SupportPal
Self-hosted helpdesk at one price per installation, with no per-agent fee
Quick Overview
| Company | SupportPal Limited |
|---|---|
| Category | Customer Support |
| Headquarters | Isleworth, United Kingdom |
| EU Presence | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Data Location | Self-hosted only: runs on your own server; the pricing page lists no vendor-hosted plan |
| Open Source | No |
| Pricing | $29.95/month or $299.95/year per helpdesk; unlimited operators and tickets; extra brands $9.95/month |
| Free Option | 30-day self-hosted trial |
| Replaces | Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout |
Detailed Review
SupportPal is a self-hosted helpdesk from SupportPal Limited in Isleworth, United Kingdom, sold at a flat price per helpdesk rather than per agent. A SupportPal licence costs $29.95 a month or $299.95 a year per helpdesk, with unlimited operators and tickets, and each extra brand adds $9.95 a month. SupportPal therefore costs a team of twenty agents exactly what it costs a team of two.
SupportPal runs only on your own server, and its pricing page lists no vendor-hosted plan. That makes the data question short: the ticket archive sits wherever you install SupportPal, and SupportPal Limited does not host it.
Self-hosting SupportPal also makes the operational question yours, because installing, updating, securing and backing up the helpdesk falls to your own team or your hosting provider. SupportPal offers a 30-day self-hosted trial, which is long enough to find out whether that work suits you before paying.
Two facts set SupportPal apart from the open-source helpdesks in this category. SupportPal is proprietary: its own EULA forbids modifying and redistributing the software, so running SupportPal on your server does not give you the right to change or fork the code.
SupportPal Limited is a UK company, which places the vendor under a jurisdiction covered by an EU adequacy decision but outside the EEA. Because SupportPal does not host customer data, that jurisdiction bears mainly on the licence and support relationship rather than on the ticket archive.
What SupportPal does well
- Flat price per helpdesk: $29.95 a month or $299.95 a year
- Unlimited operators and tickets, so adding an agent costs nothing
- Runs on your own server, so SupportPal Limited does not host the ticket data
- Multi-brand helpdesk, at $9.95 a month per extra brand
- 30-day self-hosted trial before paying
Where SupportPal falls short
- Self-hosted only; the pricing page lists no vendor-hosted plan
- Proprietary licence: the EULA forbids modifying and redistributing the code
- UK company, covered by an adequacy decision but outside the EEA
- Installing, updating and backing up the server is work for your own team
Standout feature. SupportPal prices per helpdesk rather than per agent, so the twentieth operator costs exactly what the second did: nothing extra.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Flat price per helpdesk: $29.95 a month or $299.95 a year
- Unlimited operators and tickets, so adding an agent costs nothing
- Runs on your own server, so SupportPal Limited does not host the ticket data
- Multi-brand helpdesk, at $9.95 a month per extra brand
- 30-day self-hosted trial before paying
Cons
- Self-hosted only; the pricing page lists no vendor-hosted plan
- Proprietary licence: the EULA forbids modifying and redistributing the code
- UK company, covered by an adequacy decision but outside the EEA
- Installing, updating and backing up the server is work for your own team
Alternatives to SupportPal
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SupportPal?
SupportPal is a self-hosted helpdesk from SupportPal Limited in Isleworth, United Kingdom, sold at a flat price per helpdesk rather than per agent. A SupportPal licence costs $29.95 a month or $299.95 a year per helpdesk, with unlimited operators and tickets, and each extra brand adds $9.95 a month. SupportPal therefore costs a team of twenty agents exactly what it costs a team of two.
Where is SupportPal based?
SupportPal operates from Isleworth, United Kingdom, which places it under United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA).
What does SupportPal cost?
$29.95/month or $299.95/year per helpdesk; unlimited operators and tickets; extra brands $9.95/month. 30-day self-hosted trial.
Who is SupportPal best for?
Teams with their own server that want a flat helpdesk price with no charge per agent. SupportPal prices per helpdesk rather than per agent, so the twentieth operator costs exactly what the second did: nothing extra.
What are the drawbacks of SupportPal?
Self-hosted only; the pricing page lists no vendor-hosted plan. Proprietary licence: the EULA forbids modifying and redistributing the code. UK company, covered by an adequacy decision but outside the EEA. Installing, updating and backing up the server is work for your own team.