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 Zoho Desk
Compare with for .
Help Scout
53%
match · $3,000/yr
Zoho Desk
84%
match · $840/yr
What matters most?
Fine-tune
What you'd pay
Entry plan for 10 people, billed yearly where offered. Prices checked Oct 2026.
Zoho Desk
Entry plan
$7.00 × 10 seats$70.00
× 12 months$840.00
Per year
$7.00 per person / mo
$840
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
Zoho Desk
From $7Free plan
G2 4.4 · 8,002 reviewsCost-conscious small businesses and Zoho users that want a capable help desk with a free plan for 3 users and paid tiers from $7 per agent/month.
Side by side
 Help Scout | Zoho Desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (up to 5 users); paid from $25/user/month (annual) or $30 monthly | Free (3 users); paid from $7/agent/month (annual) |
| G2 Rating | 4.4 (431 reviews) | 4.4 (8,002 reviews) |
| 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. | Cost-conscious small businesses and Zoho users that want a capable help desk with a free plan for 3 users and paid tiers from $7 per agent/month. |
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
Zoho Desk
Pros
- Free plan for 3 users and the lowest paid entry price here
- Four paid tiers let you pay only for what you use
- Deep links with Zoho CRM and other Zoho apps
- Telephony and guided processes available without enterprise pricing
Cons
- Knowledge base starts on Standard, not Express
- Interface takes longer to learn than Help Scout
- Monthly billing costs noticeably more than annual
Related comparisons
Customer Support
+2
Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026
Best Help Desk Software for Small Business
Pick Help Scout if your small team mostly answers email and wants something easy and free to start. Pick Freshdesk for structured ticketing on a budget, or Zoho Desk for the lowest cost.
+2Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026Customer Support
+3Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026
Freshdesk alternatives
Stay with Freshdesk if you want low-cost email ticketing. Move to Zendesk for full omnichannel at scale, Help Scout for a simple personal inbox, or Zoho Desk for the lowest price.
+3Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026Customer Support
+2Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026
Zendesk alternatives
Pick Freshdesk for Zendesk-style ticketing at a lower price with the first 500 AI sessions included. Stay with Zendesk if you need every channel in one suite and can budget for per-resolution AI.
+2Marcus WilliamsUpdated October 2026