# Help Scout — A shared-inbox helpdesk for small and mid-size support teams, free for up to 5 users on 1 inbox, with paid plans starting at $25/user/month for live chat and multichannel support.

By Noah — last updated & pricing verified September 15, 2026.

> **Help Scout** is a customer support helpdesk built around a shared email inbox: incoming messages land in a queue that looks and behaves like an email client, with internal notes, saved replies, and assignment layered on top rather than a traditional numbered-ticket interface.

The free tier supports 5 users and 1 inbox, enough for a small team's first support channel. Paid tiers add live chat, SMS, and social channels (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger) starting on the Standard plan, then layer in workflow automation, a secure customer portal, and CRM integrations (Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot) on Plus, and SSO/SAML plus HIPAA compliance on Pro for teams with security or compliance requirements. An AI Inbox assistant is included starting on Standard, while a separate AI Answers add-on (self-service AI responses to customer questions) is billed per resolution rather than bundled into any tier.

## Facts

- Website: https://helpscout.com
- Pricing: Free tier · paid from $25/mo (verified undefined NaN, NaN)
- License: Freemium
- Platforms: web, ios, android
- Best for: small support teams under 10 agents who want a shared inbox that reads like email rather than a numbered-ticket queue
- Standout feature: The core interface is a shared email inbox rather than a ticket-number system, so agents work in a format that feels like a normal inbox instead of learning a dedicated ticketing UI.
- Biggest weakness: The free plan caps out at 5 users and 100 monthly contacts, and jumping to live chat and multichannel support on Standard means every agent seat costs $25/month with no lower-priced middle option; the separate $0.75-per-resolution AI Answers add-on can also become unpredictable at high support volume.
- Third-party ratings: Capterra 4.6/5 (226 reviews)
- Categories: [Customer Support & Live Chat](https://findalternative.to/categories/customer-support)

## Pricing snapshot

| Plan | Price | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0/mo | 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site, 10 saved replies, 10 tags, 100 monthly contacts. |
| Standard | $25/mo | Per user; 16% discount on annual billing. Adds multiple inboxes, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp/Instagram/Messenger, multiple knowledge bases, basic SLA policy, and AI Inbox assistant. |
| Plus | $45/mo | Per user; 16% discount on annual billing. Adds advanced workflows, two advanced SLA policies, secure customer portal, unlimited AI Drafts, round robin routing, and Salesforce/Jira/HubSpot integrations. |
| Pro | $75/mo | Per user; 16% discount on annual billing. Adds unlimited workflows and SLA policies, SSO/SAML, HIPAA compliance, up to 50 light users, and dedicated onboarding. |

## Pros and cons

- Pro: Free plan supports 5 real users with no time limit, not just a trial.
- Pro: Shared-inbox interface is close to email, so new agents ramp up quickly.
- Pro: AI Inbox assistant is bundled starting on the Standard plan rather than sold as a separate add-on.
- Pro: Native iOS and Android apps let agents respond to conversations away from a desktop.
- Con: Live chat and social channels (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger) require the $25/user/month Standard plan; the free tier is email-only.
- Con: SSO/SAML and HIPAA compliance are locked to the $75/user/month Pro plan, the highest tier.
- Con: AI Answers is billed separately at $0.75 per resolution, which adds unpredictable cost on top of the per-seat price.
- Con: Per-user pricing on Standard and above can get expensive quickly for larger support teams compared to flat-rate helpdesks.

## AI summary

- Help Scout's Free plan covers 5 users, 1 inbox, and 100 monthly contacts at no cost.
- The Standard plan costs $25/user/month and adds live chat, SMS, and social channels.
- Plus costs $45/user/month; Pro costs $75/user/month with SSO/SAML and HIPAA compliance.
- A separate AI Answers add-on bills at $0.75 per resolved query, with a 3-month free trial.
- Help Scout holds a 4.6/5 rating from 226 reviews on Capterra.
- Best for: small support teams under 10 agents who want a shared inbox that reads like email
- Pricing: Free for 5 users and 1 inbox; paid plans from $25/user/month for live chat and social channels, up to $75/user/month for SSO and HIPAA compliance.
- Top alternatives: Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, Front
- Limitation: The free plan caps out at 5 users and 100 monthly contacts.
- Limitation: Live chat and social channels require upgrading to the $25/user/month Standard plan.
- Limitation: SSO/SAML and HIPAA compliance are limited to the $75/user/month Pro tier.
- Limitation: The AI Answers add-on bills per resolution separately from the per-seat subscription price.

## Alternatives

4 vetted alternatives to Help Scout: https://findalternative.to/help-scout — top picks: Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom

## Comparisons

- https://findalternative.to/compare/help-scout-vs-intercom
- https://findalternative.to/compare/help-scout-vs-zendesk

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