#1 Help Scout Alternative

The Best Help Scout LogoHelp Scout Alternative

Help Scout is an email-focused help desk. Heyo is modern real-time chat built for founders who want to talk with users and build better products through instant conversations.

Real-time chat, not email - Instant conversations vs email back-and-forth
Modern messaging features - Reactions, video profiles, threaded replies
Affordable flat pricing - $9.97/month vs $20-65/user/month
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Compare

Heyo vs Help Scout

Help Scout is an email-based help desk focused on support tickets. Heyo is real-time chat focused on instant conversations. Key differences: real-time chat vs email, modern messaging features, and product feedback focus vs support ticketing.
Features
Heyo
Help Scout LogoHelp Scout
Primary Channel
Real-time chat
Email-based
Pricing (3-person team)
$9.97/month
$60-195/month
Shared Email Inbox
Email-Based Workflows
Knowledge Base
Reporting
Real-Time Chat
Emoji Reactions
Threaded Replies
Video Profile
Visitor Alerts
Bookmark Messages
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The Problem with Help Scout

While Help Scout is powerful, it's built for larger teams with complex needs. For solo founders and small teams, it can be overwhelming.
Email-First, Not Chat-First
Help Scout is built around email support tickets. For founders who want instant, real-time conversations with users to build better products, email is too slow.
Per-User Pricing Gets Expensive
Help Scout charges $20-65 per user per month. With a 3-person team, that's $60-195/month ($720-2,340/year). Heyo is $64/year total for unlimited team.
Basic Chat Features
Help Scout has chat, but it's basic. No emoji reactions, no threaded replies, no video profiles. Not the modern chat experience users expect.
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Understanding Help Scout

What It Is & What It's Missing

What Help Scout Does Well

Excellent for Email Support

Shared inbox for team email management. Great if your primary channel is email support.

Simple, Clean Interface

Not bloated like Zendesk. Easier to use for small teams focused on email support.

Knowledge Base

Create help articles and documentation. Good for self-service support.

Reporting

Track response times and team performance. Useful for monitoring support quality.

Collision Detection

See when teammates are responding to prevent duplicate replies.

Where Help Scout Falls Short

Email-Focused, Not Real-Time

Help Scout is built for email support. If you want instant conversations with users to quickly gather feedback and build better products, email is too slow.

Per-User Pricing

At $20-65 per user per month, costs scale with team size. A 5-person team pays $100-325/month vs Heyo's flat $9.97.

Basic Live Chat

Help Scout has chat, but it's secondary to email. No modern features like emoji reactions, threaded replies, or video profiles.

No Visitor Alerts

Can't get notified when important visitors arrive. Heyo's alerts help you reach out at the perfect moment.

No Bookmark Feature

Can't easily save and tag valuable feedback. Heyo lets you bookmark important user insights.

TL:DR: Help Scout is great for email-based support teams. But if you want real-time chat to talk with users and build better products, Heyo is more focused, modern, and affordable.

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Help Scout vs Heyo: Which Should You Choose?

An honest comparison to help you make the right decision

Choose Help Scout If:

  • You primarily do email support
  • You want a shared inbox for your team
  • You need detailed reporting on email responses
  • You prefer asynchronous support over real-time
  • You're okay with per-user pricing
RECOMMENDED

Choose Heyo If:

  • You want real-time chat conversations
  • You want to build better products through instant feedback
  • You need modern chat features (reactions, video profiles)
  • You want flat pricing for unlimited team
  • You prefer instant conversations over email

💸 Budget Consideration

Help Scout charges $20-65 per user per month. A 3-person team pays $720-2,340/year. Heyo is $64/year for unlimited team members. That's $64 vs $720-2,340. Perfect for teams who want real-time chat without per-user costs.

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Heyo is perfect for...

Simple, human-first chat for teams building better products

Product Managers

Build better products through direct user feedback

Talk directly with users to gather feedback, understand pain points, and validate features. No bot getting in the way of real insights that help you improve your product.

Bootstrapped Founders

Show there's a real person behind the product

Build trust and loyalty through personal conversations. No enterprise complexity, no expensive per-project pricing. Just simple chat that helps you understand your users and build what they need.

Growth & Sales Teams

Reach out when visitors hit important pages with automated alerts

Set up visitor alerts to get notified when users reach checkout, pricing, or key pages. Start conversations at the perfect moment to understand needs and close deals, no complex workflows needed.

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Heyo's Features

Talking with your users made easy

Everything you need to have real conversations with your users. Nothing you don't.
Feature image
Reactions & Replies
Have real conversations with threaded replies and emoji reactions ❤️👌 Just like messaging apps your users already love
Feature image
Proactive Messaging
Message any visitor on your website. Set up alerts to reach out during critical moments like onboarding or checkout
Feature image
Video Profile
Introduce yourself with a personal video and bio. Show your customers there's a real person behind the chat
Feature image
Bookmark messages
Afraid of losing a precious feedback or testimonial? Bookmark it, tag it, and keep it organized for when you need it
Feature image
Custom style & behavior
Change style, colors and more! Don't want to show the widget everywhere? Use the SDK to fully customize your widget's behavior
Feature image
Slack & Telegram Integration
Never miss a message. Get notifications and respond to customers directly from Slack or Telegram
Feature image
Multi-language support
Serving international customers? Chat widgets are available in multiple languages to fit your audience
Feature image
Quick Replies with shortcuts
Got lots of recuring support questions? Save time by creating pre-made replies and use commands to send them instantly.
Feature image
Team Collaboration
Add team members, set your status, and collaborate seamlessly. Perfect for small teams that want to provide great support together
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Integrations

Works with your favorite tools

Works for both code and no-code workflows with 2 click-installs
Tag Manager
Webflow
WordPress
React
Bubble
Next.js
Nuxt
HTML
Framer
JavaScript
Wix
Shopify
Squarespace
Vue.js
Angular
Svelte
Gatsby
Tag Manager
Webflow
WordPress
React
Bubble
Next.js
Nuxt
HTML
Framer
JavaScript
Wix
Shopify
Squarespace
Vue.js
Angular
Svelte
Gatsby
Tag Manager
Webflow
WordPress
React
Bubble
Next.js
Nuxt
HTML
Framer
JavaScript
Wix
Shopify
Squarespace
Vue.js
Angular
Svelte
Gatsby

What people say

Founders & Product Managers sharing their experience with Heyo
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F.A.Q.

Got questions? We've got answers

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