The Help Scout Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Help Scout in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Help Scout
The Insider’s Guide
Shared inbox and help desk with a knowledge base and AI answers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from Help Scout’s own pages.
Made by Help Scout · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Help Scout’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Help Scout’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 9 of the 51 other email apps we grade
Help Scout is a customer support platform built around a shared inbox, where a team answers email, live chat, SMS and social messages together. It also includes Docs, a hosted knowledge base, and Beacon, a help widget that can be embedded in a website or app. Paid plans add workflows, SLA policies and AI writing tools, and the AI Answers add-on resolves routine customer questions automatically for a per-resolution fee.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Help Scout, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for support teams leaving a shared Gmail mailbox
Help Scout is a shared inbox for customer support, where your team answers email, chat, SMS and social messages together, with a help center and a website widget.
- 2
Paid plans start at $25 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $25 per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Up to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site with 10 articles, 100 contacts per month, 10 saved replies and 30 days of report history. No AI tools are included.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Shared Inbox
Email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger conversations arrive in one shared workspace, where they can be assigned, tagged, snoozed and discussed in internal notes.
- 6
Docs knowledge base
Docs sites publish a searchable, branded help center. The Free plan includes 1 site with 10 articles, and paid plans allow unlimited articles.
- 7
Beacon help widget
An embeddable widget that offers suggested help articles, a contact form and live chat on any website page or inside an app.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 9 of 51
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Help Scout you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Help Scout at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $25 per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 15-day free trial of Standard or Plus, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Help Scout, since 2011
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.2 on the App Store, 319 ratings
The report card
Best for support teams leaving a shared Gmail mailbox
Help Scout is a shared inbox for customer support, where your team answers email, chat, SMS and social messages together, with a help center and a website widget. Five people can start on the free plan, but it stops at 1 Inbox, 100 contacts a month and no AI. Standard is $25 a user a month on annual billing, AI Answers is billed on top at $0.75 per resolution, extra Inboxes cost $10, and phone needs an integration.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Standard is $25 a user a month billed annually, $30 monthly, which is where the dearest tenth of this category starts and about three times its $8 middle. Plus is $45 and Pro $75 with a 10-user minimum. Extra Inboxes are $10 each and AI Answers $0.75 a resolution. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free for up to 5 users, but the caps are ones you'll hit in a week: 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site with 10 articles, 100 contacts a month, 10 saved replies and no AI tools. The 15-day trial of Standard or Plus needs no card. |
| Features | B | Email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger in one workspace with assignment, tags and internal notes, plus a hosted help center, the Beacon widget, workflows, routing and reports. The support-inbox job is covered, though phone and voice only work through an integration. |
| Ease of use | C | 4.2 from about 320 App Store ratings, low for this category. That's the iPhone and iPad app rather than the whole service, and there are inboxes, Docs sites, workflows and routing rules to lay out first. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web with iPhone and Android apps but no desktop app, and connections to Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, Linear, Shopify, Slack, Aircall and Zapier, with a public API. Phone and voice only arrive through one of those integrations. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Help Scout is for
- Fits if your support team has outgrown a shared Gmail or Outlook mailbox
- Works for teams that want a help center and live chat alongside email
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a personal email app, because this is a help desk for teams
- Tight if you're staying free, as that stops at 1 Inbox, 100 contacts a month and 10 saved replies, with no AI tools
- Pricey if you need SSO, since that's Pro at $75 a user a month on annual billing, with a 10-user minimum
- Watch out: AI Answers costs $0.75 per resolution after its 3-month trial, and extra Inboxes are $10 a month each
- Not for you if you need phone support built in, as voice only works through an integration
Good to know
Good for
- Support teams moving off a shared Gmail or Outlook mailbox
- Small teams: the Free plan covers up to 5 users
- Companies that want a help center and live chat alongside email
- Non-profits and early-stage startups that qualify for its discounts
Worth knowing
- The Free plan is limited to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts a month, and includes no AI tools.
- AI Answers is billed separately at $0.75 per resolution once its 3-month free trial ends.
- Pro has a 10-user minimum, and trying Pro means talking to the sales team.
- Extra Inboxes cost $10 a month each on annual billing ($12 monthly) and extra Docs sites $20 ($24 monthly). Phone and voice work only through an integration.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$25
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Help Scout has a free plan. Paid plans start at $25 per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
Free
$0
Up to 5 users, 1 shared email Inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts per month, with limited saved replies and no AI tools.
Standard
$25
per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
Up to 25 users and 2 Inboxes, with live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, 1 basic SLA policy, 150 basic workflows and AI Assist.
Plus
$45
per user / month, billed annually ($54 billed monthly)
Up to 50 users and 5 Inboxes, with 500 advanced workflows, unlimited AI Drafts, round robin routing, a customer portal, and Salesforce, Jira and HubSpot.
Pro
$75
per user / month, billed annually ($90 billed monthly)
Unlimited users with a 10-user minimum and 10 Inboxes, plus unlimited workflows and SLA policies, SSO/SAML, HIPAA compliance and an account manager.
The free plan
Up to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site with 10 articles, 100 contacts per month, 10 saved replies and 30 days of report history. No AI tools are included.
Trying it first
15-day free trial of Standard or Plus, no credit card required
Read from helpscout.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
16% off with annual billing
The pricing page shows a 16% discount for annual billing: Standard is $25 per user a month against $30 billed monthly, Plus $45 against $54 and Pro $75 against $90.
Stated on helpscout.comNonprofit
10% lifetime discount for non-profits and B Corps
Help Scout for Good gives non-profits and B Corporations a 10% lifetime discount on application, and up to 100% off for groups working on human rights, sustainability or representation in tech.
Stated on helpscout.comStartups
6 months free for early-stage startups
New customers that are incorporated tech startups less than two years old with under $1 million in annual recurring revenue can apply for six months of the Plus plan and AI Answers at no charge.
Stated on helpscout.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Shared inbox and help desk with a knowledge base and AI answers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, shared inbox, workflow automation, AI agents, reports.
The support-inbox job is covered, though phone and voice only work through an integration.
- Shared Inbox
- Email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger conversations arrive in one shared workspace, where they can be assigned, tagged, snoozed and discussed in internal notes.
- Docs knowledge base
- Docs sites publish a searchable, branded help center. The Free plan includes 1 site with 10 articles, and paid plans allow unlimited articles.
- Beacon help widget
- An embeddable widget that offers suggested help articles, a contact form and live chat on any website page or inside an app.
- Workflows and routing
- Workflows organize, assign or reply to conversations automatically: 150 basic on Standard, 500 advanced on Plus and unlimited on Pro. Round robin routing starts on Plus.
- AI Answers and AI Drafts
- AI Answers replies to customers from knowledge base content at $0.75 per resolution. AI Drafts suggests replies based on past conversations on Plus and Pro.
- Reports
- Pre-built reports cover volume, responses and customer happiness for each channel, with 30 days of history on Free, 2 years on Standard and all-time history on Plus and Pro.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Jira
- Linear
- Shopify
- Slack
- Aircall
- Zapier
Help Scout is made by Help Scout, and has been around since 2011.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
9/51
Other email apps it is graded above
Help Scout's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 9 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on features (B, above 30 of 51) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $25 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 41 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 10 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Help Scout’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 51
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 51
- BFeaturesAbove 30 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 51
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 50 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Help Scout is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Help Scout you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 33 of the 51 other email apps grade higher. It costs $300 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- One mailbox that several people work at once.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Help Scout’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Front, Missive, Hiver, Zoho TeamInbox and Gmelius
The 5 tools Help Scout is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Front
Free trial · from $25/mo
Shared inbox and customer operations platform with AI and ticketing.
- Help Scout has a free plan. Front does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Front lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Help Scout also covers AI agents and reports.
- 2.6GPA
Missive
Free trial · from $14/mo
Team email client with shared inboxes, internal chat and rules.
- Help Scout has a free plan. Missive does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Missive lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Help Scout also covers AI agents and reports.
- 2.2GPA
Hiver
Free trial · from $25/mo
Shared inbox and AI help desk that runs inside Gmail or standalone.
- Help Scout has a free plan. Hiver does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Hiver lists a browser extension.
- 2.8GPA
Zoho TeamInbox
Free trial · from $0.99/mo
Shared inboxes for group email, WhatsApp and social messages.
- Help Scout has a free plan. Zoho TeamInbox does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho TeamInbox lists a macOS app.
- Help Scout also covers AI agents.
- 2.0GPA
Gmelius
Free trial · from $19/mo
Shared inboxes and AI agents that work inside Gmail.
- Help Scout has a free plan. Gmelius does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Help Scout lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Gmelius lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
16
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Help Scout free?
Help Scout has a free plan. Up to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site with 10 articles, 100 contacts per month, 10 saved replies and 30 days of report history.
How much does Help Scout cost?
Help Scout lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Help Scout work on?
Help Scout is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Help Scout offer any discounts?
Help Scout publicly lists the following: 16% off with annual billing; 10% lifetime discount for non-profits and B Corps; 6 months free for early-stage startups.
How is Help Scout rated?
Help Scout's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.2 out of 5 from 319 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Help Scout have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Help Scout is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Help Scout have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Help Scout is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Help Scout open source?
Help Scout is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Help Scout have an API?
Yes. Help Scout offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Help Scout integrate with?
Help Scout's listing names Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira, Linear, Shopify, Slack, Aircall and Zapier.
Does Help Scout have a free trial?
Yes. 15-day free trial of Standard or Plus, no credit card required.
Who makes Help Scout?
Help Scout is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2011.
What are the alternatives to Help Scout?
The closest alternatives to Help Scout in our directory are Front, Missive, Hiver, Zoho TeamInbox and Gmelius.
How does Help Scout compare with other email apps?
Help Scout's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 9 of the 51 other email apps we grade, and level with 9.
Is Help Scout good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Help Scout D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $25 a month for each person, against a middle price of $4.99 for the category: 41 of the 45 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Help Scout?
To replace Help Scout you would be making one mailbox that several people work at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Help Scout’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Help Scout's own pages on 5 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-13.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Help Scout. Prices change, so check helpscout.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Help Scout, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/help-scout
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Help Scout: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/help-scout
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/help-scout/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after Help Scout, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
- Thunderbird Insider's GuideFree, open-source email app for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Help Scout’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Help Scout is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Help Scout. Prices and plans change: check helpscout.com before you buy.