Help desk · Alternatives
What are the best Help Scout alternatives?
Short answer
The cheapest paid alternative in the first year is Gorgias ($120; Help Scout: $1,500). 2 have a free plan: Tidio, HubSpot Service Hub.
| Alternative | Best for | Free plan | From | 1st year, 5 users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Live chat plus AI bot for small shops | Yes | $24.17 / mo | $290.04 |
| HubSpot Service Hub | Support teams already on HubSpot CRM | Yes | $7 / seat / mo | $420 |
| Gorgias | Shopify and ecommerce support teams | No | $10 / mo | $120 |
| Freshdesk | Cost-conscious teams wanting AI help desk | No | $19 / seat / mo | $1,140 |
| Zendesk | Established support suites at any scale | No | $19 / seat / mo | $1,140 |
| Front | Shared inbox for omnichannel teams | No | $25 / seat / mo | $1,500 |
| Salesforce Service Cloud | Enterprise service teams on Salesforce | No | $25 / seat / mo | $1,500 |
| Intercom | AI-first support with chat messenger | No | $29 / seat / mo | $1,740 |
Which Help Scout alternative is cheapest?
Gorgias, at $120 for the first year (Help Scout: $1,500).
| Alternative | 1st year, 5 users |
|---|---|
| Gorgias | $120 |
| Tidio | $290.04 |
| HubSpot Service Hub | $420 |
| Freshdesk | $1,140 |
| Zendesk | $1,140 |
| Front | $1,500 |
| Salesforce Service Cloud | $1,500 |
| Intercom | $1,740 |
Which Help Scout alternatives are free?
2 of 8 have a free plan.
- Tidio: 50 conversations
- HubSpot Service Hub: 2 users
The 8 alternatives, one by one
1
Tidio
Best for: live chat plus AI bot for small shops
- Free plan
- Yes, 50 conversations
- From
- $24.17 / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $290.04
2
HubSpot Service Hub
Best for: support teams already on HubSpot CRM
- Free plan
- Yes, 2 users
- From
- $7 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $420
3
Gorgias
Best for: Shopify and ecommerce support teams
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $10 / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $120
4
Freshdesk
Best for: cost-conscious teams wanting AI help desk
- Free plan
- No, 14-day trial
- From
- $19 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,140
5
Zendesk
Best for: established support suites at any scale
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $19 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,140
6
Front
Best for: shared inbox for omnichannel teams
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $25 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,500
7
Salesforce Service Cloud
Best for: enterprise service teams on Salesforce
- Free plan
- No
- From
- $25 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,500
8
Intercom
Best for: AI-first support with chat messenger
- Free plan
- No, 14-day trial
- From
- $29 / seat / mo
- 1st year, 5 users
- $1,740
Sources
| Vendor page | URL | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Help Scout pricing | helpscout.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Tidio pricing | tidio.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| HubSpot Service Hub pricing | hubspot.com/pricing/service | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Gorgias pricing | gorgias.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Freshdesk pricing | freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Zendesk pricing | zendesk.com/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Front pricing | front.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Salesforce Service Cloud pricing | salesforce.com/service/pricing/ | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Intercom pricing | intercom.com/pricing | 27 Oct 2026 |
Prices in USD as published by each vendor, billed yearly where offered. How we compare