Help Scout vs HubSpot Service Hub

Help Scout and HubSpot Service Hub, side by side across AI, pricing, channels, security, and seven more categories. We pull every figure from public sources and don’t pick a winner.

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Help Scout

The most intuitive customer support platform.

Best for SMB and mid-market across SaaS, ecommerce, education, and healthcare.

2011 · Boston, MA (fully remote).

HubSpot Service Hub

AI-powered omnichannel customer service platform for scaling support and retention.

Best for Growing SMB to mid-market teams wanting unified CRM and service without a separate helpdesk.

2006 · Cambridge, MA, USA.

Claimed: from the vendor, not independently verified.
3rd-party: sourced elsewhere, not on the vendor's site.
Everything else: from the vendor's own pages and verifiable.

Pricing

List prices, seat rules, trials, and pricing transparency.

Pricing model
Help ScoutPer seat monthly; AI Answers billed separately per resolution.
HubSpot Service HubPer seat/mo (annual commitment for Pro and Enterprise).(3rd-party)source
Free plan
Help ScoutYes. Up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Contact management, basic ticketing, team email, live chat (with HubSpot branding).
Free trial / guarantee
Help Scout15-day (Standard and Plus); 3-month unlimited AI Answers for new accounts.
HubSpot Service Hub14 days for paid tiers; Customer Agent 28-day trial.
Price
Help ScoutStandard $25/user/mo (monthly); about $21 annual. · Plus $45/user/mo; about $38 annual. · Pro $75/user/mo; about $63 annual.
HubSpot Service HubStarter $15/seat/mo (monthly); promo ~$9 noted. · Professional $100/seat/mo (annual required). · Enterprise $150/seat/mo (annual required).(3rd-party)source
Seat minimum
Help ScoutPro: 10 users minimum; others none beyond Free's 5.
HubSpot Service HubEnterprise 10 seats minimum; none disclosed for Starter and Pro.(3rd-party)source
Unlimited agents
Help ScoutYes. Pro (10-seat minimum).
HubSpot Service HubNo. Priced per seat.
Implementation fee
Help ScoutNot disclosed; onboarding specialist is a paid add-on; Pro incl. account manager.
HubSpot Service HubPro $1,500 one-time onboarding (mandatory unless via partner); Enterprise $3,500.(3rd-party)source
Transparency
Help ScoutHigh. All prices public.
HubSpot Service HubPricing page did not render full content; third-party sources are consistent.
Pricing last verified
Help Scout2026-06-02
HubSpot Service Hub2026-06-02(3rd-party)source

Channels

Where each tool can talk to customers.

Email
Help ScoutNative
HubSpot Service HubNative
Live chat
Help ScoutNative (Beacon)
HubSpot Service HubNative
In-app messenger
Help ScoutNative (Beacon iOS and Android SDK)
HubSpot Service HubNative (chatflows).
Voice
Help ScoutVia integration (Aircall, CloudTalk, JustCall, Talkdesk, Ringover)
HubSpot Service HubNative (browser VoIP via Twilio; limited IVR, advanced needs integration).(3rd-party)source
SMS
Help ScoutVia integration (Aircall)
HubSpot Service HubAdd-on (native SMS paid add-on; Service teams via Sakari and others).
WhatsApp
Help ScoutNative (added Mar 2026; Plus and Pro)
HubSpot Service HubNative (Pro and Enterprise; Meta verification).
Social
Help ScoutNative (Instagram confirmed; others implied)
HubSpot Service HubVia integration (Facebook Messenger native; others via apps).
Unified inbox
Help ScoutNative
HubSpot Service HubNative (Conversations Inbox).

Voice & Telephony

Native voice vs telephony integrations.

Native vs via integration
Help ScoutVia integration only. No native telephony.
HubSpot Service HubNative browser VoIP (Twilio); lacks advanced IVR and routing natively. Most add Aircall, Dialpad, or CloudTalk.(3rd-party)source
Voice AI / transcription
Help ScoutNot offered natively (depends on partner).
HubSpot Service HubYes. Auto transcription, AI call summaries, and sentiment, native.(claimed)source
Telephony billed separately
Help ScoutYes. Billed by the integration partner.
HubSpot Service HubNative minutes limited by tier; advanced telephony integrations billed by vendor.(3rd-party)source

AI & Automation

Autonomous resolution, agentic actions, models, and how AI is priced.

Autonomous AI agent
Help ScoutYes. AI Answers resolves in Beacon and escalates to a human.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Breeze Customer Agent resolves inquiries 24/7 and escalates complex ones.(claimed)source
Copilot / Assist mode
Help ScoutYes. AI Assist (tone, grammar, translate), AI Drafts, and AI Summarize.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Breeze Copilot does reply drafts, summaries, KB suggestions, and call analysis on all tiers.(claimed)source
Claimed automation rate
Help Scout73.19% average resolution with AI Answers.(claimed)source
HubSpot Service HubUp to 70% of conversations resolved automatically.(claimed)source
AI channel coverage
Help ScoutBeacon (web and mobile chat); AI Drafts and Assist in email, chat, and Docs.
HubSpot Service HubEmail and live chat (Customer Agent). WhatsApp, SMS, and voice not confirmed as autonomous.(claimed)source
Agentic actions (API) vs answer-only
Help ScoutAnswer and resolution only. No external API actions.
HubSpot Service HubNot disclosed. Breeze handles answering and routing; outbound API actions (e.g. refunds) not documented.
Knowledge sources
Help ScoutDocs sites, public URLs, PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs and Sheets, and Improvements snippets.
HubSpot Service HubCRM data, KB articles, closed ticket history, conversations, and web data.
Underlying model
Help ScoutOpenAI API (version undisclosed); does not train its own model.
HubSpot Service HubMultiple third-party LLMs (OpenAI GPT, Anthropic Claude); not named on HubSpot's own pages.(3rd-party)source
Trains on past tickets
Help ScoutNo. Never uses your data to train models.
HubSpot Service HubKB Agent generates drafts from resolved tickets. Providers contractually barred from training on customer data.
Pre-deploy simulation / sandbox
Help ScoutYes. Run AI Answers through any scenario.(claimed)source
HubSpot Service HubNot disclosed
Multilingual
Help ScoutYes. AI Answers in 50+ languages; AI Assist translates 13.
HubSpot Service HubYes. KB in dozens of languages; Breeze UI in 6 languages.(claimed)source
Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
Help ScoutNative only.
HubSpot Service HubNative only. Runs in HubSpot Service Hub.
AI pricing model
Help ScoutPay-per-resolution add-on ($0.75); Assist, Drafts, and Summarize on Plus and Pro; 3-month free trial.
HubSpot Service HubOutcome-based credits (Apr 2026): 50 credits per resolved conversation ($0.50). Copilot free on all tiers. Monthly credits per tier; overage $0.01/credit.
AI unit price
Help Scout$0.75 per AI resolution; prepay for up to 33% savings.
HubSpot Service Hub$0.50 per resolved conversation. Customer Agent on Pro and Enterprise only.
Copilot / Assist price
Help ScoutIncluded on Plus and Pro (not Standard or Free).
HubSpot Service HubFree. Included on all tiers, including Free.(claimed)source

How Open.cx compares

Open.cx runs on top of Help Scout or HubSpot Service Hubas an AI layer, or works as its own helpdesk. Here's where it lands on the same questions.

Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
Both. Add it on top of the helpdesk you already run, or use it as your own inbox. Works with Zendesk, Intercom, Front, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365, Twilio Flex, and Creatio.
Autonomous AI agent
Yes. Autopilot resolves tickets end to end on its own, across every channel.
AI pricing model
Per resolution, so you pay for outcomes. Escalations to a human are free.
Claimed automation rate
77% average automation; up to 80% (Trunkrs)(claimed)source

Security & Compliance

Certifications, data residency, and access controls.

SOC 2 Type II
Help ScoutSOC 2 Type 2.
HubSpot Service HubSOC 2 Type II (no NDA); SOC 3 also.
GDPR
Help ScoutYes. EU and UK GDPR, Swiss FADP; DPA; DPF participant.
HubSpot Service HubYes. DPA, deletion, consent tracking, cookie banners.
HIPAA / PCI
Help ScoutYes. Pro plan; BAA required.
HubSpot Service HubEnterprise tier only, with signed BAA.(3rd-party)source
SSO / SAML
Help ScoutYes. SAML SSO (Pro).
HubSpot Service HubSAML SSO (Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin) and SCIM via Okta. Which tiers include it is unclear.
Data residency
Help ScoutNo. AWS US only; no EU or regional hosting.
HubSpot Service HubUS (default), EU (Frankfurt), Canada, and Australia; paid plans can migrate.

Integrations

Marketplace breadth, APIs, and developer tooling.

Marketplace / integrations (approx.)
Help Scout100+ apps.
HubSpot Service Hub2,000+ apps.(3rd-party)source
Shopify depth
Help ScoutNative. Order status, refunds, and order management in the inbox; Shopify App Store.
HubSpot Service HubNative data-sync (contacts, companies, products bidirectional; orders Shopify to HubSpot only). Does not natively connect to Service ticket workflows.
Open / public API
Help ScoutYes. Inbox API, Docs API, Chat API, and Webhooks.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Public REST API (date-versioned); OAuth and Private App tokens; webhooks.
Developer SDK / MCP
Help ScoutCustom Apps framework; Beacon iOS and Android SDK; no server-side SDK.
HubSpot Service HubOfficial SDKs for Node.js, TypeScript, PHP, and .NET.(3rd-party)source

Automation & Workflows

Builders, triggers, routing, and SLAs.

Workflow builder
Help ScoutYes. If/then workflow builder.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Visual builder; Pro up to 300 workflows; Enterprise up to 1,000.(3rd-party)source
Triggers / automations
Help ScoutYes. Condition-triggered workflows (run once per conversation).
HubSpot Service HubYes. Ticket changes, SLA breach, CSAT/NPS, conversation events, forms, and dates.
Routing
Help ScoutYes. Auto-assign via workflow rules.
HubSpot Service HubSmart routing with capacity (Pro+); skill-based (Enterprise); round-robin, territory, and VIP.(claimed)source
Macros / canned responses
Help ScoutYes. Saved Replies.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Support macros and canned responses for live chat.
SLA management
Help ScoutYes. 1 policy on Standard, 2 on Plus, unlimited on Pro; NRT tracking.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Conditional SLAs with custom goals (Enterprise); pause/resume; basic SLA at Pro.

Collaboration

How support teams work a queue together.

Internal notes
Help ScoutYes. @Mentions.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Private comments on tickets.
Collision detection
Help ScoutYes. Built in on all plans (yellow and red indicators).
HubSpot Service HubYes. Alerts when two agents are on the same conversation.(3rd-party)source
Side conversations
Help ScoutNot offered (notes and splits instead).
HubSpot Service HubYes. @Mention teammates in internal notes.(3rd-party)source
Shared inbox
Help ScoutYes. Core product.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Conversations Inbox.

Self-Service & Knowledge

Knowledge base, help center, and deflection.

Knowledge base
Help ScoutYes. Docs; 1 site on Free and Standard, extra at $20/mo.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Pro and Enterprise only; multi-language, SEO, analytics.
Help center
Help ScoutYes. Docs, embeddable in Beacon.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Customer-facing KB.
Community forum
Help ScoutNot offered.
HubSpot Service HubNot offered natively.
AI answers from knowledge base
Help ScoutYes. AI Answers from Docs; tracks search gaps.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Breeze KB Agent generates drafts from tickets; Customer Agent surfaces articles (Pro and Enterprise).

Reporting & Analytics

Dashboards, custom reports, and CSAT.

Dashboards
Help ScoutYes. 7 built-in reports.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Pre-built; custom dashboards (Enterprise).
Custom reports
Help ScoutNo. Not native; raw data via Inbox API.
HubSpot Service HubYes. Filterable custom reports (Pro+); Enterprise advanced.
Included in lowest tier
Help ScoutReporting on all paid plans, including Standard.
HubSpot Service HubFree and Starter: basic ticket reports; advanced at Pro+.
CSAT surveys
Help ScoutYes. Happiness report (post-conversation surveys).
HubSpot Service HubYes. CSAT, NPS, and custom surveys (Pro and Enterprise; not Starter or Free).

Onboarding & Support

Implementation, CSM tiers, and partners.

Onboarding
Help ScoutSelf-serve; onboarding specialist (paid add-on); Pro incl. dedicated onboarding.
HubSpot Service HubHubSpot Direct Onboarding (coaching, mandatory Pro $1,500 / Enterprise $3,500); partner-led; Advanced Onboarding.
Support channels
Help ScoutEmail on all paid plans (priority); no customer phone support.
HubSpot Service HubFree and Starter: community, email, chat; Pro and Enterprise add phone.(3rd-party)source
Dedicated CSM
Help ScoutStrategic account manager on Pro.
HubSpot Service HubEnterprise (beta) via Premium Support add-on: TAM, 1-hr email SLA.
Implementation partners
Help ScoutNot disclosed. No partner directory.
HubSpot Service Hub6,000+ Solutions Partners globally.(3rd-party)source

Frequently asked questions

Powered by Open.cx

Keep Help Scout or HubSpot Service Hub. Add Open.cx on top.

Open.cx runs on top of whichever you pick and resolves tickets end to end across chat, email, voice, and WhatsApp. You keep the helpdesk your team already knows. Here's how it compares to each: