Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Tidio

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Tidio logo

Tidio

Live Chat

Customer service platform driven by live chat

From
$24.17/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; Tidio free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Tidio covers Chatbots.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Tidio differ
AttributeHelp ScoutTidio
Starting priceFree$24.17/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud-based SaaS
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20112013

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

Only in Tidio

  • Chatbots
  • Visitor tracking
  • Email marketing
  • Mobile apps
  • Canned responses
  • WordPress
  • Wix
  • BigCommerce

Both cover

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

Tidio

  • Live chat customer support across web and mobilenot Help Scout
  • AI-powered customer service automation with Lyro AI Agentnot Help Scout
  • Ticketing and conversation management for support teamsnot Help Scout
  • Multi-agent support with team collaboration featuresnot 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

Tidio

  • Free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • Advanced analytics, user permissions, and macros excluded from Free and Starter tiers
  • Custom branding, multiproject, and department features only available in Plus tier ($300+/month)
  • Guaranteed AI resolution rates (50% minimum) only in Premium tier; Premium pricing requires 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

Tidio

$24.17/month
  • Starter$24.17/month
    • 100 billable conversations
    • 50 Lyro AI Agent conversations
    • 100 Flows visitors reached
  • Growth$49.17/month
    • 250+ billable conversations
    • Advanced analytics
    • User permissions
  • Plus$300/month
    • Custom billable conversations
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated Success Manager
  • Premium$null/custom
    • 3000+ Lyro AI conversations
    • Guaranteed 50% Lyro AI resolution rate
    • Pay-per-resolution billing option

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 Tidio if

  • You need chatbots.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want visitor tracking.
Tidio review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Tidio better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Tidio at $24.17/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Tidio?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and $24.17/month for Tidio.
Does Help Scout or Tidio run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Tidio runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tidio starts at $24.17/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 Tidio is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Tidio cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Customer profiles, Workflows. Tidio covers Chatbots, Visitor tracking, Email marketing, Mobile apps. Both handle Live chat, Shopify, GDPR, Web support.

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
Tidio: What is the cheapest way to start with Tidio?

The Starter plan at $24.17/month (annual billing) includes 100 billable conversations, live chat, ticketing, and basic analytics. Annual billing provides 2 months free compared to monthly billing.

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
Tidio: Does Tidio offer a free trial?

Yes, Tidio provides a 7-day free trial that does not require a credit card and automatically downgrades to the free plan unless you upgrade after the trial ends.

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
Tidio: How much does Lyro AI Agent cost?

Lyro AI Agent is an add-on starting at $32.50/month for 50 conversations. It is available on all plans and can be added separately from the base subscription.

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
Tidio: What are Tidio's billable conversation limits?

Starter includes 100 billable conversations per month. Growth includes 250+. Plus and Premium have custom limits. Each plan tier includes conversations for the AI Agent feature separately.

Source
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