3 Best Help Scout Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 10 min read
Help Scout is a popular tool for small businesses wanting personal, human customer support. While it offers a free tier (Up to 50 contacts/mo), its paid plans start at $25/user/mo. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 3 best Help Scout alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 3
- Free alternatives: 1 (Freshdesk)
- Best overall: Freshdesk
- Best free: Freshdesk
Why Look for Help Scout Alternatives?
People commonly look for Help Scout alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: While Help Scout has a free tier, its paid plans starting at $25/user/mo can add up quickly for growing teams.
- Feature gaps: Limited reporting and no phone/call center are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Help Scout overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Help Scout | ✓ Up to 50 contacts/mo | $25/user/mo | ⭐ 4.4 | No | Small businesses wanting personal, human customer support |
| Freshdesk | ✓ Up to 10 agents | $18/agent/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Small to mid-size teams wanting capable helpdesk without high cost |
| Zendesk | ✗ No | $55/agent/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | No | Enterprises needing comprehensive omnichannel customer support |
| Intercom | ✗ No | $39/user/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | No | SaaS companies wanting full customer messaging |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
Freshdesk
Intuitive helpdesk software with a generous free tier
Freshdesk by Freshworks offers ticketing, knowledge base, community forums, and automation. Known for its clean interface and generous free plan supporting up to 10 agents.
Pros
- ✓ Generous free tier
- ✓ Clean intuitive UI
- ✓ Good automation
- ✓ Affordable paid plans
Cons
- ✗ Reporting limited on lower tiers
- ✗ Customization constrained
- ✗ Marketplace smaller than Zendesk
- ✗ AI features cost extra
Zendesk
Enterprise customer service and support ticketing platform
Zendesk is a comprehensive customer service platform offering ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, call center, and AI-powered automation. It serves enterprises with omnichannel support across email, chat, phone, and social.
Pros
- ✓ Most comprehensive feature set
- ✓ Excellent marketplace
- ✓ Strong enterprise features
- ✓ Reliable at scale
Cons
- ✗ Expensive per agent
- ✗ Complex setup
- ✗ UI feels heavy
- ✗ Support for Zendesk itself lacking
Intercom
Customer messaging platform for sales, marketing, and support.
Intercom is a customer communications platform that combines live chat, bots, product tours, and a help center. It's designed to help businesses communicate with customers throughout their lifecycle — from acquisition to engagement to support.
Pros
- ✓ Powerful platform
- ✓ AI features
- ✓ Good UX
- ✓ Comprehensive
Cons
- ✗ Very expensive
- ✗ Complex pricing
- ✗ Feature overload
- ✗ Slow support
🏆 Our Recommendations
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Help Scout?
The best free alternative to Help Scout is Freshdesk, which offers Up to 10 agents.
Is there an open-source alternative to Help Scout?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to Help Scout at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to Help Scout?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: Freshdesk. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $18/mo.
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