# Help Scout vs Intercom

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Help Scout

| Attribute | Help Scout | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 81.7 (70% (medium)) | 74.1 (72% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Customer support software that enables team collaboration and messaging across multiple channels, with AI features to assist with responses and improve service speed and quality. It is indexed under Customer Support.","source":"https://www.helpscout.com","question":"What is Help Scout?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Help Scout offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $25 per user per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.helpscout.com","question":"Is Help Scout free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Help Scout. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.helpscout.com","question":"What platforms does Help Scout support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Help Scout, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.helpscout.com","question":"Can Help Scout be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR for Help Scout. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Help Scout not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.helpscout.com/security","question":"What security certifications does Help Scout have?","confidence":0.7}]` | `[{"answer":"An omnichannel customer service platform where support teams and AI agents (Fin and Copilot) collaborate through a shared inbox, handling customer conversations with built-in ticketing, workflow automation, and real-time analytics. It is indexed under Customer Support.","source":"https://www.intercom.com","question":"What is Intercom?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Intercom is a paid product; published pricing starts at $29 per user per month. It is sold across 3 plans (Essential, Advanced and Expert). There is no free tier. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.intercom.com/pricing","question":"How much does Intercom cost?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Intercom. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.intercom.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does Intercom support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Intercom, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.intercom.com/pricing","question":"Can Intercom be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 11 integrations for Intercom, including Freshdesk, Freshchat, Salesforce Service Cloud, HubSpot Service Hub, Slack, Jira, Shopify and GitHub, plus 3 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.intercom.com","question":"What does Intercom integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR for Intercom. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Intercom not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.intercom.com/security","question":"What security certifications does Intercom have?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Intercom is available worldwide. Its primary markets are Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. The vendor is headquartered in Ireland.","source":"https://www.intercom.com/pricing","question":"Where is Intercom available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | A customer support service that uses artificial intelligence to help businesses manage customer interactions through chat and communication features. | A unified customer service platform integrating AI agents and human support teams with omnichannel communication. Provides shared inboxing, AI-assisted ticketing, live chat, email, phone, SMS, and social messaging, all accessible from a single workspace. |
| features.capabilities | `{"hosting":"cloud","ai_agent":true,"sso_scim":false,"free_tier":true,"live_chat":true,"ticketing":true,"api_access":false,"omnichannel":true,"sla_routing":false,"shared_inbox":true,"knowledge_base":true,"voice_telephony":false,"automation_macros":true,"reporting_dashboards":true}` | `{"hosting":"cloud","ai_agent":true,"sso_scim":true,"free_tier":true,"live_chat":true,"ticketing":true,"api_access":true,"omnichannel":true,"sla_routing":true,"shared_inbox":true,"knowledge_base":true,"voice_telephony":true,"automation_macros":true,"reporting_dashboards":true}` |
| integrations.count | 1 | 450 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Shopify"}]` | `[{"name":"Freshdesk"},{"name":"Freshchat"},{"name":"Salesforce Service Cloud"},{"name":"HubSpot Service Hub"},{"name":"Slack","native":true,"category":"chat","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Salesforce","native":true,"category":"crm","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Jira","native":true,"category":"project_management","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Shopify","native":true,"category":"ecommerce","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"GitHub","native":true,"category":"development","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"WhatsApp","native":true,"category":"messaging","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"SMS","native":true,"category":"messaging","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Phone","native":true,"category":"voice","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"HubSpot","native":true,"category":"crm","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Stripe","native":true,"category":"payments","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Linear","native":true,"category":"project_management","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Asana","native":true,"category":"project_management","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Guru","native":true,"category":"knowledge_base","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Glean","native":true,"category":"search","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Sentry","native":true,"category":"monitoring","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"PostHog","native":true,"category":"analytics","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Pendo","native":true,"category":"analytics","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Fullstory","native":true,"category":"analytics","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Attio","native":true,"category":"crm","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Fullview","native":true,"direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Statuspage","native":true,"direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Zendesk","native":false,"category":"helpdesk","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Confluence","native":false,"category":"knowledge_base","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Notion","native":false,"category":"knowledge_base","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"ChatGPT","native":false,"category":"ai","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Claude","native":false,"category":"ai","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Zapier","native":false,"category":"automation","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Email","native":true,"category":"email","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"REST API","native":true,"direction":"bidirectional"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"ios":true,"web":true,"android":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free","features":["1 Inbox","1 Docs site","10 saved replies","10 tags","Snooze","Send later","Customer profiles & history","Custom fields (up to 10)"],"minSeats":5,"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"5","inboxes":"1","contacts":"100/mo","docs_sites":"1"}},{"free":false,"name":"Standard","summary":"$25/user/mo","features":["Multiple Inboxes","Live chat, Instagram, & Messenger","Multiple knowledge bases","One basic SLA policy","Basic workflows","Unlimited tags and saved replies","AI Inbox assistant","WhatsApp messaging","Saved replies","Views","Snooze","Send later"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":25,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For growing teams looking to automate more tasks and move beyond email","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"25","inboxes":"2 (additional $10/mo)","contacts":"Unlimited"}},{"free":false,"name":"Plus","summary":"$45/user/mo","features":["Everything in Standard","Advanced workflows","Two advanced SLA policies","Unlimited AI Drafts","Round robin routing","Salesforce, Jira, and HubSpot integrations","Internal teams","Group conversations by company"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":45,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For teams managing higher volume and complexity across multiple channels","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"50","inboxes":"5 (additional $10/mo)","light_users":"25"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$75/user/mo","features":["Everything in Plus","Unlimited workflows","Unlimited SLA policies","Multiple routing types","SSO/SAML","HIPAA compliance","Dedicated onboarding specialist","Strategic account manager","Preferred pricing on Aircall"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"user","amount":75,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For teams that need the highest level of scale and security","contactSales":true,"includedLimits":{"users":"Unlimited (minimum 10)","inboxes":"10 (additional $10/mo)","light_users":"50"}}],"addOns":[{"name":"AI Answers","components":[{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"resolution"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.75,"currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"From $25/user/mo (Standard). Free tier includes 5 users, 1 inbox. 3-month free trial for AI Answers add-on.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.helpscout.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T11:46:20.369Z","startingPrice":{"amount":25,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Essential","summary":"Per seat/month (price not specified in text)","features":["Fin for service, sales & ecommerce","Messenger","Shared inbox and ticketing system","Pre-built reports","Public help center"],"commitment":"monthly","description":"AI-powered support for individuals, startups, and small businesses with Fin AI Agent included","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Advanced","summary":"$85/seat/month","features":["All Essential features","Multiple team inboxes","Workflows automation builder","Round robin assignment","Private and multilingual Help Center","20 free Lite seats"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":85,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Automation tools and AI features for growing support teams","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"lite_seats":"20"}},{"free":false,"name":"Expert","summary":"$132/seat/month","features":["All Advanced features","SSO & identity management","HIPAA support","Service level agreements (SLAs)","Multibrand Messenger / Help Center","50 free Lite seats"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":132,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Collaboration, security, and multibrand features for large support teams","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"lite_seats":"50"}}],"addOns":[{"name":"Copilot","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"agent","amount":29,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Pro","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Fin Outcomes","components":[{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"outcome"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.99,"currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Messenger","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"From $85/seat/month. 14-day free trial. Fin priced per outcome (minimum 50/month).","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.intercom.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-05T11:05:16.392Z","freeTrialDays":14,"startingPrice":{"unit":"seat","amount":85,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | low | high |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":85,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.99 | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.hipaa | yes | yes |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |
| security.pci | yes | - |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.trust_center | https://www.helpscout.com/blog/trust-ai-and-customer-service/ | https://www.intercom.com/legal/privacy |

## Capabilities (Customer Support)

| Capability | Help Scout | Intercom |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Ticket / case management | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Channels** |  |  |
| Live chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shared inbox | ✓ | ✓ |
| Omnichannel (email+chat+social+voice) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voice / telephony | ✗ | ✓ |
| **Self-service** |  |  |
| Self-service knowledge base | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Automation** |  |  |
| SLAs, triggers & routing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Automation / macros | ✓ | ✓ |
| **AI** |  |  |
| AI agent / copilot | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Insight** |  |  |
| Reporting & dashboards | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Cloud only | Cloud only |
| **Enterprise** |  |  |
| SSO / SCIM | ✗ | ✓ |
| **Extensibility** |  |  |
| Public API | ✗ | ✓ |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:14:26.023Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*