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Customer Support · head to head

8x8 Contact Center vs Freshchat

8x8 Contact Center logo

8x8 Contact Center

Customer Support

Integrated cloud communications and contact center

From
$85/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Live Chat

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshchat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 8x8 Contact Center listed on G-Cloud 14 directly by 8x8 UK Limited (not a reseller) at £0.68 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Contact Centre; Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting
  • They diverge on capability: 8x8 Contact Center covers Voice, Freshchat covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 8x8 Contact Center and Freshchat actually diverge.

Attributes where 8x8 Contact Center and Freshchat differ
Attribute8x8 Contact CenterFreshchat
Starting price$85/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded19872010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 8x8 Contact Center

  • Voice
  • Digital channels
  • IVR
  • ACD
  • WFM
  • Quality management
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce

Only in Freshchat

  • Live chat
  • Chatbots
  • Campaigns
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • Apple Business Chat
  • Freshdesk
  • Freshsales

Both cover

  • Zendesk
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

8x8 Contact Center

  • Unified communicationsnot Freshchat
  • Contact centernot Freshchat
  • Remote worknot Freshchat
  • Customer supportnot Freshchat

Freshchat

  • Live chat on a website or in an appnot 8x8 Contact Center
  • Shared inbox across chat, email and social messengersnot 8x8 Contact Center
  • Chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agentnot 8x8 Contact Center
  • Routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiersnot 8x8 Contact Center

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

8x8 Contact Center

  • Listed on G-Cloud 14 directly by 8x8 UK Limited (not a reseller) at £0.68 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Contact Centre

Freshchat

  • The free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting
  • Reporting and social channels need Growth at $19 per agent per month billed annually
  • Intelligent routing, multilingual support and custom dashboards require Pro at $49 per agent per month
  • Skill-based routing, audit logs and IP whitelisting are Enterprise only at $79 per agent per month
  • Freddy AI is charged on top of the seat price, at $49 per 100 agent sessions and $29 per agent per month for Copilot

Pricing, plan by plan

8x8 Contact Center

$85/month
  • X6$85/month
    • Voice contact center
    • ACD
    • IVR
  • X7$110/month
    • X6 + Digital channels
    • Quality management
  • X8$140/month
    • X7 + WFM
    • Speech analytics
    • Advanced AI

Freshchat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 10 agents
    • Chat widget for web and mobile
    • Shared inbox
  • Growth$19/month
    • Per agent, billed annually
    • Social media messengers, SMS/text messaging
    • Reporting and analytics
  • Pro$49/month
    • Per agent, billed annually (marked Most Popular)
    • Multilingual conversations
    • Custom dashboards, intelligent routing
  • Enterprise$79/month
    • Per agent, billed annually
    • Skill-based routing, audit logs
    • JWT authentication, IP whitelisting

Which should you pick?

Choose 8x8 Contact Center if

  • You need voice.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital channels.
8x8 Contact Center review

Choose Freshchat if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want chatbots.
Freshchat review

Questions people ask

Is 8x8 Contact Center or Freshchat better?
Neither clearly leads. 8x8 Contact Center starts at $85/month and Freshchat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 8x8 Contact Center or Freshchat?
Freshchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $85/month for 8x8 Contact Center and Free for Freshchat.
Does 8x8 Contact Center or Freshchat run on more platforms?
8x8 Contact Center runs on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android. Freshchat runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Freshchat for free?
Yes. Freshchat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 8x8 Contact Center starts at $85/month.
What is 8x8 Contact Center best used for?
8x8 Contact Center is most often used for unified communications, contact center, remote work, customer support. Of those, unified communications and contact center are not what Freshchat is typically brought in for.
What can 8x8 Contact Center do that Freshchat cannot?
8x8 Contact Center covers Voice, Digital channels, IVR, ACD. Freshchat covers Live chat, Chatbots, Campaigns, WhatsApp. Both handle Zendesk, SOC2, GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshchat: What is the cost of Freshchat's Growth plan?

Growth plan costs $19 per agent per month when billed annually. It includes social media messengers, SMS/text messaging, and reporting. AI agent features are available as an add-on at $49 per 100 sessions.

Source
Freshchat: Does Freshchat offer a free trial?

Yes. Freshchat provides a 14-day free trial with full Enterprise plan access. After trial expiration, the Free plan supports up to 10 agents at $0/month, with no cancellation fees.

Source
Freshchat: How much does Freshchat's Pro plan cost?

The Pro plan (marked Most Popular) costs $49 per agent per month when billed annually. It includes multilingual conversations, custom dashboards, intelligent routing, and multiple SLA policies. AI Copilot is available as an add-on at $29/agent/month.

Source
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