Freshdesk vs Help Scout: Best Helpdesk for Small Teams
Quick Comparison
| Help Scout | Freshdesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Small teams that want a genuinely free starting point with a simple shared inbox. | Small teams that want AI-assisted ticket deflection and don't mind the free program expiring after 6 months. |
| Pricing | Free tier available / $25/user/mo Standard / $45/user/mo Plus / $75/user/mo Pro | 6-month free program (2 agents) / $19/agent/mo Growth / $55/agent/mo Pro / $89/agent/mo Enterprise |
| Winner | Our Pick |
Tool Breakdown
Help Scout
Help Scout's free plan is genuinely permanent with no expiration date, while Freshdesk's Free Program shuts off after 6 months — a critical difference for small teams that want to start free and stay free.
- Free plan has no time limit — unlike Freshdesk's 6-month-capped Free Program
- Simple, clean shared-inbox interface with less setup overhead than a full ticketing system
- Plus and Pro tiers add workflows, reporting, and custom roles without a steep learning curve
- Free plan is capped at 100 contacts/month and 5 users — easy for any active small business to outgrow quickly
- Per-user pricing ($25–75/mo) climbs faster than Freshdesk's per-agent pricing as a team grows
Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a helpdesk platform from Freshworks with Freddy AI built in for ticket deflection and agent assist, offering a time-limited free program for very small teams.
- Freddy AI ticket deflection is included starting on the $19/agent/mo Growth plan
- Paid tiers stay cheaper per-agent than Help Scout's equivalent per-user pricing as a team grows
- Broader ticketing automation and SLA features than Help Scout's lighter shared-inbox model
- The Free Program is time-limited to 6 months, not permanent — it expires and forces an upgrade or a drop to 2 agents only
- More setup overhead than Help Scout's simpler shared-inbox interface
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has a longer-lasting free plan, Freshdesk or Help Scout? +
Help Scout. Its free plan has no stated expiration date, just usage caps (100 contacts/month, 5 users). Freshdesk's Free Program looks similar but expires after 6 months.
Is Help Scout's free plan enough for a growing small business? +
It can be, but only up to 100 contacts per month and 5 users. Active small businesses often outgrow this cap quickly and need to move to a paid Standard plan at $25/user/mo.
Which tool has better AI ticket deflection features? +
Freshdesk, through its Freddy AI feature included starting on the $19/agent/mo Growth plan. Help Scout focuses on a simpler shared-inbox workflow rather than AI-driven deflection.