Helploom vs Crisp: Which tool is better for small businesses and solo founders?
Posted on by Preet Mishra
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Crisp is a popular all-in-one business messaging platform that's gained traction among startups and SMBs. It offers a comprehensive suite of features including live chat, email integration, chatbots, and customer engagement tools.
If you run a small business or are a solo founder, you may be deciding between Crisp and Helploom for your needs. Let's dive in.
Where Crisp Shines
Crisp positions itself as an all-in-one business messaging platform with an impressive feature set:
- Live chat widget with customization options.
- Shared inbox for team collaboration (included in paid plans).
- AI-powered chatbot builder with visual workflow editor.
- Multi-channel support (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, email, SMS).
- Customer engagement campaigns and sequences.
- Knowledge base creation.
- CRM with customer data management.
- Advanced analytics and reporting.
Crisp is built for businesses that want a comprehensive solution with room to grow into enterprise-level features.
What Makes Helploom Different
Helploom takes a focused approach, built specifically for solo founders and small businesses who want simple customer support without the complexity:
- Simple setup in minutes.
- Live chat with a shared inbox for customer conversations.
- Affordable, flat pricing that doesn't scale with agents.
- Focus on human, personal support.
- Minimal learning curve.
I built Helploom because I needed a tool I could use every day without spending hours learning complex workflows or paying for features I'd never use.
Pricing: A Significant Difference
Crisp's pricing follows a tiered model that can get expensive as you need more features:
- Free plan: 2 seats, basic chat widget, limited features.
- Mini plan: $45/month per workspace, 4 seats, shared email inbox.
- Essentials plan: $95/month per workspace, 10 seats, full features including chatbot and analytics.
- Plus plan: $295/month per workspace, 20+ seats, AI-powered features and unlimited automation.
Additional agents cost $10/month each on higher plans, and you're limited by the number of customer profiles.
Helploom keeps pricing flat, simple, and affordable:
- Free plan: 30 threads/month, 1 user.
- Base plan: $13/month, 300 threads/month, 1 user.
- Plus plan: $39/month, 5000 threads/month, unlimited users.
| Plans | Crisp | Helploom |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Base plan (live chat) | $45/month (4 agents) | $13/month (1 agent) |
| Team plan (live chat) | $95/month (10 agents) | $39/month (unlimited agents) |
| Advanced plan | $295/month | Not needed |
$13
/mo
Helploom
$45
/mo
Crisp
The Good Old Comparison Table
| Feature | Crisp | Helploom |
|---|---|---|
| Target audience | SMBs and growing companies | Solo founders and small businesses |
| Setup complexity | Low to Moderate | Low, ready in seconds |
| Pricing model | Contacts based, per agent per month, cost grows quickly | Simple flat pricing |
| Core features | All-in-one: chat, bots, campaigns, CRM | Essential support: live chat, shared inbox |
| Learning curve | Moderate to steep for advanced features | Easy and intuitive |
| Multi-channel | Extensive (10+ channels) | Focus on live chat |
| White labeling | Available on higher plans | Available on Plus plan |
The Bottom Line
Crisp is a powerful, feature-rich platform that can handle complex business support needs. But with that power comes complexity and higher costs that can quickly become overwhelming for small businesses.
Helploom was built to be the opposite: a simple, affordable customer support tool that helps you connect with your customers without distraction. If you're looking for straightforward customer support that just works, Helploom might be the better choice.