Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Pipedrive

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Pipedrive logo

Pipedrive

CRM

The CRM that sales teams love to use

From
On request
Free plan
No
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; Pipedrive email account connectivity restricted to maximum of five email accounts per user
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Pipedrive covers Visual pipeline.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Pipedrive differ
AttributeHelp ScoutPipedrive
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20112010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Jira

Only in Pipedrive

  • Visual pipeline
  • Deal tracking
  • Activity reminders
  • Email integration
  • Mobile apps
  • Goal tracking
  • Lead management
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

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

Pipedrive

  • Sales pipeline management with kanban-style dashboardsnot Help Scout
  • Multi-channel communication with email and calendar syncnot Help Scout
  • Sales automation for small to mid-market teamsnot 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

Pipedrive

  • Email account connectivity restricted to maximum of five email accounts per user

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

Pipedrive

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Pipedrive 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 knowledge base.
Help Scout review

Choose Pipedrive if

  • You need visual pipeline.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Pipedrive review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Pipedrive better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Pipedrive at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Pipedrive?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and On request for Pipedrive.
Does Help Scout or Pipedrive run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Pipedrive runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pipedrive 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 Pipedrive is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Pipedrive cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Pipedrive covers Visual pipeline, Deal tracking, Activity reminders, Email integration. Both handle Reporting, Slack, 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
Pipedrive: How long is Pipedrive's free trial and what's required to start?

Pipedrive offers a 14-day free trial with full platform access. No credit card is required to begin the trial, making it accessible to businesses of any size.

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
Pipedrive: Are specific pricing tiers and costs detailed on the homepage?

The homepage does not list specific pricing amounts or tier names. Detailed subscription information and pricing costs are available on Pipedrive's dedicated pricing page.

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
Pipedrive: What core features does Pipedrive include?

Pipedrive includes pipeline management, automation, AI capabilities, email sync, and reporting features. Feature availability at different price levels is detailed on their pricing page.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Help Scout

More on Pipedrive

Keep looking

Other head to heads