Top 5 customer service software for small businesses in 2025

Finding the right customer support software for your small business can feel overwhelming. You need something that's affordable, easy to use, and actually helps you connect with customers, not another complex enterprise tool that drains your budget.

After testing dozens of solutions and running customer support for my own business, I've narrowed it down to the 5 best options for small businesses. Here's what you need to know about each one.

Evaluation Criteria

I evaluated each software based on these key factors that matter most to small businesses:

Pricing: Flat pricing vs per-user/per-agent fees, free plan availability
Setup complexity: Time to get live, complexity of configuration
Feature set: Essential features without unnecessary bloat
Scalability: How well it grows with your business
Support quality: Human support vs automated responses

1. Helploom (The Best Overall Choice)

Best for: Somebody looking for simple, affordable customer support.

Pricing: Free plan (30 threads/month), $29/month (unlimited everything), $59/month (offload your support to AI).

Helploom was built specifically for small businesses and. It's the only tool on this list that doesn't charge per agent or per conversation, making it incredibly cost-effective as you grow.

Key features

Live chat widget that takes 3 minutes to set up
AI chatbot that learns from your knowledge base to answer questions 24/7
Unlimited threads and users on the paid plan
Shared inbox for team collaboration
Email notifications and follow-ups
Slack integration for seamless workflow

Why Helploom leads the pack

Flat pricing: $29/month covers everything, no per-agent or per-conversation tiers
Simple setup: No complex configuration or developer needed
Built for small businesses: Every feature serves a real need
Human support: Get help directly from the founder
Free plan that's actually useful: 30 threads/month with no credit card required

2. Help Scout (Solid Mid-Market Option)

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses that need comprehensive features.

Pricing: Free plan (100 contacts per month), $55/user/month (Standard), $83/user/month (Plus).

Help Scout strikes a good balance between ease of use and comprehensive features. It's more approachable than enterprise tools while still providing powerful capabilities.

Key Features:

Shared inbox with conversation management
Live chat and email support
Customer profiles and conversation history
Workflow automation and saved replies
Advanced reporting and analytics
Integrations with Shopify, HubSpot, Salesforce

Drawbacks:

Per-user pricing gets expensive quickly as your team grows
Complex feature set can be overwhelming
Higher cost compared to simpler alternatives

3. Crisp (Comprehensive but Costly)

Best for: Businesses that want room to grow into enterprise features.

Pricing: Free plan (100 customer profiles), $45/month (4 seats), $95/month (10 seats), $295/month (20+ seats).

Crisp offers a comprehensive solution with CRM capabilities, advanced analytics, and extensive integrations.

Key Features:

Multi-channel support (chat, email, social media)
CRM with customer data management
Advanced analytics and reporting
Team collaboration tools
Mobile apps for iOS and Android
Extensive integrations

Drawbacks:

Tiered pricing becomes expensive quickly
Complex setup requires more configuration
Feature overload for simple use cases
Per customer profile costs
Per-agent costs

4. Freshdesk (Outdated Design)

Best for: Growing businesses that need detailed workflows and analytics.

Pricing: Free plan available, paid plans start at $19/agent/month.

Freshdesk is part of the Freshworks suite and offers robust helpdesk capabilities with advanced automation and reporting features but the design is outdated and the features are not as user-friendly as the other tools on this list.

Key Features:

Multi-channel support (email, chat, phone, social)
Advanced automation and workflows
Detailed reporting and dashboards
Team collaboration tools
Mobile apps and integrations
Custom fields and ticket routing

Drawbacks:

Complex setup requires time to configure
Per-agent pricing grows with your team
Feature bloat for simple use cases
Steep learning curve for advanced features

5. Intercom (Enterprise Features, Enterprise Complexity)

Best for: Businesses with larger budgets that need marketing automation.

*Pricing:** No free plan, starts at $39/month, AI agent costs $0.99 per resolution.

Intercom is a comprehensive platform that combines customer support with marketing automation. It's powerful but targeted towards large companies and enterprises.

Key Features:

Live chat with advanced targeting
Marketing automation and campaigns
Customer data platform (CDP)
Product tours and onboarding
Advanced analytics and reporting
Mobile apps and extensive integrations

Drawbacks:

No free plan to test the waters
Expensive pricing starts high and grows quickly
Complex feature set can be overwhelming
AI features cost extra ($0.99 per resolution)

The Comparison Table

Feature	Helploom	Help Scout	Crisp	Freshdesk	Intercom
Free Plan	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No free plan
Base Plan Price	$29/month (unlimited)	$55/user/month	$45/month (4 seats)	$19/agent/month	$39/month
Setup Complexity	Low (3 minutes)	Low to moderate	Low to moderate	High	High
Target Audience	Small, bootstrapped businesses	Small to mid-sized	Growing businesses	Growing businesses	Large companies
AI Chatbot	✅ Included	✅ Included	✅ Higher plans	✅ Available	✅ Extra cost
Unlimited Users	✅ Base plan	❌ Per-user pricing	❌ Per-user limits	❌ Per-user pricing	❌ Per-user pricing
Learning Curve	Minimal	Easy to moderate	Moderate	High	High

Why Helploom is the Best Choice for Small Businesses

1. Pricing that makes sense

While competitors charge per agent or per conversation, Helploom offers flat pricing. At $29/month, you get unlimited threads and unlimited users. Compare that to Help Scout at $55/user/month or Intercom starting at $39/month with additional costs.

2. Built for Your needs

Unlike enterprise tools scaled down for small businesses, Helploom was built from the ground up for small teams. Every feature serves a real need without unnecessary complexity.

3. Simple setup

You can be live with customer support in under 3 minutes. No complex configuration, no developer needed.

4. AI that actually helps

The AI chatbot learns from your knowledge base and answers customer questions 24/7, escalating to humans when needed.

5. Human Support

When you have questions, you get help directly from the founder. No automated responses or long wait times.

Making Your Decision

Choose Helploom if:

You want simple, affordable customer support
You need unlimited threads and users
You value human support and quick setup

Choose Help Scout if:

You need comprehensive features
You have a larger budget
You're comfortable with per-user pricing

Choose Crisp if:

You want CRM capabilities
You need extensive integrations

Choose Freshdesk if:

You need advanced automation
You have time for complex setup
You require detailed reporting

Choose Intercom if:

You need marketing automation
You have a large budget
You're building a comprehensive customer platform

The Bottom Line

For most small businesses, Helploom offers the best combination of simplicity, affordability, and functionality. It's the only tool that doesn't penalize you for growing your team, and it's built specifically for your needs rather than being a scaled-down enterprise solution.

The free plan lets you test it without any commitment, and the $29/month base plan gives you everything you need to provide excellent customer support without breaking your budget.

Try it free today and experience customer support that actually works without breaking your budget.