A one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model was employed to comparatively investigate the influence of pre-ionization on the helium direct-current glow discharge in the large gap and the small gap at atmospheric pressure. For the large-gap and small-gap discharges, the negative glow space and the cathode fall layer are both offset to the cathode with the increase in pre-ionization, which is mainly ascribed to the decrease in charged particle density in the original negative glow space as a result of the increased probability of collision and recombination between ions and electrons, and the new balance between the positive and negative charges established at the distance closer to the cathode. The electron density tends to grow in the negative glow space due to the elevated pre-ionization, while the ion density exhibits an overall downward tendency in the cathode fall layer because the increase in secondary electrons produces more newly born electrons that neutralize more ions via the recombination reaction. Thanks to the pre-ionization, a significant reduction of sustaining voltage and discharge power is obtained in both the large-gap and small-gap discharges. A remarkable characteristic is that the absent positive column in the small-gap discharge comes into being again due to the pre-ionization. Moreover, with the increase in the pre-ionization level, the potential fall shifts from the cathode fall layer to the positive column in the large-gap discharge, while it is always concentrated in the cathode fall layer in the small-gap discharge.