Finding the right customer service outsourcing partner can save your business thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours.
But with dozens of BPO providers claiming to offer the best service, comparing them side-by-side gets overwhelming fast.
I spent time digging into pricing pages, service offerings, and actual feature sets across seven Helpware alternatives.
This guide covers what each provider actually delivers, what they charge, and which type of business each one suits best.
Editor’s note: Want to hear some sample support calls made for your Shopify store?
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What is Helpware?
Helpware is a People-as-a-Service company founded in 2015.
They build dedicated customer support teams for businesses across multiple channels including phone, email, chat, and social media.
The company operates from six countries: the US, Mexico, Germany, Ukraine, Philippines, and Poland.
Their services extend beyond basic support to include content moderation, data annotation, back-office operations, and AI-powered solutions through their Helpware AI division.
Helpware works with both startups and enterprises, providing custom-built teams rather than shared agent pools.
Pricing is quote-based and depends on team size, service complexity, and location requirements.
So why look for alternatives? Common reasons include needing more transparent pricing, wanting different geographic coverage, requiring specialized technology like AI automation, or simply finding a better fit for specific business needs.
How I evaluated these Helpware alternatives
To make this comparison useful, I focused on criteria that matter most when choosing an outsourcing partner.
Pricing transparency came first. Some providers publish clear rates while others require sales calls for any quote.
Service model mattered too, whether they offer dedicated teams, shared agents, or AI-driven automation.
Geographic coverage affects timezone alignment and costs.
Technology integration covers AI capabilities and CRM connections. Scalability determines how quickly you can ramp up or down. Specialization reveals whether a provider focuses on certain industries or service types.
The right choice depends heavily on your business size, call volume, and whether you need full BPO services or just phone answering.
Quick comparison of all Helpware alternatives
Price ranges from $95/month to custom enterprise quotes, making budget the primary decision factor for most businesses
The table shows a clear split: AI-powered options start under $100/month while traditional BPO providers require custom quotes that typically run much higher.
The 7 best Helpware alternatives
1. Ringly.io
Ringly.io takes a different approach from traditional BPO providers. Instead of hiring human agents, their AI phone agent Seth handles inbound calls automatically.
What it does:
Seth answers customer calls 24/7, looks up order information directly from your Shopify store, processes returns, and handles common questions. When calls get too complex, it transfers to your human team.
The system resolves around 70% of calls without human intervention. It supports over 40 languages and integrates natively with Shopify, pulling real order data to give callers accurate answers about their purchases.
Pricing:
There's a 14-day free trial, and billing only starts after Seth resolves at least 60% of calls over 100 interactions.
Best for: E-commerce businesses, especially Shopify stores, that want to automate phone support without hiring agents. Works well for stores handling high volumes of repetitive inquiries like order tracking and returns.
Limitations: Focused specifically on phone support for e-commerce. Not a full BPO solution if you need multi-channel human agents or complex back-office operations.
Start your free trial to see how much phone support Seth can handle for your store.
2. Peak Support
Peak Support builds dedicated support teams with an emphasis on agent quality and longevity.
Their agents average 8 years of experience, significantly higher than the industry standard of 2-3 years.
What it does:
Peak Support provides customer support, sales operations, technical support, and back-office services across email, phone, chat, and social media.
They build custom teams assigned specifically to your account rather than using shared agent pools.
Their operations span the Philippines (for offshore rates), the United States, and Latin America (for nearshore coverage).
This geographic spread allows timezone flexibility depending on your customer base.
Pricing:
Peak Support uses custom quotes based on team size and requirements. They don't publish fixed rates, but industry benchmarks put offshore Philippines agents at $8-15/hour and nearshore (LATAM/US) agents at $20-30/hour.
One advantage: no long-term contracts required. You can scale up or down without penalty.
Best for: Companies that prioritize agent quality and team stability over finding the lowest price. Good for complex support scenarios requiring trained agents who deeply understand your product.
Limitations: No published pricing makes budget planning difficult upfront. Requires a consultation to get any cost estimate.
3. SupportNinja
SupportNinja positions itself as a full-lifecycle CX outsourcing partner.
They cover everything from onboarding new customers to retention and ongoing support.
What it does:
Their service options include Management-as-a-Service (where SupportNinja handles everything including hiring, training, and QA) or a self-managed model where you direct the team while they provide staffing and infrastructure.
SupportNinja incorporates AI tools throughout their operations to improve agent productivity and automate workflows. They operate 24/7 in over 10 languages.
Pricing:
Custom quotes based on agent location (offshore, nearshore, or onshore), experience level required, whether SupportNinja manages the team or you do, and service scope and operating hours.
They emphasize no hidden fees and flexible scaling.
Best for: Tech companies and SaaS businesses needing scalable support with the option to stay hands-on or go completely hands-off with management.
Limitations: Like most enterprise BPO providers, you need a consultation call to get pricing. Less transparent than competitors with published rates.
4. Moneypenny
Moneypenny offers virtual receptionist services with a mix of live agents and AI-powered answering.
They position themselves as "The World's Leading Answering Service."
What it does:
Moneypenny handles phone answering, live chat, message taking, call transfers, lead capture, and appointment scheduling.
Their AI receptionist can handle routine calls while escalating complex ones to human receptionists.
All agents are based in North America, which appeals to businesses wanting native English speakers and US timezone alignment.
They offer bilingual (English-Spanish) support and are HIPAA-compliant for healthcare and legal industries.
Pricing:
Contract terms require 3 months minimum on standard plans and 6-12 months for higher volumes.
Best for: Small businesses needing professional phone answering without hiring full-time reception staff. Particularly strong for legal and healthcare firms requiring HIPAA compliance.
Limitations: The $1,000 setup fee and minimum contracts reduce flexibility. Per-minute pricing can escalate quickly with high call volumes.
5. AnswerForce
AnswerForce specializes in 24/7 live answering with a heavy focus on lead qualification and appointment scheduling for service businesses.
What it does:
AnswerForce provides live call answering around the clock, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Their agents capture leads using your custom qualification criteria, schedule appointments directly in your calendar, and transfer urgent calls in real-time.
Online chat is included in their plans, and they offer a unique perk: the first 30 calls under 30 seconds are free each month.
Pricing:
Overage rates run $1.85-$2.00 per minute, which adds up if you exceed your plan.
Best for: Service businesses like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and legal firms that need consistent lead capture and appointment booking. Works well when you need coverage outside normal business hours.
Limitations: Per-minute billing rounds up, which increases costs for businesses receiving many short calls. Focused on call answering rather than full customer support operations.
6. Smith.ai
Smith.ai combines AI-powered call handling with live North America-based agents. Their hybrid model uses AI for routine calls while humans handle complex conversations.
What it does:
Smith.ai's AI receptionist handles screening, lead qualification, appointment scheduling, and routine questions. When calls require human judgment, they escalate to live agents seamlessly.
Their integration library includes over 7,000 connections including Salesforce, HubSpot, Clio (popular with law firms), and Zapier for custom workflows. They offer bilingual support with Spanish included.
Pricing:
No setup fees, no contracts, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best for: Law firms and professional services that need sophisticated lead qualification paired with deep CRM integration. The AI + human hybrid works well for businesses wanting automation with a reliable safety net.
Limitations: Per-call pricing means costs scale directly with volume. High-volume businesses may find per-minute providers more economical.
7. Magellan Solutions
Magellan Solutions is a Philippines-based BPO with over 20 years of experience serving small and mid-size businesses globally.
What it does:
Magellan handles inbound and outbound call centers, customer support across phone, email, and chat, back-office operations (data entry, order processing), and specialized medical coding services.
Their agents maintain 96% English proficiency and operate 24/7.
Pricing:
Magellan provides custom quotes with annual costs ranging from $5,000 to $999,999 depending on scope. They promote up to 70% cost savings compared to US-based operations.
A free 60-minute consultation is available for pricing estimates.
Best for: Small to mid-size businesses prioritizing cost savings through Philippines-based outsourcing while maintaining compliance standards. Particularly relevant for healthcare organizations needing medical coding expertise.
Limitations: Timezone differences (Philippines is UTC+8) may require coordination for real-time support. Custom pricing requires a sales consultation.
How to choose the right Helpware alternative
Your ideal provider depends on what you're trying to solve.
Choose AI-powered automation (Ringly.io, Smith.ai) if:
- You want to reduce support costs without hiring agents
- Phone support is your primary channel
- High call volumes involve repetitive questions (order status, FAQs, returns)
- You need 24/7 coverage without staffing around the clock
For e-commerce specifically, Ringly.io offers the fastest path since Seth integrates directly with your store data.
Choose dedicated team providers (Peak Support, SupportNinja) if:
- You need trained agents who deeply understand your product
- Complex support scenarios require human judgment
- Long-term partnership and team stability matter more than lowest cost
- You want management options (hands-off or hands-on)
Choose virtual receptionist services (Moneypenny, AnswerForce) if:
- Professional call answering is your main requirement
- You're a small business without full-time reception staff
- Lead capture and appointment booking drive revenue
- HIPAA compliance is necessary (legal, healthcare)
Choose offshore BPO (Magellan Solutions) if:
- Cost reduction is your primary driver
- You need back-office support beyond just phone calls
- Compliance certifications (HIPAA, ISO, GDPR) are required
- You can manage timezone coordination
Start with your biggest pain point to narrow down from 7 options to 2-3 in under a minute
Start automating your customer support today
For e-commerce businesses handling phone support, Ringly.io offers the fastest way to reduce costs while maintaining quality.
Seth resolves around 70% of calls automatically, handling order inquiries, returns, and FAQs without human intervention.
The platform integrates directly with Shopify, pulling real order data so callers get accurate answers immediately.
Setup takes minutes rather than weeks, and you don't pay until Seth proves it works (billing starts after 60% resolution rate over 100 calls).
With transparent pricing starting at $99/month and no long-term contracts, you can test whether AI phone support fits your business without major commitment. Start your free trial and see how many calls Seth can handle for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Helpware alternatives for small businesses?
For small businesses, Moneypenny ($99/month) and Smith.ai ($95/month) offer affordable entry points with professional call answering. If you run an e-commerce store, Ringly.io provides AI-powered phone support starting at $99/month with no setup fees.
Which Helpware alternatives offer transparent pricing?
Ringly.io, Moneypenny, AnswerForce, and Smith.ai all publish their pricing online. Peak Support, SupportNinja, and Magellan Solutions require custom quotes, which makes upfront budgeting more difficult.
Are there any Helpware alternatives with AI-powered phone support?
Yes. Ringly.io uses an AI phone agent (Seth) that handles calls autonomously. Smith.ai offers a hybrid AI + human model. Moneypenny includes an AI receptionist option that escalates to humans when needed.
What Helpware alternatives work best for e-commerce businesses?
Ringly.io is built specifically for e-commerce and integrates directly with Shopify to access order data. This allows the AI to answer order tracking, returns, and product questions without human intervention, resolving about 70% of calls automatically.
How much do Helpware alternatives typically cost per month?
Published pricing ranges from $95/month (Smith.ai AI Receptionist) to $349/month (AnswerForce entry plan). Dedicated team providers like Peak Support and SupportNinja require custom quotes, with offshore rates typically $8-15/hour and nearshore $20-30/hour.
Which Helpware alternatives offer HIPAA compliance?
Moneypenny, Magellan Solutions, and Smith.ai all offer HIPAA-compliant services. Magellan Solutions also holds ISO 27001 and GDPR certifications for additional compliance coverage.
Can I try Helpware alternatives before committing to a contract?
Several options offer trial periods. Ringly.io provides a 14-day free trial with delayed billing until resolution targets are met. Smith.ai offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with no contracts. AnswerForce and Moneypenny have lower setup barriers but may require minimum contract terms.
