No, Help Scout has no permanent free tier. It offers a free trial, after which a paid plan is required. Paid plans start at about $0.75/mo.

How much does Help Scout cost?

Help Scout starts at about $0.75/mo. Full plans: Base plans from ~$20/user/mo (Standard); AI Answers charged separately (~$0.75 per resolution). Free trial available.

Is there a free alternative to Help Scout?

Yes — Chatbase, Crisp, DevRev offer free tiers. Chatbase is the best free Help Scout alternative for most people.

No, Help Scout has no permanent free tier. It offers a free trial, after which a paid plan is required. Paid plans start at about $0.75/mo.

How much does Help Scout cost?

Help Scout starts at about $0.75/mo. Full plans: Base plans from ~$20/user/mo (Standard); AI Answers charged separately (~$0.75 per resolution). Free trial available.

Is there a free alternative to Help Scout?

Yes — Chatbase, Crisp, DevRev offer free tiers. Chatbase is the best free Help Scout alternative for most people.

Help Scout Pricing (2026)

Help Scout has no free tier; paid plans start at about $0.75/mo. A free trial is available. It's worth it if smbs and mid-market teams wanting a polished, human-first help desk with practical ai features adopted incrementally.

Help Scout plans

Base plans from ~$20/user/mo (Standard)
AI Answers charged separately (~$0.75 per resolution). Free trial available.

Pricing changes often — always confirm on the official site before buying.

Worth it if

SMBs and mid-market teams wanting a polished, human-first help desk with practical AI features adopted incrementally.

Skip it if

Enterprises needing deep telephony, complex multi-step agent workflows, or high-volume automation.

Visit Help Scout

Free alternatives to Help Scout

5 AI Customer Support tools with a genuine free tier:

Freddy AI (Freshworks)

Help Scout review →All Help Scout alternatives →Best AI Customer Support tools →Cheapest Customer Support tools →

Frequently asked questions

Is Help Scout free?: No, Help Scout has no permanent free tier. It offers a free trial, after which a paid plan is required. Paid plans start at about $0.75/mo.
How much does Help Scout cost?: Help Scout starts at about $0.75/mo. Full plans: Base plans from ~$20/user/mo (Standard); AI Answers charged separately (~$0.75 per resolution). Free trial available.
Is there a free alternative to Help Scout?: Yes — Chatbase, Crisp, DevRev offer free tiers. Chatbase is the best free Help Scout alternative for most people.