FreeScoutFree self-hosted open source help desk and shared mailbox
vs
HelplyThe complete AI-native support platform, rebuilt around agents that investigate, resolve, and take action.
Comparison · Help Desk · weekly run Nov 3
FreeScout vs Helply
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Helply is the stronger AI pick in Help Desk: it has a visibility score of 1 versus 0.7 for FreeScout.
Choose FreeScout if…
- AI answers describe it more positively (67% vs 0% positive)
- Recommended as a self-hosted help desk option
- Recommended for free or self-hosted use
Choose Helply if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (1 vs 0.7)
- You need SOC 2 Type II or GDPR coverage
- Budget-friendly alternative
- Native Salesforce integration
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | FreeScout | Helply |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 0.7% | 1% |
| Change vs last week | up+0.4% | no change0% |
| Rank in Help Desk | #31 | #28 |
| Share of voice | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Mentions this run | 2 | 2 |
| Positive in AI answers | 67% | 0% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
FreeScout +0.39999999999999997pp · Helply 0pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Helply leads on 3 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
FreeScoutHelply
Head to head in AI answers
0 engine answers name both brands
0FreeScout ranked higher
0Helply ranked higher
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | FreeScout | Helply |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | — | Usage-based |
| Entry price | — | $49 / mo |
| Free plan | — | No · 14-day trial |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Cloud |
| Integrations | — | 60+ |
| Compliance | — | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR |
| Support | GitHub issues, Wiki/FAQ documentation, Hire developer | — |
| Founded | — | 2025 |
| Headquarters | — | Newport, Rhode Island, United States |
| Employees | — | 11–50 |
| Best for | Teams that want a free, self-hosted Zendesk or Help Scout alternative with unlimited agents and mailboxes | SaaS, ecommerce, marketplace and consumer app teams whose support volume is growing faster than their team. |
Plans side by side
FreeScout
Pricing not available.
Helply
Credits$49month (500 credits block; larger blocks priced higher)
EnterpriseCustom
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
Helply
- Budget-friendly alternative
- Native Salesforce integration
- Strong Forrester Leader evaluation
- Strong adoption among enterprise account executives
- Recommended for Salesforce-centric teams
- No published pricing; custom quote required
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “FreeScout vs Helply”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/freescout-vs-helply, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.