Bouts / Help Scout vs Zoho Desk
Help Scout vs Zoho Desk
Red cornerHelp Scout
$25 per user a month, billed annually
Blue cornerZoho Desk
$7 per user a month, billed annually (Express)
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 price tags; Zoho Desk takes security; 3 rounds are even.
The judges' card
| Round | Help Scout | What happened | Zoho Desk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Help Scout $625, Zoho Desk $400 (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 | W | Help Scout offers AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits; Zoho Desk offers seat prices, with the AI priced by quote or not at all. Help Scout takes the round. | |
| 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 | Zoho Desk offers SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA and a no-training promise; Help Scout offers one audit report (SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001). Zoho Desk takes the round. | W | |
| Round 6User verdict | = | On G2: Help Scout 4.4 from 431 reviews, Zoho Desk 4.4 from 7,988 reviews. Too close to call. Even. | = |
| 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
- Zoho Desk
- $120
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Help Scout wins 2–1.
Mid-size team
- Help Scout
- $625
- Zoho Desk
- $400
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Help Scout wins 2–1.
Large team
- Help Scout
- $1,563
- Zoho Desk
- $1,000
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; Zoho Desk Enterprise.
Tale of the tape
| Help Scout | Made by | Zoho Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $25 per user a month, billed annually | Paid plans from | $7 per user a month, billed annually (Express) |
| Standard | Plan we priced | Enterprise |
| $188 | 3 agents, AI on | $120 |
| $625 | 10 agents, AI on | $400 |
| $1,563 | 25 agents, AI on | $1,000 |
| $0.75 per resolution | AI agent price | Not published; uses Zia Agent credits with no published rate per reply; Included in Standard, Professional and Enterprise |
| Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social, SMS | Channels | Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social |
| Up to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts a month | Free plan | Up to 3 users with email ticketing |
| 15 days | Free trial | 15 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, SOC 2 + HIPAA Type 2 |
| Hosted on AWS in the USA; no EU hosting is published | Data hosting | Choice of US, EU (Amsterdam and Dublin), India, Australia, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore and China data centers |
| 4.4 (431) | G2 rating | 4.4 (7,988) |
| 4.6 (226) | Capterra rating | 4.5 (2,216) |
Questions
Which is better, Help Scout or Zoho Desk?
Help Scout wins 2–1 at 10 agents (close call). Help Scout takes the bill and price tags; Zoho Desk takes security; 3 rounds are even.
Is Help Scout cheaper than Zoho Desk?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Help Scout comes to $625 a month and Zoho Desk to $400, from list prices. Help Scout takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Help Scout or Zoho Desk?
Both offer an AI agent that answers from the help center. Even.
