Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Kustomer

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kustomer logo

Kustomer

Customer Support

The future of customer service

From
On request
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; Kustomer pricing not published; requires customised sales assessment and quote for exact costs
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Kustomer covers Unified customer view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Kustomer differ
AttributeHelp ScoutKustomer
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Cloud
Founded20112015

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

Only in Kustomer

  • Unified customer view
  • AI automation
  • Omnichannel
  • Workflow automation
  • Analytics
  • Magento
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • 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.

Help Scout

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

Kustomer

  • Large B2C and B2B organisations managing 600+ customer support interactions across omnichannel platformsnot Help Scout
  • Retail, financial services, travel and hospitality sectors requiring integrated AI-powered supportnot Help Scout
  • Enterprises seeking customer 360 views and advanced workflow automationnot 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

Kustomer

  • Pricing not published; requires customised sales assessment and quote for exact costs
  • Voice (call), SMS, and WhatsApp support operate on separate pay-as-you-go pricing models
  • Customisation-based pricing structure means no transparent cost comparison with competitors

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

Kustomer

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Kustomer review.

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 live chat.
Help Scout review

Choose Kustomer if

  • You need unified customer view.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want ai automation.
Kustomer review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Kustomer better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Kustomer at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Kustomer?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and On request for Kustomer.
Does Help Scout or Kustomer run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Kustomer runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kustomer starts at On request.
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 Kustomer is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Kustomer cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Live chat, Customer profiles, Workflows. Kustomer covers Unified customer view, AI automation, Omnichannel, Workflow automation. Both handle Knowledge base, Shopify, SOC2, GDPR.

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
Kustomer: How much does Kustomer cost?

Kustomer uses a custom, quote-based pricing model and does not publish standard rates. Every CX team setup is different, so pricing varies based on company size, number of support agents, and monthly conversation volume.

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
Kustomer: How do I get a Kustomer pricing quote?

Complete a 2-minute ROI calculator assessment that gathers information about your industry, company size, agent count, and monthly conversation volume. Results provide directional pricing estimates before sales connects with you.

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
Kustomer: Are there add-on costs for Kustomer features?

Yes, add-on services include HIPAA Enabled Subscription, implementation services, Voice, SMS, and WhatsApp support on a pay-as-you-go model.

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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