Help Scout vs Zendesk Suite: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Help Scout starts at $25/mo. Zendesk Suite starts at $69/mo. Help Scout is $44/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Zendesk Suite.
See price history: Help Scout · Zendesk Suite
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.
The dominant enterprise customer support platform, taken private by Hellman & Friedman + Permira for $10.2B in 2022. Distinctive for its outcome-based AI agent pricing ($1.50-$2.00 per AI-resolved ticket) rolled out in 2026 — the first major SaaS vendor to price for outcomes rather than seats. Suite Team at $55/agent/month is the entry, but per-resolution AI billing scales unpredictably. PE-owned means expect margin work at renewal.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | Help Scout monthly | Help Scout annual | Zendesk Suite monthly | Zendesk Suite annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free / Suite Team | 0 | 0 | 69 | 55 |
| 2 | Standard / Suite Growth | 25 | 21 | 115 | 89 |
| 3 | Plus / Suite Professional | 45 | 38 | 149 | 115 |
| 4 | Pro / Suite Enterprise | 75 | 63 | custom | custom |
What each is best for
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.
The dominant enterprise customer support platform, taken private by Hellman & Friedman + Permira for $10.2B in 2022. Distinctive for its outcome-based AI agent pricing ($1.50-$2.00 per AI-resolved ticket) rolled out in 2026 — the first major SaaS vendor to price for outcomes rather than seats. Suite Team at $55/agent/month is the entry, but per-resolution AI billing scales unpredictably. PE-owned means expect margin work at renewal.
At a glance
| Help Scout | Zendesk Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | — | — |
| Entry price | $25/mo | $69/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Last verified | July 24, 2026 | July 28, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified July 28, 2026. Tracked daily.