FreeScoutFree self-hosted open source help desk and shared mailbox
vs
GladlyCustomer experience AI built to engage, not deflect.
Comparison · Help Desk · weekly run Nov 3
FreeScout vs Gladly
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
FreeScout is the stronger AI pick in Help Desk: it has a visibility score of 0.7 versus 0.3 for Gladly.
Choose FreeScout if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (0.7 vs 0.3)
- Recommended as a self-hosted help desk option
- Recommended for free or self-hosted use
Choose Gladly if…
- AI answers describe it more positively (75% vs 67% positive)
- You need SOC 2 Type II or PCI DSS or HIPAA or GDPR or CCPA coverage
- High G2 rating of about 4.7/5
- People-centric, conversation-driven approach over ticket-centric workflows
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | FreeScout | Gladly |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Change vs last week | up+0.4% | up+0.3% |
| Rank in Help Desk | #31 | #34 |
| Share of voice | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Mentions this run | 2 | 1 |
| Positive in AI answers | 67% | 75% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
FreeScout +0.39999999999999997pp · Gladly +0.3pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
FreeScout leads on 2 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
FreeScoutGladly
Head to head in AI answers
0 engine answers name both brands
0FreeScout ranked higher
0Gladly ranked higher
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | FreeScout | Gladly |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Cloud (SaaS) |
| Compliance | — | SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA |
| Support | GitHub issues, Wiki/FAQ documentation, Hire developer | — |
| Founded | — | 2014 |
| Headquarters | — | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Employees | — | 201–500 |
| Funding | — | Funding round led by AVP |
| Best for | Teams that want a free, self-hosted Zendesk or Help Scout alternative with unlimited agents and mailboxes | Retail and ecommerce brands that want one AI and agent platform for both selling and service |
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
FreeScout
- Recommended as a self-hosted help desk option
- Recommended for free or self-hosted use
Gladly
- High G2 rating of about 4.7/5
- People-centric, conversation-driven approach over ticket-centric workflows
- Top recommended contact center platform in latest G2 reviews
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “FreeScout vs Gladly”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/freescout-vs-gladly, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.