ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs Help Scout

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus8.3Visit Help Scout7.1Visit

Higher score ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus #3 in Ticketing Software 8.3/10 Free plan · paid from $13/mo · 30-day trial Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit ManageEngine

vs

Help Scout #6 in Ticketing Software 7.1/10 Free plan · paid from $25/user/mo · 15-day trial Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Help Scout

• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus fits best

  IT teams seeking established service-desk ticketing

• Help Scout fits best

  Small teams wanting a straightforward shared inbox

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Side by side

Feature	ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus 8.3/10 Visit ↗	Help Scout 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.3	7.1
Ranking	#3 in Ticketing Software	#6 in Ticketing Software
Best for	IT teams seeking established service-desk ticketing	Small teams wanting a straightforward shared inbox
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	$25/user/mo
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Free trial length	30 days	15 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Phone, Email	Email, Docs
Compliance	SSO/SAML	HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations	15 integrations	100+ integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market
Features ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus 2/5 · Help Scout 2/5
SLA management	✓	✓
Workflow automation	Not published	Not published
Customer portal	Not published	✓ (best)
Knowledge base	✓ (best)	Not published
Reporting and analytics	Not published	Not published
Specs
Included agents	Not published	Not published
Supported channels	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Incident, request, SLA, approval, and knowledge-base workflows Free Standard edition for up to five technicians Cloud, on-premises, mobile, and self-hosted deployment options	Free plan includes 5 users, 1 Inbox, and 1 Docs site Shared inbox adds internal notes and collision detection Plans add workflows, SLAs, customer portal, and AI features
Cons	Asset management begins with the Professional edition Change management and projects are limited to Enterprise Phone and email support are provided without 24/7 coverage	Free plan is limited to 1 Inbox and 1 Docs site Standard starts at $25 per user per month; higher tiers cost more Pro trial access is handled through sales
Our verdict	ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a service management platform for IT teams and other departments, including HR, facilities, and finance. It combines incident and request management with automated ticket handling, a self-service portal,… Read the review →	Help Scout brings customer conversations, help content, workflows, and support-history access together in a cloud platform. Its shared inbox is designed for customer-facing teams that need to coordinate replies, with internal notes and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus — where it wins

  • Incident, request, SLA, approval, and knowledge-base workflows
  • Free Standard edition for up to five technicians
  • Cloud, on-premises, mobile, and self-hosted deployment options

  Where it doesn't

  • Asset management begins with the Professional edition
  • Change management and projects are limited to Enterprise
  • Phone and email support are provided without 24/7 coverage

• Help Scout — where it wins

  • Free plan includes 5 users, 1 Inbox, and 1 Docs site
  • Shared inbox adds internal notes and collision detection
  • Plans add workflows, SLAs, customer portal, and AI features

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan is limited to 1 Inbox and 1 Docs site
  • Standard starts at $25 per user per month; higher tiers cost more
  • Pro trial access is handled through sales

• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus8.3/10 · Free plan · paid from $13/mo · 30-day trial

  Established service-desk coverage with a free entry plan and technician-based tiers.

  Visit ManageEngineFull verdict →
• Help Scout7.1/10 · Free plan · paid from $25/user/mo · 15-day trial

  A shared-inbox support platform with a free plan and tiered workflow, SLA, and AI features.

  Visit Help ScoutFull verdict →