Help Scout vs osTicket

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared Help Scout vs osTicket based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Help Desk Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

osTicket Software Tool

Product Basics

Help Scout's help desk software offers a streamlined solution for businesses seeking to enhance their customer support capabilities. It's particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized teams that prioritize efficient and personalized communication. Help Scout centralizes all customer interactions, including email, live chat, and social media, into a unified inbox, enabling teams to respond promptly and effectively.

Key benefits of Help Scout include its intuitive interface, customizable automation, and reporting features. Popular features encompass shared inboxes for collaborative support, pre-built templates for faster responses, and detailed analytics for performance monitoring. Compared to other help desk software, Help Scout is known for its user-friendliness and excellent customer support. Its pricing ranges from $20 to $65 per user per month, billed annually.

read more...
osTicket is help desk software that streamlines support processes and enhances communication between agents and customers. It's designed for businesses of all sizes seeking an efficient way to manage support requests. Key benefits include centralized ticket management, automated workflows, and customizable reporting. Popular features encompass ticket assignment, knowledge base integration, and customer self-service options. Compared to other Help Desk Software, osTicket is generally praised for its user-friendliness, open-source nature, and cost-effectiveness.

Pricing is flexible, with a free version available for basic needs. Paid plans start at a modest monthly fee and offer additional features such as multi-channel support, SLA management, and enhanced reporting capabilities.

read more...
$20 Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$10/User, Monthly
Free Trial is unavailable →
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Easy Collaboration: Send private notes to teammates and discuss problems to find solutions together before replying to customers. Create a searchable library of frequently asked questions and insert them into replies in two clicks.  
  • Deliver Instant Answers: Allow customers to access knowledge base articles from anywhere on the website with Beacon (virtual agent). Embed the knowledge base content on any web page, so customers don’t waste time searching. 
  • All Time Availability: Work on any device including, desktop, mobile or tablet. Include SSL support on every site for free and offer peace of mind to customers. Allow customers to take advantage of configurable options and auto-generated sitemap for each article in knowledge base software. 
  • Easy Escalation: Allow customers to start a live chat from where they accessed the knowledge base. Direct customer support request to email queue when live chat isn’t available. Offer choice to reach out from any mode of communication that works best for them.  
read more...
  • Seamless Ticket Management: osTicket streamlines ticket creation, tracking, and resolution, providing a centralized platform for efficient support.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitate teamwork with shared notes, file attachments, and internal ticket comments, fostering collaboration between support agents.
  • Automated Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks such as ticket assignment, escalation, and notifications, freeing up agents' time for more complex issues.
  • Improved Customer Satisfaction: Provide prompt and personalized support through customizable ticket forms, reducing resolution times and enhancing customer experiences.
  • Powerful Reporting and Analytics: Track key performance indicators, identify trends, and generate reports to optimize support processes and improve efficiency.
  • Increased Agent Productivity: Empower agents with tools like canned responses, knowledge base access, and customizable dashboards, maximizing their productivity.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Easily adapt osTicket to growing support needs by adding agents, departments, and custom fields, ensuring a scalable solution.
  • Open Source and Community-Supported: Benefit from a vibrant community of developers and users who contribute to osTicket's continuous improvement and support.
read more...
  • Collision Detection: See who replies or views comments in real time. Allow users to collaborate internally via notes and @mentions. Use tagging to trigger automation and categorize conversations. Use saved answers for most common queries through two-click access. Automate all actions, create custom folders and send bulk replies.  
  • Reports and Analytics: Measure team performance, monitor customer satisfaction rates and identify issues clearly to prevent complexities and issues without opening an Excel spreadsheet. Integrate the help desk platform with services such as Snap Engage and Olarkto. Store every chat automatically in the customer's profile.  
  • Shared Inbox: Manage all support requests in a shared inbox. Get all the collaboration features such as multichannel support, notification, advanced search, mobile apps, satisfaction ratings and developer tools to stay productive and deliver world-class support. 
  • Knowledge Base: Reduce support volume by 20% and encourage fewer conversations and happier customers with easy-to-add text, hyperlinks, images, tables, and videos to articles. Customize SEO details by selecting categories and adding related units.  
  • Messages: Offer proactive support, engage leads and onboard new customers with trigger-based messages. Send SMS from any blog, website, store, or Beacon-installed app. 
  • Customer Management: List customer data, app activity and previous conversations alongside every request to deliver more personalized and faster support.  
  • Live Chat: Help customers find help center content or chat with agents easily from the same tool. Recommend resources depending on the pages clients view, so they don't waste time looking for answers. 
read more...
  • Centralized Help Desk: Manage all support requests from a single, organized platform, improving efficiency and reducing response times.
  • Multi-Channel Support: Seamlessly handle support requests via email, web forms, live chat, and phone, providing a convenient and comprehensive support experience.
  • Ticket Automation: Automate routine tasks such as ticket assignment, escalation, and notifications, freeing up agents to focus on more complex issues.
  • Knowledge Base: Empower users to find self-help resources through a comprehensive knowledge base, reducing the number of support requests and improving customer satisfaction.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Gain valuable insights into support performance through detailed reports and analytics, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
  • SLA Management: Set and track service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure timely and consistent support, enhancing customer trust and loyalty.
  • Agent Collaboration: Facilitate seamless collaboration among support agents through internal notes, private messaging, and ticket sharing, improving issue resolution efficiency.
  • Customization: Tailor osTicket to specific business needs by customizing workflows, fields, and branding, ensuring a tailored support experience.
  • Integrations: Integrate osTicket with other business tools, such as CRM, billing systems, and project management software, streamlining operations and improving data flow.
  • Open Source: Access the full source code of osTicket, allowing for complete control and customization, and fostering a collaborative community of developers.
read more...

Product Ranking

#20

among all
Help Desk Software

#42

among all
Help Desk Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

75
we're gathering data
62
we're gathering data
50
we're gathering data
75
we're gathering data
Show More Show More

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Help Scout
osTicket
+ Add Product + Add Product
Agent Productivity Call Center Management Dashboards And Reporting Email Management Live Chat Management Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Team Collaboration Ticket Management 62 50 75 66 74 83 73 85 63 0 25 50 75 100
50%
17%
33%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
0%
0%
100%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
67%
0%
33%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
71%
0%
29%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
64%
0%
36%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
80%
0%
20%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
71%
0%
29%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
67%
0%
33%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
53%
6%
41%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

100%
0%
0%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
89%
0%
11%
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A
we're gathering data
N/A

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 654 reviews
Great User Sentiment 92 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

Help Scout has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 654 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

86%
of users recommend this product

osTicket has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 92 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.3 (260)
n/a
4.67 (183)
4.32 (45)
4.7 (168)
4.3 (47)
4.0 (43)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Help Scout and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Integrations and Extensibility. Help Scout stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Integrations and Extensibility Award

we're gathering data

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Intuitive Interface: User-friendly design simplifies navigation and ticket management, making it easy for support teams to get up to speed quickly.
Shared Inbox: Collaborative workspace allows multiple agents to manage tickets efficiently, ensuring seamless handoffs and faster resolution times.
Automated Workflows: Customizable automation rules streamline repetitive tasks, freeing up agents' time for more complex issues.
Powerful Search: Robust search capabilities make it easy to find specific tickets, customer information, and knowledge base articles, reducing time spent on manual searches.
Excellent Customer Support: Responsive and knowledgeable support team provides prompt assistance, ensuring a positive user experience.
Show more
Customization Options: osTicket's open-source nature allows for extensive customization to meet specific business needs, such as custom fields, automated workflows, and tailored reporting.
User-Friendly Interface: Its intuitive interface and easy-to-use dashboard simplify ticket management, reducing training time for help desk staff.
Integration Capabilities: osTicket seamlessly integrates with popular CRM, email, and knowledge base systems, enhancing productivity and streamlining workflows.
Automated Ticket Routing: Automated ticket routing based on predefined rules ensures tickets are assigned to the right team or individual, reducing response times.
Robust Reporting and Analytics: Comprehensive reporting and analytics provide valuable insights into ticket trends, agent performance, and customer satisfaction, enabling data-driven decision-making.
Show more
Limited Customization: Help Scout offers limited customization options, which can restrict businesses from tailoring the software to their specific needs and branding.
Lack of Automation: Compared to other Help Desk Software, Help Scout lacks robust automation features, such as automated ticket assignment and escalation rules, which can hinder efficiency.
Pricing Structure: Help Scout's pricing plans can be perceived as expensive for businesses with a large number of agents or high ticket volume.
Limited Reporting Capabilities: Some users have reported that Help Scout's reporting capabilities are not as comprehensive as they would like, making it challenging to extract valuable insights and track performance.
Mobile App Limitations: The Help Scout mobile app has been criticized for its limited functionality compared to the desktop version, making it less convenient for remote or on-the-go support teams.
Show more
Difficult Customization: Modifying osTicket's appearance and functionality requires extensive coding knowledge, limiting customization options for non-technical users.
Limited Reporting: osTicket's reporting capabilities are basic, lacking advanced filtering, sorting, and data visualization options for in-depth analysis.
Frequent Updates: osTicket releases frequent updates, which can be disruptive for businesses that rely on stability and continuity.
Lack of Native Integration: osTicket's native integrations with other business applications are limited, requiring additional plugins or manual workarounds.
Limited Mobile Support: osTicket's mobile app is limited in functionality, making it challenging for technicians to manage tickets while on the go.
Show more

Help Scout, a popular help desk software, has received consistent praise from users in the last year. Many users emphasize its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy to set up and use, even for those new to help desk software. The software's intuitive design and customizable features allow users to tailor it to their specific needs, making it a versatile option for businesses of all sizes. When comparing Help Scout to similar products, users often highlight its superior customer support and documentation. Help Scout's dedicated support team is highly responsive and knowledgeable, providing valuable assistance to users. Additionally, the software's comprehensive documentation and tutorials make it easy for users to find answers to their questions and troubleshoot any issues they encounter. One of the key differentiating factors of Help Scout is its focus on email support. The software seamlessly integrates with email, allowing users to manage all their customer interactions from a single platform. This streamlines communication and improves efficiency, particularly for businesses that rely heavily on email support. Overall, Help Scout is highly recommended for businesses looking for a user-friendly, customizable, and reliable help desk software. Its strengths in customer support, email integration, and intuitive design make it an excellent choice for companies of all sizes that prioritize efficient and effective customer service.

Show more

Users appreciate osTicket's user-friendly interface and customizable features, allowing them to tailor the software to their specific needs. Its open-source nature enables easy integration with other applications and provides access to a vast community for support and development. Compared to proprietary solutions, osTicket offers cost-effectiveness and flexibility, making it a compelling choice for organizations seeking a budget-friendly and adaptable help desk solution. However, some users have reported occasional performance issues, particularly when handling a high volume of tickets. Additionally, its reporting capabilities may be limited compared to more advanced solutions. Nonetheless, osTicket remains a strong option for small to mid-sized businesses and organizations with limited resources due to its ease of use, customization options, and open-source nature.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Help Desk Software


Freshdesk

Front

Gorgias

HappyFox

HubSpot Service Hub

Intercom

Jira

Jitbit

Kayako

LiveAgent

LiveChat

Salesforce Service Cloud

ServiceNow

TeamSupport

Teamwork Desk

Vision Helpdesk

Zendesk

Zoho Desk

Related Categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
Table settings