Live chat for SaaS startups, without the per-seat bill
HelpCrunch prices every team member on its Basic and Pro plans, so the bill grows each time someone joins the support rotation. GhostChat Team includes up to 10 seats at one flat price, and you can answer chats straight from Gmail.
GhostChat vs HelpCrunch
| Feature | GhostChat | HelpCrunch |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Team: up to 10 seats, one flat price | Per team member on Basic and Pro; Unlimited is flat |
| Price per team member | No per-seat charge on Team | Basic $15 · Pro $25 per month ($12 · $20 billed annually) |
| A 3-person team | Flat on the Team plan, see pricing | $45–$75/mo ($36–$60 billed annually) |
| Free plan | Yes, free forever for one site | No: 14-day free trial, no card |
| Branding removal | Team plan | Pro plan and up |
| Reply from your email inbox | Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, synced to the dashboard | In the HelpCrunch inbox and mobile apps |
| Messenger channels (Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp) | Website chat only | ✓ (WhatsApp from Pro) |
| Email campaigns and popups | — | ✓ |
| Customer-facing knowledge base | — | ✓ every plan (one language on Basic) |
| Agent mobile apps | Installable web app; native Android app | Native iOS and Android apps |
| In-app chat SDKs for your own app | — | iOS, Android, React Native |
| AI agent | AI assistant on the AI plan | Pro and up: 50 AI conversations/mo included, more from $29 per 100 |
HelpCrunch pricing and features from helpcrunch.com/pricing.html and its FAQ, read 13 October 2026.
Why SaaS founders switch
At a startup, support is everyone's job. The founders answer chats, the first support hire does, and engineers take a turn on rotation. On a per-member plan each of those people is a seat, so the bill climbs every time you hire, and it climbs again when you bring someone onto the rotation for a busy launch week.
GhostChat Team includes up to 10 seats at one flat price, so adding the next person to the inbox doesn't change what you pay. Replies work from the inbox you already live in: answer from Gmail and the visitor sees it in the chat window, with no second tool to keep open. And the widget is a single script tag that won't slow your site; see the chat widget benchmark for how we measure it.
When HelpCrunch is the better pick
HelpCrunch is a broader platform, and for some teams that breadth is the point. Pick it if you want email campaigns, popups and a customer-facing knowledge base in the same tool as chat, messenger channels such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram in one inbox, or in-app chat through native iOS, Android and React Native SDKs, plus a native iOS agent app. It also offers free migration. GhostChat is website live chat only, with no messenger channels or email campaigns. If one platform for support and outbound email is what you need, HelpCrunch does more than we do.
Frequently asked questions
How much does HelpCrunch cost for a small team?
As of October 2026, HelpCrunch charges per team member: Basic is $15 per member a month ($12 billed annually) and Pro is $25 per member a month ($20 billed annually), so a three-person team pays $45–$75 a month, or $36–$60 billed annually. Unlimited is a flat $620 a month ($495 billed annually) for any number of members. GhostChat Team includes up to 10 seats at one flat price; see ghostchat.dev/pricing.
Does HelpCrunch have a free plan?
No. HelpCrunch offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and after that every plan is paid. GhostChat has a free-forever plan for one website, so you can run live chat on your site before you pay anything.
Can I reply to website chats from Gmail?
Yes, with GhostChat. When a visitor writes, you get an email; hit Reply in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail or another major client and your answer appears in the visitor's chat window. Every reply syncs to the GhostChat dashboard, so the full conversation stays in one place.
What does HelpCrunch do that GhostChat doesn't?
Quite a lot, honestly. HelpCrunch combines live chat with email campaigns, popups and a customer-facing knowledge base on every plan, connects messenger channels (Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Viber, and WhatsApp from Pro), has a native iOS agent app (GhostChat has a native Android app and an installable web app), and ships in-app chat SDKs for iOS, Android and React Native. GhostChat is website live chat only, with no messenger channels or email campaigns. If you want one platform for support and outbound email, HelpCrunch is the better fit.
Will switching slow my site down?
No. GhostChat is one script tag and a lightweight widget that won't slow your pages; our chat widget benchmark (ghostchat.dev/blog/chat-widget-lighthouse-benchmark) shows how we measure it against other widgets.
Now with a built-in AI chatbot. GhostChat can auto-answer your visitors’ questions 24/7 from your FAQ knowledge base — and hand off to you when it doesn't know. See the AI chatbot →
Add live chat in 30 seconds.
One script tag. No configuration. No credit card required.
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