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Amazon Lex vs Help Scout

Amazon Lex logo

Amazon Lex

Live Chat

AWS conversational AI service

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Lex pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit); 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: Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Lex and Help Scout actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Lex and Help Scout differ
AttributeAmazon LexHelp Scout
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsWeb, AWS CloudWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded20062011

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 Amazon Lex

  • Speech recognition
  • Natural language understanding
  • Voice and text
  • Lambda integration
  • AWS services
  • Lambda
  • DynamoDB
  • SNS

Only in Help Scout

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Amazon Lex

  • Chatbot developmentnot Help Scout
  • Voice-based conversational AInot Help Scout
  • Natural language understandingnot Help Scout

Help Scout

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

Where each one falls short

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

Amazon Lex

  • Pay-as-you-go model with no standard free tier, only AWS free credits for new customers (6 months, $200 limit)
  • Speech requests cost $0.004 each, text requests $0.00075 each, training costs $0.50 per minute
  • Variable costs can accumulate quickly for high-volume applications

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

Amazon Lex

Free
  • Standard Usage$0.004/per speech request
    • Speech requests at $0.004 each
  • Text Requests$0.00075/per text request
    • Text requests at $0.00075 each

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 Amazon Lex if

  • You need speech recognition.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, AWS Cloud.
  • You also want natural language understanding.
Amazon Lex review

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.
Help Scout review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Lex or Help Scout better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Lex 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, Amazon Lex or Help Scout?
Amazon Lex starts at Free and Help Scout at Free.
Does Amazon Lex or Help Scout run on more platforms?
Amazon Lex runs on Web, AWS Cloud. Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Amazon Lex for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amazon Lex best used for?
Amazon Lex is most often used for chatbot development, voice-based conversational ai, natural language understanding. Of those, chatbot development and voice-based conversational ai are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Lex do that Help Scout cannot?
Amazon Lex covers Speech recognition, Natural language understanding, Voice and text, Lambda integration. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Lex: How much does Amazon Lex cost?

Amazon Lex charges $0.004 per speech request and $0.00075 per text request with no upfront commitments or minimum fees required.

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
Amazon Lex: Is there a free tier for Amazon Lex?

Yes, new AWS customers receive 10,000 text requests and 5,000 speech requests per month free for the first year. Additional $200 in AWS Free Tier credits are available for new customers as of July 15, 2025, with all credits expiring within 12 months.

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
Amazon Lex: What is the example monthly cost for Amazon Lex?

For 8,000 speech requests ($32) and 2,000 text requests ($1.50), the approximate monthly total is $33.50, though actual costs vary based on usage volume.

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
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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