Threada vs. Help Scout Beacon AI
Help Scout Beacon AI helps visitors search docs and reach the help desk. Threada focuses on grounded answers with citations, freshness controls, and per-embed analytics. Here is how they differ and when to pair them.
Comparison
| Dimension | Threada | Help Scout Beacon AI |
|---|---|---|
| Grounding | Hybrid RAG with citations and refusal policy | Docs search and article suggestions |
| Freshness | Sitemap-first crawl, IndexNow, incremental recrawl | Based on help center updates |
| Analytics | Per-embed impressions, opens, chats, messages, fallback reasons | Beacon usage and article views |
| Security | SRI, strict widget CSP, origin checks, SSO, formal threat model | Standard SaaS security; embed headers depend on setup |
| Multi-tenant | Agency friendly styling and quotas per tenant | Single help desk focus |
When Threada fits better
- Visitors want cited answers on marketing, pricing, or docs without opening an email form.
- Agencies need isolated styling, quotas, and analytics for multiple brands.
- Security reviews require tight CSP and origin validation for embeds.
- Ops teams want retrieval transparency to reduce hallucinations quickly.
When to lean on Beacon
- You need simple docs search and quick email handoffs.
- Teams already rely on Help Scout mailboxes and workflows.
- Authenticated support is routed through Help Scout.
Pairing both
- Add Threada on content-heavy pages for factual Q&A with citations.
- Keep Beacon for quick contact and help center browsing.
- Route account or billing intents from Threada to Help Scout forms when human help is needed.
- Compare containment and CSAT across both to refine placement and crawl cadence.
Threada reduces bounce with grounded answers while Beacon keeps the help desk available when visitors need a human response.