Comparison · 2026
Help Scout is a solid shared inbox built for SMBs. But at $20/user/month, a 5-person team pays $100/month before any AI features. Smailor's flat pricing and self-hosted AI are built for the other case.
Last updated: June 2026 · Pricing sourced from helpscout.com and smailor.com
Best for
Indie founders & small teams
Flat-rate pricing means costs don't grow with headcount.
Pricing model
Flat workspace vs per-user
Help Scout: $20–$65/user/mo. Smailor: from €19.90/yr (Solo) to €31.99/mo (Business) — flat rate, not per seat.
AI approach
Self-hosted vs add-on fees
Smailor's AI runs on their own servers — no per-resolution billing.
As of June 2026. ✅ included · ⚠️ partial/add-on · ❌ not available.
| Feature | Smailor | Help Scout |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✅ Permanent | ✅ Limited (5 users, 1 inbox) |
| Pricing model | ✅ Flat workspace rate | ❌ Per user/month |
| Custom domain (own domain) | ✅ From free tier | ⚠️ Custom domain routing available |
| Shared inbox | ✅ Groups | ✅ Mailboxes |
| AI triage & routing | ✅ Pro+ (self-hosted Qwen 2.5) | ⚠️ AI Answers ($0.75/resolution) |
| AI spam filtering | ✅ Pro+ (on-server) | ⚠️ Basic, add-on cost |
| EU data residency | ✅ Hetzner DE/FI | ❌ US-based (Boston) |
| GDPR / DPA | ✅ DPA available | ✅ DPA available |
| Email templates | ✅ Solo+ | ✅ Saved replies |
| Auto-reply | ✅ Solo+ | ✅ All plans |
| Routing rules | ✅ Incl. AI-based (Pro+) | ✅ Workflows |
| Knowledge base | ❌ Not included | ✅ Docs (built-in) |
| Live chat on your website | ✅ Website live chat (paid plans) | ✅ Beacon widget |
| In-app messaging & help articles in the widget | ❌ Not included | ✅ Beacon widget |
| Discord notifications | ✅ Native (Solo+) | ❌ Via Zapier only |
| REST API | Available on Solo, Starter, Pro and Business | ✅ All plans |
| No-code setup (<5 min) | ✅ Centralised catch-all | ⚠️ DNS config required |
| SSO / SAML | Not currently available | ✅ Pro plan |
| Inbox limit (entry paid) | ✅ 5 groups | ⚠️ 2 inboxes (Standard) |
The fundamental difference: Help Scout charges per user, Smailor charges per workspace. A growing team changes the math fast.
Smailor — flat rate
A new conversation started by you counts as one outbound conversation. Replies don't count.
Stackable monthly packs from €2.39 on every plan, including Free. Prices exclude VAT. Solo is annual-only.
Compare all plans and packs →Help Scout — per user
AI Answers costs $0.75/resolution extra. Additional inboxes $10/mo each.
Real cost at 5 users
Smailor Pro
€9.99/mo
Same price for 1 user or 15 users.
Help Scout Standard
$100/mo
5 users × $20/user. Excludes AI add-ons.
The four areas that matter most for small teams choosing between the two.
Pricing model — flat vs per-seat
Help Scout's per-seat model is standard in the industry but punishes teams as they grow. At 5 people on Standard you're at $100/month. Smailor Pro covers up to 15 team members for €9.99/month — the same price whether you have 2 or 15 people.
AI — self-hosted vs billed per resolution
Help Scout's AI Answers costs $0.75 per resolved conversation. Smailor runs a self-hosted Qwen 2.5 model on their own servers. Your messages never leave EU infrastructure, and AI costs are absorbed into the flat plan price — no per-resolution surprises.
Data residency — EU vs US
All Smailor data sits on Hetzner servers in Germany and Finland. It never leaves the EEA. Help Scout is headquartered in Boston and stores data in the US. For EU businesses with GDPR obligations, this is a practical consideration — not a theoretical one.
Knowledge base and in-app help: Help Scout wins here
Help Scout ships with Docs (a full knowledge base) and a Beacon widget that combines live chat, in-app messaging and help articles. Smailor has a website live chat whose conversations land in the shared inbox and in Discord, but no knowledge base and no in-app messaging. If you need a customer-facing help center, Help Scout has it built in. Smailor does not.
Choose Smailor if…
Choose Help Scout if…
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