Customer Service & Help center vs Hive Help Desk
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 14, 2026 for Customer Service & Help center, Oct 28, 2026 for Hive Help Desk.
The short answer
- Both list a free plan. Paid plans start at $29/month for Customer Service & Help center and $49/month for Hive Help Desk.
- Hive Help Desk lists 14 features Customer Service & Help center’s listing doesn’t mention, including Agent avatar, Business hours, Chat assignment.
Head to head
Delight your customers with personalised support
Starter Plan
- · Email + Livechat + Social Inbox
- · Unlimited Reporting
- · Unlimited agents
- · Unlimited conversations
- · Up to 100 conversations are free
Unlimited Plan
- · Email + Livechat + Social Inbox
- · Unlimited Reporting
- · Unlimited agents
- · Unlimited conversations
Free
- · 1 agent seat
- · 100 conversations/month
- · Community support
- · Email + 1 channel
Starter
- · 2 agent seats
- · 500 conversations/month
- · All channels (Shopify, eBay, Amazon, Mir
- · EVERYTHING IN FREE, PLUS
- · Email support
Growth
- · 2,000 conversations/month
- · 5 agent seats
- · Buzz AI bot + copilot
- · EVERYTHING IN STARTER, PLUS
- · Macros + automations
Pro
- · 10,000 conversations/month
- · Custom forms + screen share
- · EVERYTHING IN GROWTH, PLUS
- · Multi-brand support
- · Unlimited agents
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureHIVE Helpdesk brings all your customer support channels into one dashboard. Manage live chat, email, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, WhatsApp, and SMS conversations from a single shared inbox. Agents can view Shopify order details alongside each conversation, translate messages in real time across five languages, and use template responses to reply faster.
- Simple onboarding for teams
- Shopify integration for customer history
- Customer-friendly email system
- Unified inbox for live chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and SMS
- View Shopify orders and customer details alongside every conversation
- Auto-translate messages in real time across five languages
- Customizable live chat widget with business hours and omnichannel menu
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  Customer Service & Help center |  Hive Help Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Not published | Not published |
| Top store countries | Not published | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | Customer Service & Help center | Hive Help Desk |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | Not published |
| App Store reviews | Not published | Not published |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | Customer Service & Help center | Hive Help Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $29/month(ahead) | $49/month |
| Longest free trial | Not listed | 14 days |
| Plans listed | 2 | 4 |
Listing
| Measure | Customer Service & Help center | Hive Help Desk |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #563 | #440(ahead) |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | Apr 17, 2020 | Jun 30, 2026 |
| Languages | Not published | 1 |
| Developer | Carthike | Backroom Studio |
FAQ
Customer Service & Help center and Hive Help Desk: common questions
- Is Customer Service & Help center or Hive Help Desk cheaper?
- Both list a free plan. Paid plans start at $29/month for Customer Service & Help center and $49/month for Hive Help Desk. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- Hive Help Desk lists 14 the others don’t mention, such as Agent avatar, Business hours, Chat assignment, Chat buttons. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Oct 14, 2026 for Customer Service & Help center, Oct 28, 2026 for Hive Help Desk; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Oct 14, 2026 for Customer Service & Help center, Oct 28, 2026 for Hive Help Desk. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.