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Helply (formerly Groove) alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Helply (formerly Groove): credit-based AI pricing is harder to predict, and A big change for teams used to classic Groove. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Helply (formerly Groove), then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Help Scout currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Help Scout logoHelp ScoutFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 466.5
2Intercom logoIntercomPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 462.6
3Hiver logoHiverPaidNoWeb, Browser extension, iOS +13 of 359.6
4Front logoFrontPaidNoWeb, macOS, Windows +24 of 457.2
5FreeScout logoFreeScoutOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted3 of 355.3
6Kayako logoKayakoPaidNoWeb3 of 353.6
  1. Help Scout logo

    1. Help ScoutTop pick

    Best for: Small and mid-sized teams that want email-style support that feels personal

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Helply (formerly Groove)

    Email-style help desk with a free plan and predictable seat pricing.

    Pros

    • Clean, email-like interface that's quick to learn
    • Free plan for up to five users
    • Knowledge base and chat widget built in

    Cons

    • No native phone channel
    • Less routing and reporting depth than Zendesk
    • Free plan limited to one inbox and one Docs site
    Visit Help Scout Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Help Scout a good Helply (formerly Groove) alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Standard plan
    $25 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plus plan
    $45 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    100+ tools
    Checked Oct 25, 2026helpscout.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Intercom logo

    2. Intercom

    Best for: SaaS and app businesses that want AI-first, chat-led support

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Helply (formerly Groove)

    Mature AI agent and help desk, priced per seat plus per resolution.

    Pros

    • Fin AI agent resolves many questions without a human
    • Polished Messenger for websites and mobile apps
    • Help desk, help centre and outbound messages in one place

    Cons

    • Seat fees plus per-resolution AI charges are hard to forecast
    • Expensive for small teams once add-ons stack up
    • Less suited to email-heavy, traditional ticket queues
    Visit Intercom Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Intercom a good Helply (formerly Groove) alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $29 per seat/month ($19 for new customers)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI agent pricing
    From $0.99 per Fin outcome
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days, no card required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Fin on other help desks
    Works with Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot and more
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Hiver logo

    3. Hiver

    Best for: Google Workspace teams that want to run support from Gmail

    PaidWeb, Browser extension, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Helply (formerly Groove)

    Run shared inboxes directly in Gmail with lighter AI.

    Pros

    • Works inside Gmail, so there's little to learn
    • Assignments, notes and SLAs on shared inboxes
    • Useful for internal teams as well as support

    Cons

    • Built around Google Workspace
    • Less routing depth than full help desks
    • Per-user pricing adds up for large teams
    Visit Hiver Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Hiver a good Helply (formerly Groove) alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Starting price
    $25 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hiverhq.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    $55 per user/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hiverhq.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plans
    Hiver Omni and Hiver in Gmail
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hiverhq.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Front logo

    4. Front

    Best for: Customer-facing teams that collaborate on long email threads as well as support

    PaidWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Helply (formerly Groove)

    Shared inbox with strong collaboration for larger teams.

    Pros

    • Feels like email, so teams adopt it quickly
    • Strong collaboration with comments, mentions and shared drafts
    • Handles email, chat, SMS and WhatsApp in one place

    Cons

    • Lower tiers cap the number of seats
    • Less built for high-volume ticket queues than Zendesk
    • AI copilot is a paid add-on on most plans
    Visit Front Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Front a good Helply (formerly Groove) alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $25 per seat/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Professional plan
    $65 per seat/month, up to 50 seats
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI copilot
    $20 per seat/month add-on
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    9,300+ businesses
    Checked Oct 25, 2026front.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. FreeScout logo

    5. FreeScout

    Best for: Small teams that want a Help Scout-style inbox they can self-host cheaply

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Helply (formerly Groove)

    Free, self-hosted shared inbox with no user limits.

    Pros

    • Free core with no limits on agents or tickets
    • Runs even on inexpensive shared PHP hosting
    • Familiar email-like workflow

    Cons

    • Many features are paid modules
    • Reporting and polish behind commercial tools
    • You handle hosting, updates and email setup
    Visit FreeScout Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is FreeScout a good Helply (formerly Groove) alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026freescout.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Limits
    No limits on agents or tickets
    Checked Oct 25, 2026freescout.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Stack
    PHP (Laravel) and MySQL
    Checked Oct 25, 2026freescout.net(opens source in a new tab)
  6. Kayako logo

    6. Kayako

    Best for: Teams that want an AI support agent billed only on resolved tickets

    PaidWeb

    53.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Helply (formerly Groove)

    AI agent billed per resolved ticket rather than by credits.

    Pros

    • AI agent charged only on full resolution
    • AI can take actions like refunds and exchanges
    • Help desk, chat and knowledge base bundled

    Cons

    • Smaller ecosystem than leading help desks
    • Pricing centres on AI; plain help desk costs need a sales call
    • Total cost depends on ticket volume
    Visit Kayako Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Kayako a good Helply (formerly Groove) alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    AI pricing
    $1 per resolved ticket
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kayako.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Escalations
    No charge
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kayako.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Bundle
    Kayako One full help desk with AI included
    Checked Oct 25, 2026kayako.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Help Scout logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for most people

Help Scout

Email-style help desk with a free plan and predictable seat pricing.

FreeScout logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for a free option

FreeScout

Free, self-hosted shared inbox with no user limits.

Help Scout logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Help Scout

Email-style help desk with a free plan and predictable seat pricing.

FreeScout logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for open source

FreeScout

Free, self-hosted shared inbox with no user limits.

FreeScout logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for self-hosting

FreeScout

Free, self-hosted shared inbox with no user limits.

Front logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for Mac

Front

Shared inbox with strong collaboration for larger teams.

Front logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for Windows

Front

Shared inbox with strong collaboration for larger teams.

Intercom logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for iPhone and Android

Intercom

Mature AI agent and help desk, priced per seat plus per resolution.

Hiver logo

Best Helply (formerly Groove) alternative for working in the browser

Hiver

Run shared inboxes directly in Gmail with lighter AI.

Helply (formerly Groove) alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Helply (formerly Groove)?

Help Scout ranks first right now. Email-style help desk with a free plan and predictable seat pricing. Intercom and Hiver follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Helply (formerly Groove)?

Yes. Help Scout (free plan + paid) and FreeScout (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Helply (formerly Groove)?

Yes: FreeScout. FreeScout can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Helply (formerly Groove)?

The complaints we hear most: credit-based AI pricing is harder to predict; A big change for teams used to classic Groove; younger product with a smaller ecosystem than Zendesk.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Helply (formerly Groove), reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.