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Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs lemlist

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
lemlist logo

lemlist

CRM

Multichannel cold outreach platform for email, LinkedIn, SMS and calling

From
$55/month
Free plan
No

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; lemlist no standalone free plan, only a 14-day trial after which new campaigns cannot be launched without upgrading.
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, lemlist covers Multichannel sequences.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and lemlist differ
AttributeHelp Scoutlemlist
Starting priceFree$55/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Androidweb, api
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20112018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 lemlist

  • Multichannel sequences
  • Lead database
  • Deliverability hub
  • AI agents
  • CRM integrations
  • API, CLI and MCP access

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

lemlist

  • Running multichannel outbound campaigns across email and LinkedInnot Help Scout
  • Finding verified emails and phone numbers for prospectsnot Help Scout
  • Protecting sender reputation with automated inbox warm-upnot Help Scout
  • Combining calling and messaging into a single outreach sequencenot 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

lemlist

  • No standalone free plan, only a 14-day trial after which new campaigns cannot be launched without upgrading.
  • Multichannel plan pricing scales per sender/user, which can get costly for larger teams.
  • Enterprise features like SSO/SAML require a custom-priced plan and a 5-user minimum.
  • Advanced AI agent capabilities are newer and less proven than long-established outreach features.

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

lemlist

$55/month
  • Email$55/month
    • 50,000 emails/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Email and phone finder
  • Multichannel$87/month
    • Unlimited emails and messages
    • 5 senders per user
    • LinkedIn, SMS and WhatsApp automation
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • 5+ users minimum
    • Dedicated account manager
    • SSO/SAML security

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.

Choose lemlist if

  • You need multichannel sequences.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want lead database.

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or lemlist better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and lemlist at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or lemlist?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and $55/month for lemlist.
Does Help Scout or lemlist run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. lemlist runs on web, api.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. lemlist starts at $55/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 lemlist is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that lemlist cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. lemlist covers Multichannel sequences, Lead database, Deliverability hub, AI agents.

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
lemlist: What does lemlist cost?

lemlist's Email plan starts at $55/month (billed annually) for 50,000 emails, the Multichannel plan starts at $87/month for unlimited emails and messages plus LinkedIn/SMS/WhatsApp, and Enterprise is custom-priced.

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
lemlist: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

lemlist offers a 14-day free trial with full Multichannel plan access and no credit card required; after the trial, the account remains accessible but new campaigns cannot be launched without a paid subscription.

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
lemlist: What does lemlist integrate with?

lemlist integrates with CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive, automation tools like Zapier, Make and n8n, VoIP platforms such as Aircall and Ringover, and offers API, CLI and MCP access.

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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