Freshdesk vs Zendesk
Freshdesk: Freshworks help desk with ticketing, a knowledge base and Freddy AI. Zendesk: Customer service software with ticketing, messaging, voice and AI agents. Here is how they compare on price, free plan, platforms and the jobs each does best, from each vendor's own pages.
| Freshdesk | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Freshworks help desk with ticketing, a knowledge base and Freddy AI | Customer service software with ticketing, messaging, voice and AI agents |
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $19/agent/mo billed annually (Growth)Freshdesk pricing | $19/agent/mo billed annually (Support Team)Zendesk pricing |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial with access to the Enterprise plan, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of Suite Professional (Copilot included in the trial) |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Integrations (vendor's figure) | Not stated | 1,800+ apps, partners, and integrations |
| Open source | No | No |
| Made by | Freshworks Inc. | Zendesk |
Choose Freshdesk if…
- The job is managing customer emails as tickets in a shared inbox.
- The job is publishing a self-service knowledge base and customer portal.
Choose Zendesk if…
- The job is handling customer emails as tracked tickets in a small support team.
- The job is combining chat, messaging and phone support in one queue.
Still weighing it up?
If neither is quite right, Freshdesk and Zendesk are also compared with their other rivals: Intercom vs Zendesk, Tidio vs Chatbase and Manychat vs Chatbase.
What Freshdesk does
- Ticketing, shared inbox, customer portal and knowledge base on all plans
- Freddy AI Agent on all plans; extra sessions $49 per 100
- Freddy AI Copilot add-on on Pro and Enterprise
- Freddy AI Insights and skill-based routing on Enterprise
- Day passes for occasional agents ($2 to $12 per pass, by plan)
Watch out for
- No free plan on the pricing page; after the 14-day trial you buy a plan or, on Freshdesk only, move to a 6-month Free Program for up to two agents
- Freddy AI Copilot is not offered on Growth and costs $29 per agent a month billed annually ($35 monthly)
- The 500 free AI Agent sessions come once per account; more cost $49 per 100
What Zendesk does
- Email ticketing, routing, automations and triggers from the cheapest plan
- Messaging, live chat, telephony and omnichannel routing on Suite plans
- AI agents included in every Support and Suite plan, billed per automated resolution
- Admin Copilot, writing tools and App Builder on Suite Professional
- Copilot agent assistant as a paid add-on at $50/agent/month paid yearly
Watch out for
- No free plan; the 14-day trial runs on Suite Professional
- Support Team is email-focused; messaging, live chat and telephony need a Suite plan
- Copilot costs extra ($50/agent/month paid yearly) except on Suite Enterprise + Copilot
Questions
Is Freshdesk or Zendesk cheaper?
Their entry prices are the same: $19/agent/mo billed annually (Growth).
Do Freshdesk and Zendesk have free plans?
Neither has a free plan. Freshdesk offers a 14-day free trial with access to the Enterprise plan, no credit card required. Zendesk offers a 14-day free trial of Suite Professional (Copilot included in the trial).