Chatwoot vs Help Scout — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Chatwoot starts at $19/mo. Help Scout starts at $25/mo. Chatwoot is $6/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Help Scout.
See price history: Chatwoot · Help Scout
Open-source customer support platform positioned as the alternative to Zendesk and Intercom for teams that want self-hosting + no per-agent seat trap. Distinctive as the OSS challenger with a serious cloud offering. Priced free (community edition, self-hosted) up to $99/user/mo Enterprise Cloud. Popular with agencies, regulated industries, and teams building customer-facing chat into their own products via API.
Customer support platform positioned as the alternative to Zendesk for teams that want email-first support (not ticket-first). Distinctive for its shared inbox UX — customer conversations look like Gmail threads, not tickets. Priced $22-$65/user/mo. Bootstrapped by Nick Francis (still founder-led after 15 years). Popular with SMBs and mid-market SaaS whose support volume is manageable in an inbox format.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Chatwoot monthly | Chatwoot annual | Help Scout monthly | Help Scout annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Hacker / Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Startups / Standard | $19 | $19 | $25 | $21 |
| Mid tier | — / Plus | — | — | $45 | $38 |
| Pro / power | — / Pro | — | — | $75 | $63 |
| Teams | Business / — | $39 | $39 | — | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / — | $99 | $99 | — | — |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Chatwoot is worth it if… Chatwoot is the open-source Intercom alternative for teams (2-100 agents) that want customer messaging + shared inbox + Captain AI — with the option to self-host if data sovereignty matters. Free Hacker tier covers 2 agents; Startups scales for small teams; Business adds more Captain AI credits and admin controls.
Help Scout is worth it if… small support teams (3-30 agents) that want customer-facing simplicity — emails don't look like tickets — with strong knowledge base and light AI. Standard covers small teams; Plus adds custom fields and reporting; Pro adds concurrent chats and advanced features.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Chatwoot over Help Scout if…
Choose Chatwoot if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $19/mo).
- You match the profile Chatwoot is built for: the open-source Intercom alternative for teams (2-100 agents) that want customer messaging + shared inbox + Captain AI — with the option to self-host if data sovereignty matters.
- You need a general-purpose customer support option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Help Scout if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $25/mo).
- You match the profile Help Scout is built for: small support teams (3-30 agents) that want customer-facing simplicity — emails don't look like tickets — with strong knowledge base and light AI.
- You need a general-purpose customer support option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Chatwoot | Help Scout | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $25/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 12, 2026 | September 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 12, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Chatwoot and Help Scout
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- How much does Help Scout cost in 2026?
- Does Help Scout have a free plan?
- How often does Help Scout change prices?
- What are the best Help Scout alternatives in 2026?