Help Scout review

Help Scout is the easiest help desk on this list to hand to a team that has only ever used a shared Gmail inbox. Replies look like normal email to customers, and the agent view is built around conversations rather than ticket forms. The free plan covers five users, one Inbox and one Docs site, though it counts only 100 contacts a month, so it suits a team just starting to track requests. Standard at $25 per user per month adds multiple Inboxes, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, multiple knowledge bases, one basic SLA policy and basic workflows. Plus at $45 adds round robin routing, advanced workflows, two advanced SLA policies and a secure customer portal. The tradeoff is depth: teams that need complex routing or many SLA rules reach Plus or Pro sooner than they would on Freshdesk or Zendesk. For small teams that value a calm, personal inbox, it is the strongest choice.

Who it is for

Small teams that want support to feel like personal email, not a ticket queue.

Price

Free plan for 5 users and 1 Inbox; Standard $25, Plus $45 and Pro $75 per user per month.

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 6, 2026.

Key features

• Free plan with 5 users, 1 Inbox and 1 Docs site
• Multiple Inboxes, live chat and SMS on Standard
• WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger on Standard
• Multiple knowledge bases and basic workflows on Standard
• Round robin routing and a secure customer portal on Plus

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: The free plan is enough for a very small team to start
• Strength: Conversations read like email, which keeps training short
• Strength: Standard adds chat, SMS and social channels at $25 per user
• Weakness: The free plan is capped at 100 contacts a month
• Weakness: Round robin routing and advanced workflows need Plus at $45
• Weakness: Standard allows up to 25 users and 2 Inboxes

Key facts

• Free plan: 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site
• Standard: $25 per user per month, up to 25 users
• Plus: $45 per user per month, up to 50 users
• Free trial: 15 days on Standard or Plus

Where it ranks

Help Scout is No. 2 in our Best Help Desk Software for Small Business verdict and No. 3 in Best Help Desk Software and No. 2 in Best Knowledge Base Software.