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Freshdesk vs Help Scout pricing
Freshdesk and Help Scout both have free plans and appeal to smaller teams. This page compares them using StackScope's help desk report, last verified October 2026.
Freshdesk has the cheaper entry tier: Growth is $19 per agent against $25 per user ($30 billed monthly) for Help Scout Standard. Higher up the order reverses, with Help Scout Plus at $45 ($54 monthly) against Freshdesk Pro at $55, and Help Scout Pro at $75 ($90 monthly, 10-seat minimum) against Freshdesk Enterprise at $89, though the tiers do not map one-to-one. Help Scout's free plan is larger, covering up to 5 users with 100 contacts per month and 1 inbox, against up to 2 agents for Freshdesk. Help Scout's AI Answers costs $0.75 per resolution after a three-month free trial, while Freshdesk's Freddy AI Agent includes 500 sessions per month and then charges $49 per 100 additional.
| Tool | Free plan | Entry tier | Mid tier | Highest public price | Aggregated sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshdesk Best value (paid) | Free, up to 2 agentsOngoing, per current vendor materials — basic ticketing, KB, reporting · plus a separate 14-day all-access trial | $19/agentGrowth · monthly USD price not publicly posted on the current pricing page | $55/agentPro · monthly USD price not publicly posted on the current pricing page | $89/agentEnterprise · monthly USD price not publicly posted on the current pricing page | Catch: you'll want Pro sooner than you think. Consistently cited as the value pick — clean UI, fast setup, real automation at the $19 entry tier. Advanced customization and deeper reporting hit a ceiling below Pro, which is where most teams end up. Freddy AI Agent includes the first 500 sessions/month, then $49 per 100 additional sessions; Freddy AI Copilot is a separate $29/agent/month add-on on Pro and Enterprise. |
| Help Scout | Free, up to 5 users100 contacts/mo, 1 inbox — genuinely ongoing, not a trial | $25/userStandard · $30/mo billed monthly | $45/userPlus · $54/mo billed monthly | $75/userPro · $90/mo billed monthly, 10-seat minimum | Catch: enterprise teams will outgrow it. Repeatedly praised for feeling like an organized, human email inbox rather than an enterprise ticketing system. Lacks advanced routing, deep SLA controls, and reporting depth on the lower tiers. AI Answers (chatbot resolution) is a separate $0.75-per-resolution charge after a three-month free trial. |
Figures are aggregated from vendor pricing pages and independent third-party pricing research as of October 2026 and reflect published list prices. This page shows two of the four tools in the full Help Desk Software report, which carries the complete footnotes and every source conflict we flagged. Confirm current pricing directly with each vendor before purchasing. This is not a recommendation to buy any specific product.
FAQ
Common questions
Is Freshdesk cheaper than Help Scout?
At the entry tier, yes: $19 per agent versus $25 per user. At the middle and top tiers Help Scout is lower ($45 and $75 versus $55 and $89), but the tiers don't map exactly.
Which has the bigger free plan?
Help Scout's: up to 5 users with 100 contacts per month and 1 inbox. Freshdesk's covers up to 2 agents.
How do they price AI?
Help Scout's AI Answers is $0.75 per resolution after a three-month free trial. Freshdesk's Freddy AI Agent includes 500 sessions per month, then $49 per 100 additional.
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See all four tools in the full Help Desk Software report →
Vendor pricing: Freshdesk pricing · Help Scout pricing