Bouts / Help Scout vs HubSpot Service Hub
Help Scout vs HubSpot Service Hub
Red cornerHelp Scout
$25 per user a month, billed annually
Blue cornerHubSpot Service Hub
$7 per seat a month, billed annually (Starter)
Help Scout: Help Scout switched to billing by contacts helped in late 2024 and now sells per-user plans again; accounts already on contact-based plans are billed under separate terms.
HubSpot Service Hub wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Help Scout takes the bill; HubSpot Service Hub takes AI and desk basics; 3 rounds are even.
The judges' card
| Round | Help Scout | What happened | HubSpot Service Hub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Help Scout $625, HubSpot Service Hub $1,120 a month. Help Scout is 44% cheaper and takes the round. | |
| Round 2Price tags | = | Both offer AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits. Even. | = |
| Round 3AI | HubSpot Service Hub offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Help Scout offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. HubSpot Service Hub takes the round. | W | |
| Round 4Desk basics | HubSpot Service Hub offers every channel natively, skills-based routing and 300+ integrations; Help Scout offers all that plus phone and messaging apps. HubSpot Service Hub takes the round. | W | |
| Round 5Security | = | Both offer one audit report (SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001). Even. | = |
| Round 6User verdict | = | On G2: Help Scout 4.4 from 431 reviews, HubSpot Service Hub 4.4 from 3,018 reviews. Too close to call. Even. | = |
| Rounds won | 1 | HubSpot Service Hub wins, 3 even | 2 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- Help Scout
- $188
- HubSpot Service Hub
- $315
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. HubSpot Service Hub wins 2–1.
Mid-size team
- Help Scout
- $625
- HubSpot Service Hub
- $1,120
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. HubSpot Service Hub wins 2–1.
Large team
- Help Scout
- $1,563
- HubSpot Service Hub
- $2,845
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. HubSpot Service Hub wins 2–1.
Monthly bills from USD list prices, annual billing where offered, with the AI agent resolving 20% of conversations and agent assist for every agent. Plans: Help Scout Standard; HubSpot Service Hub Service Hub Professional.
Tale of the tape
| Help Scout | Made by | HubSpot |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $25 per user a month, billed annually | Paid plans from | $7 per seat a month, billed annually (Starter) |
| Standard | Plan we priced | Service Hub Professional |
| $188 | 3 agents, AI on | $315 |
| $625 | 10 agents, AI on | $1,120 |
| $1,563 | 25 agents, AI on | $2,845 |
| $0.75 per resolution | AI agent price | $0.50 per resolved conversation (50 credits at $0.010); voice $0.50 per minute (beta) |
| Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social, SMS | Channels | Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social |
| Up to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts a month | Free plan | Up to 2 users |
| 15 days | Free trial | — |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II | Audit reports | SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, HIPAA attestation |
| Hosted on AWS in the USA; no EU hosting is published | Data hosting | US (AWS US East) and EU (Frankfurt) data centers |
| 4.4 (431) | G2 rating | 4.4 (3,018) |
| 4.6 (226) | Capterra rating | 4.4 (193) |
Questions
Which is better, Help Scout or HubSpot Service Hub?
HubSpot Service Hub wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Help Scout takes the bill; HubSpot Service Hub takes AI and desk basics; 3 rounds are even.
Is Help Scout cheaper than HubSpot Service Hub?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Help Scout comes to $625 a month and HubSpot Service Hub to $1,120, from list prices. Help Scout takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Help Scout or HubSpot Service Hub?
HubSpot Service Hub offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Help Scout offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. HubSpot Service Hub takes the round.
