Help Scout vs LiveChat Pricing (2026)
Compare / Help Scout vs LiveChat
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Team size
25 seats

Help Scout vs LiveChat

Help Desk/Support pricing comparison · 2026

Help Scout pricing ranges from $0–$75/user/month, while LiveChat ranges from $19–$89/agent/month. Help Scout is typically 24% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Compare
2 products · Help Desk/Support
Side-by-side · live
Help Scout
Help Scout is a customer service platform designed for teams who want powerful features wi
verified 11w ago
$400 $588
View pricing →
LiveChat
LiveChat pricing starts at $19/user/month for the Starter plan, with annual billing availa
verified 11w ago
$400 $588
View pricing →
Recorded annual contract medians
LiveChat median is $188 less than Help · different customer contracts; not a quote
Cheapest $400
Spread 32%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Plus
$14K/yr
year 1 license · $45/seat
Team
$18K/yr
year 1 license · $59/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$588/yr
Vendr · n=137
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$400/yr
Vendr · n=31
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 12 sourced facts
8 hidden-cost · 2 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 2mo ago
Confidence High confidence
Sources 5 sourced facts
2 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 1 review platform
Last verified 2mo ago
Confidence Medium confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
4 documented
  • Forced Plan Upgrades with Steep Price Increases
    300-400% of license costs
    3 sources
  • Data Export Requires Developer Access — Effective Vendor Lock-In
    10-30% of license costs
    3 sources
  • Live Chat (Messenger) Restricted to Plus and Pro Plans
    $20/user/month
    1 source
  • AI Answers Add-On: Custom Pricing with No Published Rate
    $6,000-$7,500
    1 source
2 documented
  • Marketplace Add-ons
    5-15% of license costs
    1 source
  • Enterprise Features Locked Behind Higher Tiers
    $50-$100/user/month
    1 source
REF · 04

Contract terms

The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.

Help
LiveChat
Auto-renewal
Cancellation
Commitment
Price escalation
Multiple users report significant price increases and plan restructuring without grandfathering existing rates. Loyalty discounts have been removed from long-term accounts. One user reports a 5x annual cost increase tied to a forced plan migration.
Recent pricing changes have impacted existing customers
Can downgrade
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
Trustpilot
2out of 5 (23)
Best for
Individuals or small teams just starting out
Watch out
Forced plan upgrades and significant price increases with no grandfathering for long-term customers
TrustRadius
7.1out of 5 (136)
Best for
Small business
Watch out
Pricing changes affecting existing customers
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
Help Desk/Support

Help Scout

$0–$75
/user/month
5 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Help Desk/Support

LiveChat

$19–$89
/agent/month
4 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Help Scout and LiveChat both operate in the help desk/support category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Help Scout LiveChat
Free Free /month $25 /agent/month
Standard $25 /user/month $59 /agent/month
Plus $45 /user/month $89 /agent/month
Pro $75 /user/month Custom
AI Answers Custom

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Help Scout

4 scenarios
$25/month
Starter Setup
$50/month
Growing Business
$65/month
Enterprise Setup
See all 4 scenarios →

LiveChat

4 scenarios
$20/month
Starter Setup
$41/month
Growing Business
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)
See all 4 scenarios →

Market Intelligence

Help Scout

Median annual cost
$588
Based on
137 deals

LiveChat

Median annual cost
$400
Based on
31 deals

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Help Scout 4 hidden costs

high
Forced Plan Upgrades with Steep Price Increases 300-400% of license costs
high
Data Export Requires Developer Access — Effective Vendor Lock-In 10-30% of license costs
medium
Live Chat (Messenger) Restricted to Plus and Pro Plans $20/user/month
medium
AI Answers Add-On: Custom Pricing with No Published Rate $6,000-$7,500
See all Help Scout hidden costs →

LiveChat 2 hidden costs

medium
Marketplace Add-ons 5-15% of license costs
medium
Enterprise Features Locked Behind Higher Tiers $50-$100/user/month
See all LiveChat hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Help Scout LiveChat
Auto-renewal
Cancellation
Minimum commitment
Price escalation Multiple users report significant price increases and plan restructuring without grandfathering existing rates. Loyalty discounts have been removed from long-term accounts. One user reports a 5x annual cost increase tied to a forced plan migration. Recent pricing changes have impacted existing customers

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