Help Scout Alternatives: Small Business
Help Scout's pricing adding up? Compare alternatives with better multi-brand support, lower costs, and features small businesses actually need.
Help Scout is popular with small businesses for good reason—it’s simple, clean, and feels like email. But as your business grows, the costs grow too. And some features you might need are locked to higher tiers.
Here’s what to consider when Help Scout starts pinching.
Why Small Businesses Leave Help Scout
1. Multi-Brand = Plus Pricing
Many small businesses serve multiple audiences:
- Different product lines
- Regional brands
- White-label clients
Help Scout’s Standard plan ($20/user) supports one mailbox per user. Multiple brands need Plus at $40/user—doubling your cost.
2. Linear Cost Scaling
At $20-40/user, costs scale directly with team size:
- 3 users: $60-120/month
- 5 users: $100-200/month
- 10 users: $200-400/month
For small businesses where multiple people occasionally help with support (owner, manager, staff), this adds up.
3. Limited Reporting on Standard
Want custom reports or advanced analytics? That’s Plus ($40/user). Small businesses often need to track specific metrics but can’t justify the upgrade.
Best Help Scout Alternatives for Small Business
1. Freshdesk — Best Free Tier
Why it works: Freshdesk’s free tier supports up to 10 agents with basic ticketing, email, and social. Good for small businesses wanting to minimize costs.
Pricing: Free (10 agents), $15/agent/month (Growth), $49/agent/month (Pro)
Small business fit:
- Free tier actually usable
- Lower per-agent cost than Help Scout
- More automation included
- Knowledge base on all plans
Trade-offs:
- More complex than Help Scout
- Multi-brand needs Pro ($49/agent)
- Interface can feel cluttered
Best for: Cost-conscious small businesses who can handle more complexity.
2. Dispatch Tickets — Best for Multi-Location
Why it works: If you run multiple locations, brands, or product lines, Dispatch Tickets includes multi-brand on all plans. Per-ticket pricing means everyone can access support without per-seat costs.
Pricing: Free (100 tickets/month), $29/month (1,000 tickets), $99/month (10,000 tickets)
Small business fit:
- Multi-brand included (not $40/user extra)
- Unlimited users on all plans
- Owner, manager, staff all have access
- Predictable monthly cost
Trade-offs:
- Newer product
- Smaller integration ecosystem
- Less polished than Help Scout
Best for: Multi-location businesses, franchises, agencies managing client support.
3. Zoho Desk — Best Budget Option
Why it works: If Help Scout’s pricing is the main issue, Zoho Desk offers similar functionality at lower prices, especially if you’re already using Zoho products.
Pricing: Free (3 agents), $14/agent/month (Standard), $23/agent/month (Professional)
Small business fit:
- 30% cheaper than Help Scout
- Free tier for tiny teams
- Good if you use Zoho CRM
- Solid feature set for price
Trade-offs:
- Interface isn’t as clean
- Learning curve is steeper
- Multi-brand needs Enterprise ($40/agent)
Best for: Budget-focused small businesses or Zoho ecosystem users.
4. Crisp — Best for Chat + Email
Why it works: Combines chat and email in one tool with flat monthly pricing—not per-seat.
Pricing: Free (2 seats), $25/month (4 seats), $95/month (unlimited)
Small business fit:
- Flat pricing = predictable
- Chat + email unified
- No per-seat calculations
- Quick to set up
Trade-offs:
- Chat-focused (email is secondary)
- Fewer features than Help Scout
- Limited for email-heavy support
Best for: Small businesses where chat is as important as email.
Comparison Table
| Tool | Starting Price | Multi-brand | Users | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshdesk | Free | Pro ($49/agent) | 10 free | Free tier |
| Dispatch Tickets | Free | All plans | Unlimited | Multi-location |
| Zoho Desk | Free | Enterprise | 3 free | Budget |
| Crisp | Free | Yes | 2 free | Chat + email |
| Help Scout | $20/user | Plus ($40/user) | Per-user | Simplicity |
What Small Businesses Actually Need
Before switching, consider what matters:
If cost is the issue:
- Zoho Desk saves 30% per agent
- Freshdesk free works for up to 10 people
- Dispatch Tickets is $29/month regardless of team size
If multi-brand is the issue:
- Dispatch Tickets includes it on all plans
- Freshdesk Pro at $49/agent (still cheaper than Help Scout Plus for some)
- Crisp supports multiple brands at $95/month flat
If you want Help Scout but cheaper:
There isn’t a direct clone. Help Scout’s simplicity is unique. The closest is accepting more complexity for lower cost (Freshdesk, Zoho Desk).
The Bottom Line
Help Scout is good software that gets expensive as you grow. For small businesses:
- Want free? → Freshdesk or Zoho Desk
- Multiple brands/locations? → Dispatch Tickets
- Chat + email? → Crisp
- Lowest per-user cost? → Zoho Desk
Most have free tiers. Test with real support volume before committing.
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Get Early AccessFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you value simplicity and have budget for $20-40/user. No, if you need multi-brand support (requires Plus at $40/user) or want a free tier to start. Alternatives like Freshdesk offer free tiers.
Freshdesk Growth at $15/agent (25% cheaper) or free tier. Zoho Desk at $14/agent (30% cheaper). Dispatch Tickets at $29/month flat regardless of users (often 80%+ cheaper for teams over 3).
It depends on volume. Under 10 emails/day, Gmail might work. Once things slip through cracks or multiple people need to collaborate, dedicated software pays off in saved time and better customer experience.