FreeScoutFree self-hosted open source help desk and shared mailbox
vs
LiveChatLive chat software that grows sales
Comparison · Help Desk · weekly run Nov 3
FreeScout vs LiveChat
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
LiveChat is the stronger AI pick in Help Desk: it has a visibility score of 1.4 versus 0.7 for FreeScout.
Choose FreeScout if…
- AI answers describe it more positively (67% vs 36% positive)
- Recommended as a self-hosted help desk option
- Recommended for free or self-hosted use
Choose LiveChat if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (1.4 vs 0.7)
- You need SOC 2 Type 2 or GDPR or CCPA or WCAG 2.2 AA or PCI DSS SAQ A or Data Privacy Framework or BBB Accredited Business coverage
- Free trial with no credit card required
- Reliable, high-performance real-time chat
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | FreeScout | LiveChat |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 0.7% | 1.4% |
| Change vs last week | up+0.4% | New |
| Rank in Help Desk | #31 | #25 |
| Share of voice | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Mentions this run | 2 | 2 |
| Positive in AI answers | 67% | 36% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
FreeScout +0.39999999999999997pp · LiveChat +1.4pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
LiveChat leads on 2 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
FreeScoutLiveChat
Head to head in AI answers
0 engine answers name both brands
0FreeScout ranked higher
0LiveChat ranked higher
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | FreeScout | LiveChat |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | — | Per seat |
| Entry price | — | $19 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | — | No · 14-day trial |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Cloud-hosted on Google Cloud in Texas, Iowa and Frankfurt, Germany |
| Integrations | — | 200+ |
| Compliance | — | SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, CCPA, WCAG 2.2 AA, PCI DSS SAQ A, Data Privacy Framework, BBB Accredited Business |
| Support | GitHub issues, Wiki/FAQ documentation, Hire developer | Self-service help center, 24/7/365 support, Product Expert and dedicated team on Enterprise plan |
| Founded | — | 2002 |
| Headquarters | — | Wrocław, Poland |
| Employees | — | 201–500 |
| Funding | — | Management buyout |
| Best for | Teams that want a free, self-hosted Zendesk or Help Scout alternative with unlimited agents and mailboxes | Small teams earning their first revenue from chat, and scaling teams that want chat to drive sales; larger organizations can use the Enterprise plan. |
Plans side by side
FreeScout
Pricing not available.
LiveChat
Essential$19user / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
Growth$79user / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
EnterpriseCustomcustom
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
LiveChat
- Free trial with no credit card required
- Reliable, high-performance real-time chat
- Polished website chat and straightforward agent workflows
- Transparent, publicly listed pricing
- Strong for e-commerce and sales-focused teams
- Can become expensive and complex for growing teams
- Free tier limited to 2 seats
- Ratings vary by review site
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “FreeScout vs LiveChat”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/freescout-vs-livechat, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.