Help Scout review

Help Scout feels like a well-organized shared inbox, which is why teams adopt it quickly. The free plan covers five users, one inbox and one Docs site, enough for a small business to start properly. Standard, at $25 per user per month, adds multiple inboxes, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, multiple knowledge bases, basic workflows and an AI Inbox assistant. Plus, at $45, brings advanced workflows, two advanced SLA policies, a secure customer portal, unlimited AI Drafts, round robin routing and integrations with Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot. Pro adds SSO, HIPAA compliance and unlimited workflows. The gaps show at scale: Standard has a single basic SLA, and skills-based routing and phone support are stronger in Zendesk. Its AI answers cost $0.75 per resolution on top. For teams under about 50 agents, it is the easiest help desk to live with.

Who it is for

Small and midsize teams that handle most support by email and want a tool agents learn in a day.

Price

Free plan for 5 users; Standard $25 per user per month; Plus $45; Pro $75.

Standard $ 25 per user/mo For growing teams looking to automate more tasks and move beyond email.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 4, 2026.

Key features

• Multiple inboxes with live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger on Standard
• Multiple knowledge bases
• AI Inbox assistant on Standard and unlimited AI Drafts on Plus
• Workflows, saved replies and SLA policies
• Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot integrations on Plus

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free plan includes 5 users, 1 inbox and 1 Docs site
• Strength: Clean, email-like interface
• Strength: Messaging channels included from the first paid tier
• Weakness: Standard has only one basic SLA policy
• Weakness: Round robin routing and advanced workflows need Plus at $45
• Weakness: AI answers add $0.75 per resolution

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site
• Paid tiers: Standard, Plus, Pro
• AI resolutions: $0.75 per resolution

Where it ranks

Help Scout is No. 2 in our Best Help Desk Software verdict.