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Software · head to head

LiveAgent vs Help Scout

LiveAgent logo

LiveAgent

Software

All-in-one help desk software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Software

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: LiveAgent social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price; 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: LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where LiveAgent and Help Scout differ
AttributeLiveAgentHelp Scout
Founded20042011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 LiveAgent

  • Ticketing system
  • Call center
  • Social media
  • Customer portal
  • WordPress
  • Magento
  • Zapier
  • SSL

Only in Help Scout

  • Shared inbox
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • Reporting
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Jira
  • SOC2

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Knowledge base
  • Shopify
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

LiveAgent

  • Multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messagesnot Help Scout
  • Ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teamsnot Help Scout

Help Scout

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

Where each one falls short

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

LiveAgent

  • Social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price
  • The entry plan is limited to 3 email accounts, 2 live chat buttons and 3 contact forms
  • WhatsApp numbers are rationed by plan, at 5 on Large Business and 20 on Enterprise
  • The advertised prices require annual billing, and monthly billing raises the entry plan from $10 to $13 per agent
  • Every published price is a discounted rate against a higher regular price

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

LiveAgent

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 7-day ticket history
    • 1 chat button
    • 1 email account
  • Small$9/month
    • Unlimited ticket history
    • 3 email accounts
    • Customer portal
  • Medium$29/month
    • Call center
    • 10 email accounts
    • Advanced reporting
  • Large$49/month
    • Everything unlimited
    • Senior account manager
    • White glove setup

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 LiveAgent if

  • You need ticketing system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want call center.
LiveAgent review

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

Questions people ask

Is LiveAgent or Help Scout better?
Neither clearly leads. LiveAgent starts at Free and Help Scout at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LiveAgent or Help Scout?
LiveAgent starts at Free and Help Scout at Free.
Does LiveAgent or Help Scout run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use LiveAgent for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LiveAgent best used for?
LiveAgent is most often used for multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages, ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams. Of those, multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages and ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
What can LiveAgent do that Help Scout cannot?
LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Call center, Social media, Customer portal. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Customer profiles, Workflows, Reporting. Both handle Live chat, Knowledge base, Shopify, Slack.
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Related pages

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