Alternatives
Best Help Scout alternatives in 2026
Help Scout is shared inbox and help desk for email-first support teams. These 10 alternatives come from the same rankings, ordered by editorial score. Connected products carry a small, disclosed lift.
Ranked alternatives
- 1
Zendesk
The most complete ticketing platform here, with omnichannel support, a help center, quality assurance and AI agents. It is cloud-only and heavier than needed for simple email support.
Best for Support teams that need omnichannel scale
WebiOSAndroidSubscription
- 2
Intercom
Live chat, in-app messaging and a shared inbox, with the Fin AI agent priced per outcome. Per-seat fees and AI usage add up, so it suits product-led teams more than small helpdesks.
Best for Product-led teams with in-app messaging
WebiOSAndroidSubscription
- 3
Freshdesk
A clear helpdesk with SLA policies, a knowledge base and the Freddy AI agent, priced per agent. AI sessions and day passes cost extra, and it sits in the Freshworks family.
Best for Mid-sized support teams that want helpdesk and AI
WebiOSAndroidSubscription
- 4
Front
A shared inbox for email and chat, with help desk ticketing, a knowledge base and AI agents. It is a hosted workspace with paid plans after a trial, and it is broader than a ticket queue alone.
Best for Support teams that run email and chat in one shared inbox
WebSubscription
- 5
Zoho Desk
A helpdesk that connects to Zoho CRM and other Zoho apps, with pre-built AI agents and per-user pricing. Its ecosystem is narrower outside Zoho.
Best for Businesses already using Zoho apps
WebSubscription
- 6
Gorgias
Ticketing and chat that connect to Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and WooCommerce, with an AI agent for order questions. It is built for ecommerce, so it is a weaker fit for service desks in other industries.
Best for Ecommerce stores with heavy order-related support
WebSubscription
- 7
Crisp
Has a free option. Website chat, a shared inbox and a help center, with a free plan for solopreneurs. Paid plans are priced per workspace, and it has a smaller reach than Intercom or Zendesk.
Best for Small businesses that want chat and a shared inbox
WebFree plan, paid upgrades
- 8
Chatwoot
Has a free option; is open source. An open-source inbox that combines chat, email and social channels, with an MIT-licensed core. Self-hosting means running updates and backups, and its ecosystem is smaller than the large vendors.
Best for Teams that want open-source support on their own server
WebSelf-hostedFree and open sourceOpen source
- 9
tawk.to
Has a free option. Free live chat for websites, with a shared inbox and a basic CRM. Advanced features come from paid add-ons, so it suits small sites more than complex support teams.
Best for Small websites that need free live chat
WebFree plan, paid upgrades
- 10
osTicket
Has a free option; is open source. A free GPL-2.0 ticketing system you host yourself, with help topics, departments and business hours. You run and update the server, and it has no built-in chat or AI agent.
Best for IT teams that want a free self-hosted ticket queue
Self-hostedWebFree and open sourceOpen source
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Free alternatives to Help Scout
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Compare Help Scout head to head
- Help Scoutversus
Zendesk - Help Scoutversus
Intercom - Help Scoutversus
Freshdesk - Help Scoutversus
Front - Help Scoutversus
Zoho Desk - Help Scoutversus
Crisp
Or build your own comparison table with Help Scout and up to three other products.
About Help Scout alternatives
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