Help Scout vs ShieldDesk ‑ AI Support Inbox
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Nov 8, 2026 for Help Scout, Oct 27, 2026 for ShieldDesk.
The short answer
- On the Shopify App Store: Help Scout 3.7 from 19 reviews and ShieldDesk 5.0 from 1 reviews.
- Only ShieldDesk lists a free plan.
- Help Scout lists 19 features ShieldDesk’s listing doesn’t mention, including AI summaries, Analytics, Auto-assign.
Head to head
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Australia
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
Free to install
Free
- · 50 messages per month
- · AI drafts from live order data
- · All channels in one inbox
- · All features included
- · Spam filtered automatically
Starter
- · 1,000 messages per month
- · All features included
- · Auto-answers order status
- · Cancel, refund or reroute orders
- · Reports, saved replies, team inbox
Pro
- · 5,000 messages per month
- · All features included
- · Auto-answers order status
- · Priority support
- · Reports, saved replies, team inbox
Business
- · 20,000 messages per month
- · All features included
- · Dedicated onboarding
- · Priority support
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureHelp Scout is the AI support suite that turns customer conversations into growth and retention. Bring every support channel into one space built for collaboration between teams and AI. With the Shopify integration, you can view customer order details and history alongside every conversation, plus edit, duplicate, cancel, and refund orders directly in Help Scout—without switching between tools.
ShieldDesk brings messages from your contact form, support email, WhatsApp and customer account pages into one inbox. It filters spam, reads the matching order and your policies, and drafts a reply in your store's voice. "Where is my order?" is answered automatically from live tracking, with a countdown you can stop.
- Work as a team on your email, live chat, and social conversations, in one inbox
- Provide instant answers to FAQs with self-service options
- Leverage AI to help your team respond faster
- View detailed customer and order information alongside every conversation
- AI classifies every message by intent automatically
- Draft replies generated using real order history
- Order status queries auto-resolved with live tracking
- Spam and abuse messages detected and filtered out
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  Help Scout |  ShieldDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | 212 | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | −70 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | 5 | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Home & Garden, Apparel & Accessories, Health & Beauty | Not published |
| Top store countries | United States, United Kingdom, Australia | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | Help Scout | ShieldDesk |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | 3.7 ★ | 5.0 ★(ahead) |
| App Store reviews | 19(ahead) | 1 |
| New reviews, 28 days | 0 | Not enough data |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | Help Scout | ShieldDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Not listed | Yes |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | No monthly plan listed | $9/month |
| Longest free trial | Not listed | 7 days |
| Plans listed | 1 | 4 |
Listing
| Measure | Help Scout | ShieldDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #90(ahead) | #125 |
| Shopify App Charts | #6 in Helpdesk | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | Mar 31, 2014 | May 18, 2026 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | Help Scout | Approid Tech |
FAQ
Help Scout and ShieldDesk: common questions
- Is Help Scout or ShieldDesk cheaper?
- Only ShieldDesk lists a free plan. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- Which has better reviews, Help Scout or ShieldDesk?
- On the Shopify App Store: Help Scout 3.7 from 19 reviews and ShieldDesk 5.0 from 1 reviews.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- Help Scout lists 19 the others don’t mention, such as AI summaries, Analytics, Auto-assign, Chatbot. ShieldDesk lists 1 the others don’t mention, such as Contact form. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Nov 8, 2026 for Help Scout, Oct 27, 2026 for ShieldDesk; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Nov 8, 2026 for Help Scout, Oct 27, 2026 for ShieldDesk. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.