Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Klaus

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Klaus logo

Klaus

Customer Support

AI-powered quality management for support teams

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Help Scout has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Klaus no longer available as standalone product after Zendesk acquisition
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Klaus covers AI-powered QA.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Klaus differ
AttributeHelp ScoutKlaus
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20112017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support).

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
  • Live chat
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • HubSpot

Only in Klaus

  • AI-powered QA
  • Conversation reviews
  • Scorecards
  • Coaching
  • Performance analytics
  • Calibration
  • Zendesk
  • Intercom

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web 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 Klaus
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Klaus

Klaus

  • Quality assurancenot Help Scout
  • Agent coachingnot Help Scout
  • Performance trackingnot 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

Klaus

  • No longer available as standalone product after Zendesk acquisition
  • Requires separate Zendesk subscription (not included in base plan)
  • Cannot be used with non-Zendesk help desk systems

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

Klaus

$50/month
  • Workforce Engagement Bundle$50/month
    • Includes Zendesk QA (formerly Klaus)
    • Requires base Zendesk Support or Suite plan
    • 100% conversation review with AI

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 Klaus if

  • You need ai-powered qa.
  • You also want conversation reviews.
Klaus review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Klaus better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Klaus at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Klaus?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and $50/month for Klaus.
Does Help Scout or Klaus run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Klaus runs on Web.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Klaus starts at $50/month.
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 Klaus is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Klaus cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Klaus covers AI-powered QA, Conversation reviews, Scorecards, Coaching. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, GDPR, Web 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
Klaus: Is Klaus still available as a standalone product?

No. Klaus was acquired by Zendesk in February 2024 and is now integrated into Zendesk as Zendesk QA, requiring a paid Zendesk plan as the base.

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
Klaus: What QA features does Klaus provide?

Klaus automatically reviews 100% of customer interactions using AI, provides immediate performance insights, reduces QA time by 80%, and improves CSAT scores through targeted coaching.

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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