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CRM · head to head

Freshsales vs Help Scout

Freshsales logo

Freshsales

CRM

Smart CRM for growing businesses

From
$19/month
Free plan
No
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

  • Only Help Scout has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshsales contact scoring, sales sequences and territory management require the Pro plan at $39 per user per month, more than four times the Growth price; 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: Freshsales covers Contact management, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Freshsales and Help Scout differ
AttributeFreshsalesHelp Scout
Starting price$19/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20102011

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Freshsales

  • Contact management
  • Lead scoring
  • Sales pipeline
  • Activity tracking
  • Email sync
  • AI insights
  • Workflow automation
  • Gmail

Only in Help Scout

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Shopify
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Freshsales

  • Sales CRM with built in email, phone and chatnot Help Scout
  • Managing deals, pipelines and sales sequencesnot Help Scout

Help Scout

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

Where each one falls short

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

Freshsales

  • Contact scoring, sales sequences and territory management require the Pro plan at $39 per user per month, more than four times the Growth price
  • Forecasting insights, custom modules, sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only at $59 per user per month
  • Every published price requires annual billing
  • The Freddy AI agent is billed separately at $49 per 100 sessions
  • Branded documents are a further $19 per user add on
  • No contact limits are stated for any tier on the pricing page

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

Freshsales

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Contact & account management
    • Pipeline management
  • Growth$39/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Sales automation
    • Territory management
  • Pro$65/month
    • Everything in Growth
    • Forecasting
    • Advanced customization

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 Freshsales if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want lead scoring.
Freshsales 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 Freshsales or Help Scout better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshsales starts at $19/month and Help Scout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshsales or Help Scout?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for Freshsales and Free for Help Scout.
Does Freshsales or Help Scout run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshsales starts at $19/month.
What is Freshsales best used for?
Freshsales is most often used for sales crm with built in email, phone and chat, managing deals, pipelines and sales sequences. Of those, sales crm with built in email, phone and chat and managing deals, pipelines and sales sequences are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
What can Freshsales do that Help Scout cannot?
Freshsales covers Contact management, Lead scoring, Sales pipeline, Activity tracking. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Both handle Slack, Shopify, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshsales: Is there a free trial for Freshsales?

Yes, Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial with no credit card required and no strings attached.

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
Freshsales: How do I learn pricing for Freshsales?

Pricing is not listed on the main product pages. The site directs users to request a demo or sign up for the free trial to discuss pricing with the sales team.

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
Freshsales: Is a demo required to see pricing?

The site prominently features demo and trial signup options, suggesting that pricing is discussed during the sales consultation process rather than published as standard tiers.

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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