The Problem
Why teams leave Help Scout
Per-user pricing grows linearly with team size
Limited automation on Standard plan
No built-in CSAT without Plus plan
Basic reporting without custom fields
API rate limits restrict integrations
What We Build Instead
Your custom customer support tool
Clean, simple help desk with unlimited agents
Shared inbox with collision detection
Knowledge base with full-text search and analytics
Embeddable help widget for your site
CSAT, SLAs, and reporting without tier restrictions
The Math
Help Scout vs. custom build
Based on 15 seats at $40/seat/month, with ~10% annual SaaS price increases.
Keep paying Help Scout
Build with 86 SaaS
3-year savings with 15 seats
-$3,065
-13% less than Help Scout
Pricing Breakdown
Help Scout tier pricing vs. one-time custom build
Compare what you pay per seat across Help Scout's tiers against a single investment in software you own forever.
| Tier | Monthly/Seat | Annual/Seat | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $20/mo | $20/mo | 2 mailboxes, Email & chat, Help center, Customer profiles |
| Plus | $40/mo | $40/mo | 5 mailboxes, CSAT surveys, Custom fields, Advanced permissions |
| Pro | $65/mo | $65/mo | 25 mailboxes, Enterprise security, API access, Advanced analytics |
| Custom Build by 86 SaaS | $12,000–$25,000 one-time | $0/seat | Unlimited users, full ownership, no recurring fees |
Migration Timeline
From Help Scout to ownership — week by week
A structured migration plan to move off Help Scout in 3-6 weeks with zero downtime.
Discovery & Audit
1 weekMap Help Scout mailboxes, saved replies, Beacon configurations, and Docs knowledge base content.
Architecture & Design
1 weekDesign clean help desk with shared inbox, collision detection, embedded widget, and knowledge base.
Core Development
1-3 weeksBuild shared inbox, collision detection, knowledge base, embeddable widget, CSAT, and reporting.
Data Migration & Testing
1 weekMigrate conversations, saved replies, and Docs articles from Help Scout. Validate widget functionality.
Deployment & Training
1 weekDeploy platform, embed help widget on your site, train support team.
Total build time
3-6 weeks
Feature Comparison
What you keep, what you skip, and why
A transparent comparison of Help Scout features vs. your custom-built alternative.
| Feature | Help Scout | Custom Build | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared Inbox | |||
| Collision Detection | |||
| Knowledge Base | |||
| Embeddable Help Widget | |||
| CSAT Surveys | |||
| Saved Replies | |||
| Reporting & Analytics | |||
| SLA Management | Added — Help Scout lacks built-in SLA tracking | ||
| Unlimited Agents | No per-user pricing — add your whole team | ||
| AI Summarize | Intentionally omitted — basic feature that adds minimal value | ||
| Beacon Widget | Custom widget with your branding and behavior | ||
| Data Ownership | Your conversation data on your servers |
Your custom build focuses on the features your team actually uses — typically 15-20% of what Help Scout offers — built exactly for your workflow.
How It Works
From Help Scout to ownership in 3-6 weeks
Free Audit
We analyze your Help Scout usage and identify exactly which features your team actually uses.
Scope & Build
We build your custom customer support tool with only the features you need. 3-6 weeks.
Deploy & Migrate
We deploy to your infrastructure, migrate your data from Help Scout, and train your team.
You Own It
Full source code, documentation, and optional maintenance retainer. No vendor lock-in. Ever.
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