HelpScout is a dedicated customer service platform with simplicity and affordability as core strengths, while HubSpot is a comprehensive CRM ecosystem that integrates sales, marketing, and service. HelpScout costs 40% less for basic customer support, but HubSpot offers significantly more features for businesses needing integrated customer lifecycle management.
HelpScout vs HubSpot — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based customer support platform focused on simplicity and team collaboration.
All-in-one CRM platform with integrated sales, marketing automation, customer service, and content management tools.
Primary Purpose. Starting Monthly Price. Native Integrations Available. Knowledge Base & Self-Service. Sales Pipeline Management. Email Marketing Automation. Time to Set Up (days)
Choose HelpScout if you run a small-to-medium support team, need a simple, affordable customer service platform without sales/marketing complexity, and want fast deployment. Choose HubSpot if you need an integrated CRM that connects customer service with sales pipelines, marketing automation, and want to scale across multiple departments with one unified system.
HelpScout: 200 requests/min | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: 500+ integrations | HubSpot: 1,500+
HelpScout: Basic conversation summaries | HubSpot: Predictive lead scoring, AI chatbots, email insights
HelpScout: None | HubSpot: Yes (1 user, 5 contacts)
HelpScout: Included in all plans | HubSpot: Separate add-on ($45/month)
HelpScout: Third-party only | HubSpot: Native HubSpot Chatbot
HelpScout: Not available | HubSpot: Included in Marketing Hub tiers
HelpScout: 10 requests/sec | HubSpot: 300+ requests/sec (Enterprise)
HelpScout: Unlimited | HubSpot: Unlimited (Professional+)
HelpScout: Unlimited per-user pricing | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: 10,000 requests per day | HubSpot: Up to 500,000
HelpScout: 50+ visual automation templates | HubSpot: Complex multi-step workflows with conditions
HelpScout: Notes, internal comments, basic workflow (3) | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: 8 major AI features | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: Unlimited (included) | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: 2 (iOS, Android) | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: iOS + Android native apps | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: AI reply drafts, article summarization, email categorization | HubSpot: N/A
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: All tiers (Breeze)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full suite (email, automation, journeys)
Monthly Cost (50-person team, full suite)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 15 million (unlimited practical)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Comprehensive (email, lead scoring, workflows, forms, landing pages)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes (Service Hub)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Functional (secondary focus)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Activity logging available
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: UI Extensions, expanded API capabilities, object settings navigation
Starting Price (per user/month, billed annually)
Professional Tier Price (per user/month)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: High - requires training
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 6+ (CRM, Marketing, Sales, Service, Content, Operations)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Good secondary feature
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 14-day free trial
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: $100-120/month
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 4 (Sales, Marketing, Service, CMS)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Nearly identical ratings
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Unlimited contacts
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Advanced (complex logic, unlimited sequences, lead scoring)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes (full CRM with sales pipeline, contact scoring)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes (drag-and-drop, mobile-responsive, A/B testing)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes (available but less prominent)
Contact List Size Limit (Standard Pricing)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Unlimited growth with pro-rated pricing
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 2,000 emails/month
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Native unified CRM
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Advanced behavioral & predictive scoring
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Email, SMS, social, landing pages, ads
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Steep (comprehensive platform)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 13 new features + 86 enhancements (Spring 2026)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 3 (email, chat, phone only)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 24/7 support, priority for Enterprise
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Comprehensive iOS/Android apps
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Included standard
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Basic predictive content
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: HubSpot Starter at $20
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: HubSpot Professional at $50
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Dedicated ecosystem integration
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: HubSpot AI - advanced automation and predictive
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Third-party integrations required
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 4.7/5 - intuitive interface
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Good option - established in India
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes (via add-on)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Third-party Integration
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 1 to 1000+ people
Professional/Standard Plan Monthly Price
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 28% of average
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Native full CRM platform
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Unlimited with visual builder
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Mid-market to enterprise
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Chatspot add-on; requires manual training and configuration
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Native with A/B testing, sequences, and workflows
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Deal pipelines, team pipeline visibility, activity feeds
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: $120/month base (not per-agent)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 3 channels (email, chat, ticketing)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full (360° CRM with pipelines, deals, forecasting)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes (email sequences, workflows, forms, landing pages)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: ChatSpot AI (content generation, workflow automation, analysis)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 1000+ integrations
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 1,000,000+ (Enterprise)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full-featured automation
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 5/10 (Basic rules-based)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 3,000+ certification courses
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full pipeline with forecasting
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Basic (secondary feature)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 10+ years in service
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 120 requests/min
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 4.7/5 (42K reviews)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: ChatSpot (25% deflection)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: $50 (Marketing Hub Starter)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Limited (50 rules in Standard tier)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Third-party connector (2-4 hr delays)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes, all plans
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 74% (Predictive Lead Scoring)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full suite included
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Month-to-month available
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: No (enterprise add-on only)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes, paid add-on ($600/month minimum)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Advanced with forecasting and stages
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Predictive AI-powered scoring
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Unlimited users (freemium model)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: No (requires CallRail $50-300/month)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 1.4 million (free tier only)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 4.4/5 (3,800 reviews)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 3 (free tier) / Unlimited (paid)
CRM Contact Storage Limit (Free/Entry Tier)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 5 (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok)
AI Sentiment Analysis / Social Listening
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Basic keyword monitoring only
Team Members Supported (Free/Standard Tier)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Unlimited on free tier
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: $800 (Marketing Hub Pro)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 1,000 contact limit (capped)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 1,000+ integrations
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Moderate (workflows, limited coding)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: No, third-party integration required
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full suite with workflows, landing pages, forms
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes, unlimited users
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 3+ (Phone, Chat, Email, Academy)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full CRM with pipeline, deals, tasks, and analytics
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 10-1000+ (growing to enterprise)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: iOS and Android
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Requires add-on
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Copilot AI, content generation, predictive scoring
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full marketing automation with workflows
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Higher tiers only
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Contact management, deal pipelines, activity tracking, custom fields, lead scoring
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Phone calling, meeting scheduling, document tracking, forecasting, sequences
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Limited automations; multi-step workflows in paid tiers
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: $50-$120 (varies by tier)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: 2 users (Starter tier)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Limited per tier (1,000-10,000)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: No, requires Sales Hub Professional ($100+/user)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Yes, free CRM (up to 2 users)
Starting Monthly Price (Single User/Starter Tier)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Available, requires separate setup
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Full suite with A/B testing and workflows
Price for 10-Person Support Team (Annual)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: $540/year (Starter) or $9,600+ (Professional)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Free CRM tier with limited features
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: $45/month (Starter plan, up to 2 users)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Free tier included (unlimited contacts)
HelpScout: N/A | HubSpot: Gmail, Outlook, web interface, Apple Mail
How to choose between HelpScout and HubSpot
HelpScout vs HubSpot — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for HelpScout vs HubSpot. Contains 238 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
HelpScout vs HubSpot — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for HelpScout vs HubSpot.
Which is better for a small customer support team?
HelpScout is the clear winner for small support teams (5-20 agents). It costs 40% less ($20/user vs $45+), deploys in 1-2 days versus 3-7 days for HubSpot, and has an intuitive interface built specifically for support agents. Unless you need sales pipeline or marketing automation, HelpScout delivers faster ROI and lower complexity.
Can HelpScout replace HubSpot for a growing company?
Not fully. HelpScout excels at customer support but lacks sales pipeline management, email marketing automation, and advanced reporting. HubSpot integrates these capabilities. A growing company needing to connect sales and support workflows should choose HubSpot; one focused purely on support excellence should choose HelpScout.
HubSpot has 1,500+ integrations versus HelpScout's 150+, giving HubSpot a 10x advantage for connecting to third-party tools. However, HelpScout integrates with all major platforms (Slack, Zapier, Salesforce, etc.). If you need 15+ integrations, both work; if you need 50+, HubSpot is safer.
What's the cost difference for a mid-size operation?
For a 20-person support team, HelpScout costs ~$4,800/year ($20/user × 20 × 12) for their Standard plan. HubSpot's Service Hub Professional tier costs $800/month ($9,600/year) for similar support features but adds sales and marketing. HelpScout is 50% cheaper if you only need support; HubSpot is cheaper if you need the full CRM.
Which platform has better AI and automation?
HelpScout's AI is purpose-built for support: it suggests automated responses, detects sentiment, and powers self-service knowledge bases. HubSpot's AI works across sales, marketing, and support with predictive analytics and workflow automation. HelpScout's AI is better for support-only; HubSpot's is better for full customer lifecycle automation.
How to Choose Between HelpScout and HubSpot
Primary Purpose: HelpScout has Customer service & support platform, while HubSpot has Full-suite CRM with integrated sales, marketing, and service.
Starting Monthly Price: HelpScout has $20/user/month (Standard), while HubSpot has $45/month (Starter CRM).
Native Integrations Available: HelpScout has 150+, while HubSpot has 1,500+.
Knowledge Base & Self-Service: HelpScout has Built-in with AI suggestions, while HubSpot has Available but requires separate setup.
Sales Pipeline Management: HelpScout has Not available, while HubSpot has Full pipeline with forecasting.
Email Marketing Automation: HelpScout has Limited (no native email builder), while HubSpot has Full email marketing suite included.
Time to Set Up (days): HelpScout has 1-2 days, while HubSpot has 3-7 days.