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Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Rasa

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Rasa logo

Rasa

Live Chat

Open-source framework for building conversational AI

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; Rasa free Developer Edition caps conversations at 1,000 external or 100 internal per company per month
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Rasa covers NLU engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Rasa differ
AttributeHelp ScoutRasa
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidOn-premise, Cloud deployment, Docker, Kubernetes
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20112016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Only in Rasa

  • NLU engine
  • Dialogue management
  • Multi-language support
  • Testing tools
  • Teams
  • Custom channels
  • API
  • On-premise support

Both cover

  • Slack

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

Rasa

  • Developers self-hosting an open source conversational AI framework before needing enterprise scalenot 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

Rasa

  • Free Developer Edition caps conversations at 1,000 external or 100 internal per company per month
  • Rasa Pro and the Business Plan (Pro plus Studio) are not priced on the site and require contacting sales

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

Rasa

Free
  • Free Developer EditionFree
    • One bot per company
    • Up to 1,000 external conversations per month or 100 internal conversations per month
    • Free Rasa license for local or production use
  • Rasa Pro$undefined/mo
    • Pro-code framework with CALM dialogue understanding
    • Language-agnostic NLU, enterprise search, multi-LLM management
    • Kubernetes support
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Full access to Rasa Platform and Premium Support
    • 24/7/365 support with Customer Success Manager
    • Business reviews and guidance

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 Rasa if

  • You need nlu engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on On-premise, Cloud deployment, Docker, Kubernetes.
  • You also want dialogue management.
Rasa review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Rasa better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Rasa at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Rasa?
Help Scout starts at Free and Rasa at Free.
Does Help Scout or Rasa run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Rasa runs on On-premise, Cloud deployment, Docker, Kubernetes.
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 Rasa is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Rasa cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Rasa covers NLU engine, Dialogue management, Multi-language support, Testing tools. Both handle Slack.

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
Rasa: Does Rasa offer a free version?

Yes. Rasa offers a free Developer Edition with one bot per company, up to 1,000 external conversations per month, and free community support.

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
Rasa: What support is included with Rasa's free tier?

The free tier includes community forum support with responses from Rasa community members. Paid tiers add premium support with enhanced response times.

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
Rasa: What is the difference between Rasa Pro and Enterprise?

Rasa Pro includes the pro-code framework with advanced NLU and multi-LLM management. Enterprise adds full platform access, 24/7 support, dedicated Customer Success Manager, and business reviews.

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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