Softwr

Software · head to head

8x8 Contact Center vs Help Scout

8x8 Contact Center logo

8x8 Contact Center

Software

Integrated cloud communications and contact center

From
$85/month
Rated
-
Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Software

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Help Scout has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 8x8 Contact Center listed on G-Cloud 14 directly by 8x8 UK Limited (not a reseller) at £0.68 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Contact Centre; Help Scout the free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free tier
  • They diverge on capability: 8x8 Contact Center covers Voice, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 8x8 Contact Center and Help Scout actually diverge.

Attributes where 8x8 Contact Center and Help Scout differ
Attribute8x8 Contact CenterHelp Scout
Starting price$85/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19872011

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 8x8 Contact Center

  • Voice
  • Digital channels
  • IVR
  • ACD
  • WFM
  • Quality management
  • Analytics
  • Microsoft Teams

Only in Help Scout

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Jira

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • SOC2
  • HIPAA
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

8x8 Contact Center

  • Unified communicationsnot Help Scout
  • Contact centernot Help Scout
  • Remote worknot Help Scout
  • Customer supportnot Help Scout

Help Scout

  • Shared inbox and help desk for customer support teamsnot 8x8 Contact Center
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot 8x8 Contact Center

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

8x8 Contact Center

  • Listed on G-Cloud 14 directly by 8x8 UK Limited (not a reseller) at £0.68 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Contact Centre

Help Scout

  • The free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free tier
  • Inboxes are rationed by plan, at 1 on free, 5 on Plus and 10 on Pro
  • Each plan also caps users, at 25 on Standard and 50 on Plus
  • The Pro plan at $75 per user per month carries a 10 user minimum, so the entry cost is $750 a month
  • SSO, SAML and HIPAA compliance are Pro only
  • AI Answers is billed separately at $0.75 per resolution on top of the seat price

Pricing, plan by plan

8x8 Contact Center

$85/month
  • X6$85/month
    • Voice contact center
    • ACD
    • IVR
  • X7$110/month
    • X6 + Digital channels
    • Quality management
  • X8$140/month
    • X7 + WFM
    • Speech analytics
    • Advanced AI

Help Scout

Free
  • Standard$20/month
    • 2 mailboxes
    • 1 Docs site
    • Email & live chat
  • Plus$40/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Custom fields
    • Advanced permissions
  • Pro$65/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Enterprise security
    • HIPAA compliance

Which should you pick?

Choose 8x8 Contact Center if

  • You need voice.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital channels.

Choose Help Scout if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.

Questions people ask

Is 8x8 Contact Center or Help Scout better?
Neither clearly leads. 8x8 Contact Center starts at $85/month and Help Scout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 8x8 Contact Center or Help Scout?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $85/month for 8x8 Contact Center and Free for Help Scout.
Does 8x8 Contact Center or Help Scout run on more platforms?
8x8 Contact Center runs on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android. Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 8x8 Contact Center starts at $85/month.
What is 8x8 Contact Center best used for?
8x8 Contact Center is most often used for unified communications, contact center, remote work, customer support. Of those, unified communications and contact center are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
What can 8x8 Contact Center do that Help Scout cannot?
8x8 Contact Center covers Voice, Digital channels, IVR, ACD. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Both handle Salesforce, HubSpot, SOC2, HIPAA.

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