Crisp, DelightChat, and FreeScout are all built to unify scattered support conversations into a single inbox, but they target different budgets and workflows:…
Best for: SaaS and e-commerce support teams that want a hosted, all-in-one live chat, email, and AI chatbot inbox with a genuinely free permanent tier.
Best for: D2C and Shopify e-commerce brands that need official WhatsApp Business API support combined with WhatsApp broadcast marketing and order-context lookups.
Open Source / Freemium · From Free (self-hosted); paid modules and managed hosting priced separately
Best for: Budget-conscious or data-sovereignty-focused teams that want a self-hosted help desk with unlimited agents and no recurring per-seat licensing fees.
At a Glance
Crisp
DelightChat
FreeScout
Primary category
Customer Support
Customer Support
Customer Support
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium (per-workspace subscription)
Subscription with free trial
Open Source / Freemium
Starting price
Free
$29/month
Free (self-hosted); paid modules and managed hosting priced separately
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Yes
Yes
Yes
Standout Differences
Unlimited Agents at No Licensing Cost
FreeScout's open-source core has no built-in limit on agents, tickets, or mailboxes, letting growing support teams avoid the per-seat fees charged by Crisp and DelightChat, at the cost of having to self-host.
FreeScout
Official WhatsApp Business API and Commerce Automation
DelightChat is built around Meta's official WhatsApp Business API, combining support with abandoned-cart recovery, order updates, and broadcast campaigns, plus inline Shopify order lookups that Crisp and FreeScout do not offer.
DelightChat
Per-Workspace Pricing With a Real Free Tier
Crisp prices by workspace rather than strictly by agent seat, and its Free plan (2 seats, shared inbox, mobile apps) has no time limit, unlike DelightChat, which only offers a 14-day trial.
Crisp
A-la-Carte Module Marketplace
FreeScout keeps its core free and lets teams add live chat, a CRM, WhatsApp and Slack integration, or SSO individually through more than 50 optional paid modules, rather than bundling everything into a small number of rigid tiers.
FreeScout
Built-In AI Chatbot Support
Both Crisp and DelightChat include an AI chatbot for automating first-response handling before escalating to a human agent, a capability FreeScout's free core does not document.
Crisp, DelightChat
Feature-by-Feature
Core Inbox and Channels
Feature
Crisp
DelightChat
FreeScout
Shared team inbox across channels
Available
Available
Available
Native official WhatsApp Business API
Not documented
Available
Limited
Website live chat widget
Available
Available
Limited
Automation and AI
Feature
Crisp
DelightChat
FreeScout
AI chatbot for automated first response
Available
Available
Not documented
Marketing and commerce automation (abandoned cart, broadcasts)
Not documented
Available
Not documented
Deployment and Cost Model
Feature
Crisp
DelightChat
FreeScout
Self-hosted deployment option
Unavailable
Unavailable
Available
Permanent free tier with no trial expiration
Available
Unavailable
Available
Unlimited agents or seats included at no cost
Unavailable
Unavailable
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Crisp
Free — $0 Forever
Mini — $45/month per workspace Monthly
Essentials — $95/month per workspace Monthly
Plus — $295/month per workspace Monthly
Enterprise — Custom Custom
DelightChat
Startup — $29 per month
Scale — $99 per month
Growth — $299 per month
FreeScout
Free Core (Open Source) — Free N/A
Optional Paid Modules — Varies by module One-time or subscription, per module
Third-Party Managed Hosting — From approximately $9/month Monthly
Pros & Cons
Crisp
Pros
Permanent free plan with real functionality (2 seats, shared inbox, mobile apps) rather than a short trial
Per-workspace pricing instead of per-agent seats can be significantly cheaper for larger support teams
Combines live chat, email, chatbot, and knowledge base without needing multiple separate tools
Widget supports 60-plus languages with real-time translation for genuinely global support
Cons
AI features are metered by included credits, so heavy chatbot usage can require additional paid usage
Higher tiers (Essentials, Plus) get expensive quickly for teams that need omnichannel and automation features
Some advanced features like the full ticketing system and white-labeling are reserved for the top Plus tier
As a smaller, France-based company, its integration ecosystem is narrower than large incumbents like Zendesk or Intercom
DelightChat
Pros
Combines helpdesk and WhatsApp marketing automation in one affordable product
Uses the official, compliant WhatsApp Business API rather than unofficial integrations
Tight Shopify integration surfaces order data directly in conversations
SME-friendly pricing with a 14-day free trial
Cons
Small team (~15 people) relative to larger helpdesk competitors like Gorgias or Zendesk
Primarily Shopify/e-commerce focused, less suited to non-retail use cases
No native desktop or mobile apps, web app only
Higher-tier Growth plan (~$299/month) is needed for full automation and scale features
FreeScout
Pros
Core application is completely free with no per-agent or per-ticket licensing fees
No artificial limits on agents, tickets, or mailboxes, unlike most commercial help desk SaaS tools
Modular pricing lets teams pay only for the specific advanced features they actually need
Lightweight PHP/MySQL stack that can run on inexpensive shared or VPS hosting
Full data ownership and control, appealing to privacy- and compliance-conscious organizations
Cons
Self-hosting requires ongoing server maintenance, security patching, and backup management
Advanced functionality like live chat, CRM, and SSO requires purchasing separate paid modules
Smaller ecosystem and community than large commercial help desks like Zendesk or Freshdesk
No official managed hosting from the FreeScout project itself; managed options come from third parties
Interface and feature depth can feel less polished than heavily funded commercial competitors
Use Cases
Choose Crisp: SaaS and e-commerce support teams that want a hosted, all-in-one live chat, email, and AI chatbot inbox with a genuinely free permanent tier.
Choose DelightChat: D2C and Shopify e-commerce brands that need official WhatsApp Business API support combined with WhatsApp broadcast marketing and order-context lookups.
Choose FreeScout: Budget-conscious or data-sovereignty-focused teams that want a self-hosted help desk with unlimited agents and no recurring per-seat licensing fees.
Crisp
E-commerce customer support — Online stores use Crisp's chat widget and e-commerce integrations to answer pre-sale questions and support orders in real time.
SaaS support and onboarding — SaaS companies use Crisp's shared inbox, chatbot, and knowledge base to handle support tickets and guide new users through onboarding.
Multilingual global support — Support teams serving international customers use Crisp's widget localization and LiveTranslate to communicate across language barriers without hiring multilingual agents.
DelightChat
Centralizing multi-channel support — Manage WhatsApp, Instagram, and email conversations from one inbox.
Recovering abandoned carts via WhatsApp — Automate WhatsApp messages to win back abandoned checkouts.
Automating order and shipping notifications — Send automated WhatsApp updates tied to Shopify order status.
FreeScout
Cost-conscious support teams — Growing support teams migrate from per-agent SaaS help desks to FreeScout to eliminate recurring per-seat costs as they add more agents.
Privacy and data-residency focused support — Organizations with strict data control or compliance requirements self-host FreeScout to keep customer support data entirely on their own infrastructure.
Agency and multi-client support desks — Agencies use FreeScout's unlimited mailboxes and modules to run shared support inboxes for multiple client brands from one self-hosted instance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these three has a genuinely free plan I can use indefinitely?
Crisp's Free plan (2 agent seats, shared inbox, mobile apps) has no time limit, and FreeScout's open-source core is free forever if self-hosted, with unlimited agents. DelightChat only offers a 14-day free trial before requiring a paid plan.
Which tool is best for a Shopify brand that relies heavily on WhatsApp?
DelightChat is purpose-built for this use case, combining the official WhatsApp Business API with Shopify order-context lookups and WhatsApp marketing automation like abandoned-cart recovery, features Crisp and FreeScout don't offer natively.
Do I need technical skills to run FreeScout?
Yes. FreeScout is self-hosted PHP and Laravel software, so a team needs to install it (via Docker, a one-click installer, or manual setup) and handle ongoing server maintenance, backups, and updates, unlike the fully hosted Crisp and DelightChat.
Which platforms include an AI chatbot out of the box?
Both Crisp and DelightChat include AI chatbot capabilities for automating first-response handling before a human agent takes over. FreeScout's free core does not document a built-in AI chatbot, though live chat and other functionality can be added through paid modules.
How does pricing scale as a support team grows?
Crisp prices per workspace rather than strictly per agent, which can be cheaper for larger teams on a single workspace. DelightChat's tiers (Startup, Scale, Growth) scale by conversation volume, team seats, and automation features. FreeScout's core is free with unlimited agents, but advanced functionality is added through separately priced modules.
Can I migrate an existing Help Scout account to FreeScout?
Yes. FreeScout provides specific migration documentation for importing mailboxes, conversations, and customer data from Help Scout, and it was originally created as a free alternative after Help Scout discontinued its free plan.