Help Scout Pricing 2026
Complete pricing guide with plans, hidden costs, and negotiation tips
Help Scout pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $0 to $75 per user/month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Help Scout offers 4 pricing tiers: Free, Standard, Plus, Pro. Standard paid plans include Free at $0/month, Standard at $25/user/month, Plus at $45/user/month. The Standard plan is growing teams.
Compared to other help desk/support software, Help Scout is positioned at the budget-friendly price point.
Help Scout is a customer service platform designed for teams who want powerful features without the complexity. Founded in 2011, Help Scout serves over 12,000 companies with its email-first approach that feels more like Gmail than traditional help desk software.
Help Scout pricing ranges from $20/user/month (Standard, annual) to $65/user/month (Pro), with Plus at $40/user/month being the most popular choice. Their transparent, per-user pricing makes budgeting simple.
All Help Scout Plans & Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free 0 | Individuals or small teams starting out |
| Standard | $25 /user/month | Custom | Growing teams |
| Plus | $45 /user/month | Custom | Teams managing higher volume |
| Pro lightUsers: 50 | $75 /user/month | Custom | High scale and security needs |
View all features by plan
Free
- 1 shared Inbox
- 1 public knowledge base
- Limited saved replies
Standard
- Multiple Inboxes
- Multiple knowledge bases
- Basic workflows
- Unlimited tags and saved replies
- AI Inbox assistant
Plus
- Advanced workflows
- Unlimited AI Drafts
- Round robin routing
- Salesforce/Jira/HubSpot integration
- Internal teams
Pro
- Unlimited workflows
- Multiple routing types
- SSO/SAML
- HIPAA compliance
- Up to 50 light users
- Dedicated onboarding
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Frequently Asked Questions
01 How much does Help Scout cost?
Help Scout pricing ranges from $20/user/month (Standard, annual) to $65/user/month (Pro). Monthly billing costs 20-25% more: Standard ($25), Plus ($50), Pro ($65). Most teams choose Plus at $40/user/month annual.
02 Does Help Scout have a free plan?
No, Help Scout does not offer a permanent free plan. They provide a 15-day free trial with no credit card required to test all features.
03 What hidden costs should I expect?
The main hidden cost is that live chat on Standard is limited to one user - full chat requires Plus. AI features require Pro. There's no native phone system, so phone support needs third-party integration.
04 Can I negotiate Help Scout pricing?
Help Scout pricing is relatively fixed for small teams. Volume discounts may be available for 50+ users. Annual billing already offers the best rate, but multi-year contracts can unlock additional 5-10% savings.
05 Is annual billing cheaper?
Yes, annual billing saves 20% compared to monthly pricing. Standard drops from $25 to $20/user/month, Plus from $50 to $40/user/month with annual commitment.
06 Help Scout vs Zendesk: Which is cheaper?
Help Scout is typically cheaper and simpler. Help Scout Plus ($40/user/month) compares well to Zendesk Growth ($55/user/month) with a more focused feature set and better usability for small teams.
07 What's included in Help Scout Pro?
Pro adds phone support widget, AI Summarize & Assist, company profiles, SSO, Salesforce integration, and advanced security features beyond Plus's automation and reporting.
08 Does Help Scout offer startup discounts?
Help Scout offers a 30% discount through select accelerator partnerships. They also have a nonprofit discount program offering 20% off for qualified organizations.