Help Scout vs Kayako: Pricing Comparison 2026
Side-by-side pricing comparison of Help Scout and Kayako. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.
Bottom line: Help Scout starts at $25/mo, making it $54/mo cheaper than Kayako ($79/mo). Help Scout offers a free plan.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
Help Scout vs Kayako: Quick Pricing Facts
| Feature | Help Scout | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $25/mo | $79/mo |
| Number of Plans | 4 | 1 |
| Free Tier | Yes | No |
| Pricing Model | per-seat | per-seat |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
Help Scout is the more affordable option, starting at $25/mo compared to Kayako's $79/mo. Both are Customer Support tools with 5 combined pricing plans and 31 features compared.
Help Scout stands out with a free plan for getting started.
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 Try it free |  Kayako Try it free |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free $0/monthCheapest Includes
| Kayako One $79/month Includes
|
| Tier 2 | Standard $25/monthCheapest Includes
| — |
| Tier 3 | PlusPopular $45/monthCheapest Includes
| — |
| Tier 4 | Pro $75/monthCheapest Includes
| — |
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Help Scout
Help Scout offers a free plan, starts at $54/mo lower ($25/mo vs $79/mo), offers 4 tiers vs 1.
Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.
Best value: Help Scout
Try Help Scout freeWhich Should You Choose?
Choose Help Scout if:
- •You want lower per-user costs—Help Scout starts at $25/mo, saving $54/mo compared to Kayako at $79/mo
- •You need a free plan with 1 shared email Inbox, 1 public knowledge base—Help Scout offers no-cost access with no credit card required
- •You need 4 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
- •You want more features built-in—Help Scout offers 19 additional features across its plans
Choose Kayako if:
- •You need predictable billing — Kayako's per-seat model avoids surprise overages
- •You value Kayako's specific feature progression from free to advanced tier levels
- •Kayako's approach to Customer Support reflects how modern teams actually use these tools
Help Scout is the more affordable choice [1], starting at $25/mo compared to Kayako's $79/mo. For a 50-person team on paid plans, this translates to Help Scout saving approximately $2700/month. Help Scout offers 4 pricing tiers compared to Kayako's 1, giving you more granular control over scaling costs as your team grows. Across all tiers, Help Scout provides 25 total features versus 6 for Kayako, offering a richer feature set depending on your specific needs. The pricing math favors Help Scout for most team sizes. Kayako becomes worth the premium only when its differentiating features are central to your workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions: Help Scout vs Kayako
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Kayako?
How many pricing plans does Help Scout have vs Kayako?
Does Help Scout or Kayako offer a free plan?
What is the most popular Help Scout plan?
How do Help Scout and Kayako compare for Customer Support?
Sources
- Help Scout Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
- Kayako Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
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