Helmdesk vs Plain
Developer-first support, complete out of the box
Plain and Helmdesk are both built for developers. But Helmdesk includes an email gateway and knowledge base out of the box, supports multi-project architectures, and charges no per-seat fees.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Helmdesk | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat per-plan pricing | Per seat/month |
| Entry price | Free (then $29/mo) | $35/seat/mo (Grow) |
| AI cost | Included in all paid plans | Included (varies by plan) |
| Multi-project support | ||
| Email gateway | ||
| Knowledge base | ||
| SDK / API | TypeScript SDK + REST API | GraphQL API |
| Real-time updates |
Real-world cost comparison
Solo developer with 3 apps
1 person managing support for 3 separate products
Plain$35/mo
1 seat on Grow plan — single workspace, no email gateway or KB
Helmdesk$29/mo
Pro plan: 5 projects, email gateway, knowledge base, AI included
More features for less with Helmdesk
Team of 5 with 5 apps
5 support agents across 5 products
Plain$445/mo
5 seats x $89/seat (Scale plan for larger teams)
Helmdesk$79/mo
Team plan: 15 projects, 10 members, AI included
Save ~$366/mo with Helmdesk
Choose Helmdesk if…
- You need email gateway and knowledge base alongside your helpdesk
- You manage multiple apps and want them all under one subscription
- You prefer flat-rate pricing over per-seat costs
- You want a TypeScript SDK with REST API (vs. GraphQL-only)
- You want a complete operations layer, not just a support tool
Choose Plain if…
- You prefer GraphQL APIs and want deep query flexibility
- You need highly customizable support workflows with Linear-like UX
- You only support a single product and per-seat pricing works for you
- You want a focused support tool without email gateway or KB scope
Ready to simplify your support stack?
Start free with Helmdesk. No credit card required. Manage all your apps from a single dashboard with AI included.