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Best Customer Support Software with AI-Powered Responses 2025

Written by Paddy Stobbs

Co-Founder & CEO

Edited by Steph Leung

Product & Operations Lead

Updated onApr 10, 2025

AI is now a core part of great customer support. We tested the top tools to find the best customer support software with AI-powered responses in 2025 — from automating first replies to boosting agent productivity. This guide breaks down where each tool shines, so you can pick the right one for your team.

Best Customer Support tools for different use cases

For e-commerce businesses:

Gorgias product logo

Gorgias

Stackfix Rating:

6.0 / 10

Gorgias is a strong choice for ecommerce brands, especially those on Shopify, looking to bring AI into their support workflow. Its deep Shopify integration lets you automate common requests like order tracking, delivery updates, and subscription changes — all handled by Gorgias’ AI agent, without human involvement.

In testing, Gorgias earned a 10/10 for Shopify integration, thanks to how seamlessly it connects support with store data. The automation isn’t just smart — it’s practical, helping reduce ticket volume and speed up resolutions. For growing ecommerce teams, it’s a solid way to scale support without adding headcount.

That said, Gorgias is focused. If you’re not in ecommerce, or need a broader support tool with more flexibility, it might not be the best fit. Its AI features are tailored to ecommerce-specific use cases, and outside that, the platform can feel limited.

But if you’re running a Shopify store and want to combine automation with sales-focused support, Gorgias delivers where it counts.

Jump to product

For AI-powered chatbot:

Intercom product logo

Intercom

Stackfix Rating:

7.9 / 10

Intercom’s AI chatbot, Fin, does a great job of understanding customer questions and delivering helpful, on-brand responses. It pulls from conversation history, help docs, and other sources to give accurate answers — and can even match your tone of voice to keep things feeling human.

In our testing, we gave Intercom an 8/10 for AI chatbot capabilities. It’s fast, reliable, and ideal for automating common support queries without making things feel robotic. If you’re looking to scale support while still delivering a great experience, it’s a strong option.

That said, Fin isn’t perfect. It can struggle with complex or highly technical questions that fall outside your existing support content. And like most things with Intercom, pricing can be steep — which might be a dealbreaker for smaller teams or those with tight budgets.

Overall, Intercom offers one of the most polished AI chatbots we’ve tested — especially if you’ve already invested in building out your help center and want a balance between automation and personality.

Jump to product

For Slack-centric teams:

Pylon product logo

Pylon

Stackfix Rating:

7.2 / 10

Pylon is built for teams that run support directly from Slack or Microsoft Teams. It tracks customer questions, notifies you when it’s time to respond, and syncs replies in real time — all inside the tools your team already uses. Its AI agent can also step in with quick, accurate answers, citing sources to keep things transparent and trustworthy.

In testing, we gave Pylon a 9/10 for Slack integration — it’s one of the best tools we’ve seen for teams that want to handle support without leaving Slack or Teams. It keeps workflows tight and makes it easy to stay on top of customer conversations without juggling platforms.

That said, Pylon is intentionally focused. If your team relies heavily on email, phone, or other channels, this probably isn’t the right fit. Its feature set is designed around Slack and Teams, and it doesn’t try to do much outside that lane.

But for B2B companies working in shared channels, Pylon is a fast, modern way to manage support where your team already works.

Jump to product

For ease of use:

Help Scout product logo

Help Scout

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

Help Scout is a solid choice for teams that want simple, effective customer support software without the bloat. The interface is clean and familiar — it feels like using an email inbox — which makes onboarding fast and easy. It also includes helpful AI features like AI-assisted replies to speed up responses without overcomplicating things.

While it’s not the most advanced AI tool out there, Help Scout strikes a nice balance between usability and functionality. In our testing, most team members were fully up to speed in a short amount of time. It’s well-suited to small and mid-sized businesses that want to improve support without getting bogged down in complex automation setups.

That said, Help Scout isn’t trying to be everything. Its AI capabilities are more lightweight, and it doesn’t offer native phone or SMS support — which could be a drawback if you need a true omnichannel setup.

But if your team values simplicity, clarity, and a tool that just works, Help Scout is a dependable, user-friendly option that delivers where it matters.

Jump to product

For value:

Tidio product logo

Tidio

Stackfix Rating:

6.6 / 10

Tidio stands out by offering a solid AI chatbot, Lyro, even on its free plan — making it a strong option for budget-conscious teams. Lyro responds to customer questions in real time using your help docs and can handle tasks like ticket creation, order tracking, and even product recommendations for Shopify stores.

In testing, Lyro performed especially well for ecommerce use cases. We gave it an 8/10 for its AI chatbot capabilities — it’s fast, helpful, and a great way to automate support without spending big. For growing brands, it’s a smart way to reduce ticket volume and boost conversions at the same time.

That said, Tidio isn’t without trade-offs. Its human support features are pretty limited — you can’t easily see past conversations or full customer context — and the UI can feel a bit cluttered. Reporting is also basic, so it may fall short if you need deeper insights.

Still, for small teams looking to get started with AI support and live chat on a tight budget, Tidio offers great value — especially if you’re in ecommerce.

Jump to product

For proactive customer engagement:

HelpCrunch product logo

HelpCrunch

Stackfix Rating:

5.3 / 10

HelpCrunch blends customer support and engagement tools in one platform, making it a solid choice for businesses that want to go beyond just answering tickets. The live chat widget supports personalized messaging and targeted campaigns, while the built-in email features let you nurture leads and follow up with customers — all from the same place.

What stood out in testing was HelpCrunch’s focus on proactive engagement. You can reach out before customers ask for help, making it easier to build relationships and drive sales. It’s especially useful for businesses that want to mix support with light CRM and marketing workflows.

That said, HelpCrunch isn’t the most advanced support tool. Its AI features are limited, and it doesn’t have the depth of integrations or automation some teams might need. If you rely on a complex support stack, those limitations might be a dealbreaker.

But if you’re after a clean, all-in-one platform for chat, email, and simple customer management — and want to be more proactive with your support — HelpCrunch is a strong option.

Jump to product

PS

Meet your expert: Paddy Stobbs

Stackfix Co-Founder & CEO

I've spent over a decade deep in the world of business software - personally managing more than $2M in purchases across companies I've built and led. From intimate 10-person teams to organizations of 150+, I've developed a particular obsession with Sales and HR tools – testing, implementing, and scaling them at every stage of growth. My journey started at Cambridge University, led me through Google, and most recently culminated in selling my previous venture to TikTok. Now, I'm channeling all of that hands-on experience into helping others navigate the complex landscape of business software.

Gorgias logo

Gorgias

Intercom logo

Intercom

Pylon logo

Pylon

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Tidio logo

Tidio

HelpCrunch logo

HelpCrunch

Our rating
Functionality
7

Functionality

7/10

<p>As a product tailored to e-commerce brands, Gorgias offers a fairly robust range of features. It offer support for all the channels you'd expect including email, live chat, phone, text and socials. Additionally, you'll also find a decent help centre offering and AI agent functionality provided natively too. Though Gorgias does not excel in any one particular area, we did find each feature to be relatively well executed.</p>
9

Functionality

9/10

<p>Intercom provides most of the essential support functionality needed by SMBs, covering a wide range of communication channels (excluding Twitter, Slack, and Discord) and offering industry-leading live chat capabilities. It also includes advanced AI, automation, and reporting features. However, some features that larger teams may find valuable, such as approval workflows, community forum management, and advanced telephony capabilities (e.g., group routing and overflow handling), are not currently supported.</p>
8

Functionality

8/10

<p>Pylon is "modern support platform for B2B companies". It offers a good range of features including support for email, live chat, ticket forms, Slack/ Teams and help centre. It also offers decent automation, AI and reporting functionality.</p><p>However, it lacks support for many channels (e.g. phone, socials) or custom objects.</p>
7

Functionality

7/10

<p>Help Scout is a lightweight tool that offers some support functionality that most SMBs will need. Help Scout allows you to offer support via live chat, email, social channels, and create your own Help Centre. It also has some basic automation, reporting and AI functionality.</p><p>However, it lacks support for phone, SMS and WhatsApp and a no-code chatbot builder to automate chat-related workflow.</p>
6

Functionality

6/10

<p>Tidio covers some essential features for SMBs, including live chat, email, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp support. Its AI chatbot and chat automation are excellent. Yet, the human support tools—like ticketing and routing—are basic, and it doesn’t offer help center creation and phone support.</p>
6

Functionality

6/10

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">HelpCrunch is more of a customer engagement platform than a focused support tool. It places emphasis on features like proactive messaging via its chat widget and sending email outbound blasts to engage customers. When it comes to its core support functionality like live chat and building help centres, HelpCrunch is nothing special. We were sad to see a lack of any kind of AI chatbot and a limited array of integrations though.</span></p>
Ease of Use
5

Ease of Use

5/10

<p>Though individual screens were generally well presented, we did find the sheer breadth of features slightly overwhelming at times. Gorgias' sidebar navigation system is non-standard which initially made it hard to navigate between core features swiftly (like between inboxes and analytics pages).</p>
7

Ease of Use

7/10

<p>Due to its rich functionality and customisability, Intercom has a moderate learning curve but is generally user-friendly. An average SMB employee can become proficient with the platform after 1-2 days and some guidance.</p><p>The interface is intuitive, making daily use straightforward for most team members.&nbsp;</p>
8

Ease of Use

8/10

<p>Pylon has a relatively quick learning curve - an average employee should take 1-2 hours to familiarize themselves with the key workflows, with the bulk of that time spent on getting up to speed with how Slack/ Teams integration works.</p>
8

Ease of Use

8/10

<p>Help Scout is easy to pick up, even for beginners. Its inbox feels just like an email inbox—clean, simple, and intuitive. In fact, it’s one of the most user-friendly interfaces we’ve seen.</p><p>That said, there are some pain points: Unlike most customer support tools, Help Scout doesn’t have a sidebar for quickly navigating to other tickets. Setting up custom views isn’t straightforward. Instead of filtering an existing view, you have to build a new workflow, which feels unnecessarily complicated.</p>
7

Ease of Use

7/10

<p>Tidio’s chat automation is powerful but remains relatively easy to use. Templates and clearly labeled actions simplify setup. That said, the inbox is not omnichannel, which can quickly overwhelm teams handling high ticket volumes as they have to switch between inboxes. The biggest issue? You can’t see the customer’s past conversations, which complicates support.</p>
5

Ease of Use

5/10

<p>Whilst we found HelpCrunch's interface to feel somewhat dated, overall, the product is fairly simple to use. Its inbox experience is familiar and intuitive, similar to the feel of an email inbox. On average, it would take an SMB employee a few hours to master its use.</p>
Look and feel
6

Look and feel

6/10

<p>Overall, we found Gorgias to be relatively well designed and intuitive to use. Most interfaces were modern and fast to load (load times &lt; 2 seconds). However, some interfaces did lack refinement or were hidden away in settings - for example, creating chatbots with the same interface used to generate other rules/workflows in the product presented some challenges - a simple drag and drop interface would have been preferable here.</p>
7

Look and feel

7/10

<p>We find Intercom's interface modern, sleek, with just the right touch of colour. However, page load times can be a bit slow, sometimes taking 2-3 seconds.</p>
6

Look and feel

6/10

<p>We find Pylon's interface to be clean and modern. However, some pages can be slow to load e.g. opening a ticket takes ~2 seconds, and the analytics dashboard can take &gt;5 seconds to load.</p>
9

Look and feel

9/10

<p>Help Scout’s interface is clean, colorful, and easy on the eyes. It’s fast, responsive, and pleasant to use.</p>
9

Look and feel

9/10

<p>Tidio’s interface is modern and sleek, with just the right balance of colors and icons. Page loads are fast, typically under one second.</p>
4

Look and feel

4/10

<p>HelpCrunch's design aesthetic feels dated. It lacks the simpler, more modern look that many of its competitors have today - both on the internal facing web app and external facing widgets/knowledge bases. When tested, we also noticed a slight lag to certain pages in terms of load times, often taking a few seconds.</p>
Customisability
6

Customisability

6/10

<p>At present, Gorgias offers a fairly standard set of customization options for both internal and external interfaces. For its live chat widget and help centre, you can customize the usual elements including logos, colours and titles. For internal facing screens we appreciated the ease of saving custom views or adding custom tags to tickets to suit your specific business needs.</p>
9

Customisability

9/10

<p>Intercom is one of the most customisable Customer Support we've come across. User-facing elements (e.g. live chat, help centre) allow for deep customisation in appearance and layout.</p><p>Intercom also allows you to create custom data objects and track custom events about your customers to create highly personalised proactive messages and workflows.</p>
8

Customisability

8/10

<p>Pylon offers good customization options including custom views, custom fields, and custom reporting (including the view of customer context within Account Management). A unique feature here is that users can create swimlane diagrams for Kanban views. However, it lacks more advanced customization features like creating custom data objects and tracking custom events.&nbsp;</p>
3

Customisability

3/10

<p>Customization is where Help Scout falls short. Without code, you can only make very basic adjustments to the live chat widget and help center. Automation workflows are limited, and creating custom reports from scratch isn’t possible. If you need heavy customization, you’ll likely find Help Scout restrictive.</p>
6

Customisability

6/10

<p>Tidio lets you create highly customized chat automation flows, including custom-coded actions. You can also add custom tags for tickets and create custom inbox views. However, ticket routing automation is limited, and you can’t build custom reports.</p>
7

Customisability

7/10

<p>HelpCrunch offers a number of channels to customize your experience with the product. On the internal facing pieces of the product we especially appreciated the ability to customise how customer cards look in the inbox, as well as the ease to which you can create custom inbox views. However, the options for customizing the look and feel of widgets/knowledge bases were somewhat more limited.</p>
Ease of Setup
7

Ease of Setup

7/10

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gorgias offers a simple self-serve free trial for their platform. We found the initial setup to be simple, taking less than 30 minutes. Setting up your first channels is also a simple process - for example connecting your email can be done with just a couple clicks instead of needing to set up email forwarding manually.&nbsp;However, some features do require some up-front investment to get the most out of such as their AI agents feature as well as any ticket-routing automations you might want.</span></p>
7

Ease of Setup

7/10

<p>Intercom offers a simple, self-service free trial for their platform. Initial setup is relatively simple, taking less than 10 minutes to complete. Connecting your initial channels is fairly simple too with simple scripts for live widget integrations and easy email connection options. However, when it comes to deeper customization, there are a number of rabbit holes within which you could spend days e.g. setting up FinAI or customizing help centre appearances. </p>
5

Ease of Setup

5/10

<p>Frustratingly, Pylon does not offer a self-serve free trial on its website. Instead you'll need to trudge through a sales demo to access the platform. However, calls are generally short and often deals are often closed in just one call if you're looking to purchase right away. Once you're in, initial setup is very slick, taking less than 10 minutes. Additionally, given its Slack centricity, connecting core channels is a one-click process.</p>
6

Ease of Setup

6/10

<p>Help Scout offers a simple self-serve free trial for their platform. We found the initial setup to be slightly longer than necessary, taking around 10 minutes. Setting up your first channels may take some time though - with no easy one-click email connect option, you’ll have to setup email forwarding manually. When it comes to richer customisation options - the platform is fairly limited when compared to peers meaning it won't take long to get the most out of it.</p>
6

Ease of Setup

6/10

<p>Tidio offers a simple self-serve free trial for their platform. We found the initial setup to be quick, taking less than 10 minutes. Setting up your first channels may take some time though - with no easy one-click email connect option, you’ll have to setup email forwarding manually. When it comes to richer customisation options - the platform is fairly standard when compared to competitors with basic automation flows and custom inbox views being straightforward to configure in a day or two.</p>
4

Ease of Setup

4/10

<p>HelpCrunch offers a simple self-serve free trial for their platform. We found the initial setup to be slightly longer than necessary, taking around 10 minutes. Setting up your first channels may take some time though - with no easy one-click email connect option, you’ll have to setup email forwarding manually. When it comes to richer customisation options - the platform is fairly standard when compared to competitors with simple scripts to add live widgets to your website and relatively basic appearance customisation options.&nbsp;</p>
Customer Support
4

Customer Support

4/10

<p>You can contact Gorgias' support agents via a live chat widget in their web app. When tested, you initially have to get through an AI agent which we found to be relatively helpful, however, unable to answer more complex queries. Real agents took an average of an hour to respond and though helpful, often seemed biased to wanting to book demo/sales calls if questions around pricing were asked.</p>
8

Customer Support

8/10

<p>Intercom provides in-app live chat with Fin AI and their support team. We’ve found that while Fin AI delivers helpful responses, and it's possible to connect with a human agent - although this can take up to 6 business hours which can be painfully long in our experience.</p>
9

Customer Support

9/10

<p>Pylon offers support via in-app live chat and Slack/ Teams. We've found the team helpful, and quick to respond. Pylon is also known for being very responsive to product feedback.</p>
8

Customer Support

8/10

<p>You can email Help Scout’s support team directly from the app during U.S. business hours. Their responses are generally quick (within a few hours), and Help Scout's agents always go above and beyond. The AI chatbot however, is weak point, offering unhelpful and generic responses.</p>
6

Customer Support

6/10

<p>Tidio offers in-app live chat powered by Lyro, its AI chatbot. The experience is mixed—sometimes helpful, but other times failing to answer basic questions, even when the answers are in Tidio’s help center. The help center itself is average in both depth and quality.</p>
8

Customer Support

8/10

<p>HelpCentre offers support primarily via a live chat widget inside its web app. When tested, we find it easy to get hold of a live agent - in generally less than 5 minutes. Once contacted, we found them to be knowledgeable and helpful, often able to answer complex queries in a single response.</p>
Integratability
7

Integratability

7/10

<p>For their target customer segment, e-commerce brands, Gorgias offers a very comprehensive integrations store - providing integrations with all the major players like Shopify, BigCommerce etc. Additionally, we appreciated the fact that they also offer a mobile app with which you can handle tickets on the go more easily.</p>
10

Integratability

10/10

<p>Intercom boasts a robust integrations ecosystem that includes popular CRMs like HubSpot and Pipedrive, project management tools such as JIRA, and email marketing platforms like Mailchimp. They also offer an API for custom integrations and are continually expanding their integration offerings, with the flexibility to develop new ones upon request.</p>
7

Integratability

7/10

<p>Pylon currently offers only 10 integrations, though they cover key areas like project management (JIRA, Linear, Asana) and CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive). The recent addition of webhook support improves its integration capabilities. However, it still lacks integrations in categories like data enrichment, surveys, and marketing tools.&nbsp;It does offer an API for custom integrations.</p>
8

Integratability

8/10

<p>Help Scout offers pre-built integrations with over 100 apps, including commonly needed integrations such as CRMs, calling systems, project management tools, and email marketing platforms. It also has an API for custom integrations.</p>
4

Integratability

4/10

<p>Tidio’s integrations are heavily focused on e-commerce, supporting popular platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, as well as marketing and CRM tools. However, it lacks integration with help centers, telephony solutions, or project management tools. While an API is available for custom integrations, the overall options feel limited for non-e-commerce use cases.</p>
2

Integratability

2/10

<p>We were disappointed by HelpCrunch's limited array of integrations. Core integrations such as with CRMs (Salesforce, Hubspot), e-commerce platforms (Shopify) or ticketing platforms (Jira) are all marked as 'coming soon' but remain omitted entirely for the time being.</p>
Ease of Migration
5

Ease of Migration

5/10

<p>Users can export data on tickets and other analytics via a self-serve option directly within Gorgias' dashboards.</p>
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Users can export key data independently through self-serve options, while most other data can be accessed via API or provided upon request. Additionally, Intercom enables seamless data exports to relevant third-party vendors through pre-built integrations.</p>
5

Ease of Migration

5/10

<p>Pylon's data export capabilities appear to be limited. While users can export reports to CSV, it doesn't seem possible to self-export tickets.</p>
3

Ease of Migration

3/10

<p>Help Scout's data export capabilities are somewhat limited. While reporting data for selected reports can be exported directly from within Help Scout, most data can only be exported via API.</p>
8

Ease of Migration

8/10

<p>Tidio allows self-serve export of contacts and reports. Additionally, its API supports other export needs.</p>
6

Ease of Migration

6/10

<p>HelpCrunch offers self-serve export functionality for contact lists and transcripts within its web app. We were also pleased to note that they an offer an API which users can interact with too.</p>

Best for e-commerce businesses

Gorgias product logo
Gorgias

Stackfix Rating:

6.0 / 10

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Starting at

$10

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Updated onApr 10, 2025

Gorgias is a strong choice for ecommerce brands, especially those on Shopify, looking to bring AI into their support workflow. Its deep Shopify integration lets you automate common requests like order tracking, delivery updates, and subscription changes — all handled by Gorgias’ AI agent, without human involvement.

In testing, Gorgias earned a 10/10 for Shopify integration, thanks to how seamlessly it connects support with store data. The automation isn’t just smart — it’s practical, helping reduce ticket volume and speed up resolutions. For growing ecommerce teams, it’s a solid way to scale support without adding headcount.

That said, Gorgias is focused. If you’re not in ecommerce, or need a broader support tool with more flexibility, it might not be the best fit. Its AI features are tailored to ecommerce-specific use cases, and outside that, the platform can feel limited.

But if you’re running a Shopify store and want to combine automation with sales-focused support, Gorgias delivers where it counts.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Gorgias's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Best-in-class Shopify Integration

  • Solid Live Chat Implementation

  • Comprehensive Analytics Suite

  • Strong Integration Capabilities

  • Efficient Setup Process

Cons

  • Poor Customer Support Experience

  • Clunky Rules-Based Chatbot Interface

  • Mediocre Help Centre Functionality

  • Navigation and Usability Issues

  • Limited Data Export Capabilities

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for AI-powered chatbot

Intercom product logo
Intercom

Stackfix Rating:

7.9 / 10

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Starting at

$39

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Updated onApr 10, 2025

Intercom’s AI chatbot, Fin, does a great job of understanding customer questions and delivering helpful, on-brand responses. It pulls from conversation history, help docs, and other sources to give accurate answers — and can even match your tone of voice to keep things feeling human.

In our testing, we gave Intercom an 8/10 for AI chatbot capabilities. It’s fast, reliable, and ideal for automating common support queries without making things feel robotic. If you’re looking to scale support while still delivering a great experience, it’s a strong option.

That said, Fin isn’t perfect. It can struggle with complex or highly technical questions that fall outside your existing support content. And like most things with Intercom, pricing can be steep — which might be a dealbreaker for smaller teams or those with tight budgets.

Overall, Intercom offers one of the most polished AI chatbots we’ve tested — especially if you’ve already invested in building out your help center and want a balance between automation and personality.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Intercom's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Sophisticated analytics and reporting

  • Best-in-class live chat functionality

  • Powerful "Fin" chatbot and automation capabilities

  • Comprehensive integration ecosystem

  • Advanced customization options

Cons

  • Complex pricing that gets expensive

  • Limited AI Context Suggestions

  • No Kanban Board View

  • Limited Content Collaboration

  • No Community Forum Functionality

  • Limited Social Media Channel Support

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for Slack-centric teams

Pylon product logo
Pylon

Stackfix Rating:

7.2 / 10

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Starting at

$70

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Updated onApr 10, 2025

Pylon is built for teams that run support directly from Slack or Microsoft Teams. It tracks customer questions, notifies you when it’s time to respond, and syncs replies in real time — all inside the tools your team already uses. Its AI agent can also step in with quick, accurate answers, citing sources to keep things transparent and trustworthy.

In testing, we gave Pylon a 9/10 for Slack integration — it’s one of the best tools we’ve seen for teams that want to handle support without leaving Slack or Teams. It keeps workflows tight and makes it easy to stay on top of customer conversations without juggling platforms.

That said, Pylon is intentionally focused. If your team relies heavily on email, phone, or other channels, this probably isn’t the right fit. Its feature set is designed around Slack and Teams, and it doesn’t try to do much outside that lane.

But for B2B companies working in shared channels, Pylon is a fast, modern way to manage support where your team already works.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Pylon's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Best-in-class Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations

  • Rapid product iteration

  • Excellent shared inbox

  • Highly customizable Help Centre

  • Outstanding customer support

Cons

  • Limited chat automation functionality

  • Performance Issues

  • Missing features some teams may expect

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for ease of use

Help Scout product logo
Help Scout

Stackfix Rating:

6.9 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 10, 2025

Help Scout is a solid choice for teams that want simple, effective customer support software without the bloat. The interface is clean and familiar — it feels like using an email inbox — which makes onboarding fast and easy. It also includes helpful AI features like AI-assisted replies to speed up responses without overcomplicating things.

While it’s not the most advanced AI tool out there, Help Scout strikes a nice balance between usability and functionality. In our testing, most team members were fully up to speed in a short amount of time. It’s well-suited to small and mid-sized businesses that want to improve support without getting bogged down in complex automation setups.

That said, Help Scout isn’t trying to be everything. Its AI capabilities are more lightweight, and it doesn’t offer native phone or SMS support — which could be a drawback if you need a true omnichannel setup.

But if your team values simplicity, clarity, and a tool that just works, Help Scout is a dependable, user-friendly option that delivers where it matters.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Help Scout's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Exceptionally User-Friendly Interface

  • Strong Customer Support

  • Comprehensive Integration Capabilities

  • Powerful Analytics Drill-Down

Cons

  • Restricted Help Centre Customization

  • AI chatbot feels unreliable

  • Limited customization without code

  • Restricted Data Export Capabilities

  • Basic Live Chat Configuration

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for value

Tidio product logo
Tidio

Stackfix Rating:

6.6 / 10

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Starting at

$0

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Updated onApr 10, 2025

Tidio stands out by offering a solid AI chatbot, Lyro, even on its free plan — making it a strong option for budget-conscious teams. Lyro responds to customer questions in real time using your help docs and can handle tasks like ticket creation, order tracking, and even product recommendations for Shopify stores.

In testing, Lyro performed especially well for ecommerce use cases. We gave it an 8/10 for its AI chatbot capabilities — it’s fast, helpful, and a great way to automate support without spending big. For growing brands, it’s a smart way to reduce ticket volume and boost conversions at the same time.

That said, Tidio isn’t without trade-offs. Its human support features are pretty limited — you can’t easily see past conversations or full customer context — and the UI can feel a bit cluttered. Reporting is also basic, so it may fall short if you need deeper insights.

Still, for small teams looking to get started with AI support and live chat on a tight budget, Tidio offers great value — especially if you’re in ecommerce.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of Tidio's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Exceptional chatbot automation capabilities

  • Seamless Shopify integration

  • Modern, sleek interface design

  • Effective proactive engagement tools

Cons

  • Severely Limited Shared Inbox Functionality

  • Basic Analytics and Reporting

  • Limited Ticket Routing Capabilities

  • Poor Integration Ecosystem

  • No Help Center Creation Capability

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

Best for proactive customer engagement

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HelpCrunch

Stackfix Rating:

5.3 / 10

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Starting at

$15

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Updated onApr 10, 2025

HelpCrunch blends customer support and engagement tools in one platform, making it a solid choice for businesses that want to go beyond just answering tickets. The live chat widget supports personalized messaging and targeted campaigns, while the built-in email features let you nurture leads and follow up with customers — all from the same place.

What stood out in testing was HelpCrunch’s focus on proactive engagement. You can reach out before customers ask for help, making it easier to build relationships and drive sales. It’s especially useful for businesses that want to mix support with light CRM and marketing workflows.

That said, HelpCrunch isn’t the most advanced support tool. Its AI features are limited, and it doesn’t have the depth of integrations or automation some teams might need. If you rely on a complex support stack, those limitations might be a dealbreaker.

But if you’re after a clean, all-in-one platform for chat, email, and simple customer management — and want to be more proactive with your support — HelpCrunch is a strong option.

Want to know more? Get a full breakdown of HelpCrunch's features and pricing.

Pros

  • Solid Live Chat Functionality

  • Good Customization Options

  • Excellent Customer Support

  • Proactive Customer Engagement

Cons

  • Dated User Interface

  • Challenging User Experience

  • Subpar Analytics Functionality

  • Poor Integration Ecosystem

  • Cumbersome Setup Process

  • Limited Help Centre Functionality

Compare all Customer Support toolsRead the full review

How we test products

With countless Customer Support platforms available, we focus on identifying the best options for small and midsize businesses. Our evaluation process is built around real-world usage, prioritizing functionality, ease of use, and overall value. Here’s how we do it:

Functionality

Great customer support software should help businesses resolve issues quickly and efficiently. We start by identifying key use cases—ticket management, live chat, automation, and reporting—then test how well each platform delivers on these needs. Tools that offer essential features without unnecessary complexity score highest.

User Experience & Onboarding

Support teams need fast, intuitive tools. We test each platform’s interface by navigating core features without prior training and track onboarding time—from account setup to resolving a first ticket. Software that requires extensive setup or technical expertise loses points.

Automation & AI Capabilities

Automation can streamline customer support and reduce response times. We evaluate each platform’s automation features, such as chatbots, canned responses, workflow automation, and AI-driven ticket triaging. We prioritize tools that improve efficiency without adding unnecessary complexity.

Integrations & Compatibility

Customer Support software must work seamlessly with CRMs, knowledge bases, and communication tools. We test how well each platform integrates with essential business systems and assess whether native integrations or third-party connectors are required.

Pricing & Value

We compare pricing across competitors, analyzing what each plan includes and whether critical features are locked behind paywalls. Hidden costs—such as per-agent fees, add-ons for automation, or premium support tiers—are factored into our assessment. Platforms that offer strong core functionality at a fair price score highest.

Stackfix’s Fit Score

All of these factors contribute to Stackfix’s Fit Score, a proprietary ranking system that measures how well each Customer Support tool aligns with a buyer’s needs. It combines two key elements:

  • Requirements Met – How many buyer requirements the software fulfills
  • Stackfix Rating – Our expert assessment of the software’s overall quality, usability, and value

The result? A clear, data-driven recommendation that helps businesses choose the right Customer Support software—without hours of trial and error.

FAQs

What is Customer Support Software?

Customer support software helps teams manage tickets, live chat, and self-service. Consider ease of use, integrations, scalability, and pricing. Avoid overcomplex tools, ignoring automation, and poor planning. The key features of customer support software usually include:

  • Ticketing System: A structured way to track customer inquiries from start to resolution, ensuring that no requests slip through the cracks.
  • Live Chat & Chatbots: Tools that enable real-time communication with customers, including AI-powered bots that can handle common questions automatically.
  • Self-Service Knowledge Base: A library of FAQs, guides, and troubleshooting articles that empower customers to find answers without contacting support.
  • Automation & Workflows: Features like automated ticket assignment, canned responses, and escalations to reduce manual work and speed up resolution times.
  • Reporting & Analytics: Insights into response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores to help teams continuously improve their service.

What should I consider when buying Customer Support Software?

Start by assessing your current and future support requirements. Are you handling a high volume of tickets daily? Do you need omnichannel support (email, chat, social media)? Are you focused on automation or personalized service? Here are the key factors to consider before making your decision.

  1. Your Support Needs. Start by assessing your current and future support requirements. Are you handling a high volume of tickets daily? Do you need omnichannel support (email, chat, social media)? Are you focused on automation or personalized service? Identifying your priorities will help you choose the right tool.
  2. Ease of Use. Support software should make your team’s job easier, not harder. Look for an intuitive interface that agents can pick up quickly without extensive training. Overly complex platforms can slow down response times and frustrate both customers and agents. That’s why Stackfix rates every support platform on ease of use—click into each product above to see how they compare.
  3. Integration with Your Tech Stack. Your support platform needs to work seamlessly with your CRM, email, chat, and other essential business tools. If you’re using Slack for internal communication or Shopify for e-commerce, check if the software offers native integrations or if third-party connectors are needed.
  4. Scalability & Flexibility. As your business grows, your support needs will evolve. Ensure that the software can handle increased ticket volume, support multiple teams, and offer advanced automation features when you’re ready for them. Look at the vendor’s product roadmap to see if they regularly release useful updates.
  5. Pricing & Hidden Costs. Support platforms often charge per agent, but costs can add up with extra fees for automation, integrations, or advanced analytics. Check pricing tiers carefully—what looks affordable now could become expensive as you scale.
  6. Customer Support from the Vendor. Ironically, not all customer support tools come with great support. If something breaks or you need help with setup, will the vendor be there? Look at response times, support availability (24/7 or business hours?), and self-serve resources like help centers or forums. Stackfix rates each platform on support quality—click into each product to see how they compare.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when buying Customer Support software?

Some platforms are packed with advanced features but are overly complicated for smaller teams. Make sure you’re picking a tool that fits your workflow, not just one with an impressive feature list. Here are some of the biggest mistakes startups make—and how to avoid them.

  1. Choosing based on features, not usability. Some platforms are packed with advanced features but are overly complicated for smaller teams. Make sure you’re picking a tool that fits your workflow, not just one with an impressive feature list.
  2. Ignoring automation & AI. Many startups manually handle support requests when automation could significantly reduce workload. Look for tools that allow automated responses, ticket routing, and AI-driven suggestions.
  3. Forgetting about self-service. A knowledge base can dramatically reduce support volume by enabling customers to find answers on their own. Make sure the platform includes an easy-to-use self-service portal.
  4. Not planning for scaling. Startups often pick software based on current needs, without considering future growth. Will the platform support more agents, additional features, or multi-channel support when you need it?
  5. Overlooking integration depth. A platform might “integrate” with your CRM, but does it sync customer data properly? Always test integrations before committing to a tool.

How much does Customer Support Software typically cost?

Most solutions range from $20-150 per agent monthly, with entry-level options starting around $15-25 and premium solutions exceeding $150 monthly. Most vendors provide structure pricing in tiers based on features and scale, so be sure to enter your requirements as accurately as possible in our pricing calculator. 

Many providers offer free plans with core functionality for very small teams but restrict users, contacts, or available channels.

For enterprise plans and above, you can expect to speak to sales for a bespoke price. To skip the demo calls, be sure to check out our pricing calculator.

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