FreeScout vs Live Helper Chat
A shared mailbox that feels like a help desk. Website live chat with agent apps, bots, and a REST API. Compare the capabilities you need, then check hosting, licensing and maintenance. This pair is shown for browsing but is not indexed (not among the leading projects of a shared category).
| Attribute | FreeScout | Live Helper Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | A shared mailbox that feels like a help desk. | Website live chat with agent apps, bots, and a REST API. |
| Documented capabilities | Shared mailbox, Ticket assignment, Collision detection | Website chat widget, Web and mobile agent apps, Bot builder with third-party AI, REST API and webhooks, Voice, video, and screen share integrations |
| Best-fit workflow | Teams whose support work is mostly email. | Teams that need website live chat and agent apps on their own PHP server. |
| Check before choosing | Live chat and a modern messenger widget are not the core product. Some modules are paid. | Chat-first. Email ticketing, campaigns, and product tours are not the core product, and some voice and video options rely on paid third-party services. |
| Deployment options | PHP, Docker | PHP, Docker |
| GitHub stars | 4,592 | 2,251 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Docker noted | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud / hosted | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Primary language | PHP | PHP |
| Last commit | 2026-10-09 | 2026-10-09 |
| Difficulty | Easy | Moderate |
| Content source | Editorial catalog entry | Editorial catalog entry |
| Metadata checked | 2026-10-10 | Check the current repository |
| Forks | 729 | 742 |
| Star growth | +16 (2026-10-01 to 2026-10-10) | Not recorded |
| Alternative to | Intercom, Zendesk | Intercom |
This comparison uses recorded capabilities, not hands-on performance tests. A capability missing from one record does not mean that product lacks it. Confirm edition, version and current pricing in the official documentation.
When to consider FreeScout
Teams whose support work is mostly email.
Live chat and a modern messenger widget are not the core product. Some modules are paid.
FreeScout documentation and sourceWhen to consider Live Helper Chat
Teams that need website live chat and agent apps on their own PHP server.
Chat-first. Email ticketing, campaigns, and product tours are not the core product, and some voice and video options rely on paid third-party services.
Live Helper Chat documentation and sourceFreeScout vs Live Helper Chat questions
- What is FreeScout?
- A shared mailbox that feels like a help desk.
- What is Live Helper Chat?
- Website live chat with agent apps, bots, and a REST API.
- Can you self-host FreeScout and Live Helper Chat?
- Both can be self-hosted.
- What licenses do FreeScout and Live Helper Chat use?
- FreeScout uses the AGPL-3.0 license. Live Helper Chat uses the Apache-2.0 license.
- Which has more GitHub stars, FreeScout or Live Helper Chat?
- FreeScout has 4.6k stars and Live Helper Chat has 2.3k. Stars show attention; check recent commits and releases for maintenance.
- What languages are FreeScout and Live Helper Chat written in?
- Both are mainly written in PHP.