Help Scout

Included quota

Standard (entry paid, $25/user/mo annual): unlimited contacts, 2 shared inboxes, basic workflows, standard integrations, 2-year reporting; AI Assist included. AI Drafts/Summarize require Plus+. AI Answers (the chatbot) is NOT included - separate $0.75/resolution. Free: 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs, 100 contacts/mo.

What is public

Help Scout runs two billing models in parallel. New signups get per-user pricing (the current default on the live pricing page): Free ($0, 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs, 100 contacts/mo), Standard $25/user/mo, Plus $45/user/mo, Pro $75/user/mo (10-user min, sales demo) - annual saves ~15-20% - with AI Answers as a separate $0.75/resolution add-on. A legacy contact-based model ('contacts helped per month,' editions $0-$90, 'no per-seat or AI usage fees') is maintained for existing customers and still appears on some third-party listings (e.g. G2), which is the source of the apparent conflict.

Billing mechanics

Per-user model: pay per seat per month (billed in advance), with unlimited contacts on paid plans; AI Answers (the customer-facing chatbot) bills separately in arrears at $0.75 per AI-resolved conversation - one resolution max per conversation, charged only if the AI fully resolves without the customer escalating or asking for more help. New accounts get 3 months of unlimited AI Answers free; a monthly spending cap auto-disables AI when hit (predictable billing, but stops automation mid-peak). A parallel legacy contact-based model bills on contacts helped with no per-seat or AI usage fees; the two models coexist (new signups on per-user, existing customers grandfathered on contact-based) rather than one having replaced the other.

Variable cost rationale

Under the per-user model, seat cost is predictable but AI Answers adds usage-based per-resolution spend (capped if you set a cap); the legacy contact-based model instead ties exposure to monthly contact volume

Additional watchouts

The published model is unsettled - confirm whether your account is per-user or contact-based before budgeting; AI Answers is a separate usage cost not in any base plan; the 26-agent forced upgrade is a sharp cost step

Overage / add-ons

AI Answers bills per resolution ($0.75) in arrears with an optional monthly spending cap (auto-disables AI at the cap). Extra inboxes (~$10-$12/mo each) and extra Docs sites (~$20/mo) bill as add-ons. Crossing 25 agents forces a Standard->Plus upgrade.

Sales call required

Mixed (some tiers require a call)

Lowest paid plan

~$25/user +$0.75/res

Commercial notes

Email-first shared-inbox helpdesk; AI features run on GPT-4-class models; AI Answers is read-only/KB-grounded (can't check orders or take actions); Help Scout for Good (nonprofit discounts up to 100%) and a startup program (up to ~6 months free); 99.99% uptime

Key ambiguities

Help Scout runs per-user and contact-based billing in parallel - new signups see per-user (Standard $25/user + $0.75/res AI), while existing customers may be grandfathered on the legacy contact-based model ($0-$90 editions, 'no per-seat or AI usage fees'); some third-party listings (e.g. G2) still show the contact-based version, which is the main source of confusion.

Cancellation / refund

Monthly or annual (annual ~15-20% off; multi-year unlocks more); users added/removed within 24h aren't billed; AI Answers billed in arrears; alternate payment (ACH/wire) for invoices over $2,500 prepaid annually

Support SLA / resale

Pro adds a dedicated onboarding specialist, HIPAA, SSO, and a dedicated support relationship (10-user min); Plus/Pro add advanced reporting, AI Drafts/Summarize, and key integrations (Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot, WhatsApp inbound)

Missing data

Contact-based tier pricing above the $50/mo Standard base isn't published publicly (visible only to active account holders), so the full contact-based ladder can't be reconciled; exact annual-discount % and onboarding fees vary by source. Seed '$25/user +$0.75/res' matches the current per-user default for new signups.