# Best Help Scout Alternatives in 2026: Pricing & Fit Canonical: https://orka.chat/helpscout-alternatives Updated: 2026-10-19 [← The comparison library](/compare) Orka × Help Scout THE SHORTLIST · 19 OCTOBER 2026 # Help Scout alternatives. in 2026 ## A different tool. A better fit for you. Five alternatives to Help Scout, chosen for different jobs. Compare a mixed portfolio, a growing shop, an AI workflow or a tighter budget. [Try Orka free ↗](http://dashboard.orka.chat/signup)[Compare your cost ↓](#cost) By Orka · Revised 19 October 2026 DIFFERENT COURSES. YOUR CALL. [Price calculator](#cost)[At a glance](#overview)[The shortlist](#shortlist)[Project costs](#project-pricing)[How to choose](#choose)[FAQs](#faq)[Sources](#sources) COMPARE THE WHOLE BILL ## Your team. Your projects. The total. Choose the same team on each distinct project. Orka includes unlimited projects; other providers bill by workspace, seat, store allowance or usage. People answering 3 Just me A crew of 20 Distinct projects 3 One project Ten projects Help Scout plan Free · 100 contacts, 1 Docs site Standard · 2 inboxes & 2 Docs sites Plus · 5 inboxes & 3 Docs sites Pro · minimum 10 paid users Your monthly estimate for ALL projects (USD) Orka Pro €29.00 / month · EUR · AI separate 3 projects · one subscription · no extra project fee Help Scout $126.00 / month · base only 3 inboxes + 3 Docs sites · $90.00 team base + $36.00 project add-ons / month Base subscriptions only, before taxes, AI, usage and discounts. A shared widget across several domains is not the same as separately configured projects. Seat fit is not feature parity. Check the plan’s limits above and [Orka’s included features](/pricing). Orka prices are in EUR; competitor prices are in USD. No currency conversion or automatic savings claim. Billing rules & official sources + One account can contain several inboxes and Docs sites. This estimate allocates one inbox, one Docs site and one Beacon to each project: extra inboxes are $12/month and extra Docs sites $24/month on monthly billing. Sharing them lowers that cost. Standard allows five Beacons; Pro has a ten-user minimum. [Project billing ↗](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/) USD monthly Standard $30/user, Plus $54/user, Pro $90/user (minimum 10). Annual equivalents are $25/$45/$75. The calculator assumes one inbox and one Docs site per project; monthly extras are $12/inbox and $24/Docs site beyond included allowances. AI Answers is extra. [Official source ↗](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/) START WITH THE JOB, NOT THE LOGO ## Why look beyond Help Scout? Help Scout deserves a trial for email-led operations. Orka is appealing when a smaller shared crew needs unlimited independent projects and multilingual public help without per-site add-ons. A growing portfolio A different workflow A clearer budget Help Scout is a strong fit for shared email, docs and beacon. Your reasons to look elsewhere should be specific: multiply paid seats, not entire subscriptions, by your team; count extra inboxes and Docs sites for separate products; automatic Beacon chat translation is documented on Pro. These five options address different priorities. Their order is an editorial route through the choices, not a score or a claim that one product wins every category. INSIDE ORKA ## Every project. The same place to answer. See which product a question belongs to, keep your team together and add the next project without another subscription. [Explore the shared inbox ↗](/features) COUNT PROJECTS, TOO ## Three products. How many subscriptions? The same three people answering for three distinct projects. Base subscription only; AI, usage, taxes and discounts stay separate. ORKA PRO · UNLIMITED PROJECTS €29 / month total 3 people. 3 projects. One subscription. Launch a fourth project: still €29. HELP SCOUT · Standard · 2 inboxes & 2 Docs sites $126 / month base total 3 inboxes + 3 Docs sites · $90.00 team base + $36.00 project add-ons / month One account can contain several inboxes and Docs sites. This estimate allocates one inbox, one Docs site and one Beacon to each project: extra inboxes are $12/month and extra Docs sites $24/month on monthly billing. Sharing them lowers that cost. Standard allows five Beacons; Pro has a ten-user minimum. [How project billing works ↗](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/) Updated 18 October 2026. Orka in EUR; competitor in USD. No currency conversion or automatic savings claim. FIVE ROUTES WORTH EXPLORING ## Pick the tool that fits your crew. 01 FOR A MIXED PORTFOLIO ## Orka ### One inbox. Unlimited projects. Built for the founder who supports a SaaS, a new app and a store with the same small crew. Conversations stay together while project filters and teammate access keep the context clear. Start with human replies, add drafts you approve, or let Orky answer from your knowledge when you are away. Budget Free €0 / 1 person. Light €9 / 2. Pro €29 / 3. Max €99 / 12, then €8 per extra member. Monthly EUR; unlimited projects; AI separate. Knowledge Free help center, custom domain, Markdown, collections, automatic translation and in-widget search. Trade-off A hosted support workspace. Do not choose it as a self-hosted platform or assume it includes automatic order refunds or an enterprise phone contact center. [Compare Orka with Help Scout ↗](/orka-vs-helpscout) 02 A FULL CUSTOMER MESSAGING WORKSPACE ## Crisp A team that wants a broad messaging platform, visual automation and a well-established workspace workflow. What it brings Ten-seat Essentials bundle Visual workflows with conditions and actions Mature inbox and a real Markdown knowledge base Budget & knowledge $95 / workspace · Essentials · 10 seats. Project cost: Each separate workspace has its own subscription. One shared widget on several domains can remain in one workspace. Catalogue totals exclude eligible multi-workspace discounts. The knowledge base is on Essentials and Plus, with Markdown, custom domains and multiple languages. Before you decide A login can access several workspaces, each with separate settings and subscription. A single workspace can also host its widget on several domains. Separate premium workspaces are billed separately. [Read our Crisp review ↗](/crisp-review)[Official pricing ↗](https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/)[Product details ↗](https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/how-to-manage-multiple-workspaces-under-the-same-account-tkdu37/) 03 ENTERPRISE SERVICE OPERATIONS ## Intercom An established service organization with routing rules, multiple channels and formal operating requirements. What it brings Configurable workflows and workload management Phone, SMS, WhatsApp and email alongside chat Expert adds SLAs and identity controls Budget & knowledge $39 / seat · Essential · monthly. Project cost: Separate monthly workspaces are billed separately. Expert also offers multiple brands within one workspace; a shared setup or a negotiated contract can change the total. Public help center on Essential; multilingual and private help centers on Advanced and Expert. Before you decide Expert includes a multibrand Messenger and help center. Multiple team inboxes start on Advanced. Multiply the chosen tier by full seats. [Read our Intercom review ↗](/intercom-review)[Official pricing ↗](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/9061614-fin-and-intercom-plans-explained)[Product details ↗](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/9061614-fin-and-intercom-plans-explained) 04 SUPPORT CONNECTED TO PRODUCT FEEDBACK ## Gleap A software team connecting customer support to product feedback and engineering investigations. What it brings Bug reports with screenshots and technical context Unlimited seats and projects from Team Knowledge, product feedback and support in one platform Budget & knowledge $179 / month · Team · monthly · unlimited seats and projects. Project cost: Starter covers one seat and one project. Team and Pro include unlimited seats and projects in one subscription; AI usage and other metered services are additional. Public help center, custom domain and article knowledge for Kai from Team; article languages and AI translation are documented. Before you decide Starter has one seat and one project. Team and Pro include unlimited seats and projects without a project multiplier. Use monthly prices rather than the annual headline. [Read our Gleap review ↗](/gleap-review)[Official pricing ↗](https://www.gleap.ai/pricing)[Product details ↗](https://www.gleap.ai/pricing) 05 MESSAGING IN THE FRESHWORKS ECOSYSTEM ## Freshchat A team that needs Freshworks messaging channels, routing and integration with an existing service operation. What it brings Free shared inbox for up to ten agents Paid messaging channels and Freshworks connections Pro routing and SLA controls; Enterprise adds further controls Budget & knowledge $23 / agent · Growth · monthly · AI usage separate. Project cost: Freshworks documents one Freshchat account across several websites, with separate site IDs and multiple widgets. Seats and add-ons drive this estimate, not a subscription multiplied by every domain. Freshchat has FAQ content; Freshworks documents its transfer into solution articles for Freshdesk Omni. Confirm the standalone plan’s public portal scope rather than assuming every Freshdesk capability is included. Before you decide One Freshchat account can serve multiple websites. Site IDs distinguish context and multiple widgets support different branding. Keep Freshchat, Freshdesk and Freshdesk Omni pricing separate. [Read our Freshchat review ↗](/freshchat-review)[Official pricing ↗](https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/)[Product details ↗](https://crmsupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000004475-how-can-i-get-the-freshchat-messenger-across-all-my-websites-portals-products-) MAKE THE SHORTLIST YOURS ## Four questions before you move. ### What do you run? List every SaaS, app, store and website the team supports. A Shopify-only helpdesk and a mixed-project inbox solve different problems. Check whether a new product needs another paid workspace or can join your existing setup. ### Who answers? Count full-time agents and occasional helpers. A free unlimited-agent plan can suit a larger quiet team; a seat bundle can suit a small busy crew. Do not price twenty users if only three people need access, or overlook part-time teammates who do. ### Where do answers live? Use one real policy article to test search, translations, widget access and AI knowledge. If you already have an excellent documentation system, include the work of keeping or moving it in the decision. Importing articles does not automatically reproduce every workflow. ### What happens after launch? Test an exception, a project handover and a busy week. Record usage in the units the vendor bills. Keep your current channel available while the new setup is evaluated, and switch only when the actual operating day is better. YOUR BEARINGS, BEFORE YOU DIVE IN ## Choosing an alternative to Help Scout. Still wondering about something? [Ask a human at Orka ↗](mailto:hello@orka.chat) Which Help Scout alternative is best for several projects? + Orka is designed for founders and small teams running a mixture of SaaS products, apps and stores. Other tools also support multiple sites or brands; compare the workspace structure and billing rather than assuming every multi-site offer works the same way. Should I switch away from Help Scout? + A support team that values Help Scout’s established email workflow and an integrated Docs-and-Beacon experience. If that describes your team and the workflow is working, staying may be the sensible choice. Switch for a specific benefit that outweighs the migration effort, not because another page declares a universal winner. Which alternative is the cheapest? + There is no single answer without team size and usage. Orka Free and tawk.to’s core product are free, and several other tools offer free tiers. Included seats, conversation limits, AI allowances and paid extras change the total. Which option includes a help center? + Orka includes one with a custom domain and multilingual publishing on every plan. The shortlist cards describe each alternative’s documented knowledge offer and the relevant plan. Docs publishes a branded searchable help center and connects to Beacon and AI knowledge. Paid plans include different numbers of Docs sites. How should I compare AI allowances? + Keep input/output tokens, AI chats, messages and successful outcomes separate. Run the same sample questions, compare answer quality and human handover, then measure usage under each vendor’s definition. When was this shortlist updated? + Updated 18 October 2026, with the official sources linked below. This is Orka’s editorial selection, not an exhaustive market ranking. Please send factual corrections to hello@orka.chat. Your question for Orka ↗ Ask Orky · AI answers from our website, with sources. Your question is sent to OpenAI; please leave out personal information. [Privacy](/privacy) [Email your question ↗](mailto:hello@orka.chat) CHECK OUR WORK ## Good comparisons leave a paper trail. Editorial revision: 19 October 2026 . Pricing references: 18 October 2026. Pricing and project-billing references are linked below. Published by Orka, so this is our analysis, not an independent endorsement or a hands-on benchmark. USD prices exclude taxes and use monthly billing unless stated otherwise. Open the official sources + [Help Scout: projects and plan details ↗](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/) [Help Scout billing and plans guide ↗](https://docs.helpscout.com/article/596-billing-and-plans-guide) [Help Scout Docs knowledge base ↗](https://www.helpscout.com/knowledge-base/) [Help Scout AI capabilities and resolution rules ↗](https://www.helpscout.com/ai-features/) [Help Scout automatic conversation translations ↗](https://docs.helpscout.com/article/1764-automatic-translations) [Help Scout support channels ↗](https://www.helpscout.com/blog/help-scout-channels/) [Crisp pricing ↗](https://crisp.chat/en/pricing/) [Knowledge Base quickstart ↗](https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/getting-started-with-the-crisp-knowledge-base-i2tsm1/) [Crisp workflows ↗](https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/understanding-and-mastering-the-crisp-workflows-1boypme/) [Crisp Inbox documentation ↗](https://help.crisp.chat/en/category/inbox-15ctwet/) [Crisp: projects and plan details ↗](https://help.crisp.chat/en/article/how-to-manage-multiple-workspaces-under-the-same-account-tkdu37/) [Crisp: current product update ↗](https://crisp.chat/en/blog/summer-2026-crisp-product-update/) [Intercom: projects and plan details ↗](https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/9061614-fin-and-intercom-plans-explained) [Intercom pricing and feature matrix ↗](https://www.intercom.com/pricing) [Intercom Help Center ↗](https://www.intercom.com/helpdesk/help-center) [Intercom Inbox ↗](https://www.intercom.com/helpdesk/inbox) [Gleap: projects and plan details ↗](https://www.gleap.ai/pricing) [Gleap knowledge base and help center ↗](https://www.gleap.ai/product/knowledge-base-software-to-scale-your-support) [Gleap in-app bug reporting ↗](https://www.gleap.ai/product/in-app-bug-reporting) [Freshchat plans and current feature matrix ↗](https://www.freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing/) [Freshworks official USD reference list (June 2025) ↗](https://dam.freshworks.com/m/4bf615e1eea87a7/original/Freshworks-Price-List.pdf) [Freshchat: projects and plan details ↗](https://crmsupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000004475-how-can-i-get-the-freshchat-messenger-across-all-my-websites-portals-products-) [Freshchat FAQs and Freshdesk Omni knowledge migration ↗](https://partnersupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000014309-initiate-freshdesk-omni-2025-upgrade-and-transfer-configurations) Spotted a mistake, or something changed? Please email [hello@orka.chat](mailto:hello@orka.chat) so we can correct it. [Read our editorial standards ↗](/resources#editorial-standards) FROM SHORTLIST TO FIRST CONVERSATION ## Ready to try it with your own product? [ 01 / Check the complete budget Compare 1, 3 and 10 projects, with the same team and explicit plan limits. ](/live-chat-pricing)[ 02 / Bring your Help Scout articles Paste the public help-center link during signup or in Help center. Orka imports the articles automatically. ](/migrate-help-scout-help-center-to-orka)[ 03 / Install on one real site Choose your platform, add the widget and send a test conversation before switching the rest. ](/installation) KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN ## Three ways to explore Help Scout. [ The side-by-side ### Orka vs Help Scout Explore ↗ ](/orka-vs-helpscout)[ The shortlist ### Help Scout alternatives Explore ↗ ](/helpscout-alternatives)[ The closer look ### Help Scout review Explore ↗ ](/helpscout-review) YOUR NEXT CONVERSATION STARTS HERE ## New project? Same support inbox. Live chat. Shared knowledge. An AI teammate. And a little room for the rest of your life. [Try Orka for free ↗ ](http://dashboard.orka.chat/signup)