Stop managing permissions.
Start managing support.
HelpSpot gives you a dedicated support platform without the complex administration, paid add-ons, or forced cloud migration of Jira.
Why teams switch from Jira Service Management
The same frustrations we hear from every JSM switcher
Admin Complexity
Jira is a developer tool adapted for support. Simple changes often require a dedicated 'Jira Administrator' to navigate complex schemes, workflows, and screens.
Agent-Friendly
HelpSpot is built for support teams. You can manage your own mailboxes, triggers, and rules without needing an engineering degree.
ITSM Overhead
JSM is built around ITIL workflows, change management, and CI/CD pipelines. Support teams that just need to manage tickets are buried under process they never asked for.
Purpose-Built for Support
HelpSpot is a help desk, not a service management platform. Tickets, automation, and reporting without the ITIL ceremony.
Self-Hosted Costs
Atlassian killed the affordable Server edition. The only self-hosted option is 'Data Center', which starts at over $20,000/year.
Affordable On-Premise
Run HelpSpot on your own infrastructure (Linux/Windows) for the same low price as our Cloud version. You own your data.
Jira Service Management vs HelpSpot
See how the two platforms compare on what matters most
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Automation limits
The Standard plan caps your global and multi-project automation rules at 5,000 runs per month. Growing teams hit this wall fast.
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Complex configuration
Simple changes often require a dedicated 'Jira Administrator' to navigate complex schemes, workflows, screens, and permission matrices.
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Support is tiered
Standard customers only get 'Local Business Hours' support. 24/7 support is reserved for Premium and Enterprise tiers.
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Unlimited automation
Run as many triggers, rules, and AI-powered workflows as you need. Unlike JSM's 5,000 run limit, we never throttle your team.
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Simple configuration
HelpSpot is built for support managers, not developers. Manage mailboxes, triggers, and rules without navigating complex schemes.
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Premium support for all
Every customer gets our full attention. Phone and email support from our US-based team is included for free.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Comparing Jira Service Management Standard ($2400/yr) vs HelpSpot
HelpSpot
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Jira SM
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|---|---|---|
| Feature | All Inclusive | Standard ~$22/agent/mo |
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Core Ticketing
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| Familiar email-inspired workflow | ||
| Email-to-ticket conversion | ||
| Collision detection | Basic (Avatar view) | |
| Custom fields | ||
| Conditional field logic | ||
| Rich customer replies (images, files, emoji) | ||
| Unlimited mailboxes | ||
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Portal & Knowledge Base
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| Customer portal | ||
| Contact form | ||
| Portal theme customization | Basic (Logo/Color) | |
| Multi-brand portals | ||
| Knowledge base | Addon Required | |
| Knowledge base WYSIWYG | ||
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Automation & Workflow
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| Trigger rules | Capped (5,000 runs/mo) | |
| Time based automation rules | Capped (5,000 runs/mo) | |
| Round-robin assignment | ||
| SLA management | ||
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AI Features
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| AI writing assistance | Included | |
| AI ticket summarization | Included | |
| AI translation | Included | |
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Reporting & Analytics
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| Built-in reports | ||
| Custom report builder | Limited (Basic) | |
| Real-time dashboards | ||
| Scheduled report exports | ||
| Export to Excel/CSV | ||
| Direct SQL database access | Self-hosted | Enterprise (Data Lake) |
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Pricing Model
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| Feature tiers | 1 tier | 4 tiers |
| Add-on costs | None | Marketplace Apps |
| Unlimited tickets | ||
| Cancel anytime | ||
| Refund policy | ||
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Support & Deployment
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| Phone support | All plans | Enterprise Only |
| Self-hosted option | Data Center ($20k+) | |
| EU data residency | Included | Included |
| Access logs and redaction | ||
| Implementation help | Free | Paid Partners |
| API access | Unlimited | Rate Limited |
Ready to simplify your support?
The hidden costs of "affordable"
JSM Standard looks reasonable at $22/agent. But essential features require Premium, and self-hosting requires Data Center. Here's what teams actually pay.
Jira Service Management
Standard Plan - cost doubles if Premium features needed
Cost more than doubles if AI/Assets (Premium) are needed.
HelpSpot
Simple pricing, everything included
Save over $3,000 in year one
Migration made easy
We'll help you every step of the way
Export Your Data
Use Jira's export tools to download your tickets and customer data.
Import to HelpSpot
Our team works with you to import your historical data and get everything configured.
Go Live
Connect your email accounts to HelpSpot. Your team picks up right where they left off.
Deploy Your Way
Same price, same features. Choose the deployment that works for you.
Same powerful features and pricing across all hosting options.
US Cloud
CloudUS-East Region
Dedicated AWS infrastructure with 99.9% uptime. Managed updates and automated backups.
EU Cloud
CloudFrankfurt Region
GDPR-compliant hosting. Full data sovereignty with all information isolated within the EU.
Self-Hosted
EnterpriseOn-Premise Infrastructure
Complete control on your own hardware. Ideal for air-gapped networks or strict compliance.
Maximum Control & Data ResidencyWhat we believe
We've been building help desk software since 2005. Along the way, we've developed strong opinions about how support should work.
Single Assignment
Every ticket has one owner. Clear accountability means faster resolution and better outcomes.
Read moreHuman-First Support
Support is human-to-human communication. Technology should enhance it, not replace it.
Read moreSimple Pricing
One price. All features. No add-ons, no surprises. Budget with confidence.
Read moreBeyond Shared Mailbox
Email chaos ends here. Get collision detection, automation, and the visibility you need.
Read moreCompare other platforms
See how HelpSpot stacks up against other help desk solutions.
"Of the number of helpdesk systems we looked into, ranging from the off-the-shelf expensive systems to completely 'free', your product was the best looking, simplest for both the customer and the staff, the quickest to set-up and configure and reasonably priced."
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about switching from Jira Service Management
No. HelpSpot is designed for support managers, not developers. You don't need to manage complex 'schemes', workflows, or permissions. Most teams are fully operational in hours with our free onboarding, whereas Jira implementations can take weeks or months of consulting.
Yes! We provide free migration tools and assistance to help you move your ticket history, customers, and knowledge base articles from Jira to HelpSpot seamlessly.
JSM Standard now includes basic AI features like writing assistance and summarization. However, their conversational Virtual Agents for automated ticket deflection remain Premium-only. With HelpSpot, all AI features are included in our standard price with no automation limits.
HelpSpot is one of the few remaining help desks with a true, affordable self-hosted option. You can install it on your own servers (Linux or Windows) and keep complete control of your data. Jira's only self-hosted option, Data Center, starts at over $20,000/year.
HelpSpot is the best JSM alternative for support teams that don't need full ITSM. Jira Service Management is built around ITIL workflows, change management, and developer tooling that most customer or internal support teams never use. HelpSpot delivers ticket management, automation, reporting, and AI without the configuration complexity or ITIL overhead.
For many support teams, yes. Jira Service Management is built for complex ITSM workflows like change management and CI/CD integration. If your primary need is managing support tickets via email, its configuration requirements and ITIL structure add unnecessary overhead. HelpSpot provides a focused help desk that works out of the box.
JSM is free for up to 3 agents with limited features and 2GB storage. Standard costs ~$22/agent/month, and Premium is ~$49/agent/month. A 10-agent Standard team pays about $2,640/year, but features like asset management and AI require Premium ($5,880/year). HelpSpot costs $1,699/year for 10 agents with all features included.
Trusted by teams who made the switch
Trusted by industry leaders
Ready to switch?
We'll help you move.
Start your free trial and our team will help migrate your data, train your agents, and get you up and running. No risk, no commitment.
