Help Scout is cheaper, but covers only 2 of 6 compared capabilities
$0/mo (Free) vs Freshdesk Growth at $19/mo — covering 33% of the 6 compared capabilities.
Cheaper. Not the same job.
Comparison scenario
Every cheaper-than claim is tied to a defined scenario — never a bare list price.
single user, monthly billing · USD · prices as observed on official pricing pages.
Growth plan at $19/mo, the cheapest paid plan.
Free: 0 USD/monthly.
Freshdesk costs $19/mo on the Growth plan at single user, monthly billing. We found 1 assessed alternative that is cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 6 compared capabilities.
Capability comparison
Help Scout covers 33% of the 6 capabilities compared against Freshdesk. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | Help Scout | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Ticketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Knowledge base / help center | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI agents | ↑ Standard | ✓ |
| AI copilot | ↑ Standard | ✓ |
| Routing & assignment | ↑ Plus | ✓ |
| Support automations | ↑ Standard | ✓ |
What you give up
Capabilities Freshdesk has that Help Scout lacks.
- AI agents — Let an AI agent resolve support requests automatically.Missing from Help Scout.
- AI copilot — Get AI-drafted reply suggestions for support agents.Missing from Help Scout.
- Routing & assignment — Automatically route tickets to the right agent or team.Missing from Help Scout.
- Support automations — Automate routine support tasks like tagging or follow-ups.Missing from Help Scout.
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Free | Free |
| Standard | $25/seat/mo |
| Plus | $45/seat/mo |
| Pro | $75/seat/mo |
| Growth | $19/seat/mo (billed yearly) |
| Pro | $55/seat/mo (billed yearly) |
| Enterprise | $89/seat/mo (billed yearly) |
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Frequently asked
How much cheaper is Help Scout than Freshdesk?
100% cheaper in our scenario (single user, monthly billing): $0/mo on Free vs $19/mo on Growth. That is $228 a year. But it covers only 2 of 6 compared capabilities, so it isn't a like-for-like replacement.
What does Help Scout lack compared with Freshdesk?
AI agents, AI copilot, Routing & assignment, Support automations — 4 of the 6 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Freshdesk: 2026-10-26; Help Scout: 2026-10-26 — on the official pricing pages.
Who switched
Anonymous: no account, no email, no IP stored. Reports are shown once a switch has 3 or more and never change ranking or order — alternatives are computed from prices and capabilities only.
Sources & freshness
- https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/ (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/#main-content (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- Help Scout data last verified 2026-10-26