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Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Jivochat

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Jivochat logo

Jivochat

Live Chat

All-in-one communication platform for customer engagement

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Help Scout the free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free tier; Jivochat the free plan keeps only 2 months of chat history and has no CRM
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Jivochat covers Phone integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Jivochat differ
AttributeHelp ScoutJivochat
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile app, IOS, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20112008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), 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 Help Scout

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • Reporting
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Jira

Only in Jivochat

  • Phone integration
  • Email support
  • Chatbot builder
  • CRM
  • Telegram
  • Viber
  • Mobile app support
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Help Scout

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

Jivochat

  • Live chat and messaging support across website and social channelsnot Help Scout
  • Handling customer conversations from one agent inboxnot Help Scout

Where each one falls short

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

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

Jivochat

  • The free plan keeps only 2 months of chat history and has no CRM
  • The Chat API, chat routing and the mobile SDK are all Enterprise only, at $56 per agent per month billed annually
  • The WhatsApp module is a $27 a month add on on every plan including Enterprise
  • The Professional plan caps the account at 100 agents
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than conversation volume

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Jivochat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 agents included
    • Online chat for websites and social media integration
    • Basic callback and offline forms
  • Basic$28/month
    • Per-agent pricing ($28/agent/month)
    • Proactive invitations and visitor monitoring
    • Anti-spam protection and JivoChat CRM included
  • Professional$42/month
    • $42 per agent per month
    • Telephony Plus module and WhatsApp integration
    • Chat rescue and chatbot integration
  • Enterprise$56/month
    • $56 per agent per month
    • Mobile SDK and advanced chat routing
    • Unlimited agents (vs 100 cap on other paid tiers)

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Jivochat if

  • You need phone integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
  • You also want email support.
Jivochat review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Jivochat better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Jivochat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Jivochat?
Help Scout starts at Free and Jivochat at Free.
Does Help Scout or Jivochat run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Jivochat runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Help Scout best used for?
Help Scout is most often used for shared inbox and help desk for customer support teams, publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat support. Of those, shared inbox and help desk for customer support teams and publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat support are not what Jivochat is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Jivochat cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Customer profiles, Workflows. Jivochat covers Phone integration, Email support, Chatbot builder, CRM. Both handle Live chat, Slack, Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Jivochat: How much does JivoChat cost?

JivoChat is free for up to 5 agents. Paid plans start at $28 per agent per month (Basic), $42 per agent (Professional), and $56 per agent (Enterprise). All plans billed annually receive a 30% discount. A 14-day trial is available with no contract required.

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
Jivochat: What are the limits for agents in JivoChat plans?

The Free tier includes 5 agents. Basic, Professional, and Enterprise plans cap at 100 agents per organization, except Enterprise which allows unlimited agents at the $56-per-agent-per-month rate.

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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