Groove HQ vs Help Scout

Groove HQ ($16-$56/agent/month, G2 4.5/5) and Help Scout ($0-$75/user/month, G2 4.4/5) are both email-focused customer support platforms designed for small teams. Groove HQ emphasizes simplicity and affordability, while Help Scout offers more advanced features with premium pricing.

Both platforms excel at email management and shared inbox functionality, making them popular choices for small to medium businesses that prioritize email-based customer support over complex omnichannel solutions.

Groove HQ focuses on core email support features with a clean, intuitive interface. It provides shared inbox functionality, basic automation, customer history, and essential reporting - perfect for small teams that want effective email management without complexity.

Help Scout offers more comprehensive features including advanced knowledge base system, detailed analytics and reporting, customer satisfaction surveys, proactive messaging with Beacon widget, and extensive integration marketplace. Its feature set is more robust for teams needing advanced customer engagement tools.

The key difference is scope: Groove HQ does email support very well with essential features, while Help Scout provides a more complete customer service platform with advanced capabilities beyond basic email management.

Groove HQ's pricing ($16-$56/agent/month) is significantly more affordable, especially for small teams needing advanced features. At $56/agent for the top tier, it's $19 less per user than Help Scout's comparable $75/user plan.

Help Scout offers a free plan for up to 2 users, which Groove HQ doesn't match. However, for teams of 3+ agents needing meaningful functionality, Groove HQ provides better value with its lower pricing across all paid tiers.

For a 5-agent team, the cost difference is substantial: Groove HQ's top tier costs $280/month versus Help Scout's $375/month - a $95 monthly savings that adds up significantly over time.

Choose Groove HQ if you want straightforward email support at competitive pricing with essential features for small teams. Choose Help Scout if you need advanced knowledge base capabilities, detailed reporting, and don't mind paying premium prices for additional functionality.

Choose Groove HQ if: You're a small team focused on email support, want competitive pricing, prefer simplicity over extensive features, and need reliable core helpdesk functionality without complexity.

Choose Help Scout if: You need advanced knowledge base features, detailed reporting and analytics, extensive integrations, proactive customer engagement tools, or want to start with a free plan for very small teams.

For growing teams that want to avoid per-agent scaling costs entirely, consider Converge at $49/month flat rate - providing up to 15 agents and comprehensive customer communication tools without the per-user fees that make traditional platforms expensive as you scale.