# HelpDesk — Customer Service & Helpdesk HelpDesk by Text (formerly LiveChat Software S.A.) holds a panel rating of 2/5 from 6 AI judges (category median 2.5/5), as of 2026-10-15. Provenance: provenance unknown; sovereignty: not determined. - Vendor: Text (formerly LiveChat Software S.A.) (https://helpdesk.com/) - Category: [Customer Service & Helpdesk](https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service.md) - Provenance (editorial classification): provenance unknown - Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/helpdesk - Alternatives: https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/helpdesk/alternatives ([markdown](https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/helpdesk/alternatives.md)) - Data as of: 2026-10-21 · evaluated 2026-10-15 · oldest source captured 2026-10-13 **AI-generated.** Every score, rationale and verdict here is written by a panel of AI judges from public evidence — an analysis, not a hands-on test. Every fact quotes the vendor page it was read from. No score can be bought. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology ## At a glance - Vendor: Text (formerly LiveChat Software S.A.) - Headquarters: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026 - Data hosting: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026 - Free plan: Yes, per the vendor’s own page [S5] ## The panel's verdict HelpDesk, a customer service and helpdesk product from Text (formerly LiveChat Software S.A.), scores highest on knowledge and self-service and on integrations, both at 6-7. Judges credit a help centre searchable from the ticket interface, tracked article usage and resolution success, an AI Agent claimed to resolve up to 73% of routine questions in chat before ticket creation, and workflows reaching Shopify, Salesforce and HubSpot through webhooks and a documented API. Ticketing core lands at 4-6: workflows automate assignment, prioritisation and escalation, four priority levels ship in all plans, but we found no public information on SLA timers, breach warnings, or first-response and resolution reporting. Sovereignty scores lowest at 0-2 and customer data protection is also weak at 2-3: no sovereignty attributes are on record, and we found no public information on a data processing agreement, retention periods, or a deletion path for requesters' data. No genuine disagreements emerged; the 0-2 spread on sovereignty reflects how hard judges weigh the same silence rather than any conflicting evidence. Pricing appears only as a "Limited free version". **Speaks for it:** - Workflows automate ticket creation, assignment, prioritisation and escalation, with four priority levels — Urgent, High, Medium, Low — available in all plans. - Email, live chat, Messenger and SMS land in one inbox, with contact-form and chatbot tickets feeding the same dashboard. - Help centre articles are searchable from the ticket interface, with article usage and resolution success tracked. - An AI Agent is claimed to resolve up to 73% of routine questions in chat before ticket creation. - A documented API, webhooks through workflows, and a marketplace with a developer platform support apps that sit inside ticket details. **Held against it:** - We found no public information on SLA timers, breach warnings, business-hours policies, or first-response and resolution reporting by agent or queue. - We found no public information on a data processing agreement, a stated retention period, or an executable deletion path for a requester's data. - No sovereignty attributes are on record, and we found no public information on hosting location, the contracting entity, or a subprocessor list. - We found no public information on single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, documented rate limits, or a sandbox. - We found no public information on draft-and-publish editorial workflow, review dates, or multilingual articles in the help centre. **Best for:** - You need one inbox for email, live chat, Messenger and SMS, with contact-form and chatbot tickets on the same dashboard. - You want to deflect routine questions before they become tickets, using an AI agent in chat and help centre articles searchable from the ticket view. - You build around the API: no-code workflows to Shopify, Salesforce and HubSpot, webhooks to anything else, and a marketplace for third-party apps. - You want automated assignment, prioritisation and escalation with four priority levels in all plans. **Avoid if:** - You must know where the ticket archive is hosted, which entity you contract with, and which subprocessors touch the data before signing. - You need a signable data processing agreement, a stated retention period, and an executable deletion path documented in advance. - You manage to SLA targets and need timers, breach warnings, and first-response and resolution reporting by agent and queue. ## Scores by judge and criterion Scores out of 5, each judge scoring independently against the published rubric (v1). "n/r" = not rated: the vendor publishes no price. | Criterion | The Support Lead | The Agent Advocate | The Data Protection Officer | The Shop Operator | The Integrator | The Skeptic | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ticketing, queues & SLA | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | | Channels in one queue | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | | Knowledge base & deflection | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | | Customer data protection | 1.5/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1.5/5 | 1.5/5 | | Integrations & API | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3.5/5 | | European sovereignty | 0.5/5 | 1/5 | 0/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 0.5/5 | | Pricing transparency | n/r | n/r | n/r | n/r | n/r | n/r | | **Weighted verdict** | **2.5/5** | **2.5/5** | **1.5/5** | **2.5/5** | **2.5/5** | **2/5** | ### The judges - **The Support Lead** (v1.0): Runs a team of twelve against an SLA the sales team promised. Wants routing that reflects skill, timers that warn before they breach, and reporting she can take to a quarterly review. Reads "AI-powered" as a claim to be checked against the queue on a Monday morning. - **The Agent Advocate** (v1.0): Has answered tickets for six years and judges every tool by the hundredth reply, not the first. Wants search that finds the old thread, macros that save real keystrokes, and one screen rather than four tabs. Treats agent-activity dashboards as a smell. - **The Data Protection Officer** (v1.0): Sees a ticket archive for what it is: years of personal data customers typed themselves, including the things they should not have. Wants retention that executes, redaction, an audit of who read what, and an answer on whether vendor support can open a ticket. - **The Shop Operator** (v1.0): Handles "where is my parcel" at volume and needs the order in front of the agent without a second login. Judges omnichannel by whether WhatsApp and the shop actually land in one queue, and deflection by whether the ticket count falls in December. - **The Integrator** (v1.0): Has to wire the helpdesk into a CRM, a shop and an identity provider that all predate it. Wants a documented API with rate limits, webhooks that retry, SCIM, and a sandbox. Reads a partner-contact form on an integrations page as a missing API. - **The Skeptic** (v1.0): Counts the channel logos on the marketing page, then asks which of them share one queue and one history. Reads for the tier where SLA policies begin, what a "light agent" may actually do, and whether the AI summariser is included or metered. ## European sovereignty — proven facts No sovereignty finding yet. ## Key facts Each fact is the vendor's own statement, cited to the source page it was read from ([S*n*] → Sources). **Compliance** - Privacy policy processing: data processed per Privacy Policy [S5] - SOC 2: yes · yes · yes [S1] **Data** - Migration: yes · yes [S1] - Privacy advice: users advised to remove personal information before generating [S5] **Integrations** - Admin settings: Per-app settings configurable with admin role [S9] - Admin tabs: Installed apps · Private apps · In review · API [S9] - API: yes [S5] - API docs: HelpDesk API documentation available under the API tab [S9] - App actions: Open in Marketplace · Finish installation · Setup instructions · Contact developer · Uninstall [S9] - App types: 3 · Full-screen apps · Ticket details apps · Apps in the Settings section [S9] - Chatbot: yes · ChatBot [S7] - Chatbot: yes [S8] - Data migration: yes [S8] - Default apps: LiveChat · Zapier · no [S9] - Developer platform: Developer Platform for creating own third-party apps [S9] - Facebook: yes [S8] - Github: Zapier · yes [S8] - Gmail: yes [S4] - Knowledgebase: yes · KnowledgeBase [S7] - Knowledgebase: yes [S8] - Listed: Shopify · WordPress · WooCommerce · Webflow · Salesforce · HubSpot · Klaviyo · LiveChat [S5] - Livechat: yes [S2] - Livechat agent add: Add LiveChat agents to HelpDesk [S8] - Livechat helpdesk: LiveChat · HelpDesk.com [S6] - Livechat import: tickets · agents · groups · tags · canned responses [S8] - Marketplace: HelpDesk Marketplace for installing or creating third-party apps [S9] - Microsoft 365: yes [S4] - Named integrations: Shopify · WordPress · WooCommerce · Webflow · Salesforce · HubSpot · Klaviyo · LiveChat [S9] - Openwidget: yes [S4] - Other email providers: yes [S4] - Outlook: yes [S4] - Salesforce: yes [S8] - Shopify: yes [S8] - Webflow: yes [S8] - Wordpress contact form 7: yes [S4] - Wordpress wpforms: yes [S8] - Workflows: yes · yes · yes · Shopify · Salesforce · HubSpot [S1] - Yahoo: yes [S4] - Zapier: yes · Zapier [S7] - Zapier: yes [S8] - Zendesk chat: yes [S8] **Legal** - Company: Text, Inc. [S2] - Company: Text, Inc. [S4] - Copyright entity: 2026 · Text, Inc. [S6] - Copyright entity: Text, Inc. [S8] - Copyright holder: Text, Inc. [S3] - Entity: Text, Inc. [S1] - Entity: Text, Inc. [S7] - Entity: Text, Inc. [S9] - Parent platform: yes [S1] **Pricing** - Chatbot trial: 14 [S7] - Free daily limit: yes · daily usage limit [S5] - Free trial: free_trial · 14 [S2] - Free trial: yes · 14 [S3] - Free trial: yes · 14 [S4] - Free trial: 14 [S7] - Free trial: 14 · yes [S8] - Model: tiered plans plus custom Enterprise options; details on pricing page [S1] - Single plan unlimited: unlimited · unlimited · one simple plan [S6] - Trial: 14 · no [S5] - Trial: yes · 14 [S6] - Trial: yes · trial · 14 [S9] **Product** - Actions: new email · reply · follow-up [S5] - AI agent: AI Agent resolves up to 73% of routine questions in chat before ticket creation [S1] - AI article generation: articles · titles · tags [S6] - AI features: Reply suggestions · Ticket summary · Text enhancements · Language detection · Tag suggestions [S1] - Analytics insights: Analytics and insights [S6] - API developers portal: yes [S8] - Article feedback tracking: article usage · resolution success [S6] - Article link sharing: Copy and paste help center articles [S6] - Article search in ticket interface: Search and view help center articles [S6] - Automation: automation of ticket creation, assignment, prioritization, escalation, communication, resolution [S1] - Bulk actions: yes [S3] - Business email course: 11 [S5] - Channel forwarding: Forward messages from your communication channels to HelpDesk [S4] - Channels: email · live chat · Messenger · SMS [S1] - Chatbot ticket source: yes [S7] - Chatbot tickets: yes [S7] - Chatgpt difference: purpose-built for email with new-message and reply actions and six preset tones [S5] - Collaboration: teams · private notes · collision detection · shared views [S1] - Custom branding: yes [S6] - Default priority: Medium [S2] - Free AI email generator: yes · no [S5] - Free version: yes [S5] - No coding setup: no [S6] - Platform: browser · Mac · Windows [S1] - Priority change: Ticket list · ticket Details [S2] - Priority levels: Urgent · High · Medium · Low · yes [S2] - Priority visibility: no [S2] - Rich text editor: rich-text [S6] - Sales signals: yes [S1] - Saved views: yes [S2] - Security details: yes · yes · yes · yes [S1] - Self service deflection: Reduce ticket volume [S6] - SLA priorities: SLA policies work with ticket priorities to improve response and resolution times [S2] - Target segment: small · medium [S6] - Ticket dashboard sections: Views · Ticket list [S3] - Ticket filters: yes [S3] - Ticket list details: requester_details · subject · agent · status · date_of_last_message [S3] - Ticket management: statuses · priorities · tags · custom fields · views · automation · workflows · AI [S1] - Tones: 6 · Helpful · Sales · Informative · Casual · Polite · Formal [S5] - Views: Views sort ticket lists by view or ticket status, include a search bar and a '+ New ticket' button, with counters for ticket counts [S3] - What is helpdesk: customer service software with tickets, collaboration, workflows, canned responses [S5] **Support** - Always on: 24/7/365 [S6] - Availability: 24/7/365 [S5] - Hours: yes [S1] ## Questions ### Is HelpDesk European? Not determined: the vendor’s pages as captured do not say where HelpDesk is based. ### Where does HelpDesk store data? Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026. ### Does HelpDesk have a free plan? Yes. HelpDesk has a free plan, per [the vendor’s page captured 13 Oct 2026](https://whats-best.ai/evidence/7517). ### What are the best alternatives to HelpDesk? As of 21 Oct 2026, the panel rates [Zendesk (3.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/zendesk), [Intercom (3.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/intercom) and [HubSpot Service Hub (3/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/hubspot-service-hub) highest among the other 28 Customer Service & Helpdesk products evaluated. Ratings that look equal are rounded to half stars; the order uses the unrounded rating, then the name. The highest-rated European alternative is [Zammad](https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/zammad) (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering). The full list, with European products first: [HelpDesk alternatives](https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/helpdesk/alternatives). ## What this page leaves out - 18 integrations facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. - 18 product facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. - 1 legal fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material. - 1 pricing fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material. - 6 of the readings below were written against an earlier fact sheet — a fact has been corrected, added or pulled since. Until the panel next runs on this product you are reading the older judgement. ## Sources - [S1] Vendor page: https://helpdesk.com/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S2] Ticketing, queues & SLA — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/help/what-are-ticket-priorities/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S3] Ticketing, queues & SLA — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/help/tickets-dashboard-guide/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S4] Channels in one queue — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/help/connect-channels/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S5] Channels in one queue — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/ai-email-generator/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S6] Knowledge base & deflection — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/features/knowledge-base/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S7] Knowledge base & deflection — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/help/chatbot-integration-support-your-customers-with-chatbots/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S8] Integrations & API — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/help/integrations/ (checked 2026-10-13) - [S9] Integrations & API — found from sitemap: https://www.helpdesk.com/help/install-apps-from-the-helpdesk-marketplace/ (checked 2026-10-13) --- Cite as: whats-best.ai, "HelpDesk — Customer Service & Helpdesk", AI panel analysis, as of 2026-10-21. https://whats-best.ai/software/customer-service/helpdesk Corrections: https://whats-best.ai/correct/693?target=page