Comparison
SLA Desk vs Help Scout
Help Scout is a well-made shared inbox with a friendly, conversation-first feel. SLA Desk is built around tickets with SLA policies, business-hours clocks and escalation, for teams that have committed to response times.
No payment card for the trial. £5 per agent per month after that.
At a glance
| SLA Desk | Help Scout | |
|---|---|---|
| Price compared | £5 per agent / month, one plan | $25 per user / month (Standard, billed annually) |
| SLA policies and business hours | Included | Not a core feature. Help Scout is built as a shared inbox. |
| Channels | Email and customer portal | Email, live chat (Beacon), web |
| Free plan | No. A month free, no card | Yes, up to 5 users |
| Contract | Monthly, pro-rata, cancel any time | List prices shown are for annual billing |
Help Scout plans as listed on its pricing page on 30 September 2026: Free $0 (up to 5 users, 1 inbox), Standard $25, Plus $45, Pro $75. Prices exclude VAT and add-ons, and vendors change them, so check before you decide. Help Scout is a trademark of Help Scout PBC; SLA Desk is not affiliated with it.
What a year costs
Seat cost for twelve months at list price. SLA Desk bills in pounds; Help Scout is shown in the currency it lists.
| Agents | SLA Desk | Help Scout Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 3 agents | £180 | $900 |
| 5 agents | £300 | $1,500 |
| 10 agents | £600 | $3,000 |
| 20 agents | £1,200 | $6,000 |
Which one fits
Where Help Scout is stronger
- A polished shared inbox that feels like email.
- Beacon, an embeddable help and live chat widget.
- A free plan for up to five users.
- Usage-priced AI answers for self-service.
Choose Help Scout if you want a lightweight shared inbox and live chat, and you do not report against formal SLAs.
Where SLA Desk is stronger
- SLA policies per category or priority, with clocks that pause outside business hours.
- Escalation rules that act before a target is missed.
- A customer portal where people track their own tickets.
- Full SLA and satisfaction reporting at the same flat price.
Choose SLA Desk if you promise customers response and resolution times and need the tool to track and enforce them.
Questions
Does SLA Desk have live chat like Help Scout Beacon?
No. SLA Desk handles email and a customer portal. If live chat is a must, keep a chat tool alongside it or choose a product that has one.
Help Scout has a free plan. Does SLA Desk?
No. Every account gets a month free with no payment card, then pays the same flat price per agent.
How much does SLA Desk cost?
£5 per agent per month, every feature included, billed monthly with no annual commitment. Every account starts with a month free and no payment card.
Try SLA Desk alongside Help Scout for a month.
Point a copy of your support email at it, set up your SLA policies, and compare. No payment card needed.