Help Scout vs Zendesk
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right communication tool for your needs.
The Winner
Zendesk
Wins for overall value, user satisfaction, and Enterprise omnichannel support teams.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  Help Scout |  Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free tier Best | $19/mo |
| User Rating | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Review Count | 967 | 11,847 Best |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
| Best For | SaaS and ecommerce teams (10-100 people) | Enterprise omnichannel support teams |
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Help Scout Zendesk Help Scout
- Unlimited Users on Paid Plans
- Powerful AI Features
- Intuitive Interface
- Strong Collaboration Tools
- Limited Integrations
- Basic Reporting
- AI Drafts Learning Curve
Zendesk
- Agentic AI Actually Delivers
- Unmatched Integration Depth
- Omnichannel Done Right
- Enterprise-Grade Compliance
- Pricing Is Prohibitively Complex
- Steep Learning Curve
- Agentic AI Is Enterprise Plus Only
Help Scout Overview
AI-powered customer support platform with shared inbox, live chat, and knowledge base. Contact-based pricing with unlimited users makes it affordable for growing teams. AI features resolve 70% of routine requests and boost agent productivity by 36%.
Best For:
- SaaS and ecommerce teams (10-100 people)
- Teams prioritizing simplicity and ease of use over deep customization
- Organizations wanting contact-based pricing instead of per-agent costs
- Teams needing strong collaboration features (private notes, @mentions, collision detection)
- Healthcare, education, logistics, and financial services seeking straightforward solutions
Zendesk Overview
Zendesk is expensive but powerful. Suite Team starts at $69/month but delivers omnichannel support, AI agents, and 2000+ integrations. The new agentic AI (Enterprise Plus) autonomously resolves 80% of support issues. Not ideal for startups with tight budgets-try Freshdesk instead. Best for mid-size to enterprise teams drowning in ticket volume.
Best For:
- Enterprise omnichannel support teams
- Teams requiring extensive integrations with other business tools (2000+ available)
- Organizations prioritizing compliance and security (HIPAA, SOC 2)
- Businesses with complex customer service workflows and multiple departments
- Companies needing advanced analytics and reporting capabilities
- Support teams managing high ticket volumes across multiple channels
- Enterprises seeking AI-powered automation and intelligent triage
Our Verdict
Zendesk is our top pick for most users, thanks to its overall value proposition. However, Help Scout remains a solid choice if you need SaaS and ecommerce teams (10-100 people).
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