Help Scout vs Missive

Help Scout9.1Visit Missive9.0Visit

Higher score Help Scout #3 in Shared Inbox Software 9.1/10 Free plan · 15-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Help Scout

vs

Missive #4 in Shared Inbox Software 9.0/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Missive

• Help Scout fits best

  Support teams wanting a free-to-paid help desk

• Missive fits best

  Teams coordinating support, sales, or agency communications

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Side by side

Feature	Help Scout 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Missive 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	9.0
Ranking	#3 in Shared Inbox Software	#4 in Shared Inbox Software
Best for	Support teams wanting a free-to-paid help desk	Teams coordinating support, sales, or agency communications
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$25/user/mo	$14/user/mo (best)
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	15 days	30 days
Free trial length	15 days · no card needed	30 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Docs
Compliance	HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA	SOC 2, GDPR, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations	100+ integrations	16 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Help Scout 0/4 · Missive 0/4
Internal comments	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Collision detection	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Assignment automation	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Mobile apps	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Shared mailboxes	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Mail platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan supports 5 users, 1 Inbox, and 1 Docs site Shared inboxes include internal notes and collision detection Paid tiers add SLAs, workflows, portals, APIs, and AI features	Combines shared inboxes with comments, mentions, assignments, and collaborative drafting Supports email, SMS, and social accounts, with rules and automations on Productive Available on web, desktop, and mobile, with integrations and API access on Productive
Cons	Multiple Inboxes and live chat start on the Standard plan Advanced routing, portals, and key integrations require Plus Pro trial access is handled through sales	There is no ongoing free plan after the 30-day trial Starter begins at $14 per user monthly with annual billing, or $18 monthly Annual subscriptions are nonrefundable, according to the billing FAQ
Our verdict	Help Scout is a cloud customer support platform for growing businesses and customer-facing teams. It brings shared inboxes, knowledge bases, customer portals, service-level agreements, workflows, reporting, integrations, mobile apps, and… Read the review →	Missive is a collaborative email client for teams that handle customer conversations together, including support, sales, and agency teams. It brings shared and personal inboxes together with internal comments, mentions, assignments,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Help Scout — where it wins

  • Free plan supports 5 users, 1 Inbox, and 1 Docs site
  • Shared inboxes include internal notes and collision detection
  • Paid tiers add SLAs, workflows, portals, APIs, and AI features

  Where it doesn't

  • Multiple Inboxes and live chat start on the Standard plan
  • Advanced routing, portals, and key integrations require Plus
  • Pro trial access is handled through sales

• Missive — where it wins

  • Combines shared inboxes with comments, mentions, assignments, and collaborative drafting
  • Supports email, SMS, and social accounts, with rules and automations on Productive
  • Available on web, desktop, and mobile, with integrations and API access on Productive

  Where it doesn't

  • There is no ongoing free plan after the 30-day trial
  • Starter begins at $14 per user monthly with annual billing, or $18 monthly
  • Annual subscriptions are nonrefundable, according to the billing FAQ

• Help Scout9.1/10 · Free plan · 15-day trial

  A free-to-paid support platform with strong collaboration, automation, and help-center depth.

  Visit Help ScoutFull verdict →
• Missive9.0/10 · 30-day trial

  A shared inbox for teams that need collaboration across channels, tasks, and calendars.

  Visit MissiveFull verdict →