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.

Too early to call — probes still building data.
ChatGPT
Help Scout
102 / 146 probes
70%
Excellent
Hiver
Tracking…
No data yet
Perplexity
Help Scout
73 / 362 probes
20%
Average
Hiver
Tracking…
No data yet
Gemini
Help Scout
57 / 146 probes
39%
Good
Hiver
Tracking…
No data yet
Claude
Help Scout
116 / 202 probes
57%
Excellent
Hiver
Tracking…
No data yet
Copilot
Help Scout
100 / 144 probes
69%
Excellent
Hiver
Tracking…
No data yet
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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