Help Scout vs Zendesk
A side-by-side look at 2 Communication tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
helpscout.com
Best for small and mid-sized support teams that want a simple shared inbox with AI help
Shared inbox and help desk with AI drafts, an AI support agent and a free plan for up to 5 users.
Visit Help Scout
zendesk.com
Best for support teams that need a configurable help desk plus AI agents across channels
AI-first customer service platform with ticketing, messaging, voice and AI agents that resolve requests.
Visit ZendeskPricing compared
Help Scout
$25/user/mo
Zendesk
$19/agent/mo
Head to head
| Help Scout | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25/user/mo | $19/agent/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Free trial | Free plan; Envoy AI add-on has a 3-month free trial | 14-day free trial of Suite Professional |
| Platforms | Web · iOS · Android | Web · iOS · Android · API |
| Founded | — | 2007 |
| HQ | — | San Francisco, USA |
Pros & cons
Help Scout
Pros
- A permanent Free plan covers up to 5 users, 1 Inbox and 1 Docs site.
- Email, chat, SMS, social and voice land in one shared Inbox.
- AI Drafts and Copilot help agents reply faster while a human stays in control.
- Envoy AI is billed per resolution at USD 0.75, so cost follows results.
- SSO/SAML and HIPAA compliance are listed on the Pro plan.
Cons
- Pro plan pricing and many advanced limits push larger teams to a sales conversation.
- Extra inboxes cost USD 10 per month each on Standard, Plus and Pro.
- The Free plan is capped at 100 contacts per month.
- Fewer marketplace integrations than the largest help desks (the vendor lists 100+).
Zendesk
Pros
- Covers email, chat, messaging, voice and a help center in one platform.
- AI agents are billed per automated resolution, so you pay only for requests resolved without escalation.
- More than 1,800 marketplace apps and integrations are listed by the vendor.
- Plans scale from a basic ticketing tier to a Suite with advanced routing and reporting.
- The site is offered in many languages, including Korean and Japanese.
Cons
- Per-agent pricing plus per-resolution AI charges can be hard to forecast.
- Enterprise plan pricing is not published and requires talking to sales.
- Monthly billing costs noticeably more than annual billing on every listed plan.
- The breadth of features can be more than a small team needs.