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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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Best Free Help Desk Software (2027): Real Limits Compared
The best free help desk for most small teams is Help Scout: its free plan covers up to 5 users with 1 shared inbox and 1 docs site, which is enough to run email support for a small business. Crisp is the best free live chat (2 seats, 100 customer profiles), Tidio the best free chat for small stores (10 seats, 50 conversations a month) and HubSpot's free CRM the best free option if you want support and sales on one database. Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom and Gorgias don't list free plans; they offer trials.
- Best overall: Help Scout (free for 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 docs site)
- Best free live chat: Crisp (2 seats, 100 customer profiles)
- Best free chat for small stores: Tidio (10 seats, 50 conversations a month)
- Best free option with a CRM: HubSpot (free CRM for 2 users)
- Best paid upgrade: Freshdesk or Zendesk from $19 per agent
Free help desks compared
| Tool | Free plan limit | First paid plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Help Scout | 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 docs site | Standard $25/user | Email support |
| Crisp | 2 seats, 100 customer profiles | Mini $45/month for 4 seats | Live chat |
| Tidio | 10 seats, 50 conversations/month, 50 Lyro AI conversations | Starter $24.17/month | Small stores |
| HubSpot | Free CRM for 2 users with basic service tools | Starter $7/seat | Support plus sales |
| Freshdesk | No free plan listed (14-day trial) | Growth $19/agent (annual) | Structured ticketing |
| Zendesk | No free plan (14-day trial) | Support Team $19/agent (annual) | Large teams |
Which limit will you hit first?
Help Scout's limit is structure: one inbox and one docs site for up to 5 users. Crisp's is people and profiles: 2 seats and 100 customer profiles. Tidio's is volume: 50 conversations a month. HubSpot's free tools are basic and limited to 2 users. Choose the free plan whose limit you'll hit last.
1. Help Scout: best overall free help desk
Help Scout's free plan gives up to 5 users a shared inbox that feels like email, saved replies, customer profiles and a docs site for self-service. Paid plans cost $25, $45 and $75 per user, and AI costs $0.75 per resolution.
Choose it if most support happens by email. See Help Scout pricing.
2. Crisp: best free live chat
Crisp is free for 2 seats with a chat widget, shared inbox and 100 customer profiles. Paid plans are flat per workspace: Mini $45 for 4 seats, Essentials $95 for 10.
Choose it if customers mostly contact you through website chat. See Crisp pricing.
3. Tidio: best free chat for small stores
Tidio's free plan includes 10 seats, 50 billable conversations a month and 50 Lyro AI conversations. Starter costs $24.17 a month for 100 conversations.
Choose it if you run a small store with modest chat volume. See Tidio pricing.
4. HubSpot: best free option with a CRM
HubSpot's free CRM covers 2 users and includes basic customer service tools on the same database as your contacts and deals.
Choose it if you want support conversations next to sales data.
5. When to pay: Freshdesk and Zendesk
When you outgrow free plans, Freshdesk Growth and Zendesk Support Team both cost $19 per agent per month on annual billing, with 14-day trials. Freshdesk Pro ($55) and Zendesk Suite Team ($55) add more automation and channels.
Start Help Scout free → Free for 5 users, no credit card · Affiliate link
What free plans can't do
Free plans usually lack advanced automation, SLAs, detailed reporting, multiple inboxes and branding removal. Some add the vendor's branding to widgets or emails. They also cap people, profiles or conversations, so plan the upgrade before you need it.
Three real-world scenarios
A 4-person startup answering email
Help Scout's free plan covers everyone at $0.
A small store with 40 chats a month
Tidio or Crisp free plans cover it.
A team that outgrew free plans
Freshdesk or Zendesk at $19 per agent for structured ticketing; Help Scout Standard at $25 to stay with an email-style inbox.
How to choose free help desk software
- Find your main channel: email or chat.
- Count the people who answer.
- Estimate monthly conversations.
- Check what happens when you exceed the free limit.
- Note the first paid price so the upgrade isn't a surprise.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a chat-only tool when most requests arrive by email.
- Ignoring the free plan's limit on profiles or conversations.
- Skipping a help center: it reduces requests on any plan.
- Waiting too long to upgrade once customers wait for replies.
Terms explained
- Shared inbox: one place where a team answers customer emails.
- Docs site or help center: self-service articles for customers.
- Billable conversation: a chat handled by your team (Tidio).
- Customer profile: a record of a customer who contacted you (Crisp).
Who each pick suits
A startup answering support emails should start with Help Scout's free plan. A small store whose customers mostly chat on the website will do well with Crisp or Tidio. A B2B company that wants support conversations next to sales data can start with HubSpot's free tools. A growing team that needs ticket queues, SLAs and reporting should plan for Freshdesk or Zendesk at $19 per agent.
Setting up a free help desk in a day
- Forward your support address or install the chat widget.
- Invite the people who answer customers.
- Write saved replies for your ten most common questions.
- Publish those answers in a help center or docs site.
- Check response times after a week.
Features compared
| Feature | Help Scout Free | Crisp Free | Tidio Free | HubSpot Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users or seats | 5 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| Email inbox | 1 | Shared inbox | Basic | Yes |
| Live chat | Beacon widget | Yes | Yes | Yes (with branding) |
| Help center | 1 docs site | Yes | FAQ features | Basic |
| AI | Paid ($0.75 per resolution) | Check plan | 50 Lyro conversations | Limited |
When to upgrade from a free plan
Upgrade when customers wait too long for replies, when you need a second inbox for sales or billing, when more people need to answer than the free plan allows, or when you want reporting on response times. For most small teams that moment comes between 5 and 10 people answering customers.
Our verdict
Help Scout has the best free help desk plan for small teams that support customers by email. Crisp and Tidio are the best free live chat tools, and HubSpot's free CRM suits teams that want support next to sales data. When free limits start to hurt, Freshdesk and Zendesk at $19 per agent are the usual next step.
How we compiled this ranking
We checked free plans on official pricing pages on October 29–30, 2026 and ranked tools on free-plan limits, ease of use and upgrade cost. See also best help desk software and best live chat software.
FAQ
What is the best free help desk software?
Help Scout for email support (5 users); Crisp and Tidio for live chat.
Is Zendesk free?
No. Zendesk offers a 14-day trial.
Does Freshdesk have a free plan?
No free plan was listed on its pricing page when we checked; it offers a 14-day trial.
Which free help desk includes AI?
Tidio's free plan includes 50 Lyro AI conversations.
How many users can use Help Scout free?
Up to 5 users.
When should I upgrade?
When free limits slow your replies or you need automation and reporting.
Is free help desk software secure?
The vendors above apply the same security to free and paid plans; check each vendor's security page for compliance details.
Can I use Gmail as a help desk?
For one person, yes. Once several people answer, a shared inbox such as Help Scout prevents duplicate replies.
Which free help desk has the most users?
Tidio includes 10 seats; Help Scout 5.
Sources
helpscout.com/pricing, crisp.chat/en/pricing, hubspot.com/pricing, freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing and zendesk.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026; tidio.com/pricing, checked October 30, 2026.