A Helpshift alternative for indie game studios
Helpshift is the reference for in-game player support, and it earned that spot with large live-ops games. If you are two to ten people shipping on Unity, the question is not whether Helpshift is good. It is whether you need what it is built for.
Published 31 October 2026 by the Inngame team. We make Inngame, so read this as a vendor comparison: every claim about Helpshift links to Helpshift's own pages.
What Helpshift does well
Credit where it's due. Helpshift pioneered in-app support in mobile games, and its platform is wide:
- Platforms: SDKs for iOS, Android, Unity, Unreal Engine, Cocos2d-x, web, PC, console and custom engines (Helpshift).
- Channels: in-game messaging, web widget, email, Discord, WhatsApp, social media, SMS and push.
- AI and people: an AI agent Helpshift says resolves over 70% of queries, language AI in 70+ languages, and outsourced human agents around the clock in 150+ languages, through its parent company Keywords Studios, which acquired Helpshift in 2022.
- Compliance: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, COPPA and ISO 27001, with data residency in the EU, US or APAC.
If you run a game with millions of players on consoles, need support agents you don't have to hire, and have a procurement process, that list is hard to beat.
Why indie studios look elsewhere
You can't see the price
Helpshift's pricing page describes "solution-based and modular" pricing and offers one button: Request Pricing. The price depends on interaction volume, the solutions and capabilities you turn on, and geography and language coverage. Third-party sites quote figures that contradict each other, so we won't repeat them. A free tier for iOS and Android was announced in 2014; the current pricing page doesn't mention one.
For a small team this matters more than the number itself. You want to try support in a soft launch this week, not after a sales call.
Most of the platform is for scale you don't have yet
Outsourced agents in 150 languages, console SDKs and four AI agents are real value at scale. With a few hundred tickets a month, what you need is narrower: players reach you without leaving the game, you understand them whatever their language, you see what device and build they're on, and you answer from wherever you already are.
What Inngame does instead
Inngame is built for that narrower job, for teams where the developers answer support themselves.
- A chat that looks like your game. Native uGUI in Unity with your colours and fonts, gamepad and Steam Deck navigation, changeable from the dashboard without a release. A Swift SDK covers native iOS apps.
- Translation both ways, included. The player writes in Japanese, you read English, they read your answer in Japanese. Unlimited on every plan.
- Context on every message. Device, OS, GPU, build, current screen, recent logs, purchases, and a screenshot in one gesture.
- Answer from where you already are. A web inbox that installs on your phone with push notifications, a Telegram group with one topic per player, or Discord.
- AI that stays in its lane. It answers from your FAQ, drafts replies for you to approve, or hands the conversation over with a reason. Refunds, compensation above your limit, and anything shipped to players always need a person. Everything it does is logged, and anything it sent can be unsent.
- Built for AI coding agents too. An MCP server, a CLI and a skill let Claude Code, Cursor or Codex read conversations, reply, group bug reports into GitHub issues and propose fixes, under the same human-approval rules.
- Prices on the page. Indie is €29 a month (2 apps, 3 seats, 1,000 AI messages), Studio is €99 (20 apps, 15 seats, 10,000 AI messages), with a 14-day trial. Bring your own AI key if you'd rather pay your model provider directly.
Side by side
| Helpshift | Inngame | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | On request | €29 or €99 a month, published |
| Engines | Unity, Unreal, Cocos2d-x, native, web, console | Unity (mobile, desktop, Steam), native iOS and web |
| Consoles | Yes | No |
| Message translation | Language AI, 70+ languages | Both ways, included, 25 interface languages |
| Answer from | Helpshift dashboard | Web inbox (installable), Telegram, Discord |
| Outsourced human agents | Yes, 150+ languages | No, your team answers |
| AI coding agents (MCP, CLI) | Not mentioned | Yes |
| Data location | EU, US or APAC options | EU |
When Helpshift is still the right choice
- Your game ships on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch, or runs on Unreal.
- You want someone else's agents to answer players in dozens of languages.
- You handle tens of thousands of tickets a month and need the analytics and tooling built for that volume.
In those cases, talk to Helpshift. Inngame doesn't try to cover them.
Trying Inngame on a Unity game
Install the package, paste your app key, and call Inngame.OpenChat() from your pause menu or settings screen. How to add an in-game support chat to a Unity game covers what to check first; the Unity quickstart walks through identity, context and cards; player identity explains how history follows a player across devices. If you use an AI coding agent, the agents guide lets it do the integration from a single prompt. For a browser game, see how to add a support chat to an HTML5 game.
Questions
Does Helpshift publish its prices?
No. Its pricing page describes solution-based, modular pricing and asks you to request a quote. The price depends on interaction volume, the solutions and capabilities you use, and geography and language coverage.
Does Helpshift still have a free plan for indies?
Helpshift announced a free tier for iOS and Android developers in October 2014. Its current pricing page does not mention a free plan.
Can Inngame replace Helpshift in an Unreal or console game?
No. Inngame has SDKs for Unity (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam, gamepad) native iOS apps and HTML5 games. For native Unreal, consoles or Cocos2d-x, Helpshift covers more platforms.
Do I need to pay for AI separately with Inngame?
No. Each plan includes AI messages (1,000 a month on Indie, 10,000 on Studio) and translation (20,000 a month on Indie, 200,000 on Studio). You can also plug in your own Anthropic or OpenAI key so AI use is billed to you directly.
Where is player data stored?
Inngame stores conversations and files in the EU. Helpshift states it offers data residency options for the EU, US and APAC regions.
Related: An Intercom alternative for games and apps · A Zendesk alternative for games · AI customer support for games
Sources: Helpshift pricing (checked 31 October 2026), Helpshift platform overview, PocketGamer.biz, 16 October 2014.