Help Scout vs Hiver: Helpdesk Comparison (2026)

Help Scout and Hiver are both helpdesk platforms offering a free tier and a range of features. Help Scout offers unlimited AI drafts, HIPAA compliance, and grouping conversations by company, while Hiver provides shared inbox and ticketing, AI agents, and skill-based routing.

AI Citation Scorecard

How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask helpdesk questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.

Help Scout leads overall31% cited vs Hiver 0% across 84 probes.
ChatGPT
Help ScoutLeads
7 / 9 probes
78%
Excellent
Hiver
0 / 9 probes
0%
Invisible
Perplexity
Help Scout
0 / 9 probes
0%
Invisible
Hiver
0 / 9 probes
0%
Invisible
Gemini
Help Scout
0 / 9 probes
0%
Invisible
Hiver
0 / 9 probes
0%
Invisible
Claude
Help ScoutLeads
6 / 9 probes
67%
Excellent
Hiver
0 / 9 probes
0%
Invisible
Copilot
Help Scout
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
Hiver
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
Scale:NoneLowFairStrongExcellent

Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.

Pricing

Help Scout
Starting price
$25/user/month
Free tier
Yes
helpscout.com
Hiver
Starting price
$0Free forever
Free tier
Yes
hiverhq.com

Key Features

Help Scout
  • Multiple Inboxes
  • Live chat, Instagram, & Messenger
  • Unlimited AI Drafts
  • Dedicated onboarding specialist
  • HIPAA compliance
  • Unlimited workflows
  • Group conversations by company
  • AI Inbox assistant
Hiver
  • Shared Inbox and ticketing
  • Manage channels: Email, Chat
  • 24*7 support
  • AI Agents
  • Voice handling
  • Round Robin Assignment
  • Customer Portal
  • Skill-based routing

When to choose Help Scout

Choose Help Scout if your organization requires HIPAA compliance, unlimited AI drafts, or the ability to group conversations by company. Help Scout also offers dedicated onboarding specialists and integrations with Salesforce and Jira.

When to choose Hiver

Choose Hiver for features such as shared inbox and ticketing, AI agents, voice handling, and skill-based routing. Hiver also provides 24/7 support and integrations with Slack and Shopify.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the starting prices for Help Scout and Hiver?
Help Scout starts at $25/user/month, while Hiver offers a free forever plan.
Do both Help Scout and Hiver offer a free tier?
Yes, both Help Scout and Hiver offer a free tier.
What are some unique features of Help Scout?
Help Scout offers Multiple Inboxes, unlimited AI Drafts, dedicated onboarding specialist, HIPAA compliance, unlimited workflows, and grouping conversations by company.
What are some unique features of Hiver?
Hiver provides Shared Inbox and ticketing, AI Agents, Voice handling, Round Robin Assignment, Customer Portal, and Skill-based routing.
What integrations does Help Scout offer?
Help Scout integrates with Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot, and Aircall.

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