Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Help Desk Software

Intercom vs Help Scout

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score Intercom #6 in Help Desk Software 8.8/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 6 features Visit Intercom
Help Scout #9 in Help Desk Software 8.5/10 Free plan · 15-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Help Scout

Intercom leads on 0 checks, Help Scout on 2, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreIntercom · 8.8/10
  • Lowest starting priceHelp Scout · $25/user/mo
  • Free planonly Help Scout
  • Free trialboth
  • Most featuresHelp Scout · 6 of 6

Intercom scores higher on our rubric for help desk software: 8.8 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #9.

Help Scout offers free plan; Intercom doesn't. Help Scout is cheaper to start at $25/user/mo against $29/user/mo.

Intercom is the better fit for product teams prioritizing chat and AI support. Help Scout is the better fit for small teams wanting free support for five seats.

  • Intercom fits best

    Product teams prioritizing chat and AI support

  • Help Scout fits best

    Small teams wanting free support for five seats

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Intercom 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Help Scout 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.5
Ranking #6 in Help Desk Software #9 in Help Desk Software
Best for Product teams prioritizing chat and AI support Small teams wanting free support for five seats
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $29/seat/mo $25/user/mo (best)
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 14 days 15 days
Free trial length 14 days · no card needed 15 days · no card needed
Money-back guarantee 90 days 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, iOS, Android
Support Email, Live chat, Community, Docs · 24/7 Email, Docs
Compliance SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, 2FA HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations 450+ integrations 100+ integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market
Features Intercom 0/6 · Help Scout 6/6
Shared inbox Not checked yet ✓ (best)
SLA management Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Help center Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Ticket automation Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Customer portal Not checked yet ✓ (best)
API access Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Included agent seats Not checked yet 5
Our review
Pros
  • Fin AI Agent can automate conversations and hand off to human agents
  • Omnichannel inbox combines chat, tickets, email, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, and social
  • Connects with 450+ apps and integrations, including Salesforce and Shopify
  • Free plan includes up to five users, one inbox, and one Docs site
  • Shared inboxes, SLAs, workflows, knowledge bases, portals, and reporting
  • Supports web, iOS, Android, APIs, and major customer-service integrations
Cons
  • No free plan is available
  • Annual pricing starts at $29 per seat per month
  • Advanced and Expert tiers are needed for expanded controls and compliance features
  • Free plan is limited to one inbox and one Docs site
  • Paid pricing is charged per user each month
  • Advanced capabilities are concentrated in higher-priced plans
Our verdict

Intercom is customer service software for support, sales, and ecommerce teams that want website and mobile-app messaging alongside ticketing and automated assistance. Its Messenger supports logged-out visitors and leads, while Fin AI Agent…

Read the review →

Help Scout is a customer support platform for teams managing customer conversations across email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and other channels. Its shared inboxes support team-managed conversations, while…

Read the review →
  1. IntercomHelp Desk Software 8.814-day trial
  2. Help ScoutHelp Desk Software 8.5Free plan · 15-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Intercom — where it wins

    • Fin AI Agent can automate conversations and hand off to human agents
    • Omnichannel inbox combines chat, tickets, email, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, and social
    • Connects with 450+ apps and integrations, including Salesforce and Shopify

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • Annual pricing starts at $29 per seat per month
    • Advanced and Expert tiers are needed for expanded controls and compliance features

  • Help Scout — where it wins

    • Free plan includes up to five users, one inbox, and one Docs site
    • Shared inboxes, SLAs, workflows, knowledge bases, portals, and reporting
    • Supports web, iOS, Android, APIs, and major customer-service integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan is limited to one inbox and one Docs site
    • Paid pricing is charged per user each month
    • Advanced capabilities are concentrated in higher-priced plans

More options

More comparisons

All help desk software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update