Freshdesk offers broader automation, AI capabilities, and multi-channel support at lower entry-level pricing, while Help Scout prioritizes simplicity, personalized customer service, and email-first workflows with stronger team collaboration features. Freshdesk scales better for enterprises; Help Scout excels for small-to-mid teams prioritizing ease-of-use.
Freshdesk vs Help Scout — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based omnichannel customer support platform with AI automation and enterprise scaling.
Email-first customer support platform focused on team collaboration and simplicity with minimal learning curve.
Starting Price. AI-Powered Features. Supported Channels. Learning Curve. Mobile App Quality. Knowledge Base Capabilities. Automation Rules
Choose Freshdesk if you need enterprise-grade automation, AI-driven customer insights, multi-channel support, and scalability across large teams—it's better suited for growing and large organizations. Choose Help Scout if you value simplicity, prefer an email-first approach, want a faster implementation, and prioritize team collaboration in a compact interface—ideal for small-to-mid sized businesses (10-50 agents) that want low overhead.
Freshdesk: Basic chatbots and suggestion engine | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 5 channels (email, chat, phone, social, ticketing) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: Basic (contact management only) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: No (not available) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: Basic chatbot, rule-based automation | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 150+ integrations | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 12 seconds average | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 28% (add-on only) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 6 channels | Help Scout: 5 (email, chat, phone, social, web form)
Freshdesk: Unlimited articles | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: No (add-on only) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: $15 | Help Scout: $20/user/month
Freshdesk: Freddy AI (add-on, $9-50/month) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: Third-party app (basic order lookup only) | Help Scout: N/A
Average Response Time (Industry Benchmark)
Freshdesk: Freddy AI: ticket summarization, routing, suggestion generation | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 10-15 (requires configuration) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: Basic automation rules, no native AI assistant | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 4.2/5 (8,400 reviews) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: Rule-based intent routing | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: Third-party app required | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: ~10-15% (limited) | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: 150+ integrations via Zapier/API | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: Unlimited custom fields | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: ~25-30% with workflows | Help Scout: N/A
Freshdesk: $18/month | Help Scout: $20/month
Freshdesk: $99/month | Help Scout: $65/month
Freshdesk: 12 channels | Help Scout: 7 channels
Freshdesk: Unlimited | Help Scout: 50 (top plan)
Freshdesk: 2-3 weeks | Help Scout: 3-5 days
Freshdesk: 8.5 (predictive analytics, auto-categorization, suggested replies) | Help Scout: 3.5 (draft suggestions only)
Freshdesk: 6.5 (slower load times, feature-rich) | Help Scout: 8.8 (optimized, offline access)
Freshdesk: Basic - limited customization | Help Scout: Advanced - built-in SEO, custom domains, structured data
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: $20 per user
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Basic chat widget, limited customization
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Basic automation, limited AI assistant
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: 0.25 (15 minutes)
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Strong KB with SEO optimization
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Functional mobile app for basic tasks
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: 3-4 features (basic suggestions)
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: 20+ triggers with limited complexity
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Native Mailbox (direct conversion)
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Yes (1 mailbox, 3 users)
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: 30-45 minutes
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Not available natively
Knowledge Base AI Search Reduction in Tickets
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Basic self-service (10-15% reduction)
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Not available
Freshdesk: N/A | Help Scout: Basic iOS/Android apps
How to choose between Freshdesk and Help Scout
Freshdesk vs Help Scout — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Freshdesk vs Help Scout. Contains 99 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Freshdesk vs Help Scout — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Freshdesk vs Help Scout.
Which is better for small businesses under 20 agents?
Help Scout is better for small teams. It has a minimal learning curve, faster implementation (3-5 days vs 2-3 weeks), and pricing remains affordable at $20-65/month per user. Freshdesk's complexity and higher enterprise pricing ($99/user) make it overkill for small operations.
Does Help Scout have AI features like Freshdesk?
Help Scout has basic AI for draft suggestions only, while Freshdesk's Freddy AI offers predictive analytics, automatic ticket categorization, intelligent routing, and suggested replies. If AI-driven automation is critical, Freshdesk wins significantly.
Can I use WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger with both platforms?
Freshdesk supports 12+ channels including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter natively. Help Scout supports only 7 channels and lacks WhatsApp and Instagram integration, making Freshdesk better for omnichannel support strategies.
Which has better mobile support for remote teams?
Help Scout has a significantly faster mobile app with offline access and optimized performance (rated 8.8/10). Freshdesk's mobile app is slower and feature-heavy (6.5/10). For remote teams relying on mobile, Help Scout is superior.
How long does implementation typically take?
Help Scout can be deployed in 3-5 days with minimal configuration due to its email-first simplicity. Freshdesk requires 2-3 weeks of setup, customization, and training because of its complexity and multi-channel architecture. Help Scout wins for fast time-to-value.
How to Choose Between Freshdesk and Help Scout
Starting Price: Freshdesk has $18/month (Freshdesk Growth Plan), while Help Scout has $20/month (Help Scout Standard).
AI-Powered Features: Freshdesk has Freddy AI with predictive analytics, suggested replies, ticket categorization, while Help Scout has Basic AI for draft suggestions only.
Supported Channels: Freshdesk has 12+ channels (email, chat, phone, social, messaging apps, community forum), while Help Scout has 7 channels (email, live chat, messaging apps, social, knowledge base, phone, feedback).
Learning Curve: Freshdesk has Moderate to steep - complex UI with many features, while Help Scout has Minimal - intuitive email-first interface.
Mobile App Quality: Freshdesk has Feature-rich but slower load times (iOS & Android), while Help Scout has Optimized mobile experience with fast response times.
Knowledge Base Capabilities: Freshdesk has Basic self-service portal with limited customization, while Help Scout has Advanced knowledge base with built-in SEO optimization and custom branding.
Automation Rules: Freshdesk has Unlimited automation workflows with conditional logic, while Help Scout has Limited to 50 automation rules on top plans.