Help Scout vs HubSpot Service Hub
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Help Scout | HubSpot Service Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $45/seat/mo | From $90/seat/mo |
| Best For | Small-medium businesses wanting simple, email-focused support | Mid to large enterprises already using HubSpot's ecosystem who need comprehensive customer service management with deep CRM integration |
| Standout Feature | Clean, intuitive interface with excellent knowledge base | Deep integration with HubSpot's full marketing, sales, and service ecosystem provides unmatched customer lifecycle visibility |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| G2 Rating | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 |
Help Scout and HubSpot Service Hub represent two different philosophies in customer support. Help Scout ($0-$75/user, G2 4.4) focuses on email-centric support with a clean, intuitive interface, while HubSpot Service Hub ($0-$130/agent, G2 4.4) offers comprehensive CRM integration within the broader HubSpot ecosystem.
Both platforms excel in their respective domains, but serve different business needs and team structures.
Feature Comparison
Help Scout excels in email management with features like collision detection, saved replies, and customer context. Its interface prioritizes simplicity and speed, making it ideal for teams that handle primarily email-based support.
HubSpot Service Hub provides comprehensive ticketing, knowledge base, and customer feedback tools, all tightly integrated with HubSpot's CRM. It offers advanced automation, reporting, and omnichannel capabilities that scale with enterprise needs.
The key difference lies in complexity: Help Scout keeps things simple and focused, while HubSpot offers more comprehensive but complex functionality.
Pricing Comparison
Help Scout's pricing ranges from free (1 user, 25 conversations/month) to $75/user/month for the Pro plan. The pricing is straightforward with no hidden fees, making it predictable for budget planning.
HubSpot Service Hub starts free (2 users) and scales to $130/agent/month for Enterprise. However, to unlock full potential, you often need other HubSpot hubs, which can significantly increase costs.
For small teams focused on email support, Help Scout is typically more cost-effective. For larger organizations needing CRM integration, HubSpot's value proposition improves despite higher costs.
Help Scout
Pros
- ✓ Clean, intuitive interface
- ✓ Excellent for email-based support
- ✓ Strong knowledge base features
Cons
- ✗ No native WhatsApp or Telegram
- ✗ Live chat (Beacon) is basic
- ✗ Limited automation capabilities
HubSpot Service Hub
Pros
- ✓ Seamless integration with HubSpot CRM and marketing tools
- ✓ Comprehensive automation and workflow capabilities
- ✓ Robust reporting and analytics features
Cons
- ✗ Expensive per-agent pricing model can become costly
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve for new users
- ✗ Many advanced features locked behind higher-tier plans
Verdict
Choose Help Scout if you need straightforward email-focused support with excellent user experience and don't require extensive CRM features. Choose HubSpot Service Hub if you're already in the HubSpot ecosystem or need tight integration between sales, marketing, and support functions.
Choose Help Scout if: You prioritize email-focused support, want a clean user interface, have a smaller team, or prefer straightforward pricing without CRM complexity.
Choose HubSpot Service Hub if: You're already using HubSpot tools, need comprehensive CRM integration, require advanced automation and reporting, or have enterprise-scale support needs.
For teams seeking a middle ground with up to 15 agents at a flat rate, consider Converge at $49/month - offering scalable support without per-agent pricing complexity.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Help Scout comparisons and all HubSpot Service Hub comparisons.