ActiveQ as a HaloPSA alternative
Tickets and billing in one tool, or in two: that is what separates HaloPSA from ActiveQ. HaloPSA is a service management and professional services automation (PSA) product from Halo; ActiveQ is a lighter ticketing desk and client portal for MSPs and IT teams that work by portal and email, and you invoice clients elsewhere.
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Do you want invoicing in the same tool as your tickets?
Halo now markets HaloPSA on its website as its Managed Services (PSA) offering. Its pricing page lists IT service management, customer service, sales and CRM, asset and configuration management, billing and finance, and project management in one platform,1 and describes the scope as service desk, CMDB, invoicing, recurring billing, timesheets and project management. Its managed services page describes a multi-client architecture for MSPs.2 If you want billing, timesheets and a CMDB next to your tickets, that is HaloPSA, and ActiveQ isn’t a substitute: it does not invoice clients and has no time tracking or contracts.
What we built is narrower: tickets, SLAs and client portals, with light ITSM for incidents, requests, approvals and tasks. One workspace can run employee support, client portals with their own branding, or both. If you already invoice from your accounting tool, billing in your help desk may be a feature you never turn on.
Setup and price
Halo prices per agent with every feature included and no tiers, billed monthly or annually. It also says onboarding packages are required with purchase, at a cost that depends on scope.1 ActiveQ is a flat monthly price for a group of agents: $79.99 for 1 to 3, $149.99 for 4 to 8 and $19.99 for each agent above 8, and you set it up yourself in a trial that needs no card.
Integrations are the other gap. Halo says it has more than 250 native integrations, including RMM, security and accounting tools.2 ActiveQ has an API and signed webhooks but no native prebuilt integrations yet. Zapier (invite-link app) can connect it to other apps, which is not the same as Halo’s native integrations. On AI, Halo lists AI agents, AI triaging, suggested replies and draft responses;1 ActiveQ AI assist runs only when a staff member clicks, and a person reviews each result.
The table, as of 2026-10-12
| Topic | ActiveQ | HaloPSA |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $79.99 a month for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8, and $19.99 for each agent above 8, in US dollars before tax. Customers, contacts and portal users are free. See pricing. | Priced per agent, with every feature, module and integration included and no feature tiers; billed monthly or annually. Named and concurrent licences are offered at the same per-agent price, and portal end users are free. Source: Halo pricing page, FAQ1 |
| Setup | Self-service sign-up and setup. ActiveQ does not sell onboarding packages. | The pricing page says onboarding packages are required with purchase, at a bespoke cost depending on scope. Source: Halo pricing page1 |
| PSA billing and time | ActiveQ does not invoice clients and has no time tracking or contracts. | Listed as standard: automated invoicing, time and material billing, recurring billing, quote-to-invoice, timesheets and accounting integrations. ActiveQ does not offer these today. Source: Halo pricing page1 |
| Assets and CMDB | None. ActiveQ has no asset management or CMDB. | Listed as standard: CMDB, asset discovery, software asset management, contracts and warranties, and dependency mapping. Source: Halo pricing page1 |
| Customer channels | Portal and email. ActiveQ does not offer chat or phone. | Listed as standard: an omnichannel inbox, self-service portal, live chat and shared mailboxes. ActiveQ does not offer chat. Source: Halo pricing page1 |
| Self-service and analytics | A knowledge base with a client help center is live, and so are reports: 19 ready-made reports, a builder with 30 metrics and PNG, PDF and CSV export. | Listed as standard: a knowledge base, custom reports, dashboards and scheduled reports. ActiveQ does not email reports on a schedule. Source: Halo pricing page1 |
| Integrations | An API with role-scoped keys and signed webhooks. No native prebuilt integrations yet; Zapier (invite-link app) connects it to other apps. | Halo says it has more than 250 native integrations at no extra cost, naming RMM, security and accounting tools. Source: Halo managed services page2 |
| Trial | 14-day trial with every feature and no card required. There is no permanent free tier. | A free 30-day trial with all features and modules included, and no credit card required. Source: Halo pricing page1 |
| Where you can sign up and pay | Sign-up and billing are for businesses in the United States, in US dollars. | The pricing page lists prices for several regions and currencies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada and Australia. Source: Halo pricing page1 |
Where Halo is the better fit
If any of these describes you, pick Halo:
- You want invoicing, recurring billing and timesheets in the same tool as your tickets, which ActiveQ does not offer.
- You need a CMDB, asset discovery or project management, which ActiveQ does not have.
- You need prebuilt integrations with your RMM, security or accounting tools, or live chat, which ActiveQ does not offer.
- You want scheduled report emails (ActiveQ does not send reports by email), or a longer trial than 14 days.
- Your business is outside the United States, where ActiveQ does not offer sign-up.
ActiveQ fits when you want a lighter desk for tickets, SLAs and client portals and handle invoicing in a separate tool. Each client gets a separately branded portal in one workspace, you set it up yourself without an onboarding project, customers and portal users are free, and the AI helps staff draft and summarize but never acts on its own.
Common questions
Is ActiveQ cheaper than HaloPSA?
It depends on how many agents you have and what you need from one tool. As of 2026-10-12, the Halo pricing page priced HaloPSA per agent with every feature included, and said onboarding packages are required with purchase at a cost that depends on scope. ActiveQ costs $79.99 a month for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8 and $19.99 for each agent above 8, in US dollars before tax, with self-service setup. Compare Halo’s current prices with your own agent count, or use the help desk cost calculator.
Can ActiveQ replace HaloPSA for invoicing and billing?
No. ActiveQ does not invoice clients and has no time tracking or contracts. If you bill clients from your PSA today, you would keep a separate invoicing tool alongside ActiveQ.
Can I try ActiveQ before moving off HaloPSA?
Yes. Every ActiveQ workspace starts with a 14-day trial with every feature and no card required. CSV import covers contacts and organizations; tickets from your old tool are not imported, so they stay where they are.
Where to go next
Run your own agent count through the help desk cost calculator, read ActiveQ for MSPs and pricing, and see about ActiveQ for who builds it. If you are still unsure you need a PSA at all, the guide to helpdesk ticketing vs PSA covers it. Other comparisons: Freshdesk, Jira Service Management and Freshservice, or all comparisons.
Sources
- Halo, Pricing page and FAQ. Last verified 2026-10-12.
- Halo, Managed services page. Last verified 2026-10-12.