Help Scout alternatives and competitors
Help Scout is a customer support platform for small and mid-sized businesses. If you're weighing it against other options, or selling against it, these are the customer support companies it competes with most, with what each has been doing recently.
01
Zendesk
Zendesk is a customer service and help desk software company.
Zendesk has undergone significant leadership changes with the appointment of Rachita Sundar as CFO and Julie Swinney moving into administration. The company continues to expand its AI capabilities with new specialized AI agents and a directory for verified AI support endpoints. Zendesk remains active in acquisitions and partnerships, including a new integration with Momentive, and maintains strong financial performance with roughly $2 billion in ARR following its $10.2 billion take-private transaction.
02
Intercom
Intercom is an AI-first customer service platform built around its Fin agent.
Intercom was acquired by Salesforce in September 2026, marking a major M&A event. The company also launched a faster proprietary CX model called Apex Flash in late September 2026, enhancing its technology offerings. No recent leadership changes or workforce updates have been reported.
03
Freshdesk
Freshdesk is Freshworks' help desk and ticketing product.
Freshdesk has made significant progress in its platform migration with 90% completion of the Freshdesk Omni migration, expanding autonomous support capabilities. The company is also undergoing restructuring and shifting focus toward enterprise customers, driven by AI integration. Recent analysis highlights Freshdesk's evolution from disruption to maturity in the customer support SaaS market.
04
Gorgias
Gorgias is a help desk built for ecommerce brands.
Salesforce is reportedly pursuing an acquisition of Gorgias, signaling strategic expansion in the SaaS customer service space. No other significant business developments for Gorgias have been reported in the last 180 days.
05
Kustomer
Kustomer is a CRM-style customer service platform.
Kustomer has recently focused on expanding its AI capabilities and partner ecosystem, launching new conversation intelligence and AI QA tools, as well as a partner certification program. The company also received industry recognition through its Humans of CX Awards and shared thought leadership on AI's role in solving business problems.