Help Scout vs Tawk.to
Help Scout is help desk that feels like email — shared inboxes, knowledge base, and live chat without the ticket numbers, while Tawk.to is 100% free live chat software with no limits on agents, chats, or contacts. The biggest difference up front: Tawk.to is free, while Help Scout starts at $20/user/mo. Help Scout is built for teams that want email-like support conversations, whereas Tawk.to targets businesses wanting completely free live chat.
| Feature | Help Scout | Tawk.to |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Beacon | ✓ | — |
| Free Live Chat | — | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reports | ✓ | — |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | — |
| Unlimited Agents | — | ✓ |
| Video Chat | — | ✓ |
Pricing: Tawk.to is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Help Scout starts at $20/user/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Help Scout offers Beacon, Reports and Shared Inbox that Tawk.to lacks. Tawk.to brings Free Live Chat, Unlimited Agents and Video Chat that Help Scout does not have. Both share Knowledge Base.
Team fit: Help Scout is geared toward small teams teams, while Tawk.to is aimed at any size teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: Help Scout's biggest strengths are: includes shared inbox as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes knowledge base as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. Tawk.to's biggest strengths are: includes free live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes unlimited agents as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows.
Watch out for: With Help Scout, users commonly note that starts at $20/user/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Tawk.to, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.
choose Help Scout if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want email-like support conversations
- You specifically need Beacon and Reports
- You care about includes knowledge base as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Help Scout is designed for
choose Tawk.to if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: businesses wanting completely free live chat
- Budget is a hard constraint — Tawk.to is free, Help Scout is not
- You specifically need Free Live Chat and Unlimited Agents
- You care about includes unlimited agents as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
- Your team size fits the any size profile Tawk.to is designed for
frequently asked
What is the difference between Help Scout and Tawk.to?
Help Scout is help desk that feels like email — shared inboxes, knowledge base, and live chat without the ticket numbers, while Tawk.to is 100% free live chat software with no limits on agents, chats, or contacts. The biggest difference up front: Tawk.to is free, while Help Scout starts at $20/user/mo. Help Scout is built for teams that want email-like support conversations, whereas Tawk.to targets businesses wanting completely free live chat.
Should I use Help Scout or Tawk.to?
Tawk.to is the free option; Help Scout charges $20/user/mo but may offer more polish. Here is how they compare.
When should I choose Help Scout over Tawk.to?
Choose Help Scout if Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want email-like support conversations; You specifically need Beacon and Reports; You care about includes knowledge base as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows; Your team size fits the small teams profile Help Scout is designed for.
When should I choose Tawk.to over Help Scout?
Choose Tawk.to if Your profile matches its sweet spot: businesses wanting completely free live chat; Budget is a hard constraint — Tawk.to is free, Help Scout is not; You specifically need Free Live Chat and Unlimited Agents; You care about includes unlimited agents as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows; Your team size fits the any size profile Tawk.to is designed for.
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