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Customer Support · head to head

Zoho Desk vs Help Scout

Zoho Desk logo

Zoho Desk

Customer Support

Context-aware help desk software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Help Scout logo

Help Scout

Customer Support

Customer service software that people love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Zoho Desk free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats; 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: Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Help Scout covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zoho Desk and Help Scout actually diverge.

Attributes where Zoho Desk and Help Scout differ
AttributeZoho DeskHelp Scout
Founded19962011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support).

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 Zoho Desk

  • Ticket management
  • Multi-channel support
  • AI assistant
  • Automation
  • Zoho CRM
  • G Suite
  • Microsoft 365
  • ISO27001

Only in Help Scout

  • Shared inbox
  • Live chat
  • Customer profiles
  • Workflows
  • HubSpot
  • Jira
  • Shopify
  • HIPAA

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Zoho Desk

  • Multi-channel supportnot Help Scout
  • IT help desknot Help Scout
  • Customer servicenot Help Scout

Help Scout

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

Where each one falls short

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

Zoho Desk

  • Free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats

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

Zoho Desk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 agents
    • Email ticketing
    • Help center
  • Standard$14/month
    • Social channels
    • Workflow automation
    • Customer happiness ratings
  • Professional$23/month
    • Multi-department
    • Round-robin assignment
    • Custom fields
  • Enterprise$40/month
    • AI Zia
    • Multi-brand help center
    • Advanced analytics

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 Zoho Desk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want multi-channel support.
Zoho Desk 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 Zoho Desk or Help Scout better?
Neither clearly leads. Zoho Desk 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, Zoho Desk or Help Scout?
Zoho Desk starts at Free and Help Scout at Free.
Does Zoho Desk 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 Zoho Desk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Zoho Desk best used for?
Zoho Desk is most often used for multi-channel support, it help desk, customer service. Of those, multi-channel support and it help desk are not what Help Scout is typically brought in for.
What can Zoho Desk do that Help Scout cannot?
Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation. Help Scout covers Shared inbox, Live chat, Customer profiles, Workflows. Both handle Knowledge base, Reporting, Slack, Salesforce.
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Related pages

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