Helmdesk vs Help Scout Multi-product support without per-user fees.
Help Scout charges $25 to $75 per user a month (billed annually), caps inboxes and Docs sites by plan, and charges $0.75 per AI resolution. Helmdesk gives each app its own inbox and help centre, with unlimited seats and AI drafting included.
Through Nov 30: 30% off Starter or Growth for 3 months with code SHIP30 at checkout.
Side by side
Feature comparison
| Feature | Helmdesk | Help Scout |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Per plan, sized by apps and tickets | Per user, per month |
| Paid plans from | $39/mo, or $31 billed annually (Starter) | $25 per user billed annually, $30 monthly (Standard) |
| Free plan | Yes, 1 app | Yes: 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site |
| AI pricing | Included on paid plans, no per-resolution fee | $0.75 per AI Answers resolution |
| Several apps | 3 apps on Starter, 10 on Growth, each with its own help centre | Inboxes and Docs sites per plan: 2 and 2 on Standard, 5 and 3 on Plus |
| Help centre | Yes | Yes (Docs) |
| MCP server for AI agents | 73 tools across tickets, customers, email, docs, feedback and logs; read and write | Yes, read-only |
| Error logs from your app, grouped into issues | Yes | No |
Help Scout list prices as published on helpscout.com, October 2026. Check their page for current pricing.
The arithmetic
What it costs for a small team with several apps
Two common set-ups, priced on each product's published list prices. The sums are shown so you can redo them for your own team.
Solo developer with 3 apps
One person answering for three products, under 1,000 tickets a month in total. Both billed annually.
- 1 × Plus user: 5 inboxes, 3 Docs sites ($45)$45
Standard covers two inboxes and two Docs sites; adding a third of each ($10 + $20) makes it $55, so Plus is cheaper.
Plus $0.75 per AI resolution
Starter: 3 apps, a help centre each, unlimited seats, AI drafting included.
$45 − $31 = $14/mo less with Helmdesk, before usage charges
Team of 5 with 3 apps
Five people across three products, about 3,000 tickets a month. Both billed annually.
- 5 × Standard users ($25)$125
- 1 × extra inbox ($10)$10
- 1 × extra Docs site ($20)$20
Standard plus a third inbox and Docs site, the cheaper route at five users (Plus would be 5 × $45 = $225).
Plus $0.75 per AI resolution
Growth: 10 apps, 7,500 tickets a month, unlimited seats, AI included.
$155 − $119 = $36/mo less with Helmdesk, before usage charges
Help Scout list prices as published on helpscout.com, October 2026. Check their page for current pricing.
Choose Helmdesk if…
- You ship several products and want one desk for all of them
- You want AI drafting without a fee per resolution
- You want transactional email and error logs next to your tickets
- You want an SDK and an MCP server your coding agent can write through
- You want flat pricing that does not grow with every teammate
Choose Help Scout if…
- You want a polished shared inbox for a non-technical team
- You rely on Beacon, Help Scout’s in-app help widget
- Your team prefers a traditional, email-centric workflow
- Up to five people on one inbox is enough (the Free plan)
Pricing
Priced by apps and tickets, not by people.
Free for your first app. Starter $39/mo for 3 apps, unlimited seats.
Annual billing saves 20%. No per-seat fees on paid plans, no per-resolution AI fees.
Through Nov 30: 30% off Starter or Growth for 3 months with code SHIP30 at checkout.
- Free1 app$0
- Starter3 apps$39/mo
- Growth10 apps$149/mo
- Enterprise: more apps and volume, quoted. Talk to us
FAQ
Helmdesk and Help Scout
How is Help Scout priced?
Per user per month: Standard $25, Plus $45, Pro $75 billed annually ($30, $54 and $90 monthly). AI Answers costs $0.75 per resolution. The Free plan covers five users, one inbox and one Docs site.
How many products can Help Scout handle?
By inboxes and Docs sites: Standard includes two of each, Plus five inboxes and three Docs sites. Extra inboxes are $10 and extra Docs sites $20 a month, billed annually.
Does Helmdesk have a widget like Beacon?
Yes. One script tag per app adds a widget that answers from that app’s knowledge base first and files a ticket when it cannot.
One desk for every app, at one price.
Free for your first app. Starter $39/mo for 3 apps, unlimited seats. No card.