Straight answer
Help Scout vs Freshdesk vs Zendesk for small business
Last checked Nov 6, 2026. Every price comes from the tool's own pricing page.
The short answer
For a free shared inbox, start with Help Scout: it is the only one of the three with a free plan (up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 100 contacts a month).
For the lowest paid price, Freshdesk Growth and Zendesk Support Team are both $19 per agent per month billed annually; Help Scout Standard is $25 per user per month on the monthly view.
AI is priced differently: Help Scout $0.75 per AI resolution, Freshdesk 500 one-time AI sessions then $49 per 100, Zendesk 5 included resolutions per agent per month then $1.50-$2.00 each. Prices were read from each tool's own pricing page on Nov 6, 2026.
Compared, with sources
| Tool | What it does for you | Plans and prices (as shown) | Free plan | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Help Scout | Shared inbox, live chat and help center; the only one of the three with a free plan, plus AI drafts and an optional pay-per-resolution AI answer bot. | Free $0 (up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 100 contacts/mo) · Standard $25/user/mo (monthly view; annual saves 16%) · Plus $45/user/mo · AI Answers $0.75 per resolution | Yes | Pricing page checked Nov 6, 2026 |
| Freshdesk | Ticketing and shared inbox with a customer portal and knowledge base; every paid plan includes 500 one-time Freddy AI Agent sessions. | Growth $19/agent/mo billed annually · Pro $55/agent/mo billed annually · extra AI sessions $49 per 100 | Not verified | Pricing page checked Nov 6, 2026 |
| Zendesk | Email ticketing with routing, macros and prebuilt reports; AI agents on every plan, billed per automated resolution beyond the included amount. | Support Team $19/agent/mo paid yearly ($25 monthly) · Suite Team $55/agent/mo paid yearly ($69 monthly) · extra AI resolutions $1.50-$2.00 | No | Pricing page checked Nov 6, 2026 |
Order: free plan first, then lowest annual price. Plans are summarized from each pricing page; open the source for the full feature lists.
Questions people ask
Which help desk is free for a small business?
Of these three, only Help Scout listed a free plan on Nov 6, 2026: up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts a month. Freshdesk and Zendesk listed free trials (14 days) rather than free plans.
What is the cheapest paid plan?
Freshdesk Growth and Zendesk Support Team were both $19 per agent per month billed annually. Zendesk Support Team was $25 per agent paying monthly. Help Scout Standard was $25 per user per month on the monthly view, with 16% off for annual billing.
How is AI priced in these help desks?
Help Scout charges $0.75 per AI resolution (first 3 months free). Freshdesk includes 500 one-time Freddy AI Agent sessions, then $49 per 100 sessions. Zendesk includes 5 automated resolutions per agent per month on Support Team and Suite Team, then $1.50 committed or $2.00 pay-as-you-go per resolution.
Do any of them offer nonprofit discounts?
Help Scout says qualifying nonprofits get discounts through its Help Scout for Good program. Check each vendor directly; nothing here is a quote.
How were these prices checked?
Each price was read from the tool's own pricing page on Nov 6, 2026 and is linked in the table. Nothing on this page is sponsored, and the order is not for sale.
Sorted for usefulness, not payment: nothing on this page is sponsored. Prices change, so check the tool's own page before you buy. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. How we check prices
New tools and price changes, once a week
One short email. Every price has its source and the date we checked it. At most one sponsor per issue, marked “Sponsored.”
Free guide: 18 AI tools under $20 a month for a small business, every price sourced and dated. No sign-up needed to read it.