Matrix
Help Scout and Cove, side by side — what actually ships
Public list prices checked 29 Aug 2026 where we cite a number. Feature rows for Cove are what ships today.
| Help Scout | Cove | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Connect a mailbox. Beacon is a separate embed for the site. | One script. The messenger is the channel that ships. |
| Customization | Beacon can be branded. The wedge is a calm email desk, not glass radius. | Match your colors, corner roundness, and button. |
| Inbox | Excellent collision detection, saved replies, simple views. Email-first. | Website threads with assign, notes, macros, snooze, resolve. Typing is visible. Email inbound when you connect it. |
| Help center | Docs: public knowledge base, multiple sites on paid plans. | One public help host per workspace ({slug}.coveinbox.co or a verified custom domain). Same pages in the messenger. |
| Translation | Not the reason you buy Help Scout. | Translation under the original on the thread. |
| Price shape | Per-user Standard and up (their public vs pages list Standard from $25/user). | Per workspace. Mini $39/mo includes seats. Extra seats $6. Unlimited conversations. |
Three differences
Setup
Chat is not an add-on. Paste the snippet and the queue is the inbox.
Customization
More messenger control than a default Beacon color.
Inbox
Built for the widget thread, including resolve then CSAT.
Who should switch
Switch if the site messenger is the conversation and you still want docs plus a portal on the same desk.
Who should stay
Stay on Help Scout if you already depend on parts Cove does not ship. Cove shows recent Shopify orders beside a thread when the shop is connected. It does not refund or edit those orders, does not sign in to Gmail or Outlook, does not take voice calls, and does not send article drafts by itself.