Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs SharpSpring

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
SharpSpring logo

SharpSpring

CRM

Marketing automation for agencies

From
$50/month
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; SharpSpring still operates under the SharpSpring brand name (footer copyright SharpSpring 2026) as a Constant Contact product, serving over 2000 agencies and 10000 businesses per the vendor site
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, SharpSpring covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and SharpSpring differ
AttributeHelp ScoutSharpSpring
Starting priceFree$50/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20112014

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
  • HubSpot
  • Jira
  • Shopify

Only in SharpSpring

  • Contact management
  • Email marketing
  • Landing pages
  • Marketing automation
  • CRM
  • White labeling
  • Zapier
  • Cloud deployment

Both cover

  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • GDPR
  • Web 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 SharpSpring
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot SharpSpring

SharpSpring

  • Marketing automationnot Help Scout
  • Lead generationnot Help Scout
  • Client managementnot 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

SharpSpring

  • Still operates under the SharpSpring brand name (footer copyright SharpSpring 2026) as a Constant Contact product, serving over 2000 agencies and 10000 businesses per the vendor site

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

SharpSpring

$50/month
  • Professional$50/month
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
    • Landing pages
  • Agency$100/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Client management
    • White labeling
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Agency
    • Custom integration
    • Dedicated support

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 SharpSpring if

  • You need contact management.
  • You also want email marketing.
SharpSpring review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or SharpSpring better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and SharpSpring at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or SharpSpring?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and $50/month for SharpSpring.
Does Help Scout or SharpSpring run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. SharpSpring runs on Web.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SharpSpring starts at $50/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 SharpSpring is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that SharpSpring cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. SharpSpring covers Contact management, Email marketing, Landing pages, Marketing automation. Both handle Reporting, Slack, Salesforce, 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
SharpSpring: Does SharpSpring offer different pricing for agencies versus enterprise customers?

SharpSpring explicitly tailors pricing to three customer segments: SMBs, Agencies, and Enterprise. Agencies receive month-to-month plans with flexible billing, while enterprise customers get custom plans designed to scale.

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
SharpSpring: Are SharpSpring's agency plans billed monthly?

Yes. The site specifically mentions that agencies receive affordable month-to-month plans, indicating monthly billing flexibility rather than annual-only contracts.

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
SharpSpring: What payment options are available for SharpSpring?

The site does not specify payment methods or models. Specific pricing details and payment options require contacting SharpSpring directly or visiting their dedicated pricing pages.

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
SharpSpring: Is SharpSpring more affordable than competitors?

SharpSpring describes itself as offering a full feature set for a fraction of the cost of leading competitors, particularly for SMBs. However, specific pricing amounts are not disclosed on the homepage.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Help Scout

More on SharpSpring

Keep looking

Other head to heads