Help Scout vs Intercom

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Cheaper paid plan: Help Scout — $25/seat/mo vs $29/seat/mo for Intercom
Free plan: Only Help Scout (Intercom has paid plans only)
Public API: Both have one
Best fit: Help Scout: Small and mid-sized support teams that want email-style replies · Intercom: Mid-market and enterprise teams automating a large share of tier-1 support
Trust score: About even — Help Scout 98, Intercom 96

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

Help ScoutShared-inbox helpdesk with knowledge base, live chat and an AI agent billed per resolution.

IntercomCustomer service helpdesk built around Fin, an AI agent billed per resolved conversation

Side by side

Fact	Help Scout	Intercom
Category	Helpdesk & Ticketing	Helpdesk & Ticketing
Pricing model	Freemium	Paid
Starts at	$25/seat/mo	$29/seat/mo
Public API	Yes	Yes
Trust score	98 / 100	96 / 100
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, API	Web, iOS, Android, API
Company	Help Scout	Intercom, Inc.
Launched	2011	2011
Last verified	Oct 15, 2026	Oct 15, 2026

What our research says

Help Scout

The oldest idea in the category done well: customers get an email, not a ticket, and your team gets a shared inbox with real reporting behind it. Fifteen years of remote operation shows in the polish and the integration list. The pricing is where to look hard - AI Answers is metered per resolution on top of seats, and extra inboxes and docs sites are billed separately, so the seat price is not the whole bill.

Pros

Shared inbox sends plain email, so customers never see ticket numbers
Free plan is a real 5-user tier, not a trial
Knowledge base, live chat and proactive messaging included rather than sold as separate products
Around 100 integrations plus a documented API
Reporting and analytics built in at every paid tier

Cons

The AI agent is a per-resolution add-on at $0.75, on top of per-seat pricing
Additional inboxes and docs sites are billed separately from seats
Standard tier caps you at 2 inboxes, which small multi-brand teams outgrow quickly
No published headquarters address - the company is fully distributed

Intercom

The most complete bet on AI-first support: Fin's per-outcome billing aligns cost with actual resolutions, and the surrounding helpdesk is mature. The catch is the compound bill — seats plus $0.99 per Fin outcome — which at high ticket volume can exceed what flat-rate rivals charge.

Pros

Fin charges only when a conversation actually resolves
Full omnichannel inbox including phone and WhatsApp
350+ integrations and a documented developer platform
Copilot and QA tooling for the human side of the team

Cons

Per-outcome fees stack on top of per-seat pricing
Advanced workflow features require the mid tier and up
Historically criticized for pricing complexity and creep

Which one fits

Choose Help Scout if you need

Small and mid-sized support teams that want email-style replies
Companies needing a help centre, chat and inbox from one vendor
Shopify and SaaS support desks with a long integration list

Choose Intercom if you need

Mid-market and enterprise teams automating a large share of tier-1 support
Companies that want AI agent, copilot and helpdesk from one vendor
Teams on Zendesk or Salesforce that only want Fin bolted on