Help Scout for Startups 🎁 Program

What you get

Help Scout for Startups gives 6 months free on the Plus plan, Help Scout's top self-serve plan. Plus includes shared inboxes, all channels and advanced automation. AI Answers is included; Help Scout says it can resolve up to 70% of routine requests automatically.

No dollar value is stated.

Who qualifies

• A new Help Scout customer.
• An incorporated tech startup less than two years old.
• Annual recurring revenue under $1 million.

No funding or partner requirement is stated, which makes this one of the more open support-tool programmes.

Good to know

• The page does not say what you pay after the six months, so check Plus pricing before the period ends.
• The application form asks for annual revenue and business structure (LLC, C Corp, S Corp and others).
• Help Scout is lighter to run than enterprise helpdesks, which suits small teams answering support email.

Set up saved replies, a small knowledge base and tags for feature requests during the free months. That way, by month six you know how many conversations you handle and whether the Plus plan is worth paying for, or whether a smaller plan will do. If you outgrow the plan later, Help Scout lets you export conversations and customers, so you are not locked in. Keep the incorporation documents ready in case the team asks for proof of company age.

Verdict

A good fit for bootstrapped and early funded startups alike. The age limit (under two years) is the main catch, so apply early.

1. Check you are an incorporated tech startup under two years old with ARR under $1M.
2. Click "Apply now" on the Help Scout for Startups page.
3. Select your annual revenue and business structure and send the application.
4. Set up Plus once approved and plan for pricing after month six.