Help Scout → Crisp

Plan mapping at the entry paid tier

The lowest non-free, non-custom tier on each side. Use this for the "if I'm on $X with Help Scout, what's the equivalent on Crisp?" gut check.

Step-by-step migration

1. 01

   Export your list from Help Scout

   Pull a fresh CSV of every active subscriber. Capture the fields you actually use downstream: email is required, name is standard, signup date and tier (free/paid) are useful when Help Scout provides them.

2. 02

   Provision Crisp

   Sign up, set sender identity, and verify your sending domain (DKIM, SPF, DMARC). Do this before importing the list; sending from an unverified domain is the single fastest way to land in spam at the moment of cutover.

3. 03

   Import the list and map fields

   Upload the CSV. Map email + name + any custom fields. Decide whether to import as one list or split into segments/tags. Help Scout-style organization rarely maps 1:1, so plan the split before the upload, not after.

4. 04

   Rebuild automations and templates

   Crisp's automation builder is structurally similar but won't import Help Scout's flows directly. Rebuild only what you actively use; the move is a chance to delete the unused ones rather than lift-and-shift dead infrastructure.

5. 05

   Send a test broadcast

   Pick a small segment and send a real broadcast (not just a preview). Verify deliverability, link clicks, and unsubscribe flow. If anything's off, you find it before the announcement, not after.

6. 06

   Announce the move and cut over

   Send your last broadcast from Help Scout announcing the new sender domain and what to expect. Cut over DNS and sending from Crisp on the same day, not staggered. A dual-send week creates more confusion than it prevents.

Help Scout-to-Crisp specific gotchas

Universal steps cover most of the work. These are the failure modes unique to this exact pair.

• #1

  Channel-emphasis swap: Help Scout is conversation-and-email-centric; Crisp is chat-widget-and-omnichannel-centric. The migration is also a channel-prioritization swap. If your existing flow is email-heavy, plan to either keep email primary on Crisp (it works, but the UX rewards chat) or use the migration as the trigger to move customers toward chat.

• #2

  Conversation history export: Help Scout's API exports conversation threads with metadata (assignee, status, tags, timestamps). Crisp's import handles basic conversation data but rich Help Scout features (saved-reply usage history, workflow execution context, custom fields) don't carry over. Plan for a clean break and a 30-90 day overlap window where both inboxes are live for historical lookups.

• #3

  Knowledge-base re-author: Help Scout Docs has a clean structure (collections, categories, articles) that doesn't 1:1 map to Crisp's knowledge-base shape. Either re-author articles in Crisp's editor (real work for any KB above 50 articles) or use the Help Scout API to scrape and Crisp API to import via a one-off script. Either way, plan a 1-2 week KB project.

• #4

  Saved-replies vs Shortcuts: Help Scout's Saved Replies are tag-grouped and integrated with the Inbox keyboard shortcuts. Crisp uses Shortcuts (different name, different keyboard surface). Audit your existing saved replies, identify the 80%-used 20%, and re-create those in Crisp Shortcuts; don't try to port everything.

• #5

  SLA policies: if you've built support-tier SLAs on Help Scout (response-time guarantees per customer segment), Crisp has no equivalent SLA primitive. You'd rebuild this as workflow automation rules: routing + alert thresholds + escalation paths. Functionally similar, structurally different. Document the existing SLA logic before flipping.

• #6

  AI assistant economics: Help Scout's AI Drafts are bundled on Plus and unlimited on Pro; AI Answers is a separate $0.75-per-resolution add-on. Crisp's AI chatbot includes AI credits in each plan ($5 in Mini, $25 in Essentials, $75 in Plus) that meter automated conversations. At low automation volume the bundled credits cover the cost; at high volume the credits run out and you'd buy more. Forecast your monthly automated-conversation volume before migrating to make sure Crisp's bundled credits cover it.

Common questions

Is Crisp cheaper than Help Scout?

Both start at the same headline price (Free). The reason to migrate is the pricing model and feature scope, not the entry-tier number.

Will my data transfer cleanly?

Most help desk data transfers, but rarely 1:1. The "Pair-specific gotchas" section above is hand-curated for this exact migration: it covers what exports from Help Scout, how it imports into Crisp, and which structural pieces (workflows, integrations, custom domains) require rebuild rather than direct port. The constraint usually isn't the data export; it's the rebuild work for anything Crisp models differently.

How long does the migration take?

A clean migration for this pair is typically 1-2 weeks of focused work: data export, integration reconnection (CRMs, webhooks, payment processors), feature rebuild for whatever doesn't port directly, test run, cutover. The constraint is rarely the export itself; it's the integration reconnection and the rebuild work for any feature that Crisp models differently from Help Scout.

Are Help Scout and Crisp in the same category?

No. Help Scout is primarily a help desk tool; Crisp is primarily a live chat tool. The migration involves changing both your tooling AND part of your workflow shape; the "Why migrate" and "Bad fit" sections above are honest about whether that's the right move for your team.

Where can I see Help Scout vs Crisp side-by-side?

The /compare/crisp-vs-help-scout page on TierGauge shows side-by-side plans, headline pricing, included features, and limit comparison at the entry paid tier. This migration guide is the long-form decision narrative; the compare page is the data-only dashboard.