--- title: "Free Help Scout Alternative: NeetoDesk vs Help Scout" description: "NeetoDesk vs Help Scout: no 100-contact cap, 10 agents free, custom fields, workflows, SLAs, SSO and a free migration. Compare features and pricing." canonical_url: "https://www.neeto.com/neetodesk/compare/help-scout-alternative" markdown_url: "https://www.neeto.com/neetodesk/compare/help-scout-alternative.md" --- # Free Help Scout Alternative: NeetoDesk vs Help Scout NeetoDesk vs Help Scout: no 100-contact cap, 10 agents free, custom fields, workflows, SLAs, SSO and a free migration. Compare features and pricing. ## Overview Help Scout stops at 100 contacts. NeetoDesk never stops. Help Scout's free plan blocks your replies once you pass 100 contacts a month, and its paid plans run $25 to $75 per user, with custom fields, workflows, CRM integrations, SSO and AI gated to the higher tiers. NeetoDesk's free plan has no contact cap and includes 10 agents, with custom fields, workflows, SLAs and SSO, and migrates your Help Scout history for free. - $0: NeetoDesk free plan, no contact limit - 10 agents: Free on NeetoDesk, with no contact cap - 100 / mo: Help Scout free-plan contact cap, then replies are blocked ## Why teams choose NeetoDesk over Help Scout Here's exactly what changes when you switch Help Scout is clean and email-first, but the economics bite as you grow: the free plan blocks outgoing replies after 100 contacts a month, paid seats run $25 to $75 per user, and custom fields, advanced workflows, CRM integrations and SSO live on the higher tiers or as add-ons. NeetoDesk includes custom fields, workflows, SLAs and SSO free for up to 10 agents. ## Key differences ### No 100-contact wall Help Scout's free plan caps you at 100 contacts a month, then blocks outgoing replies to email, chat and AI until the next cycle, with 5 users, 1 inbox and no custom fields or workflows. NeetoDesk's free plan has no contact cap, no inbox cap and 10 agents included. - NeetoDesk: No contact cap · 10 agents. Reply to as many customers as you like, with 10 agents free. - Help Scout: 100 contacts, then blocked. Free plan stops outgoing replies past 100 contacts a month. ### 10 agents free, then $5 a seat Help Scout charges $25 (Standard), $45 (Plus) and $75 (Pro) per user, per month, and read-only Light Users are capped (25 on Plus, 50 on Pro). NeetoDesk is free for your first 10 agents, then just $5/user/month (or $30/user/year), well below Help Scout at any tier. - NeetoDesk: 10 agents free · then $5/user. Ten agents at no cost; beyond that $5/user/month, not $25 to $75. - Help Scout: $25 to $75 per user / month. Per-user pricing, with Light Users capped by plan. ### Custom fields, workflows and SLA, free On Help Scout, custom fields, advanced workflows and CRM integrations (Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot) are Plus and above, and SLA policies are capped by tier (one basic policy on Standard, two on Plus). NeetoDesk includes custom ticket fields, unlimited automation rules, SLA reminders and escalations, routing and views free. - NeetoDesk: Fields, workflows, SLA · Free. Custom fields, automation, SLA and routing with no upgrade. - Help Scout: Fields & advanced workflows on Plus. Custom fields and advanced workflows need Plus; SLA policies are capped by tier. ### Portal and knowledge base without extra fees Help Scout charges for extra inboxes ($10/mo each) and extra Docs sites ($20/mo each), and its secure customer portal starts on Plus. NeetoDesk includes a customer portal, knowledge base and CSAT survey free, with no per-inbox or per-site charge. - NeetoDesk: Portal + knowledge base · Free. Self-service and CSAT included, with no per-site fees. - Help Scout: Extra inboxes & Docs cost more. Added inboxes and Docs sites are billed monthly on top. ### Move off Help Scout for free NeetoDesk migrates your tickets, customers, knowledge-base articles, tags, custom fields and companies from Help Scout for free. One admissions-consulting firm moved nearly 59,000 tickets off Help Scout this way, our largest migration to date. - NeetoDesk: Free, done for you. We port your full Help Scout history at no cost. - Help Scout: Self-serve / assisted export. You manage the move, or arrange it yourself. ### SSO and HIPAA-grade controls included Help Scout puts SSO, IP restriction and HIPAA on the Pro plan or paid add-ons (Pro has a 10-user minimum). NeetoDesk includes SSO, audit logs, custom roles, IP restriction and a custom domain on the free plan. - NeetoDesk: SSO, audit logs, roles · Free. Security controls included, no Pro tier or add-on required. - Help Scout: SSO/IP on Pro or add-on. SSO, IP restriction and HIPAA need Pro ($75) or paid add-ons. ## NeetoDesk vs Help Scout, feature by feature - Free plan contact limit: NeetoDesk — No cap; Help Scout — 100 / month, then blocked - Free data migration: NeetoDesk — Free, done for you; Help Scout — Self-serve / assisted - Agents on the free plan: NeetoDesk — 10, free; Help Scout — 5 users (100-contact cap) - Price per agent after the free tier: NeetoDesk — $5/user/mo; Help Scout — $25 to $75/user/mo - Custom ticket fields: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Plus+ (up to 10) - Unlimited automation rules: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Basic on Standard; unlimited on Pro - SLA reminders & escalations: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — 1 policy on Standard; more on higher tiers - Round robin & load routing: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Plus ($45/user) - Customer portal: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Plus ($45/user) - Knowledge base: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Docs sites capped; extras $20/mo - Extra inboxes: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — $10 / inbox / month - Integrations: NeetoDesk — Slack, GitHub, Linear, Zapier · free; Help Scout — Salesforce, Jira, HubSpot on Plus - SSO: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Pro or paid add-on - IP restriction: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Paid add-on - Audit logs & custom roles: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Fixed roles; custom permissions on Plus - Custom domain & send-from-your-domain: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Included - AI features: NeetoDesk — No AI upsell, helpdesk free; Help Scout — AI Answers, $0.75 / resolution - Collision detection: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Included - API & webhooks: NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Free - Mobile app (iOS & Android): NeetoDesk — Free; Help Scout — Free - Remove provider branding: NeetoDesk — $5/user/mo or $30/yr; Help Scout — Paid tiers Disclaimer: Information on this page is based on publicly available data at the time of writing. Features, pricing, and limits may change. Please refer to each provider's official pricing page to confirm the latest information. ## The whole helpdesk is free Up to 10 agents free, every feature, and a done-for-you migration. Beyond 10 agents it is just $5 per user per month. ### Free plan: $0 Up to 10 agents · no credit card - Up to 10 agents, free - All ticketing, automation rules & SLA - Customer portal & knowledge base - SSO, audit logs, custom roles, custom domain - API, webhooks & integrations - Free migration, done for you ### Pro plan: $5 per user/month · $30/user/year, for agents beyond 10 - Add agents beyond the free 10 - Remove Neeto branding - Add your own custom CSS - Cancel anytime A 7-user team on Help Scout Plus is about $3,780 a year ($45/user), before AI Answers, extra inboxes or Docs sites. The same team on NeetoDesk is $0 (the free plan covers up to 10 agents), with a free migration. Beyond 10 agents, NeetoDesk is $5/user/month. ## The largest migration we have run Teams have moved off Help Scout to NeetoDesk without losing a single conversation. The numbers behind it: ### Admissions consulting (United States · from Help Scout) 58,806 tickets migrated. A graduate admissions consulting firm moved nearly 59,000 tickets off Help Scout, our largest migration, and runs applicant support across three inboxes with eight agents and cohort tags by application year. ### All migrations to date (9 companies · 5 countries) 110,000+ tickets migrated in total. Across 9 companies, 8 industries, and 5 countries, over 110,000 tickets have been migrated into NeetoDesk from Help Scout, Freshdesk, and other tools for free, with most migrations done in under two weeks. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is there a free Help Scout alternative? Yes. NeetoDesk is a free help desk with 10 agents free and no contact cap. Help Scout's free plan blocks outgoing replies once you pass 100 contacts a month; NeetoDesk has no such wall, and includes custom fields, workflows, SLA, SSO and a knowledge base free. ### Can I import my Help Scout data for free? Yes. NeetoDesk runs the migration for you at no cost, moving your tickets, customers, knowledge-base articles, tags, custom fields and companies. Most migrations finish in under two weeks, and our largest so far moved 58,806 tickets off Help Scout for an admissions consulting firm. ### How does pricing compare? Help Scout charges $25 (Standard), $45 (Plus) or $75 (Pro) per user, per month, and Pro has a 10-user minimum. Extra inboxes are $10/month each, extra Docs sites $20/month each, and AI Answers is $0.75 per resolution. NeetoDesk is free for up to 10 agents and $5/user/month (or $30/user/year) beyond that. A 7-user team on Help Scout Plus pays about $3,780 a year; the same team on NeetoDesk pays $0. ### What happens past 10 agents or 100 contacts? NeetoDesk has no contact limit at any size, so you can keep replying to every customer. Past 10 agents, you move to the Pro plan at $5/user/month, and every feature stays the same. On Help Scout's free plan, passing 100 contacts in a month blocks outgoing replies until the next cycle or until you upgrade. ### What does NeetoDesk include that Help Scout charges for? On the free plan, NeetoDesk includes what Help Scout keeps on its paid tiers: custom ticket fields, advanced automation, round robin routing and a customer portal (Plus and above), SSO and IP restriction (Pro or paid add-ons), and extra inboxes (Help Scout charges $10/month each). There's also no per-resolution AI fee on NeetoDesk. ### Does NeetoDesk have a knowledge base and portal? Yes. NeetoDesk includes a knowledge base and a customer portal on the free plan, where customers can find answers, raise tickets and track them, plus CSAT surveys after a ticket is resolved. There's no per-site charge. On Help Scout, the number of Docs sites is capped by plan, extras cost $20/month each, and the secure customer portal starts on Plus. ## Links - [Human page](https://www.neeto.com/neetodesk/compare/help-scout-alternative)