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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Affiliatly vs Help Scout

Affiliatly logo

Affiliatly

Affiliate Marketing

Simple affiliate software for e-commerce stores

From
Free
Rated
-
Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Affiliatly limited to 10 platform integrations, which may exclude niche or emerging e-commerce platforms; 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: Affiliatly covers Automatic tracking, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Affiliatly and Help Scout actually diverge.

Attributes where Affiliatly and Help Scout differ
AttributeAffiliatlyHelp Scout
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryAffiliate MarketingCustomer Support
Founded20142011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Affiliatly

  • Automatic tracking
  • Custom commission rates
  • Affiliate dashboard
  • Coupon tracking
  • Manual payouts
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce
  • Ecwid

Only in Help Scout

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

Both cover

  • Shopify
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Affiliatly

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Help Scout
  • Workflow automationnot Help Scout
  • Reportingnot Help Scout

Help Scout

  • Shared inbox and help desk for customer support teamsnot Affiliatly
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Affiliatly

Where each one falls short

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

Affiliatly

  • Limited to 10 platform integrations, which may exclude niche or emerging e-commerce platforms
  • Affiliate tier capped at 50 on the Starter plan, requiring upgrade for programs with more affiliates
  • Advanced customization options are limited compared to enterprise-level affiliate platforms

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

Affiliatly

Free
  • FreeFree
    • First 50 tracked orders
  • Starter$16/month
    • Unlimited orders
    • 50 affiliates max
  • Advanced$24/month
    • 200 affiliates
    • Branded portal
  • Professional$39/month
    • 500 affiliates
    • Custom SKU commissions

Help Scout

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • 1 Inbox
    • 1 Docs site
  • Standard$25/month
    • Multiple inboxes
    • Live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
    • Multiple knowledge bases
  • Plus$45/month
    • Standard features plus advanced workflows
    • Two advanced SLAs
    • Secure portal
  • Pro$75/month
    • Plus features plus unlimited workflows
    • Unlimited SLAs
    • SSO/SAML

Which should you pick?

Choose Affiliatly if

  • You need automatic tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want custom commission rates.

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 Affiliatly or Help Scout better?
Neither clearly leads. Affiliatly starts at Free and Help Scout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Affiliatly or Help Scout?
Affiliatly starts at Free and Help Scout at Free.
Does Affiliatly or Help Scout run on more platforms?
Affiliatly runs on Web. Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Affiliatly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Affiliatly best used for?
Affiliatly is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, affiliate marketing management and workflow automation are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
What can Affiliatly do that Help Scout cannot?
Affiliatly covers Automatic tracking, Custom commission rates, Affiliate dashboard, Coupon tracking. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Both handle Shopify, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Affiliatly: Does Affiliatly offer a free plan?

Yes, Affiliatly is free for your first 50 tracked orders. Once you exceed 50 orders, you must upgrade to a paid plan starting at $16 per month for the Starter tier.

Source
Help Scout: How much does Help Scout cost?

Help Scout offers a free plan for up to 5 users. Paid plans start at $25/user/month (Standard), $45/user/month (Plus), and $75/user/month (Pro).

Source
Affiliatly: Which e-commerce platforms does Affiliatly integrate with?

Affiliatly integrates with 10 major e-commerce platforms: Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Storeden, Magento, Jumpseller, Ecwid, Lightspeed, and Wix.

Source
Help Scout: What is included in the Pro plan?

Help Scout Pro at $75/user/month includes unlimited workflows, unlimited SLAs, SSO/SAML, HIPAA compliance, up to 50 light users, dedicated onboarding, and a strategic account manager.

Source
Affiliatly: Can I track offline affiliate sales?

Yes. Affiliatly supports offline tracking through coupon codes and QR codes. Affiliates can share unique QR codes online or print them for physical promotions, and purchases made by customers scanning those codes are automatically tracked and credited.

Source
Help Scout: Does Help Scout offer a free trial?

Yes, Help Scout offers a 15-day free trial for Standard and Plus plans with no credit card required. Pro plan requires booking a demo.

Source
Affiliatly: How does Affiliatly's API pricing work?

Affiliatly's API integration is completely free. The API enables tracking via link clicks, product codes/SKUs, or customer emails, and supports automatic order status updates and product information syncing.

Source
Help Scout: What is the cost of Help Scout's AI Answers add-on?

Help Scout's AI Answers add-on costs $0.75 per resolution with a 3-month free trial included.

Source
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