Help Scout vs Front: two help desks compared for small teams
Help Scout vs Front compares two help desks that are both sold per seat and both offer chat, messaging and AI. They differ most in free plans, how they bill AI and where WhatsApp sits. All figures come from the two official pricing pages.
On this page
Help Scout vs Front: side by side
Help Scout: An email-first help desk with Docs knowledge base sites, sold per user, with a small free plan. Front: A help desk sold per seat, with omnichannel and WhatsApp from the Professional plan. The table uses list prices from each official pricing page, checked Oct 2026. Prices change often, so follow the source links before you decide.
| Topic | Help Scout | Front |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per user per month, plus $0.75 per AI resolution.helpscout.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | Per seat per month. AI Autopilot and Copilot are add-ons.front.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 |
| Free plan | Free: 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site, 10 articles, 100 contacts/month, 10 saved replies.helpscout.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | No free plan. A 14-day trial with Professional features, no credit card.front.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 |
| Entry paid plan | Standard: $25 per user/month billed annually, $30 billed monthly. Up to 25 users, 2 Inboxes, 2 Docs sites, 1 basic SLA.helpscout.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | Starter: $25 per seat/month billed annually, $35 billed monthly. Up to 10 seats, one channel type, basic public knowledge base.front.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 |
| Plan with live chat, help center and AI agent | Standard lists live chat and SMS plus WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. Email on all plans.helpscout.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | Professional: $65 per seat/month billed annually, $85 billed monthly. Omnichannel, customizable knowledge base, up to 50 seats.front.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 |
| AI agent pricing | AI Answers: $0.75 per resolution, charged once per conversation, optional monthly spending cap. New accounts get 3 months of unlimited AI Answers resolutions.helpscout.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | Autopilot add-on "starting at $0.05 per conversation" through sales. Copilot is a $20 per seat/month add-on on Starter and Professional.front.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 |
| Listed on the Standard plan card alongside Instagram and Messenger.helpscout.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | Professional and Enterprise only, as a native add-on billed at Meta rates plus a 20% admin fee.front.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | |
| Trial | 15 days on Standard and Plus, no credit card.helpscout.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 | 14 days with Professional features, no credit card.front.com/pricingchecked Oct 2026 |
Competitor prices are list prices from each vendor's official pricing page, for the plan and billing period named, checked Oct 2026. Promotions and discounts may apply. Spotted an outdated fact? Email hello@korareply.com and we will correct it.
The main differences
Free plan and entry price. Help Scout has a Free plan (5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site with 10 articles, 100 contacts a month) and Standard at $25 per user per month annual or $30 monthly (helpscout.com/pricing, checked Oct 2026). Front has no free plan; Starter is $25 per seat annual or $35 monthly for up to 10 seats and one channel type (front.com/pricing, checked Oct 2026).
Channels and WhatsApp. Help Scout's Standard plan lists live chat and SMS plus WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger. Front offers omnichannel from Professional ($65 annual, $85 monthly), with WhatsApp on Professional and Enterprise as an add-on billed at Meta rates plus a 20% admin fee.
AI. Help Scout AI Answers costs $0.75 per resolution, with an optional monthly cap and 3 months unlimited for new accounts. Front's Autopilot starts at $0.05 per conversation through sales, and Copilot is a $20 per seat add-on on Starter and Professional.
Knowledge base. Help Scout includes Docs sites (2 on Standard, 3 on Plus). Front Starter has a basic public knowledge base, Professional a customizable one, and Enterprise a multi-language one.
Strengths of each
Help Scout
- A free plan for up to 5 users, more seats than most free tiers.
- Email on every plan and Docs knowledge base sites, with up to 3 Docs sites on Plus.
- AI resolutions can be capped with a monthly spending limit, and new accounts get 3 months of unlimited AI Answers.
Front
- Up to 5 workspaces and up to 50 seats on Professional.
- Enterprise includes a multi-language knowledge base, Copilot, Smart QA and CSAT.
- AI Autopilot is quoted from $0.05 per conversation, a low starting rate for high volume (through sales).
Decide with your own numbers
List prices only tell part of the story. Before choosing between Help Scout and Front, take last month's real figures: how many people answer customers, how many conversations arrived, which channels they came from and how many an AI agent could plausibly handle. Then price that month on each vendor's plan that actually includes the channels you use, adding any AI fees and channel add-ons. Repeat the exercise with double the volume, because the cheaper option at today's size is not always the cheaper one next year. Finally, check the limits that would force an upgrade, such as seat caps, workspace counts or knowledge base sites, since those often matter more than the headline price.
Which one to choose
Choose Help Scout if you want a free start for up to 5 people, WhatsApp on the Standard plan and simple per-resolution AI. Choose Front if you need several workspaces, rules and QA on higher plans, and you are comfortable buying WhatsApp as an add-on.
Kora Reply is a smaller third option for teams of up to 12: email, live chat and WhatsApp (beta) on the $12 per user Starter plan, an included AI quota and a Free plan for 2 users. Compare it in detail on the Help Scout alternative and Front alternative pages.
Frequently asked questions
On annual billing both entry plans are $25 per seat/month; monthly, Help Scout Standard is $30 and Front Starter $35. Help Scout also has a Free plan for up to 5 users, Front does not (checked Oct 2026).
Help Scout lists WhatsApp on its Standard plan. Front offers it on Professional and Enterprise as an add-on billed at Meta rates plus 20% (checked Oct 2026).
Help Scout charges $0.75 per AI resolution. Front's Autopilot starts at $0.05 per conversation through sales, and Copilot is $20 per seat/month (checked Oct 2026).
Help Scout offers 15 days on Standard and Plus; Front offers 14 days with Professional features. Neither asks for a credit card (checked Oct 2026).
Kora Reply offers email, live chat and WhatsApp (beta) on its $12 per user Starter plan with an included AI quota, for teams of up to 12. It lacks multiple workspaces, rules engines and QA features.
Want something simpler for a small team?
Kora Reply gives teams of up to 12 one shared inbox, tickets with response targets, a public knowledge base and an AI agent quota included in every plan.