Freshdesk vs Zendesk
Freshdesk and Zendesk are both customer support tools. Freshdesk is aimed at small businesses, while Zendesk is aimed at enterprise and small businesses. Freshdesk costs less, from $23/mo versus $25/mo for Zendesk.
| Pricing | Paid · $23 | Paid · $25 |
| Starting price | $23/mo | $25/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Small businesses | Enterprise, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android |
| Country | IN · 2010 | US · 2007 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Freshdesk if
SMBs and mid-size companies that want Zendesk-like capabilities at lower cost.
- Strong value versus Zendesk
- Lower per-agent price than Zendesk
- Mature automations and SLAs
Look elsewhere if: Teams wanting the simplest inbox (Help Scout) or AI-first in-app support (Intercom).
Choose Zendesk if
Mid-market and enterprise support teams with multiple channels and compliance needs.
- Mature, reliable at enterprise scale
- Broadest channel and app coverage
- Strong reporting and routing
Look elsewhere if: Startups and small teams; Help Scout, Freshdesk, Crisp or Plain are leaner.
Freshdesk vs Zendesk pricing
Freshdesk
- Growth$23/agent/mo$19 billed annually; 500 AI Agent sessions
- Pro$66/agent/mo$55 billed annually; 6,000 MCP actions/yr
- Enterprise$107/agent/mo$89 billed annually; 12,000 MCP actions/yr
Zendesk
- Support Team$25/agent/mo$19 billed annually; core ticketing
- Suite Team$69/agent/mo$55 billed annually; AI agents, messaging, voice
- Suite Professional$149/agent/mo$115 billed annually; skills routing, IVR
- Suite EnterpriseCustomSandbox, custom roles, approval workflows
Freshdesk · Key features
- Email, web form and portal ticketing
- Knowledge base and community forums
- Automations, SLAs, canned responses and collision detection
- Freddy AI agent, copilot and insights
- Omnichannel add-on: chat, WhatsApp, voice
- Reporting, CSAT and marketplace apps
Cons
- Omnichannel costs extra
- AI features gated to higher tiers
- Marketplace apps vary in quality
Zendesk · Key features
- Omnichannel ticketing: email, chat, voice, social, WhatsApp
- Help center and community with multiple brands
- AI agents, agent copilot and intelligent triage
- Skills-based routing, SLAs, macros and triggers
- Explore analytics and dashboards
- Workforce management, QA and marketplace apps
Cons
- Expensive per agent plus AI add-ons
- Complex packaging and frequent changes
- Overkill for small teams
Freshdesk vs Zendesk: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Zendesk?
Freshdesk starts at $23/mo and Zendesk at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Freshdesk and Zendesk have a free plan?
Freshdesk has no free plan, a 14-day free trial. Zendesk has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.