Help Desk Software · Knowledge Base Software
Help Scout review
Shared-inbox style help desk with a built-in Docs knowledge base and per-resolution AI pricing.
Help Scout at a glance
- Starting price
- Free up to 5 users; Standard $25 per user/month
- Pricing model
- per user
- Public pricing
- Yes
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (428 reviews)
- Security
- SOC 2 Type 2 (Security and Availability), HIPAA (BAA required)
- Integrations
- Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot, Aircall
Buying Help Scout: security, admin and contract
- SAML SSO
- Pro includes SSO/SAML; add-on on lower tiers.
- Data residency
- AWS, region not published.
- Support
- Email on Free/Standard; priority email on Plus and Pro; strategic account manager on Pro.
- Public DPA
- Yes (helpscout.com/company/legal/dpa/)
- Implementation
- Pro includes onboarding specialist.
Questions to ask Help Scout before you sign
- Is SCIM provisioning included, or a paid add-on?
- Which plan includes audit logs, and how long are they kept?
- Is there a monthly option, and what are the cancellation and renewal terms?
- What will the price be at renewal, and is the increase capped?
Questions are listed where Help Scout's public pages leave the answer open.
Who Help Scout is for
Choose Help Scout if
- Small support teams under 25 users that want a simple inbox plus Docs.
- Teams needing HIPAA support (Pro plan, BAA)
Look elsewhere if
- Teams needing SSO below the Pro plan (SSO is an add-on or Pro, 10 users minimum)
Help Scout pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | up to 5 users | 1 inbox, 1 Docs site, 100 contacts/month |
| Standard | $25 | per user/month | Up to 25 users; 100 contacts/month; 15-day trial |
| Plus | $45 | per user/month | Up to 50 users; unlimited contacts; Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot |
| Pro | $75 | per user/month | Minimum 10 users; SSO/SAML, HIPAA; trial via sales |
Annual toggle shows 16% discount; annual and monthly prices are not listed separately here.
Help Scout features by buying criteria
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Ticket automation and routing | Advanced workflows and round robin on Plus; unlimited workflows and SLAs on Pro. |
| Knowledge base and self-service | Docs site included (1 on Free; additional sites $20/month annual) |
| AI agents and assistance | AI Answers $0.75 per resolution; monthly spend cap available; 3 months free for new accounts. |
| Integrations | Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot on Plus. |
| Pricing model | Per user plus per-resolution AI. |
| Target company size | Under 25 users on Standard; Pro for larger. |
What most Help Scout reviews leave out
- Free and Standard cap contacts at 100 per month.
- AI Answers is $0.75 per resolution with an optional monthly spending cap.
- Pro requires at least 10 users and holds SSO/SAML and HIPAA.
- Hosted on AWS, region not stated; public DPA exists.
- Extra inboxes $10/month annual, extra Docs sites $20/month annual.
Help Scout alternatives
ZendeskSupport teams that want a broad omnichannel suite with a regional data hosting option.$19 per agent/month billed annually (Support Team)
FreshdeskSMB support teams wanting low entry price and SAML SSO on every plan.$19 per agent/month billed annually (Growth)
Zoho DeskSmall teams that want a free 3-agent start.Free edition (3 users); paid from INR 420 per user/month billed annually (price shown in INR on the vendor site; no USD price confirmed)
HubSpot Service HubCompanies already on HubSpot CRM wanting tickets tied to contact records.Free for up to 2 users; Starter $7 per seat/month annual
BloomfireMid-size and enterprise teams that want a company-wide Q&A and knowledge library with search as the main feature.Contact sales
ConfluenceTeams already on Jira or Jira Service Management.Free up to 10 users; Standard about $5.42 per user per month billed annually
Help Scout compared
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Help Scout's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.