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Help Scout vs Intercom: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Help Scout and Intercom. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Help Scout starts at $25/mo, making it $4/mo cheaper than Intercom ($29/mo). Neither offers a free plan.

Last updated: July 6, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated July 6, 2026
Try Help Scout freeTry Intercom freePrice updated 11d agoUpdated this month

Help Scout vs Intercom: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureHelp ScoutIntercom
Starting Price$25/mo$29/mo
Number of Plans33
Free TierNoNo
Pricing Modelper-seatper-seat
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Help Scout is the more affordable option, starting at $25/mo compared to Intercom's $29/mo. Both are Customer Support tools with 6 combined pricing plans and 42 features compared.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Customer Support needs.

Pricing Plans
Help Scout
Help Scout
Try free
Intercom
Intercom
Try free
Tier 1
Standard
$25/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Multiple Inboxes
  • Live chat, Instagram, & Messenger
  • Multiple knowledge bases
  • One basic SLA policy
  • Basic workflows
  • Unlimited tags and saved replies
  • AI Inbox assistant
  • WhatsApp messaging
Start with Standard
Essential
$29/month
$2 / year
Includes
  • Fin AI Agent
  • Messenger
  • Shared Inbox and Ticketing system
  • Pre-built reports
  • Public Help Center
Start with Essential
Tier 2
PlusPopular
$45/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Advanced workflows
  • Two advanced SLA policies
  • Unlimited AI Drafts
  • Round robin routing
  • Salesforce, Jira, and HubSpot
  • Internal teams
  • Group conversations by company
Start with Plus
Advanced
$85/month
$7 / year
Includes
  • Fin AI Agent
  • Multiple team Inboxes
  • Workflows automation builder
  • Round robin assignment
  • Private and multilingual Help Center
  • Includes 20 free Lite seats
Start with Advanced
Tier 3
Pro
$75/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Unlimited workflows
  • Unlimited SLA policies
  • Multiple routing types
  • SSO/SAML
  • HIPAA compliance
  • Up to 50 light users
  • Dedicated onboarding specialist
  • Strategic account manager
  • Preferred pricing on Aircall
Start with Pro
Expert
$132/month
$11 / year
Includes
  • Fin AI Agent
  • Collaboration, security, and multibrand features
  • SSO & identity management
  • HIPAA support
  • Service level agreements (SLAs)
  • Multibrand Messenger / Help Center
  • Includes 50 free Lite seats
Start with Expert

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Try Help Scout freeFrom $25/moTry Intercom freeFrom $29/mo
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Help Scout

Customer support platform with shared inbox and knowledge base

View all Help Scout plans

Intercom

AI-powered customer messaging and support platform

View all Intercom plans

What Reviewers Say

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Help Scout if:

  • •Your team wants customer support to feel like personal email without chatbot interactions interrupting the experience
  • •Help Scout Standard at $50/month (3 users) is dramatically cheaper than Intercom Essential at $39/seat/month for growing teams
  • •You need a knowledge base, shared inbox, and customer sidebar without building a chatbot or automation workflow
  • •Your customer base is B2B and appreciates thoughtful, human responses - not automated first-response sequences

Choose Intercom if:

  • •Your SaaS product needs in-app messaging, product tours, and onboarding checklists to activate users faster
  • •Intercom's Fin AI agent resolves common queries automatically before reaching human agents, reducing support volume
  • •You need live chat embedded in your product with behavior-triggered messages based on user actions and product events
  • •Proactive customer engagement - reaching users before they need support - differentiates your product experience

Help Scout and Intercom are both customer communication platforms, but they represent opposite ends of the automation spectrum. Help Scout keeps communication human, simple, and conversational. Intercom adds AI automation, in-app engagement, and behavioral triggers on top of messaging. Help Scout Free includes 2 mailboxes and a basic knowledge base. Standard at $50/month covers up to 3 users. Plus at $75/month adds CRM integrations and custom fields. Help Scout is deliberately un-chatbot-like - customers get real email responses, agents work in a clean inbox, and the product stays out of the way. For B2B companies where relationships matter, this restraint is a competitive advantage. Intercom Essential at $39/seat/month provides live chat, help center, and a shared inbox. Advanced at $99/seat/month adds multiple inboxes, complex workflows, and custom bots. Fin AI agent at $0.99/resolution handles repetitive queries autonomously. Product Tours and Onboarding Checklists are add-ons. For B2C SaaS companies handling high message volume with significant repetitive query patterns, Intercom's automation saves agent hours. A team that previously handled 100 tickets/day might handle only 40 after Fin is configured correctly. For small B2B teams where every customer interaction is meaningful and personal responses build relationships, Help Scout's clean, email-like experience creates better customer experiences at lower cost. For B2C SaaS companies with high support volume, repetitive queries, and need for in-app activation messaging, Intercom's automation and engagement tools justify the premium.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Help Scout vs Intercom

Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Intercom?
As of July 2026, Help Scout starts at a lower price point. Help Scout starts at $25/mo while Intercom starts at $29/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Help Scout have vs Intercom?
Help Scout offers 3 pricing plans, while Intercom offers 3 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Can I save money by paying annually for Help Scout or Intercom?
Both Help Scout and Intercom offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
What is the most popular Help Scout plan?
The Plus plan is Help Scout's most popular tier, priced at $45/mo. Key features include Advanced workflows, Two advanced SLA policies, Unlimited AI Drafts.
How do Help Scout and Intercom compare for Customer Support?
Both Help Scout and Intercom are Customer Support tools. Help Scout offers 3 plans starting at $25/mo, while Intercom offers 3 plans starting at $29/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Customer Support needs.
AI Recommendations

Sources

  1. Help Scout Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
  2. Intercom Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page

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