# LiveAgent vs Help Scout for help desk software

LiveAgent and Help Scout are closely matched for core workflows. Both support API access, gdpr compliance, email ticketing, shared inbox, and live chat. LiveAgent has confirmed collision detection. Help Scout has confirmed free plan, multiple brands, and multiple inboxes.

## Key decision points

- Help Scout has confirmed free plan; free plan is not yet confirmed for LiveAgent.
- LiveAgent has confirmed collision detection; collision detection is not yet confirmed for Help Scout.
- Help Scout has confirmed multiple brands; multiple brands is not yet confirmed for LiveAgent.
- Help Scout has confirmed multiple inboxes; multiple inboxes is not yet confirmed for LiveAgent.

## Choose LiveAgent if…

- Choose LiveAgent if confirmed collision detection matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for Help Scout.

## Choose Help Scout if…

- Choose Help Scout if confirmed free plan matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for LiveAgent.
- Choose Help Scout if confirmed multiple brands matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for LiveAgent.
- Choose Help Scout if confirmed multiple inboxes matters to you; this detail is not yet confirmed for LiveAgent.

## Features

| Feature | LiveAgent | Help Scout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Email ticketing | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Shared inbox | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Live chat | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Phone support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| WhatsApp support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Social media support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Knowledge base | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Customer portal | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/pricing/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| SLAs | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/features/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Ticket routing | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/features/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Automation | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Macros | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/features/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| AI replies | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/ai-features/)) |
| AI ticket summaries | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/pricing/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/ai-features/)) |
| Collision detection | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/features/)) | Not confirmed |
| CSAT | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/features/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Custom fields | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/features/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Multiple brands | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Multiple inboxes | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |
| Multilingual support | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/ai-features/)) |

## Integrations

| Feature | LiveAgent | Help Scout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shopify integration | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/)) |
| CRM integrations | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/integrations/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/)) |

## Technical

| Feature | LiveAgent | Help Scout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| API | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/terms-and-conditions/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/)) |
| Webhooks | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/)) |

## Platforms

| Feature | LiveAgent | Help Scout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mobile apps | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/mobile/)) |

## Security and compliance

| Feature | LiveAgent | Help Scout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GDPR compliance | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/company/legal/terms-of-service/)) |

## Pricing

| Feature | LiveAgent | Help Scout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free plan | Not confirmed | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/)) |

## Commercial

| Feature | LiveAgent | Help Scout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliate programme | Yes (verified 4 September 2026; [source](https://www.liveagent.com/)) | Not confirmed |

## Evidence

- **LiveAgent — Email ticketing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Email, live chat, phone, social media, WhatsApp, Viber, knowledge base — all unified in a single dashboard”
- **Help Scout — Email ticketing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Email Manage customer emails as a team.”
- **LiveAgent — Shared inbox:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Email, live chat, phone, social media, WhatsApp, Viber, knowledge base — all unified in a single dashboard”
- **Help Scout — Shared inbox:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Shared Inbox Inboxes Collaborate on customer conversations in a shared workspace.”
- **LiveAgent — Live chat:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Live Chat Fastest live chat on the market”
- **Help Scout — Live chat:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Live chat Offer live chat anywhere on your website or in-app.”
- **LiveAgent — Phone support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Call Center Manage and route all your calls”
- **Help Scout — Phone support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Phone/voice Make and receive phone calls, logged in Help Scout. Via integration”
- **LiveAgent — WhatsApp support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Email, live chat, phone, social media, WhatsApp, Viber, knowledge base — all unified in a single dashboard”
- **Help Scout — WhatsApp support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “WhatsApp Handle customer conversations through WhatsApp.”
- **LiveAgent — Social media support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Social Media Chat with followers in LiveAgent”
- **Help Scout — Social media support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Messenger Handle customer conversations through Facebook Messenger. Instagram Handle customer conversations through Instagram.”
- **LiveAgent — Knowledge base:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Knowledge Base Provide self-service options”
- **Help Scout — Knowledge base:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Knowledge base Docs sites Build a searchable and branded help center or knowledge base.”
- **LiveAgent — Customer portal:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Customer Portal Gives you the opportunity to create an unlimited amount of separate customer portals”
- **Help Scout — Customer portal:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Secure customer portal”
- **LiveAgent — SLAs:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/features/. Evidence: “Service Level Agreement (SLA) Learn about Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and their role in defining customer expectations and pro...”
- **Help Scout — SLAs:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Set and track response targets across conversations to keep work on schedule.”
- **LiveAgent — Ticket routing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/features/. Evidence: “Automated Ticket Distribution Automated ticket distribution in LiveAgent assigns help desk tickets to agents based on predefined r...”
- **Help Scout — Ticket routing:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Routing Automatically assign conversations evenly across your team to balance the workload.”
- **LiveAgent — Automation:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Automate up to 75% of conversations with built-in AI.”
- **Help Scout — Automation:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Automation Workflows Organize, assign, or reply to conversations automatically.”
- **LiveAgent — Macros:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/features/. Evidence: “Canned Messages (Macros) Boost efficiency with LiveAgent's canned messages!”
- **Help Scout — Macros:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Saved replies Create a library of FAQ responses you can search and insert in 2 clicks.”
- **LiveAgent — AI replies:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “AI Answer Assistant Instant polished replies”
- **Help Scout — AI replies:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/ai-features/. Evidence: “Draft accurate replies with a click Get a head start on any reply with unlimited AI drafting, backed by your sources.”
- **LiveAgent — AI ticket summaries:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/pricing/. Evidence: “AI Ticket Summary catch up”
- **Help Scout — AI ticket summaries:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/ai-features/. Evidence: “Summarize long threads Pull critical context from back-and-forth messages to keep conversations moving.”
- **LiveAgent — Collision detection:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/features/. Evidence: “Agent Collision Detection Prevent multiple agents from working on the same ticket”
- **LiveAgent — CSAT:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/features/. Evidence: “Ticket satisfaction survey Collect customer satisfaction ratings after ticket resolution”
- **Help Scout — CSAT:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Surveys, CSAT, NPS Collect survey responses and ratings anywhere on your website or in your app.”
- **LiveAgent — Custom fields:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/features/. Evidence: “Custom ticket fields Add custom fields to tickets to capture specific information”
- **Help Scout — Custom fields:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Custom fields Track up to 10 custom data points on each conversation for use in reporting and workflows.”
- **Help Scout — Multiple brands:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Multiple knowledge bases”
- **Help Scout — Multiple inboxes:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “Multiple Inboxes Give every department or product its own dedicated place for support.”
- **LiveAgent — Multilingual support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “AI Chatbot Resolves customer inquiries instantly, 24/7, in 100+ languages”
- **Help Scout — Multilingual support:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/ai-features/. Evidence: “Does AI Answers support multiple languages? Yes, AI Answers can handle conversations in over 50 languages, including Spanish, French, and many others.”
- **Help Scout — Shopify integration:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/. Evidence: “Shopify”
- **LiveAgent — CRM integrations:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/integrations/. Evidence: “Agile CRM integrates with LiveAgent to enhance customer service efficiency.”
- **Help Scout — CRM integrations:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/. Evidence: “Salesforce”
- **LiveAgent — API:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/terms-and-conditions/. Evidence: “LiveAgent API made available via the Site”
- **Help Scout — API:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/. Evidence: “Build with the Help Scout API Check out our developer docs to create your own apps and integrations.”
- **Help Scout — Webhooks:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/help-desk-integration/. Evidence: “Webhooks”
- **Help Scout — Mobile apps:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/mobile/. Evidence: “Download the free Help Scout mobile app today.”
- **LiveAgent — GDPR compliance:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “GDPR”
- **Help Scout — GDPR compliance:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/company/legal/terms-of-service/. Evidence: “Data Processing Amendment”
- **Help Scout — Free plan:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/. Evidence: “The Free plan includes 5 users, 1 Inbox, and 1 Docs site.”
- **LiveAgent — Affiliate programme:** Yes. Last verified 4 September 2026. Source: https://www.liveagent.com/. Evidence: “Affiliate Program”