What's the cheapest alternative to Help Scout?

None of the 1 alternatives we track has a lower entry price than Help Scout (Free). Compare on free-plan limits and feature scope instead.

Which Help Scout alternative has a free plan?

Crisp all offer permanent free plans. Free-tier limits vary, so the right pick depends on your contact count and send volume.

Are these all in the same category as Help Scout?

No. Help Scout is primarily a help desk tool. The alternatives listed here are adjacent tools that overlap on use case but sit in different primary categories.

Where can I compare Help Scout side-by-side with these alternatives?

Each Help Scout-vs-alternative pair has a dedicated head-to-head page on TierGauge with verified plan data, side-by-side feature mapping, and limit comparison at the entry paid tier. Pairs are linked from each row in the ranked list above; the canonical URL is /compare/ -vs- alphabetical.

Help Scout alternatives

1 tools that compete with Help Scout in help desk, ranked by entry price with live plan data. Help Scout itself starts at Free; verified April 30, 2026.

Comparing against

Help Scout

Starting at

Free

Free plan

Yes

Plans

Migration paths

1 out

Ranked alternatives

Free-plan tools first, then ascending by entry price, then alphabetical. Tags are derived from each tool's verified plan data; no editorial verdict claims.

01
Crisp
Per-workspace live chat and shared inbox with omnichannel messaging.
- Primarily live chat
From

Free

Plans

4

Crisp profile Help Scout vs Crisp

How we ranked these

Candidates. Every tool we hand-flagged as a Help Scout alternative, plus every tool sharing its primary category (help desk). Tools we don't yet track are not listed; we never link out to a tool we haven't verified.
Order. Free-plan tools first, then ascending by entry monthly price (the headline anchor we capture from each vendor). Custom-priced tools sort last. Ties broken alphabetically.
Tags. Each row's tags are computed against Help Scout's data: cheaper entry, free plan present, more plan tiers, enterprise tier present. No editorial "better than" claims.
Freshness. Pricing is captured weekly from each vendor's pricing page, listed in the source citation below. Confirm at the vendor's page before buying.

Leaving Help Scout? Read first 1 guide

Long-form migration guides written for Help Scout departures. Each covers the cost math, what you lose, what you gain, and the pair-specific gotchas your alternatives shortlist won't surface on its own.

Help Scout → Crisp
- Cost reduction
- Per-seat to flat
- Chat-first
Read guide

Compare on price

Want a price-only view across Help Scout and the alternatives above? See the help desk pricing comparison : free tiers, entry paid plans, and mid-tier plans side by side in a single table. Same data spine, different angle.

Common questions

What's the cheapest alternative to Help Scout?: None of the 1 alternatives we track has a lower entry price than Help Scout (Free). Compare on free-plan limits and feature scope instead.
Which Help Scout alternative has a free plan?: Crisp all offer permanent free plans. Free-tier limits vary, so the right pick depends on your contact count and send volume.
Are these all in the same category as Help Scout?: No. Help Scout is primarily a help desk tool. The alternatives listed here are adjacent tools that overlap on use case but sit in different primary categories.
Where can I compare Help Scout side-by-side with these alternatives?: Each Help Scout-vs-alternative pair has a dedicated head-to-head page on TierGauge with verified plan data, side-by-side feature mapping, and limit comparison at the entry paid tier. Pairs are linked from each row in the ranked list above; the canonical URL is /compare/<a>-vs-<b> alphabetical.

Sources

Help Scout: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/
Crisp: https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/

Last verified April 30, 2026. Pricing changes between refreshes; confirm at each vendor before purchasing.