Pick / avoid summary (fast)
Skim these triggers to pick a default, then validate with the quick checks and constraints below.
- ✓ Email is primary support channel
- ✓ Simplicity and fast adoption matter more than feature depth
- ✓ Small-to-mid team; 2 mailboxes sufficient or Plus affordable
- ✓ Need formal ticket routing and SLA management
- ✓ Multi-channel support (chat, phone, social) required
- ✓ Integration ecosystem depth is a constraint
- × Standard caps at 2 mailboxes; additional Inboxes = $10/mo add-on each
- × Standard caps at 25 users; Plus at 50; Pro minimum 10 users
- × Costs jump from $55 to $89/agent/mo (Suite Growth) for automation; $115 for SLA policies and advanced routing
- × 10-agent team: $550/mo minimum vs Freshdesk Pro at $490 for same (Pro $49/agent)
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Model growthHelp Scout's 2-mailbox limit and Plus tier; Zendesk's per-agent cost curve.
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The trade-offsimplicity and low overhead vs platform depth and routing.
At-a-glance comparison
Help Scout
Email-centric support platform with shared inboxes, collision detection, and beacon widget. Standard $25/user/mo (2 mailboxes), Plus $50/user/mo, Pro custom. Simplicity over feature depth.
- ✓ Standard $25/user/mo vs Zendesk $55 and Intercom Essential $39; Plus $50 vs Freshdesk Pro $49
- ✓ Standard includes 2 mailboxes; Plus adds custom fields and advanced permissions
- ✓ Clean shared inbox UX; collision detection prevents duplicate replies
Zendesk
Enterprise customer service platform with deep ticketing workflows, SLA management, and 1,200+ marketplace integrations. Suite Team $55/agent/mo; costs escalate to $89–$115+ for automation and advanced features.
- ✓ 1,200+ marketplace integrations vs Freshdesk's 650+ and Help Scout's 100+
- ✓ Suite Team $55/agent/mo includes multi-channel support, macros, and basic automation
- ✓ Suite Growth $89/agent/mo unlocks automation; Suite Professional $115/agent for SLA policies and skills-based routing
What breaks first (decision checks)
These checks reflect the common constraints that decide between Help Scout and Zendesk in this category.
If you only read one section, read this — these are the checks that force redesigns or budget surprises.
- Real trade-off: Help Scout is email-first simplicity at $25/user; Zendesk is full platform depth at $55+/agent. The constraint is whether you're outgrowing Help Scout or drowning in Zendesk complexity.
- Ticket queue vs conversational support model: Is email/chat resolution threaded or formal tickets?
- Per-agent vs per-ticket pricing model: What is your projected ticket volume vs agent count?
- Enterprise depth vs simplicity and adoption: How many integrations and workflow automations do you need?
- General-purpose vs vertical-specific (e-commerce): Does order lookup and refund-in-ticket dominate your support queue?
Implementation gotchas
These are the practical downsides teams tend to discover during setup, rollout, or scaling.
Where Help Scout surprises teams
- Standard caps at 2 mailboxes; additional Inboxes = $10/mo add-on each
- Standard caps at 25 users; Plus at 50; Pro minimum 10 users
- Omnichannel weaker than Zendesk/Freshdesk; email and chat primary
Where Zendesk surprises teams
- Costs jump from $55 to $89/agent/mo (Suite Growth) for automation; $115 for SLA policies and advanced routing
- 10-agent team: $550/mo minimum vs Freshdesk Pro at $490 for same (Pro $49/agent)
- Add-ons (Explore analytics, Answer Bot AI, Sunshine Conversations) increase bill 20–40%
Where each product pulls ahead
These are the distinctive advantages that matter most in this comparison.
Help Scout advantages
- ✓ Clean shared inbox with collision detection
- ✓ Minimal config and fast adoption
- ✓ Lower cost and simpler operations
Zendesk advantages
- ✓ Formal ticket routing and SLA depth
- ✓ 1,200+ integrations and multi-channel
- ✓ Enterprise scale and governance
Pros and cons
Help Scout
Pros
- + Email is primary support channel
- + Simplicity and fast adoption matter more than feature depth
- + Small-to-mid team; 2 mailboxes sufficient or Plus affordable
- + Don't need formal ticket routing or SLA tracking
- + Low admin overhead is a priority
Cons
- − Standard caps at 2 mailboxes; additional Inboxes = $10/mo add-on each
- − Standard caps at 25 users; Plus at 50; Pro minimum 10 users
- − Omnichannel weaker than Zendesk/Freshdesk; email and chat primary
- − No native e-commerce order lookup; Gorgias for Shopify
- − Reporting and analytics less advanced; 30-day history on Standard, 2-year on Plus
- − Integrations limited to 1 on Free; Salesforce, HubSpot, Jira on Plus+
- − SSO/SAML add-on on Plus; HIPAA on Pro; enterprise features require Pro
- − API rate limits: 200/min Standard, 400 Plus, 800 Pro—can throttle integrations
Zendesk
Pros
- + Need formal ticket routing and SLA management
- + Multi-channel support (chat, phone, social) required
- + Integration ecosystem depth is a constraint
- + Outgrowing Help Scout's mailbox or feature limits
- + Admin ownership and config capacity available
Cons
- − Costs jump from $55 to $89/agent/mo (Suite Growth) for automation; $115 for SLA policies and advanced routing
- − 10-agent team: $550/mo minimum vs Freshdesk Pro at $490 for same (Pro $49/agent)
- − Add-ons (Explore analytics, Answer Bot AI, Sunshine Conversations) increase bill 20–40%
- − Implementation and customization typically require 2–4 weeks; steep learning curve for power features
- − Agent Workspace can feel cluttered; simpler tools like Help Scout win on UX for small teams
- − Annual contracts lock you in; no meaningful monthly pricing for mid-tier
- − Suite Enterprise custom pricing opaque; quotes often 2–3x published Suite Professional
Keep exploring this category
If you’re close to a decision, the fastest next step is to read 1–2 more head-to-head briefs, then confirm pricing limits in the product detail pages.
FAQ
How do you choose between Help Scout and Zendesk?
Choose Help Scout when email is primary and you want clean shared inboxes with minimal config—especially if you're small-to-mid and adoption matters. Choose Zendesk when you need formal ticket routing, SLA tracking, multi-channel orchestration, and integration depth. Help Scout breaks when you outgrow 2 mailboxes or need routing; Zendesk breaks when simplicity and low admin overhead are the priority.
When should you pick Help Scout?
Pick Help Scout when: Email is primary support channel; Simplicity and fast adoption matter more than feature depth; Small-to-mid team; 2 mailboxes sufficient or Plus affordable; Don't need formal ticket routing or SLA tracking.
When should you pick Zendesk?
Pick Zendesk when: Need formal ticket routing and SLA management; Multi-channel support (chat, phone, social) required; Integration ecosystem depth is a constraint; Outgrowing Help Scout's mailbox or feature limits.
What’s the real trade-off between Help Scout and Zendesk?
Help Scout is email-first simplicity at $25/user; Zendesk is full platform depth at $55+/agent. The constraint is whether you're outgrowing Help Scout or drowning in Zendesk complexity.
What’s the most common mistake buyers make in this comparison?
Choosing Help Scout for simplicity without modeling mailbox limits and growth, or choosing Zendesk for brand when you don't need enterprise depth and admin overhead.
What’s the fastest elimination rule?
Pick Help Scout if email-first simplicity and adoption are the constraint.
What breaks first with Help Scout?
Multi-inbox and multi-Docs: $10–20/mo each adds up; 5 Inboxes = +$40/mo. Workflow limit (150 Standard, 500 Plus) hits as automation grows. User cap: 25 Standard, 50 Plus; Pro minimum 10 users—pricing jump.
What are the hidden constraints of Help Scout?
Additional Inboxes $10/mo, Docs sites $20/mo; multi-inbox/multi-docs add 30%+ to bill. Contacts: Free 100/mo; paid plans unlimited but 'contact' definition matters for billing. AI Answers $0.75/resolution; can set monthly cap but disables when hit.
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Sources & verification
We prefer to link primary references (official pricing, documentation, and public product pages). If links are missing, treat this as a seeded brief until verification is completed.