Bouts / Help Scout vs LiveAgent
Help Scout vs LiveAgent
Red cornerHelp Scout
$25 per user a month, billed annually
Blue cornerLiveAgent
$15 per agent a month, billed annually, or $19 month to month (Small business)
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.
Help Scout wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Help Scout takes the bill and security; LiveAgent takes user verdict; 3 rounds are even.
The judges' card
| Round | Help Scout | What happened | LiveAgent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Help Scout $625, LiveAgent $150 (an AI price is not public) a month. Help Scout's bill is complete and the other is not, so Help Scout 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 | = | Both offer an AI agent that answers from the help center. Even. | = |
| Round 4Desk basics | = | Both offer all that plus phone and messaging apps. Even. | = |
| Round 5Security | W | Help Scout offers one audit report (SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001); LiveAgent offers security claims without audit reports. Help Scout takes the round. | |
| Round 6User verdict | On G2: Help Scout 4.4 from 431 reviews, LiveAgent 4.5 from 1,537 reviews. LiveAgent takes the round. | W | |
| Rounds won | 2 | Help Scout wins, 3 even | 1 |
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
- LiveAgent
- $45
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Help Scout wins 2–1.
Mid-size team
- Help Scout
- $625
- LiveAgent
- $150
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Help Scout wins 2–1.
Large team
- Help Scout
- $1,563
- LiveAgent
- $375
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Help Scout 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; LiveAgent Small business.
Tale of the tape
| Help Scout | Made by | Quality Unit |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $25 per user a month, billed annually | Paid plans from | $15 per agent a month, billed annually, or $19 month to month (Small business) |
| Standard | Plan we priced | Small business |
| $188 | 3 agents, AI on | $45 |
| $625 | 10 agents, AI on | $150 |
| $1,563 | 25 agents, AI on | $375 |
| $0.75 per resolution | AI agent price | Billed in FlowHunt credits: €50 a month for 50 credits, €120 for 120, €500 for 500; no USD price published |
| 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 | No |
| 15 days | Free trial | 30 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II | Audit reports | None published |
| Hosted on AWS in the USA; no EU hosting is published | Data hosting | US-only or Europe-only hosting, with AWS regions in Germany, Ireland, Northern California and Singapore |
| 4.4 (431) | G2 rating | 4.5 (1,537) |
| 4.6 (226) | Capterra rating | 4.7 (1,789) |
Questions
Which is better, Help Scout or LiveAgent?
Help Scout wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Help Scout takes the bill and security; LiveAgent takes user verdict; 3 rounds are even.
Is Help Scout cheaper than LiveAgent?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Help Scout comes to $625 a month and LiveAgent to $150, from list prices. Help Scout takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Help Scout or LiveAgent?
Both offer an AI agent that answers from the help center. Even.
