Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Kylas

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Kylas logo

Kylas

CRM

Indian sales CRM sold at a flat monthly rate with unlimited users instead of per seat

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; Kylas unlimited users only moves the meter rather than removing it: records are capped, and expanding beyond one hundred thousand costs 500 INR per twenty thousand, which becomes the real cost driver for any business with a large lead database.
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Kylas covers Unlimited users on every plan.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Kylas differ
AttributeHelp ScoutKylas
Pricing modelsubscriptionFlat rate per month, unlimited users
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Help Scout

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

Only in Kylas

  • Unlimited users on every plan
  • Lead and deal management
  • Record based limits
  • Workflow automation
  • Quotation management
  • Telephony integrations
  • WhatsApp and SMS
  • BI analytics add-on

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 Kylas
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Kylas

Kylas

  • A twenty five person Indian inside sales team where per seat CRM pricing would cost several times a flat monthly ratenot Help Scout
  • A company that wants every employee including support and delivery staff to see customer records without buying them seatsnot Help Scout
  • A business with high sales headcount turnover that does not want to renegotiate licence counts every quarternot Help Scout
  • An Indian SME needing native WhatsApp, IndiaMART and local telephony connections rather than a Western CRM with adaptersnot 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

Kylas

  • Unlimited users only moves the meter rather than removing it: records are capped, and expanding beyond one hundred thousand costs 500 INR per twenty thousand, which becomes the real cost driver for any business with a large lead database.
  • Core functionality such as workflows, email templates and email tracking is sold as separate add-ons from 500 to 800 INR a month, so the advertised flat rate is not what an automated sales operation actually pays.
  • The free Embark plan caps records at ten thousand and explicitly cannot be expanded, so it is a trial with no upgrade path in place rather than a workable long term free tier.
  • Kylas is built around Indian sales practice and its integration marketplace is dominated by Indian telephony, payments and lead sources, which makes it a poor fit for companies selling primarily into Europe or North America.
  • Onboarding is charged at 25,000 INR one-off with training at 5,000 INR per three hour session, so first year cost is meaningfully above twelve months of subscription.

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

Kylas

Free
  • EmbarkFree
    • Free for life
    • Unlimited users
    • Ten thousand records, not expandable
  • Elevate$12999/month
    • Flat rate for unlimited users, not per seat
    • One hundred thousand records, expandable
    • Quarterly, half-yearly and annual billing terms
  • Exceed$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Around 1.1 million records, adjustable

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 Kylas if

  • You need unlimited users on every plan.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want lead and deal management.
Kylas review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Kylas better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Kylas at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Kylas?
Help Scout starts at Free and Kylas at Free.
Does Help Scout or Kylas run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Kylas runs on Web, 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 Kylas is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Kylas cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Kylas covers Unlimited users on every plan, Lead and deal management, Record based limits, Workflow automation.

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
Kylas: What does Kylas cost?

The Elevate plan is a flat rate of about 12,999 INR per month for unlimited users, with quarterly, half-yearly and annual terms. There is a free Embark plan and a custom Exceed tier.

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
Kylas: Does unlimited users really mean unlimited?

Yes for seats. The limit is on records: ten thousand on the free plan, one hundred thousand on Elevate, expandable at 500 INR per twenty thousand.

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
Kylas: What is not included in the flat rate?

Workflows, email templates, email tracking, the security module and BI analytics are add-ons from 500 to 5,000 INR per month. Onboarding is 25,000 INR one-off.

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
Kylas: Is it usable outside India?

It works, but the integration marketplace and sales workflows are built for the Indian market and the pricing is quoted in rupees.

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