Help Scout vs Textline

Two customer support tools side by side. Prices are the starting plan a small business would pick, in USD.

Short version

  • Help Scout fits agency or studio, online store.
  • Textline fits trades or contractor.
CompareHelp ScoutHelp ScoutTextlineTextline
In one lineShared inbox that feels like email, plus a help centerShared inbox for business texting, priced by quote
Starting priceFrom $25/personPrice by quote
Six-person team$150/moPrice by quote
PlansFree (5 users, 100 contacts/mo); Standard $25/user/mo; Plus $45/user/mo; Pro $75/user/mo; 16% off annualNo prices published; quoted by plan, agents and message credits. Essentials: 3 agents, at least 600 message credits/mo. Pro: 5 agents, at least 2,000 credits, Salesforce integration, priority support, customer success manager. Enterprise: custom. Add-on credits 3¢ each, bought ahead once per billing cycle; backup credits 4¢ each, auto-bought in blocks of at least 250; an MMS uses 3 credits. Local 10DLC numbers add a $15/mo campaign fee; toll-free numbers have none. Monthly or annual billing. Free account to start, no card
Pricing modelFree tierPaid
Free trial15 days—
UsersPer user; 5 on free3 agents on Essentials; 5 on Pro
IntegrationsShopify, HubSpot, Slack, Jira, 100+Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Help Scout, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Aircall, Slack, Zapier
Team size2–10 people · 11–50 people2–10 people · 11–50 people · 51–200 people
Available inUS · UK · CA · AUUS · CA
Phone supportNone listedPlans not stated
Live chatNone listedNone listed
Support hoursNot publishedNot published
Incidents posted6 incidents posted on Help Scout's status page in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 0 marked major or critical by Help Scout. Status page2 incidents posted on Textline's status page in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 0 marked major or critical by Textline. Status page
Capterra score4.6 / 5 from 226 reviewsNot listed
Trustpilot score3.0 / 5 from 40 reviewsNot listed
Fit: Retail shop6055
Fit: Restaurant or café4040
Fit: Service business8080
Fit: Agency or studio7550
Fit: Trades or contractor5575
Fit: Online store9065
Why people pick it
  • Simple for the team
  • Docs site included
  • Several agents texting customers from one number
  • HIPAA-compatible on every plan
Where it falls short
  • Per-user pricing adds up
  • Light on automation
  • No published prices
  • Message credits and number fees on top
Visit Help Scout Visit Textline

Six-person prices are what a team of six would pay on the published plans; "Not listed" means those plans don't cover six. How we calculate prices

Help Scout and Textline: partner links. We may earn a commission; it never affects rankings.

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