Softwr

Software · head to head

Kustomer vs Help Scout

Kustomer logo

Kustomer

Software

The future of customer service

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Software

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Help Scout has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kustomer pricing not published; requires customised sales assessment and quote for exact costs; Help Scout the free plan caps contacts at 100 a month, so it is a volume trial rather than a standing free tier
  • They diverge on capability: Kustomer covers Unified customer view, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kustomer and Help Scout differ
AttributeKustomerHelp Scout
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, CloudWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20152011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Kustomer

  • Unified customer view
  • AI automation
  • Omnichannel
  • Workflow automation
  • Analytics
  • Magento
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Only in Help Scout

  • Shared inbox
  • Live chat
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • Shopify
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Kustomer

  • Large B2C and B2B organisations managing 600+ customer support interactions across omnichannel platformsnot Help Scout
  • Retail, financial services, travel and hospitality sectors requiring integrated AI-powered supportnot Help Scout
  • Enterprises seeking customer 360 views and advanced workflow automationnot Help Scout

Help Scout

  • Shared inbox and help desk for customer support teamsnot Kustomer
  • Publishing a knowledge base alongside email and chat supportnot Kustomer

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Kustomer

  • Pricing not published; requires customised sales assessment and quote for exact costs
  • Voice (call), SMS, and WhatsApp support operate on separate pay-as-you-go pricing models
  • Customisation-based pricing structure means no transparent cost comparison with competitors

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Kustomer

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Kustomer review.

Help Scout

Free
  • Standard$20/month
    • 2 mailboxes
    • 1 Docs site
    • Email & live chat
  • Plus$40/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Custom fields
    • Advanced permissions
  • Pro$65/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Enterprise security
    • HIPAA compliance

Which should you pick?

Choose Kustomer if

  • You need unified customer view.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want ai automation.
Kustomer review

Choose Help Scout if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want live chat.
Help Scout review

Questions people ask

Is Kustomer or Help Scout better?
Neither clearly leads. Kustomer starts at On request and Help Scout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kustomer or Help Scout?
Help Scout has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Kustomer and Free for Help Scout.
Does Kustomer or Help Scout run on more platforms?
Kustomer runs on Web, Cloud. Help Scout runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Help Scout for free?
Yes. Help Scout has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kustomer starts at On request.
What is Kustomer best used for?
Kustomer is most often used for large b2c and b2b organisations managing 600+ customer support interactions across omnichannel platforms, retail, financial services, travel and hospitality sectors requiring integrated ai-powered support, enterprises seeking customer 360 views and advanced workflow automation. Of those, large b2c and b2b organisations managing 600+ customer support interactions across omnichannel platforms and retail, financial services, travel and hospitality sectors requiring integrated ai-powered support are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
What can Kustomer do that Help Scout cannot?
Kustomer covers Unified customer view, AI automation, Omnichannel, Workflow automation. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Live chat, Customer profiles, Workflows. Both handle Knowledge base, Shopify, SOC2, GDPR.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Kustomer

More on Help Scout

Keep looking

Other head to heads