Help Scout
Standard
$25.00 × 10 seats$250.00
× 12 months$3,000.00
Per year
$25.00 per person / mo
$3,000
List price; annual billing saves up to 16%
Help Scout vs HelpDesk
Compare with for .
Help Scout
70%
match · $3,000/yr
HelpDesk
59%
match · $2,280/yr
What matters most?
Fine-tune
What you'd pay
Entry plan for 10 people, billed yearly where offered. Prices checked Oct 2026.
HelpDesk
Entry plan
$19.00 × 10 seats$190.00
× 12 months$2,280.00
Per year
$19.00 per person / mo
$2,280
Help Scout
From $25Free plan
G2 4.4 · 431 reviewsSmall and growing teams that mostly answer email and want a friendly, easy-to-learn help desk, with a free plan for up to 5 users and AI that is billed only when it resolves a question.
vs
HelpDesk
From $19
Small businesses that already use LiveChat, or teams that want a simple ticket-first help desk with chat, Messenger and SMS on the entry plan.
Side by side
 Help Scout | HelpDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (up to 5 users); paid from $25/user/month (annual) or $30 monthly | From $19/user/month (annual) |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 (431 reviews) | Not yet verified |
| Best For | Small and growing teams that mostly answer email and want a friendly, easy-to-learn help desk, with a free plan for up to 5 users and AI that is billed only when it resolves a question. | Small businesses that already use LiveChat, or teams that want a simple ticket-first help desk with chat, Messenger and SMS on the entry plan. |
Pros and cons
Help Scout
Pros
- Free plan covers up to 5 users, 1 inbox and a knowledge base
- Shortest learning curve in this comparison
- Live chat and messaging channels on the first paid plan
- AI Answers is charged only when the AI resolves a question
Cons
- Reporting, routing and admin controls are lighter than Zendesk or Freshdesk
- Round-robin routing and advanced workflows need the $45 Plus plan
- No built-in phone channel
HelpDesk
Pros
- Chat, Messenger and SMS channels on the $19 Essential plan
- Clean, easy interface
- Made by the company behind LiveChat
- Published AI allowances on each plan
Cons
- Steep jump from Essential ($19) to Growth ($79)
- Essential allows only 3 ticketing rules
- 10 AI resolutions a month on Essential is a small allowance
Marcus Williams