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Customer Support · head to head

Help Scout vs Yellow.ai

Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Yellow.ai logo

Yellow.ai

Live Chat

Enterprise AI platform for customer experience

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; Yellow.ai free plan caps chat sessions at 500 per month, then charges $0.99 per additional resolution
  • They diverge on capability: Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Yellow.ai covers AI chatbots.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Help Scout and Yellow.ai actually diverge.

Attributes where Help Scout and Yellow.ai differ
AttributeHelp ScoutYellow.ai
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20112016

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
  • Reporting
  • Jira
  • Shopify

Only in Yellow.ai

  • AI chatbots
  • NLU capabilities
  • Multi-channel support
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Zendesk
  • Mobile support
  • Messaging apps support
  • Voice assistants support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • 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 Yellow.ai
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Yellow.ai

Yellow.ai

  • Businesses wanting to trial an AI chat agent before committing to per-resolution or enterprise billingnot 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

Yellow.ai

  • Free plan caps chat sessions at 500 per month, then charges $0.99 per additional resolution
  • Enterprise plan pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a custom quote
  • Basic plan pricing is not disclosed on the pricing page either, only feature details

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

Yellow.ai

On request
  • Starter$150/month
    • AI chatbot
    • 1 integration
  • Professional$400/month
    • Multi-channel
    • Advanced analytics
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom solutions
    • 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 Yellow.ai if

  • You need ai chatbots.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants.
  • You also want nlu capabilities.
Yellow.ai review

Questions people ask

Is Help Scout or Yellow.ai better?
Neither clearly leads. Help Scout starts at Free and Yellow.ai at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Help Scout or Yellow.ai?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Help Scout and On request for Yellow.ai.
Does Help Scout or Yellow.ai run on more platforms?
Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android. Yellow.ai runs on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yellow.ai 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 Yellow.ai is typically brought in for.
What can Help Scout do that Yellow.ai cannot?
Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Live chat, Customer profiles. Yellow.ai covers AI chatbots, NLU capabilities, Multi-channel support, Analytics dashboard. Both handle Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, 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
Yellow.ai: What does Yellow.ai's free tier include?

The free plan includes 1 AI agent, 500 monthly chat sessions with overage at $0.99 per additional resolution, and limited features.

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
Yellow.ai: What compliance certifications does the Enterprise plan provide?

The Enterprise tier includes SOC2, GDPR, and ISO compliance standards, ensuring enterprise-grade security and data handling.

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
Yellow.ai: How many agents and channels can I deploy with Yellow.ai's paid plans?

The Basic plan allows expandable agents and channels with 1,000 user records, while the Enterprise plan offers unlimited agents, sessions, and access to 35+ channels.

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
Yellow.ai: How do I find out Enterprise pricing for Yellow.ai?

The Enterprise plan pricing is not listed publicly and requires contacting the sales team for a custom quote.

Source
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