Bouts / Help Scout vs Salesforce Service Cloud
Help Scout vs Salesforce Service Cloud
Red cornerHelp Scout
$25 per user a month, billed annually
Blue cornerSalesforce Service Cloud
$25 per user a month on Starter Suite, billed monthly or annually
Help Scout: Help Scout switched to billing by contacts helped in late 2024 and now sells per-user plans again; accounts already on contact-based plans are billed under separate terms.
Salesforce Service Cloud: Salesforce renamed Service Cloud to Agentforce Service in October 2025 and went back to the Service Cloud name in September 2026; current editions are Starter Suite, Pro Suite, Core, Advanced and Max.
Salesforce Service Cloud wins 3–1 at 10 agents (clear win). Help Scout takes the bill; Salesforce Service Cloud takes AI, desk basics and security; 2 rounds are even.
The judges' card
| Round | Help Scout | What happened | Salesforce Service Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | W | At 10 agents with AI on: Help Scout $625, Salesforce Service Cloud $6,200 a month. Help Scout is 90% cheaper and takes the round. | |
| Round 2Price tags | = | Both offer AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits. Even. | = |
| Round 3AI | Salesforce Service Cloud offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Help Scout offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Salesforce Service Cloud takes the round. | W | |
| Round 4Desk basics | Salesforce Service Cloud offers every channel natively, skills-based routing and 300+ integrations; Help Scout offers all that plus phone and messaging apps. Salesforce Service Cloud takes the round. | W | |
| Round 5Security | Salesforce Service Cloud offers SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA and a no-training promise; Help Scout offers one audit report (SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001). Salesforce Service Cloud takes the round. | W | |
| Round 6User verdict | = | On G2: Help Scout 4.4 from 431 reviews, Salesforce Service Cloud 4.4 from 8,437 reviews. Too close to call. Even. | = |
| Rounds won | 1 | Salesforce Service Cloud wins, 2 even | 3 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- Help Scout
- $188
- Salesforce Service Cloud
- $1,860
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Salesforce Service Cloud wins 3–1.
Mid-size team
- Help Scout
- $625
- Salesforce Service Cloud
- $6,200
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Salesforce Service Cloud wins 3–1.
Large team
- Help Scout
- $1,563
- Salesforce Service Cloud
- $15,500
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Salesforce Service Cloud wins 3–1.
Monthly bills from USD list prices, annual billing where offered, with the AI agent resolving 20% of conversations and agent assist for every agent. Plans: Help Scout Standard; Salesforce Service Cloud Advanced.
Tale of the tape
| Help Scout | Made by | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $25 per user a month, billed annually | Paid plans from | $25 per user a month on Starter Suite, billed monthly or annually |
| Standard | Plan we priced | Advanced |
| $188 | 3 agents, AI on | $1,860 |
| $625 | 10 agents, AI on | $6,200 |
| $1,563 | 25 agents, AI on | $15,500 |
| $0.75 per resolution | AI agent price | $2 per resolution; $2 per conversation; $500 per 100,000 credits |
| Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social, SMS | Channels | Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, SMS, Social |
| Up to 5 users, 1 Inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts a month | Free plan | No |
| 15 days | Free trial | 30 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, PCI DSS, HITRUST |
| Hosted on AWS in the USA; no EU hosting is published | Data hosting | Service Cloud data can be hosted in Europe and other regions, including on Hyperforce |
| 4.4 (431) | G2 rating | 4.4 (8,437) |
| 4.6 (226) | Capterra rating | 4.5 (832) |
Questions
Which is better, Help Scout or Salesforce Service Cloud?
Salesforce Service Cloud wins 3–1 at 10 agents (clear win). Help Scout takes the bill; Salesforce Service Cloud takes AI, desk basics and security; 2 rounds are even.
Is Help Scout cheaper than Salesforce Service Cloud?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Help Scout comes to $625 a month and Salesforce Service Cloud to $6,200, from list prices. Help Scout takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Help Scout or Salesforce Service Cloud?
Salesforce Service Cloud offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Help Scout offers an AI agent that answers from the help center. Salesforce Service Cloud takes the round.
