 contacts a month. Email works. There is no live chat, and no AI. Replies go out with a \"Sent with Help Scout\" line.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1358,"children":1359},{},[1360],{"type":29,"value":1361},"The contact cap is the one that shows up first. At 100, mail still arrives. You just cannot reply until the cycle resets, or you upgrade. Standard is $30 per user per month. That is also where live chat and AI start.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1363,"children":1364},{},[1365],{"type":29,"value":1366},"Ten help articles fill up quickly once you have billing, login, and an integration to explain. AI Answers are $0.75 per resolution on paid plans.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":1368,"children":1372},{"best":1369,"name":534,"pricing":1370,"short":1371,"url":818,"image":816,"source":817},"Email-first teams of a few people, with low volume and a short help center.","Free for 5 users, 1 inbox, 10 articles, and 100 contacts a month. No live chat, no AI. Standard starts at $30 per user per month.","The contact cap arrives first. Live chat and AI are not on the free plan.",[],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1374,"children":1375},{},[1376,1381],{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1377,"children":1378},{"href":346},[1379],{"type":29,"value":1380},"Help Scout alternative",{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1383,"children":1385},{"id":1384},"_3-crisp",[1386],{"type":29,"value":1387},"3. Crisp",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1389,"children":1390},{},[1391],{"type":29,"value":1392},"Crisp's free plan is a chat widget, an inbox for those chats, a contact form, two seats, and mobile apps. It stays free. It does not include a shared email inbox, or AI credits.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1394,"children":1395},{},[1396,1398,1403],{"type":29,"value":1397},"That is a reasonable first widget if the site bubble is your only channel. It is a different tool from a help desk for ",{"type":24,"tag":1163,"props":1399,"children":1401},{"className":1400},[],[1402],{"type":29,"value":1168},{"type":29,"value":1404},". Email is only available as from the Mini tier.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":1406,"children":1411},{"best":1407,"name":1282,"pricing":1408,"short":1409,"url":1410},"Solo founders who only need a chat widget and two people in the inbox.","Free forever for chat, two seats, and a contact form. Mini starts at $45 per month per workspace and adds email.","No shared email, no AI, and no knowledge base on the free plan.","https:\u002F\u002Fcrisp.chat\u002F",[],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1413,"children":1414},{},[1415,1421],{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1416,"children":1418},{"href":1417},"\u002Falternative\u002Fcrisp\u002F",[1419],{"type":29,"value":1420},"Fernand and Crisp",{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1423,"children":1425},{"id":1424},"_4-freshdesk",[1426],{"type":29,"value":1427},"4. Freshdesk",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1429,"children":1430},{},[1431],{"type":29,"value":1432},"Freshdesk calls it a Free Program, but it reads like a free plan. Freshworks documents two agents, for six months, on Freshdesk only. Then, you move to paid, and you cannot return to the program after an upgrade.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1434,"children":1435},{},[1436],{"type":29,"value":1437},"So what do you get in those six months? Well ,you get classic ticketing: email, a knowledge base, assignment, basic reports. It is a fair way to try Freshdesk. But it is also a restless place to build a help center you expect to keep.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1439,"children":1440},{},[1441],{"type":29,"value":1442},"The Growth plan is $19 per agent per month, billed annually.",{"type":24,"tag":788,"props":1444,"children":1448},{"best":1445,"name":560,"pricing":1446,"short":1447,"url":860,"image":859,"source":860},"Teams that want to try classic ticketing for a few months before paying.","Free Program for 2 agents, 6 months. Growth from $19 per agent per month, billed annually.","It is a time-boxed program, not a free-forever plan, and AI is not what you are getting for $0.",[],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1450,"children":1451},{},[1452,1456],{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1453,"children":1454},{"href":867},[1455],{"type":29,"value":870},{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1458,"children":1460},{"id":1459},"where-teams-tend-to-land",[1461],{"type":29,"value":1462},"Where teams tend to land",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1464,"children":1465},{},[1466],{"type":29,"value":1467},"Teams that already answer email, with two people in the inbox, often want email included and seats that are not the meter. That is the free plan we run.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1469,"children":1470},{},[1471],{"type":29,"value":1472},"Teams that like Help Scout's product, with low volume, can start there and watch the 100-contact cap. Teams that only need a bubble for now can stay on Crisp and treat email as a later upgrade. Freshdesk's six months is a test of that way of working.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1474,"children":1475},{},[1476],{"type":29,"value":1477},"You can also self-host FreeScout, Zammad, or Chatwoot's community edition. The software is $0, and you can vibe code it to extend it the way you like. Of course, you then become the person who patches, maintain it, host it, and keeps it secure. For a two-person SaaS, that is a second product diverting your attention.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1479,"children":1480},{},[1481,1482,1488],{"type":29,"value":386},{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1483,"children":1485},{"href":389,"rel":1484},[391],[1486],{"type":29,"value":1487},"free to try",{"type":29,"value":1489}," on your existing mailbox. Set it up in 5 minutes, and see for yourself if it's a fit or not. No credit card needed anyway!",{"title":7,"searchDepth":398,"depth":398,"links":1491},[1492,1493,1494,1495,1496,1497,1498],{"id":1178,"depth":398,"text":1181},{"id":1199,"depth":398,"text":1202},{"id":710,"depth":398,"text":713},{"id":797,"depth":398,"text":800},{"id":1384,"depth":398,"text":1387},{"id":1424,"depth":398,"text":1427},{"id":1459,"depth":398,"text":1462},"content:blog:free-help-desk-for-saas.md","blog\u002Ffree-help-desk-for-saas.md","blog\u002Ffree-help-desk-for-saas",{"_path":1503,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1504,"description":1505,"slug":1506,"category":11,"author":12,"authorRole":13,"authorImage":14,"readingTime":1507,"date":1508,"dateDisplay":1509,"datePublished":1510,"dateModified":1511,"body":1512,"_type":406,"_id":1686,"_source":408,"_file":1687,"_stem":1688,"_extension":411},"\u002Fblog\u002Fai-help-desk-pricing","What AI resolution actually costs","You see $29 a seat. Then the AI starts closing tickets, and you get a second bill. I ran the numbers for Fin, Help Scout, Zendesk, and Fernand.","ai-help-desk-pricing","5 min read","2026-10-30","October 30, 2026","2026-10-30T09:00:00+01:00","2026-11-05T18:30:00+01:00",{"type":21,"children":1513,"toc":1679},[1514,1519,1524,1530,1546,1555,1566,1572,1577,1581,1586,1596,1602,1607,1612,1617,1623,1628,1633,1638,1643,1649,1654,1666],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1515,"children":1516},{},[1517],{"type":29,"value":1518},"Most help desks show you a price per person. Then you turn on the AI, it starts closing conversations, and you get charged again. Per conversation, this time.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1520,"children":1521},{},[1522],{"type":29,"value":1523},"I wanted a number I could take into a call. Two people. A hundred conversations the AI handled. What does that actually cost on Fin, Help Scout, Zendesk, and Fernand? Public prices, November 2026. There is a calculator below. Drag it.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1525,"children":1527},{"id":1526},"how-they-charge",[1528],{"type":29,"value":1529},"How they charge",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1531,"children":1532},{},[1533,1538,1540,1544],{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1534,"children":1535},{"href":929},[1536],{"type":29,"value":1537},"Fin",{"type":29,"value":1539}," is $29 a seat, plus $0.99 every time it closes a conversation without you. ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1541,"children":1542},{"href":346},[1543],{"type":29,"value":534},{"type":29,"value":1545}," is $30 a seat, plus $0.75. Same shape. You pay for the humans, then you pay for the answers.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1547,"children":1548},{},[1549,1553],{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1550,"children":1551},{"href":891},[1552],{"type":29,"value":586},{"type":29,"value":1554}," looks like $55 a seat. Copilot is not on that plan. You have to be on Professional, at $115, then Copilot at $50, then the bot that actually closes conversations. Ten free resolutions per agent. After that, about $1.50 each, on an annual contract.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1556,"children":1557},{},[1558,1560,1564],{"type":29,"value":1559},"Fernand is free up to 100 conversations. After that, $29 for people who can reply. The agent is included. No extra line when it answers. ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1561,"children":1562},{"href":314},[1563],{"type":29,"value":317},{"type":29,"value":1565}," also bundles AI, at $55 a seat, for bigger technical teams.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1567,"children":1569},{"id":1568},"what-it-costs-this-month",[1570],{"type":29,"value":1571},"What it costs this month",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1573,"children":1574},{},[1575],{"type":29,"value":1576},"Two people, a hundred conversations. That is a pretty normal month when you are still answering a lot of it yourself.",{"type":24,"tag":1578,"props":1579,"children":1580},"ai-cost-tool",{},[],{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1582,"children":1583},{},[1584],{"type":29,"value":1585},"Move conversations up and Fin, Help Scout, and Zendesk climb. Fernand stays at $0 until you pass 100, then it is just the seats.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1587,"children":1588},{},[1589,1591,1595],{"type":29,"value":1590},"The Zendesk number is Professional plus Copilot plus the resolutions past the free ten per agent. Suite Team cannot buy Copilot. More on that ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1592,"children":1593},{"href":891},[1594],{"type":29,"value":1081},{"type":29,"value":351},{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1597,"children":1599},{"id":1598},"why-it-felt-free-in-the-demo",[1600],{"type":29,"value":1601},"Why it felt free in the demo",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1603,"children":1604},{},[1605],{"type":29,"value":1606},"The trial is free. The questions they show you are ones the help center already knows. So the invoice is empty, and it feels like you got away with something.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1608,"children":1609},{},[1610],{"type":29,"value":1611},"Then you write the real articles. Password reset. Failed payment. How to export. The agent starts closing those, which is the whole point, and that is also when Fin and Help Scout start charging. You got better at support. The bill went up.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1613,"children":1614},{},[1615],{"type":29,"value":1616},"Help Scout lets you cap it. Hit the cap, the agent turns off, and people wait on you again. I would rather leave it on and know it is $0.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1618,"children":1620},{"id":1619},"what-they-are-actually-charging-for",[1621],{"type":29,"value":1622},"What they are actually charging for",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1624,"children":1625},{},[1626],{"type":29,"value":1627},"On Fin and Help Scout, you pay when the AI handled the conversation and nobody had to jump in. If the customer still needs a human, it usually does not count. Fairer than charging for every bot hello. It also means your best help articles are the ones that create a charge.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1629,"children":1630},{},[1631],{"type":29,"value":1632},"On Zendesk, Copilot is the human assist. The autonomous resolutions are a separate meter, after a tiny allowance. You also paid to be on a plan that is allowed to buy any of this.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1634,"children":1635},{},[1636],{"type":29,"value":1637},"On Fernand, the same thing happened. It just does not show up on the invoice.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1639,"children":1640},{},[1641],{"type":29,"value":1642},"If someone cannot tell you, in one sentence, what event creates a charge, you do not have a price yet.",{"type":24,"tag":42,"props":1644,"children":1646},{"id":1645},"what-we-do",[1647],{"type":29,"value":1648},"What we do",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1650,"children":1651},{},[1652],{"type":29,"value":1653},"We did not want a number we would second-guess every time the agent replied. We wrote the ten articles we were already typing from memory, connected the inbox, and turned on the agent that came with the plan. When it is included, you use it. When it is $0.99 a time, you hesitate. That hesitation is how you are still the help desk at 11pm.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1655,"children":1656},{},[1657,1659,1664],{"type":29,"value":1658},"The rest of the field is in ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1660,"children":1661},{"href":371},[1662],{"type":29,"value":1663},"eight help desks for SaaS",{"type":29,"value":1665},". Some of those tools are for a much bigger company than the one you are running.",{"type":24,"tag":25,"props":1667,"children":1668},{},[1669,1671,1677],{"type":29,"value":1670},"The agent is on Fernand's ",{"type":24,"tag":80,"props":1672,"children":1674},{"href":389,"rel":1673},[391],[1675],{"type":29,"value":1676},"free plan",{"type":29,"value":1678},". We still look at the invoice. There is just nothing extra on it for the replies the agent wrote.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":398,"depth":398,"links":1680},[1681,1682,1683,1684,1685],{"id":1526,"depth":398,"text":1529},{"id":1568,"depth":398,"text":1571},{"id":1598,"depth":398,"text":1601},{"id":1619,"depth":398,"text":1622},{"id":1645,"depth":398,"text":1648},"content:blog:ai-help-desk-pricing.md","blog\u002Fai-help-desk-pricing.md","blog\u002Fai-help-desk-pricing",1793899910246]