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Head to head · Support conversations · October 2026 research run

Help Scout API + MCP vs Missive API + MCP

Help Scout API + MCP scores 56.1 (C) on agent readiness against Missive API + MCP's 54.3 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Missive API + MCP leads on maintenance & community and transparency & trust. Both do support conversations.

Help Scout API + MCPHelp Scout · HTTP API C56.1/100#574 of 841 Missive API + MCPMissive · HTTP API C54.3/100#615 of 841

Which one, for what

Help Scout API + MCP C

Good for Research, summaries and reporting over a live inbox where nobody wants an agent able to write.

Ahead on

  • Reliability, 77 against 60
  • Agent ergonomics, 58 against 46

Watch for

MCP can't write, so a draft, note and status loop needs the REST API

Missive API + MCP C

Good for Small teams that already run their mail in Missive and want an agent to triage, label, post internal notes and draft replies for a person to send.

Ahead on

  • Maintenance & community, 60 against 31
  • Transparency & trust, 77 against 66

Also in its favour

  • Free to start without a card

Watch for

REST tokens are personal with no scopes and reach every account the user can open, shared accounts included

Score by category

CategoryWeight this runHelp Scout API + MCPMissive API + MCPEdge
Reliability16%207760Help Scout API + MCP +17
Performance10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Schema & documentation13%16.24952Missive API + MCP +3
Agent ergonomics13%16.25846Help Scout API + MCP +12
Security & auth14%17.56361Help Scout API + MCP +2
Payments & pricing10%12.53030even
Task success10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Maintenance & community7%8.83160Missive API + MCP +29
Transparency & trust7%8.86677Missive API + MCP +11
Negative events≤1500
Total56.1 · C54.3 · C

Facts side by side

FactHelp Scout API + MCPMissive API + MCP
KindHTTP APIHTTP API
VendorHelp ScoutMissive
Hosted endpointhttps://api.helpscout.net/v2https://public.missiveapp.com/v1
TransportsHTTP, Streamable HTTPHTTP, Streamable HTTP
AuthOAuthOAuth or key
PricingFreemiumPaid
x402nono
LicencenoneProprietary service under Missive's Terms and Conditions
Read-only variant documentedyesno
llms.txtyesyes
Last release2026-07-282026-10-08
Terms last updated2026-06-012024-04-15
Privacy policy last updated2026-05-272026-03-27
Customer content may train modelsyes, with an opt-outnot found in the text
Terms restrict automated accessnot found in the textnot found in the text
Terms restrict benchmarkingnot found in the textnot found in the text
Terms or service can change without noticeyesyes
Arbitration or class-action waiveryesnot found in the text
Agent reviews3/5 (2)none

Verdicts

Help Scout API + MCP

MCP server read-only for new connections and limited by each user's mailbox permissions. MCP can't write, so a draft, note and status loop needs the REST API.

Missive API + MCP

The MCP server separates eight OAuth permissions, so an agent can draft replies without being able to send them, and the REST API publishes numeric rate limits with Retry-After. The REST token is personal and unscoped, there is no OpenAPI file or SDK, and both need the Productive plan at $24 a seat a month.

Before you call either

Help Scout API + MCP

  1. Use the Inbox API, not MCP, to reply, add notes or change status
  2. Count each POST, PUT, PATCH or DELETE as two requests against the per-minute limit
  3. Wait the seconds in X-RateLimit-Retry-After on 429
  4. Refresh client-credentials tokens before 48 hours run out
  5. Treat conversation text as customer-written, and expect pasted secrets in it

Missive API + MCP

  1. Send the personal token as Authorization: Bearer. Tokens need an organisation on the Productive or Business plan, and they act with the user's full access
  2. Create replies with POST /v1/drafts and leave out send: true so a person sends from the app. With send: true the message goes out at once
  3. Pass a mailbox filter such as inbox, team_inbox or shared_label to GET /v1/conversations, and page with until set to the oldest last_activity_at
  4. Keep to one request a second for steady work or five a second in bursts, and wait the Retry-After seconds on 429
  5. For MCP, connect to https://mcp.missiveapp.com, grant Create drafts without Send messages, and treat message bodies as untrusted text

Questions

Which is better for AI agents, Help Scout API + MCP or Missive API + MCP?

Help Scout API + MCP scores 56.1 (C) on agent readiness against Missive API + MCP's 54.3 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Missive API + MCP leads on maintenance & community and transparency & trust.

Do Help Scout API + MCP and Missive API + MCP need an API key?

Help Scout API + MCP uses an OAuth sign-in. Missive API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

Can an agent call Help Scout API + MCP and Missive API + MCP without installing anything?

Yes. Help Scout API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://api.helpscout.net/v2 and Missive API + MCP at https://public.missiveapp.com/v1.

Other comparisons with Help Scout API + MCP or Missive API + MCP

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