Help Scout
LiveAgent
| Feature | Help Scout | LiveAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $25/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, saas-companies, remote-teams, customer-focused-brands | small-businesses, ecommerce, support-teams, call-centers |
| Founded | 2011 | 2006 |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✓ |
| Beacon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Customer Profiles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Call Center | ✗ | ✓ |
| Social Media Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Help Scout Pros
- Feels like email to customers (no ticket numbers)
- Excellent knowledge base (Docs)
- Beacon widget for contextual help
- Simple and fast — minimal training needed
✗ Help Scout Cons
- Limited automation compared to Zendesk
- No built-in phone or video support
- Reporting less advanced on lower plans
✓ LiveAgent Pros
- Feature-rich
- Affordable
- Built-in call center
- Fast live chat
✗ LiveAgent Cons
- Interface feels busy
- Setup takes time
- Mobile app limited
The Verdict
Help Scout is built for small businesses and saas companies, with a focus on shared-inbox and knowledge-base. LiveAgent targets small businesses and ecommerce and leads with ticketing and live-chat.
On pricing, LiveAgent is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $9/mo compared to $25/mo for Help Scout. That $16/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Help Scout offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while LiveAgent takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for small businesses — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.