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Customer Support

Help Scout vs Plain: Pricing Comparison 2026

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

Bottom line: Help Scout starts at $25/mo, making it $10/mo cheaper than Plain ($35/mo). Neither offers a free plan.

Last updated: July 6, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated July 6, 2026
Try Help Scout freeTry Plain freePrice updated 11d agoPrice updated 11d ago
Best Value

Help Scout - Help Scout starts at $10/mo lower ($25/mo vs $35/mo).

Help Scout vs Plain: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureHelp ScoutPlain
Starting Price$25/mo$35/mo
Number of Plans33
Free TierNoNo
Pricing Modelper-seatusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Help Scout is the more affordable option, starting at $25/mo compared to Plain's $35/mo. Both are Customer Support tools with 6 combined pricing plans and 24 features compared.

Help Scout uses per-seat pricing while Plain uses usage-based pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.

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
Plain
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
Foundation
$35/month
Start with Foundation
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
Horizon
$299/month
Start with Horizon
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
Frontier
Custom pricing
Start with Frontier

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Help Scout

Customer support platform with shared inbox and knowledge base

View all Help Scout plans

Plain

API-first customer support platform for B2B teams

View all Plain plans

Frequently Asked Questions: Help Scout vs Plain

Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Plain?
As of July 2026, Help Scout starts at a lower price point. Help Scout starts at $25/mo while Plain starts at $35/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Help Scout have vs Plain?
Help Scout offers 3 pricing plans, while Plain offers 3 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
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.
Does Help Scout or Plain offer custom enterprise pricing?
Plain offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Help Scout lists all its pricing publicly.
What pricing models do Help Scout and Plain use?
Help Scout uses a per-seat pricing model, while Plain uses usage-based pricing. The right model depends on your team size and usage patterns.
How do Help Scout and Plain compare for Customer Support?
Both Help Scout and Plain are Customer Support tools. Help Scout offers 3 plans starting at $25/mo, while Plain offers 3 plans starting at $35/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. Plain Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page

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