What is the difference between Help Scout and Gleap?

Help Scout is best for Teams that want email-like support conversations, while Gleap is best for Product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support. Help Scout starts at $20/user/mo and Gleap starts at $25/mo.

Is Help Scout or Gleap cheaper?

Help Scout starts at $20/user/mo. Gleap starts at $25/mo with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Help Scout?

Yes, Gleap offers a free tier (Free for 1 project).

Help Scout vs Gleap

Help Scout is help desk that feels like email — shared inboxes, knowledge base, and live chat without the ticket numbers, while Gleap is customer feedback and bug reporting tool with visual annotations and live chat. Help Scout comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Help Scout is built for teams that want email-like support conversations, whereas Gleap targets product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support.

At a glance

	Help Scout	Gleap
Best for	Teams that want email-like support conversations	Product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support
Starting price	$20/user/mo	$25/mo
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Beacon	✓	—
Bug Reports	—	✓
Feedback	—	✓
Knowledge Base	✓	—
Live Chat	—	✓
Reports	✓	—
Shared Inbox	✓	—
Surveys	—	✓

Help Scout

Strengths

Includes Shared Inbox as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Includes Knowledge Base as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Pricing starts at $20/user/mo, which includes the full customer support feature set
Established product with 15+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $20/user/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ticket volume can quickly overwhelm small teams without triage automation
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Help Scout → Full review

Gleap

Strengths

Includes Bug Reports as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Includes Live Chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Free for 1 project — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes feedback alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ticket volume can quickly overwhelm small teams without triage automation
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Gleap → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Help Scout starts at $20/user/mo. Gleap starts at $25/mo. Help Scout is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Help Scout offers Beacon, Knowledge Base and Reports that Gleap lacks. Gleap brings Bug Reports, Feedback and Live Chat that Help Scout does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target small teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: Help Scout's biggest strengths are: includes shared inbox as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes knowledge base as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. Gleap's biggest strengths are: includes bug reports as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows.

Watch out for: With Help Scout, users commonly note that starts at $20/user/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Gleap, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Help Scout if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want email-like support conversations
You want to save on per-user costs — Help Scout is $5.00/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need Beacon and Knowledge Base
You care about includes knowledge base as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows

Choose Gleap if...

You need a tool built for product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support
You specifically need Bug Reports and Feedback
You care about includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
The free tier works for you: free for 1 project