Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs tawk.to

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
tawk.to logo

tawk.to

Live Chat

100% free live chat software

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; tawk.to removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, tawk.to covers Ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Help Scout and tawk.to actually diverge.

Attributes where Help Scout and tawk.to differ
AttributeHelp Scouttawk.to
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20112013

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
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Jira

Only in tawk.to

  • Ticketing
  • CRM
  • Video chat
  • Screen sharing
  • WordPress
  • Wix
  • Google Analytics
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Shopify
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android 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 tawk.to
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot tawk.to

tawk.to

  • Website live chat and visitor engagementnot Help Scout
  • Customer support automationnot 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

tawk.to

  • Removing the Powered by tawk.to branding costs an extra $29/month even on the free plan
  • Enhanced AI Assist chatbot is a paid add-on starting at $29/month rather than included free
  • Human staffed chat agents are billed at $1/hour as a separate add-on

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

tawk.to

Free
  • Free Core SoftwareFree
    • Live chat software with no feature limitations
    • Chat pages
    • Knowledge base (hosted help center)
  • Branding Removal$29/month
    • Remove Powered by tawk.to widget branding
  • AI Assist Premium$29/month
    • AI-powered chatbot automation
  • Hired Chat Agents$1/hour
    • Professional trained agents 24/7/365

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 customer profiles.
Help Scout review

Choose tawk.to if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
  • You also want crm.
tawk.to review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or tawk.to better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and tawk.to at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or tawk.to?
Help Scout starts at Free and tawk.to at Free.
Does Help Scout or tawk.to run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. tawk.to runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac.
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 tawk.to is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that tawk.to cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Customer profiles, Workflows, Reporting. tawk.to covers Ticketing, CRM, Video chat, Screen sharing. Both handle Knowledge base, Live chat, Shopify, 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
tawk.to: How much does tawk.to cost?

tawk.to is free for core live chat, knowledge base, ticketing, and CRM. Premium add-ons start at $29/month for branding removal or AI Assist, and $1/hour for hired chat agents.

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
tawk.to: Is tawk.to free forever?

Yes, tawk.to's core software including live chat, knowledge base, ticketing, and contacts is free forever with no feature limitations.

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
tawk.to: How are tawk.to's hired chat agents priced?

Hired chat agents are billed at $1 per hour with professional trained staff providing 24/7/365 support.

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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