Smartsupp review

Barclay Ballard
·8-min read
Smartsupp help desk solution.
Credit: Smartsupp

In today’s competitive technology landscape, there are a whole host of platforms claiming to be the best help desk software around. And now, you can add Smartsupp to the list. Although that would be a difficult claim to justify, this is one of the few solutions that can claim to offer a free-forever plan for an unlimited number of users with few restrictions.

There are certainly some other reasons to score Smartsupp highly. It is intuitive and offers a large number of integrations - especially with ecommerce platforms - but here you can also see why this perhaps isn’t the most advanced help desk software on the market. Users may find that integrations don’t allow for the use of the full gamut of Smartsupp’s functionality at time. You also won’t find any native mobile apps here.

Overall, then, Smartsupp isn’t a bad help desk solution by any means. It boats some impressive core functionality and an intuitive interface (even if it isn’t the prettiest). But if you drill down a little deeper, you might find that the platform is lacking in a few areas. Still, it’s difficult to be too critical when Smartsupp offers many of its features free of charge with no time restrictions.

Smartsupp Review: Plans and pricing

As mentioned above, Smartsupp provides a generous free-forever plan, with many of its features made available without cost for an unlimited number of users. This makes it a great choice for larger teams on a budget. In fact, the only real competitor with similar pricing is Tawk.to.

With Smartsupp’s free plan, users gain access to live chat, email, and Facebook Messenger communication channels. You’ll also be able to conduct 50 conversations a month, have access to a 14-day conversion history, and can engage visitors with one automatic message.

If you want access to more advanced functionality, you’ll need to sign up for the Standard plan, which will set you back $19.50 a month. This plan comes with an unlimited number of conversions, the option of looking back over a year’s worth of conversion history and up to 50 chatbot conversations a month. There are also some lead generation features that you don’t get with the free plan.

Supposedly, the most popular plan that Smartsupp offers customers is its Pro plan, which comes with everything that you get on the Standard plan, plus five automatic messages for visitor engagement, team stats and routing, and takes the number of chatbot conversations you get a month up to 100. There are also various add-ons you can access (for a price) at this subscription level.

Finally, Smartsupp offers an Ultimate tailor-made solution, but businesses have to get in touch with sales directly to receive a bespoke quote. As you’d expect, the Ultimate plan takes things up a notch, coming with all the platform’s advanced features, as well as AI chatbots powered by chatGPT, WhatsApp integration, and a dedicated account manager

Although your company may require the paid plans that Smartsupp offers, particularly if you need access to more segmentation or analytics features, but most organizations are likely to focus on the free plan. This is generous in terms of what’s on offer, but it’s nice that organizations can choose to upgrade if they need to. Here, they’ll also gain access to a 14-day free trial, so they can explore whether it’s worth paying for the greater functionality before they commit themselves for the long term.

Smartsupp chat box
Smartsupp chat box

Features

Let’s start with Smartsupp’s core features. These are included with all subscription levels and include live chat functionality for websites and online stores. More than simply providing an opportunity for customer queries, this will hopefully boost conversions, which is why many ecommerce platforms are exploring help desk and live chat solutions.

Other core features include a web dashboard, a contact hub, and file transfer features, as well as iPhone, Android, and web app functionality. As you move up the pricing plans, you’ll gain access to a greater number of chat box customizations, with contact forms, position and language support all coming with greater flexibility with the paid plans.

The auto-messaging that comes with the paid versions of Smartsupp is a handy feature for businesses that want to engage with visitors. For instance, if you notice that a potential customer is spending a large amount of time on a particular webpage but not converting, you can set up an automotive message asking him or her if they have any questions. This could be the extra motivation that gets that sale over the line.

You also have more analytics functionality with the paid-for plans. For example, you can analyze the data that you’ve gathered from your customer coversations, which can help improve the productivity of your agents.

Perhaps the feature that stands out the most, however, is Smartsupp’s video recording. Unique among live chat solutions in offering this functionality, this feature is a good way for brands to get to know their website visitors better but perhaps there is a reason why no other tool offers this. Sure, you can view a customer’s buying process and identify potential bottlenecks but is it really any better than having the data that tells you the same thing? It’s a nice feature to have, but seems far from essential.

Smartsupp Integrations
Smartsupp Integrations

Integrations

In terms of the sheer number of integrations that Smartsupp offers, there’s plenty to admire here. You can find connections with 58 other tools in total, including many of those that will already be well-known to businesses. This includes ecommerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, as well as platforms that are better known as CMS providers, such as WordPress and LightCMS. Other integrations offered by Smartsupp include Wix, Weebly, and other website builder services.

Having said that, if you take a close look at the integrations on offer, you could end up slightly disappointed. For example, the video recording functionality that Smartsupp makes such as big deal of isn’t supported for some integrations. That’s why it’s a good idea to explore whether the platform integrates fully with another platform if you are thinking of signing up for a premium plan.

Interface and ease of use

Ease of use is an area where Smartsupp really shines. While the platform is not the best looking on the agent side, this will always be secondary to the actual functionality. Here, the platform performs well and your agent should have no problem getting to grips with all the functionality and settings here.

The installation process is extremely straightforward - even for users who might not be the most tech-savvy. It’s simply a case of copying the relevant code into the body of your website and your Smartsupp help desk offering will be displayed to visitors. Detailed instructions make this easier still, should you encounter difficulties.

It’s also easy to customize the colors and content of your chat window, although you might encounter some restrictions here if you are using the free plan. This is extremely useful if your site employs a particular style or you simply want your chat box to align with the rest of your branding. Overall, this is a hello desk tool that may not look great, but is as intuitive as any other we’ve reviewed.

Support

Customer support varies depending on which payment plan, individuals are signed up to. For instance, there’s no specific support channel provided with the free plan, while anyone on the Standard plan have access to support via email, and the Pro plan comes with priority support. Of course, free users still have access to tutorials via the online help site, as well as the Smartsupp Educational Resource Center, complete with a host of online resources to support users.

While it’s slightly disappointing that free users are left to solve their own problems, Smartsupp has to make money somehow. We’ve found the email support that comes with the Standard offering to be pretty responsive, so if you feel like you might need additional help, you’ll have to stump up some cash.

Security

In terms of security, Smartsupp is compliance with GDPR and issues a Personal Data Processing Agreement with all its customers. Of course, the platform’s video recording feature does add a privacy issue that don’t get with other help desk platforms.

Smartsupp is extremely clear that recording user behavior online is legal and provides guidance on whether businesses should inform visitors that this is taking place. The platform also uses SSL / TLS encryption for additional security.

The competition

As mentioned above, the main competitor to Smartsupp would have to be Tawk.to, especially if you look at tools that provide a similar free-forever plan. However, there are a huge number of help desk solutions on the market, such as the likes of Tidio, Freshdesk, and LiveAgent.

Although Smartsupp can obviously beat many of its rivals on price, others can lay claim to boasting more advanced functionality or tighter integrations. It all depends on what your priorities are

Smartsupp review: Final verdict

Is price the most important thing for you when choosing your help desk software? If so, you could do a lot worse than Smartsupp. Having said that, there are some disappointing elements of the platform, including its design and integrations. It might be worth researching these further if you are considering signing up for one of the paid plans.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Apple says changing iPhone batteries will become easier, as it explains how it tries to make devices last

    Company explains its ‘principles for designing for longevity’ as it announces new changes

  • Huawei's Harmony aims to end China's reliance on Windows, Android

    Packed into a small room, a drone, bipedal robot, supermarket checkout and other devices showcase a vision of China's software future - one where an operating system developed by national champion Huawei has replaced Windows and Android. The collection is at the Harmony Ecosystem Innovation Centre in the southern city of Shenzhen, a local government-owned entity that encourages authorities, companies and hardware makers to develop software using OpenHarmony, an open-source version of the operating system Huawei launched five years ago after U.S. sanctions cut off support for Google's Android. While Huawei's recent strong-selling smartphone launches have been closely watched for signs of advances in China's chip supply chain, the company has also quietly built up expertise in sectors crucial to Beijing's vision of technology self-sufficiency from operating systems to in-vehicle software.

  • Microsoft pauses Windows 11 update as it’s sending some PCs into an infinite reboot hell

    Those of you who have experienced an infinite reboot loop will appreciate why this latest update had to be pulled.

  • Apple's iPhone shipments in China surge 40% in May amid aggressive discounting

    BEIJING (Reuters) -Apple's smartphone shipments in China rose nearly 40% in May from a year earlier, extending a rebound seen in April, data from a research firm affiliated with the Chinese government showed on Friday. Shipments of foreign-branded phones in China increased by 1.425 million in May to 5.028 million units from 3.603 million a year earlier，calculations based on the data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) showed. Although the data did not explicitly mention Apple, the company is the dominant foreign phone maker in China's smartphone-dominated market.

  • Nokia taps AI boom with $2.3 billion Infinera purchase

    Nokia's bid to buy U.S. optical networking gear maker Infinera in a $2.3 billion deal puts the Finnish company on track to gain from the billions of dollars in investment pouring into data centres to cater to the rise of artificial intelligence. The deal would help Nokia to leapfrog Ciena and become the second largest vendor in the optical networking market with a 20% share, behind Huawei, which is benefiting from the minimal presence of Western companies in China. Nokia's move will allow the company to sell more equipment to big tech companies such as Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft as they invest billions of dollars in building new data centres to service the artificial intelligence boom.

  • iPhone users won’t lose True Tone, other features after third-party repairs

    Apple is finally loosening some restrictions on repairs, extending software support to third-party replacement batteries and displays installed into iPhones later this year.

  • Fujifilm once struggled to sell cameras. Now, it can't keep up with demand

    For years, Japan's Fujifilm pivoted away from its legacy camera business to focus on healthcare. Fujifilm is struggling to meet demand for the $1,599 camera, prized by young 20-something social media fans for its looks and high-end functions. After it sold out last year, the company increased production in China to double the launch volume for the VI that debuted in March, said Yujiro Igarashi, manager of Fujifilm's professional imaging group.

  • Nokia to acquire Infinera in $2.3 billion deal to scale up optical network

    Shares of Infinera surged after Nokia said it will buy the company in a deal worth $2.3 billion.

  • Alibaba to close data centres in Australia, India amid expansion in Southeast Asia, Mexico

    Alibaba Group Holding's cloud computing unit plans to shut down its data centres in Australia and India, as the company prioritises infrastructure spending in other markets. Citing the move as part of its "infrastructure strategy update", Alibaba Cloud said the decision was made after a "careful assessment" amid new efforts to "expand investment in Southeast Asia and Mexico", the company said in a statement on Thursday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Alibaba Cloud plans to suspend it

  • Apple Will Be the ‘Leader’ of the AI Consumer Experience

    Apple stock will continue to rise as the company’s generative artificial intelligence products, set to launch this fall, lead to an acceleration of growth in revenue and earnings, an Oppenheimer analyst says. Analyst Martin Yang increased his price target for Apple to $250 from $200, which implies a 21% increase from the stock’s closing price of $214.10 on Thursday. Yang wrote on Friday that he expects the stock to rise based on optimism over the company’s AI initiatives and how they are geared toward the consumer experience.

  • Samsung Unpacked 2024: Galaxy Z Fold 6, Watch Ultra, Galaxy Ring and everything else to expect

    Samsung has lined up an Unpacked event for July 10. We're expecting to learn more about the Galaxy Ring, as well as new foldable and other devices. A Galaxy Watch Ultra seems to be on the way too,

  • The Morning After: Microsoft’s Surface Pro Copilot+ is the best Surface tablet yet

    The biggest news stories this morning: Rabbit R1 security issue allegedly leaves sensitive user data accessible to anybody, Even FromSoftware agrees Elden Ring’s DLC was too difficult, Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best early Prime Day deals.

  • Apple's Vision Pro launches in Hong Kong, drawing buyers from mainland China, Asia

    Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality headset officially went on sale in Hong Kong on Friday, drawing local customers as well as those from mainland China and other regions, where the device is either more expensive or unavailable. Buyers who pre-ordered the Vision Pro, which starts at HK$27,999 (US$3,585) in Hong Kong, can pick up the product in stores. Others can buy online or book a demo session and purchase from physical Apple Store locations across the city. While new iPhones used to draw long q

  • Apple's AI Surge: Growth Potential With Limited Margin of Safety

    The surge, driven by new AI features, highlights growth potential, but narrow margin of safety calls for caution

  • I was at the Trump-Biden presidential debate and it became very clear what had gone wrong

    When the debate ended, the Biden surrogates were nowhere to be found — until they emerged, grim-faced, as a group, and the rumors began. Andrew Feinberg reports on what happened behind the scenes at the first presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia — and why the president’s performance went so badly

  • Who could replace Joe Biden? Here are six possibilities

    With Biden not yet officially endorsed as Democratic presidential candidate, it is in theory open to the party to choose another candidate

  • Malaysians on tenterhooks after Johor Regent takes on Selangor Sultan in public domain

    The football drama in Malaysia has reached fever-pitch, with the spotlight now on the Johor and Selangor palaces. The post Malaysians on tenterhooks after Johor Regent takes on Selangor Sultan in public domain appeared first on Twentytwo13.

  • ‘Panic mode’ Democrats begin calling for Biden to step aside after ‘horrible’ debate performance against Trump

    ‘Need to have Harris take over. Cleanest option,’ one Democrat strategist told The Independent

  • The Advice Matt Damon Reportedly Gave Ben Affleck as Things "Started Falling Apart" With J.Lo

    Here's the advice Matt Damon reportedly gave Ben Affleck when things started "falling apart" with J.Lo.

  • China Finds Something Strange in Sample Retrieved From Moon

    Lunar Graphene Chinese scientists have made an unusual discovery while analyzing the sample Chang'e-5 collected from the Moon's surface in December 2020. They found naturally occurring "few-layer graphene" for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for our plans to make use of local resources once on […]