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Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Vonage

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Vonage logo

Vonage

Telecommunications

Communications API platform for messaging and voice

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; Vonage mMS pricing not published publicly, requires sales team quote
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Vonage covers SMS messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Help Scout and Vonage differ
AttributeHelp ScoutVonage
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidAPI
CategoryCustomer SupportTelecommunications
Founded20112002

Identical on both: 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
  • HubSpot
  • Jira

Only in Vonage

  • SMS messaging
  • Voice API
  • Video API
  • Number management
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Mobile support
  • API support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • 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 Vonage
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Vonage

Vonage

  • Customer engagementnot Help Scout
  • Lead generationnot Help Scout
  • Customer supportnot Help Scout
  • Sales 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

Vonage

  • MMS pricing not published publicly, requires sales team quote
  • International SMS rates can exceed $1.00 per message in some markets
  • Smaller developer ecosystem compared to Twilio

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

Vonage

On request
  • Pay-as-you-go$0.05/month
    • SMS and voice
    • No monthly commitment
  • Starter$100/month
    • Volume discounts
    • Premium support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Dedicated team

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 Vonage if

  • You need sms messaging.
  • You work on API.
  • You also want voice api.
Vonage review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Vonage better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Vonage at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Vonage?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and On request for Vonage.
Does Help Scout or Vonage run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Vonage runs on API.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vonage 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 Vonage is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Vonage cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Vonage covers SMS messaging, Voice API, Video API, Number management. Both handle Slack, Salesforce, 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
Vonage: How much does Vonage SMS cost?

Vonage SMS API costs $0.00809 per outbound message and $0.00649 per inbound message in the US. There is no monthly minimum. Virtual phone numbers cost around $4.18 per month.

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
Vonage: What is Vonage Voice API pricing?

Voice API charges $0.00798/minute for US domestic calls. You pay per minute for calls made and received via the API.

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
Vonage: How does Vonage compare to Twilio for SMS?

Vonage charges $0.00809 per SMS versus Twilio at $0.0083. Vonage is marginally cheaper for SMS-heavy workloads, while Twilio offers better developer experience and broader channel 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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