10 best HelpScout alternatives for improved customer support.

If you’ve ever felt like Help Scout is leaving you with more questions than answers, you’re not alone. While using Help Scout, you must have encountered challenges like randomly getting stuck, unknown network errors, knowledge base creation restrictions, fewer metrics details, and much more.

The limitations that come with Help Scout are more than the ease it gives to your support teams. It’s time to break free from the conventional and explore alternatives that not only understand your pain points but also offer a breath of fresh air in your customer support software selection.

Why consider Help Scout alternatives?

Help Scout might have some perks, but some of its demerits make it difficult for users to stick to it. Let’s look at the three most compelling reasons users seek for HelpScout alternatives:

1. Email-based platform

Help Scout is a traditional platform to manage customer queries and revolves around emails. But with changing times, users have started reaching out to companies via different platforms like chatbots, phone calls, social media, and text. The need for real-time interactions and seamless collaboration has become extremely important. To overcome this challenge, users need a platform that molds itself into the modern dynamics of customer support.

2. Frequent network errors

How does it feel when you are in the middle of resolving a critical customer query, and bam! Network error. Help Scout’s users have faced frequent network hiccups. This mishap can interrupt your support workflow. A customer support platform is something meant to boost your customer support and not slow them. As a solution, you need a platform that ensures you’re not left hanging mid-conversation with a customer.

3. Lack of detailed reporting and metrics

Making data-driven decisions makes a business better but Help Scout will leave you craving more. It lacks detailed reporting and metrics features that hinder your ability to track your team’s performances and customer satisfaction levels. Many customer support tools provide comprehensive reports that show insights, enable you to optimize your support operations, and enhance customer satisfaction.

DevRev - Best Help Scout alternative (4.8/5)

• Omnichannel platform

While Help Scout is only limited to emails, DevRev steps up and allows you to provide omnichannel support to your customers. It is an all-in-one platform that effortlessly handles emails, phone calls, chats, and social media interactions. The beauty of having a multi-channel support platform in place is you don’t need to juggle between platforms to handle incoming customer queries via different mediums.

• Smooth workflows

Unlike Help Scout, DevRev guarantees uninterrupted workflows, where network hiccups become a thing of the past. It ensures you focus on delivering stellar support without the constant fear of connectivity disruptions. You need to deliver a smoother and more reliable experience to your customers as it leads to customer loyalty and an increased customer retention rate.

• In-depth reporting features

Limited insights lead you to nowhere. To improve your customer support operations by enhancing customer experience, you need customer service software that goes beyond the basics. DevRev enables you to get detailed analytics, track key performance indicators, and gain a holistic view of your support operations. With DevRev, you not only manage support but also make informed decisions based on real-time data.

Here are some of the key features of DevRev that you should check out:

Ticket automation: Streamline issue resolution and improve customer satisfaction by automating your support process with efficient ticket management.

Unlimited collaborators: Establish teamwork and transparency seamlessly by inviting unlimited collaborators and ensure everyone is on the same page for enhanced productivity.

Product hierarchy visualization (Trails): Navigate through your product hierarchy effortlessly using the innovative “Trails” feature. Get a clear visual map of your team and product hierarchy for better understanding and management.

PLuG Chatbot powered by Turing AI: Deliver intelligent and personalized responses with our Turing AI-powered chatbot - Plug. Set up and save replies to let your chatbot resolve customer queries directly, freeing up your customer service agents for other productive work.

SLA tracking: Meet and exceed service level agreements consistently with real-time SLA tracking, ensuring timely and reliable customer support.

Work management: With comprehensive work management tools, optimize your workflow to boost efficiency and ensure tasks are completed on time.

Snap-ins: Using “Snap-ins”, seamlessly connect DevRev with other tools and empower your CRM with extended functionalities.

Knowledge base creation: Empower your teams and customers with a repository of information by creating a knowledge base.

Reporting and metrics: Initiate data-driven decision-making using valuable insights of your business fetched by DevRev’s powerful reporting and metrics tools.

SOC2 compliance: Rest easy knowing that your data is handled securely and in compliance with SOC2 standards, ensuring the highest level of information security.

Omnichannel support: Ensuring consistent and effective communication by delivering a seamless customer experience across various channels including email, live chat, phone, SMS, and social media.

Zendesk (4.2/5)

Founded in 2007, Zendesk stands tall among other alternatives by offering omnichannel support and advanced AI features. Notably, it is proficient in creating multiple workspaces, ideal for teams handling diverse requests or products.

Ideal for enterprises, Zendesk boasts features like custom team roles, multiple knowledge bases, and customizable agent workspaces, albeit confined to high-tier plans. Zendesk provides a cloud-based customer service platform with a comprehensive suite, including helpdesk, email marketing, live chat, and more.

Top features of Zendesk:

• Streamlines your customer support by ensuring efficient tracking and resolution of customer inquiries via its centralized ticketing system.
• With Service Level Agreement (SLA) management, set, track, and meet response time commitments to ensure your customer support team delivers timely and quality support consistently.
• Has Android and iOS apps so your teams can have real-time access to customer queries, irrespective of location.
• Seamlessly customize Zendesk to your unique needs effortlessly. Enjoy easy customization options that allow you to adapt the platform to your workflow.

Zendesk compared to Help Scout

Compared to Help Scout, Zendesk emerges as a more comprehensive solution, offering users the flexibility to choose from a variety of channels for effective customer support. Its advanced functionalities and user-friendly experience set it apart. When it comes to analytics and dashboards, Zendesk takes the lead, offering more advanced and insightful tools to monitor and improve performance.

Additionally, Zendesk goes a step further by enhancing customer engagement through a community platform, a feature notably absent in Help Scout. Overall, Zendesk stands out for its versatility, user-centric design, and superior analytical capabilities.

The cost of Zendesk starts at $69/month and allows to add up to 5 agents. It also offers a 14-day free trial.

Intercom (4.5/5)

Intercom stands out as a dynamic customer support software that empowers businesses to engage with customers in real-time through custom bots, targeted emails, and push notifications. Its versatility extends to SMS marketing campaigns, supported by Intercom plugins for notifications, contact imports, and service marketing.

The platform’s AI-powered Inbox and Engagement OS ticketing platform streamlines query collection, tracking, and routing for support teams. Intercom’s ‘Messenger’ feature consolidates diverse apps into a single window. Suited for businesses of all sizes, Intercom caters to various industries, including e-commerce, finance, education, and healthcare.

Intercom’s platform’ learning curve and pricing may pose challenges, especially for smaller businesses. Nevertheless, as a top Help Scout alternative, Intercom’s automation capabilities, customization, and real-time communication tools make it a valuable asset for over 25 thousand businesses globally, including industry giants like Microsoft and Atlassian.

Top features of Intercom:

• Provides real-time customer support by utilizing custom bots, targeted emails, and push notifications to address customer issues efficiently.
• Offers seamless integration capabilities by allowing users to connect and use various plugins for functions like notifications, contact imports, and service marketing, enhancing overall workflow efficiency.
• Easily manage permissions and restrict access based on specific roles.
• Allows support teams to stay informed and escalate critical issues quickly and contributes to a proactive and responsive approach to customer service.

Intercom compared to Help Scout

When comparing Intercom to Help Scout, a notable distinction lies in their tagging systems. Intercom enables tagging of both people and messages while Help Scout enables tagging entire conversations. Additionally, Intercom stands out in its ability to centralize data from various channels, constructing comprehensive customer profiles. It works as a two-way communication system, making it particularly well-suited for enterprise-level companies seeking efficient engagement. Conversely, Help Scout, with its cloud-based help desk software, is ideal for growing businesses, providing a scalable solution for streamlined customer support.

The choice between the two hinges on the specific requirements and scale of your business. Intercom starts from $39/seat/month, offering a 14-day free trial.

Front (4.7/5)

The front is a versatile Help Scout alternative emphasizing personalized customer interactions by enabling responses from personal email addresses. Its unique feature includes scheduling meetings directly from the platform. It lacks a knowledge base builder. Front consolidates communication channels by enhancing collaboration, and providing quick, personalized replies through workflow automation.

However, users might face a learning curve due to its distinctive interface. As a cloud-based solution, Front efficiently manages customer interactions, integrating various channels such as SMS, live chat, and Facebook messages.

Top features of Front:

• Establishes a collaborative work environment by providing support teams with complete visibility into each other’s tasks.
• Enables support teams to create personalized replies quickly and efficiently through the implementation of workflow automation and integrations.
• Consolidates various communication channels into a single hub for efficient management of customer interactions.
• Offers insights into key metrics to help teams track performance and make data-driven decisions via powerful analytics tools.
• Provides a range of options and a flexible API to ensure seamless connectivity with other tools to enhance overall workflow efficiency.

Front compared to Help Scout

In the comparison between Front and Help Scout, Front emerges as a leader in team collaboration with seamless and comprehensive visibility into tasks. Notably, Front distinguishes itself as a no-code platform, simplifying processes and enhancing accessibility.

Front’s optimization for personal inboxes sets it apart meanwhile Help Scout lacks it. Overall, Front’s emphasis on collaboration, no-code functionality, personal inbox optimization, and omnichannel consolidation positions it as a considerable alternative to Help Scout for teams seeking a versatile and integrated solution.

Kayako (4.0/5)

Kayako is an on-premise option in the cloud-dominated space of help desk solutions. While offering standard features like email support and knowledge base building, the on-premise nature involves additional costs, making it more suitable for larger teams. With a user-friendly ticketing system, Kayako provides a single-view journey for tracking customer interactions and engagement.

Noteworthy features include ‘Expert Collaborators’ that facilitate external expert input, and the ability to transfer customer support tickets between departments for multifunctional insights. However, limitations in analytics depth, ticket search, and document attachment pose considerations. Kayako’s multichannel ticketing, live chat, and shared inbox contribute to efficient customer support, making it a contender among Help Scout alternatives.

Top features of Kayako:

• Allows support agents to collaborate efficiently on customer queries from a centralized platform through its shared inbox.
• The ‘Expert Collaborators’ in Kayako enables the inclusion of external experts to facilitate the resolution of complex customer issues through collaborative efforts
• Offers organized folder structures that allow support teams to efficiently categorize and manage tickets
• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) score calculation provides valuable insights into customer feedback and satisfaction levels to measure and improve overall support performance

Kayako compared to Help Scout

In the comparison between Kayako and Help Scout, Kayako includes Service Level Agreements (SLAs), an aspect lacking in Help Scout. Additionally, Kayako provides the convenience of canned replies, streamlining responses and enhancing the efficiency of support teams, a feature notably absent in Help Scout.

However, it’s crucial to note that Kayako takes a longer time to set up compared to Help Scout, potentially impacting the speed of onboarding and initial implementation. The choice between the two hinges on the priority of SLAs, the need for canned replies, and the tolerance for the setup duration in alignment with the specific requirements of the support team.

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Zoho Desk (4.4/5)

Zoho Desk, renowned for its sales CRM, extends its capabilities to the support space by offering features like email support and a knowledge base builder, even in their free plan. Advanced features such as live chat and workflow automation are excluded from the free plan. This customer service platform is suitable for mid-sized businesses, facilitating multi-channel support and maintaining an updated customer contact directory.

Despite offering customization options, Zoho Desk is considered less flexible, with reported challenges in the phone calling feature and a lack of a desktop application version. Nevertheless, its CRM system, ticketing functionality, and freemium plan make it a cost-effective Help Scout alternative for businesses seeking contact management and omnichannel customer interactions, complete with forecasting, metrics, and analytics.

Top features of Zoho Desk:

• Ensures efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and improving overall workflow through its automation capabilities.
• Enables effective ticket routing and automated actions to enhance support operations.
• Includes SLA (Service Level Agreement) management to ensure timely responses and resolutions to meet customer expectations.
• Consolidates customer interactions from various channels into a single interface by facilitating contextual conversations and providing efficient customer support.

Zoho Desk compared to Help Scout

In the comparison between Zoho Desk and Help Scout, Zoho Desk takes the lead with social media integration, a feature absent in Help Scout. Both platforms, however, share equal footing when it comes to reporting capabilities.

Notably, Zoho Desk offers an advantage with multi-level escalations, allowing for a structured and tiered approach to addressing and resolving customer issues. The choice between the two would depend on specific needs, with Zoho Desk ideal for those requiring social media integration and advanced escalation structures, while Help Scout provides a comparable level of reporting capabilities. Just like Help Scout, Zoho Desk offers a 15-day free trial.

LiveAgent (4.5/5)

LiveAgent is particularly beneficial for small businesses managing customer support across multiple channels. Boasting translation support for 43 languages, LiveAgent enhances global customer experiences and localizes messages based on user locations. The platform offers standard features like email and live chat support, alongside advanced capabilities like automated ticket assignment, albeit limited to higher-tier plans.

LiveAgent’s chatbot functionality, integrated call center, and spam filter contribute to round-the-clock client support and optimal productivity. While team collaboration may present challenges, LiveAgent’s user-friendly ticket management, shared inbox, and multichannel service desk make it an effective alternative to Help Scout.

Top features of LiveAgent:

• Facilitates real-time interactions and support on your website with a chatbot widget.
• Offers an intuitive dashboard that provides a comprehensive overview of customer interactions, tickets, and support channels for efficient management.
• Incorporates customer service gamification to boost agent motivation and productivity.
• Provides a customer portal that enables self-service options and access to a knowledge base/FAQ portal.

LiveAgent compared to Help Scout

In the comparison between LiveAgent and Help Scout, LiveAgent is ideal for small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses. Help Scout, on the other hand, is ideal for a diverse clientele, including small businesses, high-growth startups, and non-profits. Notably, Help Scout lacks data import-export functionalities.

Both platforms are good in workflow management, and streamlining processes for efficient customer support. In terms of cost, LiveAgent presents a more budget-friendly option with a $39/month plan and an extended 30-day free trial.

Hubspot Service Hub (4.4/5)

HubSpot Service Hub is a cloud-based customer service platform serving businesses of all sizes to help in the management of contacts, requests, deals, and schedules. With a focus on gathering insights, delivering personalized service, managing workflows, and connecting data, Service Hub simplifies customer communication through a centralized portal by handling queries from multiple channels such as email, chat, and phone.

While featuring critical elements like automation and analytics, its setup can be complex and less user-friendly. Although offering a free plan, the entry-level pricing is comparatively higher, and onboarding comes with an extra cost. HubSpot Service Hub integrates advanced CRM with ticketing system functionality, enhancing support team performance, and targeting website visitors for conversion, making it a comprehensive Help Scout alternative with a neatly organized interface.

Top features of Hubspot Service Hub:

• Provides accurate reporting features and offers insights and analytics to help you track and measure customer service performance.
• Enables you to capture and nurture potential customers through effective strategies.
• Integrates marketing automation, streamlining repetitive tasks and facilitating personalized customer engagement.
• Businesses can leverage conversion analytics within the platform, gaining valuable insights into the effectiveness of their customer conversion strategies.
• includes call recording functionality that allows you to maintain a record of customer interactions for quality assurance and analysis.
• With conversation intelligence, HubSpot Service Hub enables you to derive valuable insights from customer interactions

Hubspot Service Hub compared to Help Scout

In the comparison between HubSpot Service Hub and Help Scout, HubSpot Service Hub distinguishes itself with targeted emails. Another notable difference is the inclusion of a customer portal in HubSpot, providing a centralized hub for efficient query management, whereas Help Scout lacks this functionality.

However, setting up a knowledge base is reported to be complex in HubSpot. On the positive side, HubSpot empowers businesses to conduct customer satisfaction surveys. Cost-wise, HubSpot starts at $18/month for 2 users, and it offers a 14-day free trial, making it a cost-effective alternative with additional features compared to Help Scout.

Hiver (4.6/5)

Hiver stands out as a helpdesk platform seamlessly integrated with Google Workspace that allows users to deliver quick customer service directly from the familiar Gmail interface. It includes essential helpdesk capabilities, including email tags, round-robin email distribution, templates, and detailed analytics, with collision alerts to prevent duplications. Notably, Hiver excels in ease of use compared to Help Scout, providing instant implementation without extensive training.

The platform’s advanced SLA configuration and reporting functionalities make it a compelling alternative. Payments on Hiver are secured through Stripe.com. Hiver facilitates shared inboxes, offering task assignment, ownership, status management, and automation for streamlined customer query handling.

Top features of Hiver:

• Facilitates efficient workflows with rule-based automation to streamline processes and reduce manual intervention in customer query management.
• To ensure fair distribution of emails among team members to optimize workload balance and response times.
• Enables teams to track Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and define business hours.

Hiver compared to Help Scout

In the Hiver versus Help Scout comparison, Hiver holds an advantage with its 24/7 chat and email support, ensuring continuous assistance for users. The platform’s intuitive interface stands out, offering a user-friendly experience in contrast to Help Scout. While Hiver’s pricing model includes more features, starting at $26/user/month with a 7-day free trial, Help Scout offers a 24/6 support schedule. The choice between the two would depend on the specific needs and preferences of the user like support availability, ease of use, SLA management, and pricing considerations.

Freshdesk (4.4/5)

Freshdesk, designed for small and medium-sized businesses, efficiently handles customer queries from multiple channels. The platform offers a budget-friendly forever-free plan, but users find its setup process challenging and unreliable, especially in syncing with Google Workspace. Despite setup challenges, Freshdesk serves as a cloud-based Help Scout alternative because of its tools for improved customer engagement, relationships, and features like Service Level Agreements (SLAs) management.

Top features of Freshdesk:

• Offers an efficient ticketing system to efficiently manage and organize customer queries from various channels.
• Provides AI-driven insights to provide valuable data and analytics to enhance customer support strategies.
• Includes agent collision detection to prevent duplicate efforts and ensure streamlined collaboration within the team.
• Enhances customer interactions by providing automated and intelligent responses for efficient query resolution via its chatbot, powered by Freddy AI.

Freshdesk compared to Help Scout

In comparing Freshdesk to Help Scout, Freshdesk stands out for its ability to manage SLAs. Additionally, Freshdesk offers email tracking capabilities, enhancing visibility into communication processes. The platform excels in advanced forecasting, insights, and analytics, providing valuable tools for strategic decision-making.

However, similar to Help Scout, Freshdesk has limited integration capabilities, prompting users to explore Freshdesk alternatives for more extensive integrations. In terms of pricing, Freshdesk starts at $15/month and provides a 14-day free trial.

Choosing the right customer support software for your business

While selecting an ideal customer support software, keep these factors in mind to avoid future regrets in your selection:

1. Omnichannel platform

An omnichannel platform ensures a unified customer support experience across various channels such as email, live chat, phone, and social media. This integration allows your support team to access and respond to customer queries seamlessly, irrespective of the channel used, fostering consistency and efficiency in communication.

2. Least or no technical glitches or network errors

Opting for customer support software with minimal technical glitches and network errors is important for uninterrupted service. A system free from frequent disruptions ensures that your support team can address customer issues quickly and without hindrance, contributing to a positive customer experience and maintaining operational efficiency.

3. Detailed reporting and metrics

Detailed reporting and metrics provide valuable insights into customer interactions and support team performance. This functionality allows your business to analyze trends, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions. Comprehensive reporting ensures transparency and accountability, helping your team continually refine its support strategies.

4. Transparent pricing and no add-ons

Transparent pricing models with no hidden add-ons contribute to effective budgeting for your business. Knowing the full cost upfront allows you to allocate resources efficiently and avoid unexpected charges. Choosing customer support software without unnecessary upsells ensures that you only pay for the features essential to your business.

Why Help Scout alternatives?

As we wrap up our exploration, it’s clear that many different customer support options exist. Each one has its own features, benefits, and pricing.

Finding the solution that best matches your business needs is important. For example, DevRev is an option that improves communication, provides powerful AI features, and enhances the overall customer experience.