Independent comparison
SupportLayer vs Help Scout: Every Feature on Every Plan
SLA policies on Help Scout start on the Standard plan at US$25 per user/month. SupportLayer includes SLAs and white-label from the free first agent on the same flat per-agent price.
Pricing snapshot — five agents, annual billing
SupportLayer estimates include one free agent seat; the Help Scout total multiplies the published Standard annual rate by five users.
Flat $12 per paying agent thereafter (US dollars).
Currency toggles apply site-wide.
Help Scout figure uses the Standard plan at US$25 per user/month billed annually × five users (helpscout.com/pricing as of May 2026). Plus is documented at US$45/user/month and Pro at US$75/user/month. Help Scout AI Answers is billed separately at US$0.75 per resolution on top of the seat fee. Help Scout has a permanently free plan limited to 5 users, 1 Inbox and no API access.
Pricing shown on www.helpscout.com/pricing/ as of May 2026, annual billing.
Feature comparison
SupportLayer column reflects current product capability; Help Scout column cites named editions.
| SupportLayer | Help Scout | |
|---|---|---|
| SLA management | ||
| SLA policies | ✓ | Standard (1 basic) / Plus (2 with conditions) / Pro (unlimited with conditions) |
| SLA timer pauses while waiting on the customer | ✓ | — (not publicly documented as of May 2026) |
| Access & security | ||
| Custom user permissions | ✓ | Plus and Pro |
| Two-factor authentication for staff (admin can require) | ✓ | All plans |
| Remove "Powered by Help Scout" branding | ✓ | Plus and Pro |
| Productivity | ||
| Email channel into shared inbox | ✓ | All plans |
| Live chat / help widget (Beacon) | ✓ | All plans |
| Saved replies (prepared replies) | ✓ | All plans |
| Bulk conversation actions | ✓ | All plans |
| Setup & scale | ||
| Public REST API | ✓ | Paid plans only (excluded from Free) |
When SupportLayer is the better fit
- You want SLA policies, custom roles, and white-label branding included from the free first agent — not split across Plus and Pro tiers.
- You want a permanent free first seat with full feature access (Help Scout's free plan caps at 5 users and excludes the API).
- You want predictable per-seat billing rather than separate per-resolution AI charges layered on top.
- You want native ProjectLayer backlog linking — a Xegen sister product — without building it yourself against the Help Scout API.
- You need predefined SLA, first-response and ticket-volume reports out of the box (Help Scout reporting is documented as filter-only, not customisable).
When Help Scout is the better fit
- You strongly prefer Help Scout's shared-inbox UX and conversational tone for customer-facing replies.
- Your team is small and the Help Scout Free plan (5 users, 1 inbox) covers your full operation today.
- You need Help Scout's Docs (knowledge base) product alongside ticketing — SupportLayer focuses on the support queue and SLAs.
- You depend on the Help Scout app marketplace and existing third-party connectors.
- Your team values the Help Scout brand and aesthetic over feature breadth.
Migration
Moving from Help Scout typically involves exporting conversation history through the Help Scout API or admin export, redirecting your support inbox to SupportLayer, and inviting users to the new workspace. Saved replies and team membership data port across cleanly.