FreeScoutFree self-hosted open source help desk and shared mailbox
vs
HiverThe agentic omnichannel customer service platform built for complex support.
Comparison · Help Desk · weekly run Nov 3
FreeScout vs Hiver
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Hiver is the stronger AI pick in Help Desk: it has a visibility score of 1.9 versus 0.7 for FreeScout.
Choose FreeScout if…
- AI answers describe it more positively (67% vs 18% positive)
- Recommended as a self-hosted help desk option
- Recommended for free or self-hosted use
Choose Hiver if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (1.9 vs 0.7)
- You need GDPR or SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 or CCPA or HIPAA coverage
- Turns shared Gmail and Outlook inboxes into collaborative help desks
- Good fit for small and midsize email-first support teams on Gmail or Google Workspace
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | FreeScout | Hiver |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 0.7% | 1.9% |
| Change vs last week | up+0.4% | up+0.9% |
| Rank in Help Desk | #31 | #22 |
| Share of voice | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Mentions this run | 2 | 4 |
| Positive in AI answers | 67% | 18% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
FreeScout +0.39999999999999997pp · Hiver +0.9999999999999999pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Hiver leads on 2 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
FreeScoutHiver
Head to head in AI answers
0 engine answers name both brands
0FreeScout ranked higher
0Hiver ranked higher
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | FreeScout | Hiver |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | — | Per seat |
| Entry price | — | $25 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | — | No · 7-day trial |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Cloud (SaaS); runs inside Gmail or as a standalone web application |
| Integrations | — | 1000+ |
| Compliance | — | GDPR, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, CCPA, HIPAA |
| Support | GitHub issues, Wiki/FAQ documentation, Hire developer | 24/7 email support, 24/7 chat support, Free data migration |
| Founded | — | 2011 |
| Headquarters | — | San Jose, California, United States |
| Employees | — | 201–500 |
| Funding | — | Series B · $30M raised |
| Best for | Teams that want a free, self-hosted Zendesk or Help Scout alternative with unlimited agents and mailboxes | Support teams handling complex, cross-team requests, including teams that work from Gmail |
Plans side by side
FreeScout
Pricing not available.
Hiver
Growth$25user/month (billed annually; $35 monthly)
Pro$55user/month (billed annually; $65 monthly)
Elite$85user/month (billed annually; $95 monthly)
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
Hiver
- Turns shared Gmail and Outlook inboxes into collaborative help desks
- Good fit for small and midsize email-first support teams on Gmail or Google Workspace
- Described as a good customer support platform
- Described as a unique tool
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “FreeScout vs Hiver”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/freescout-vs-hiver, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.