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Software · head to head

Airbase vs Freshdesk

Airbase logo

Airbase

Software

The first all-in-one spend management platform

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Software

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Airbase airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.; Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards
  • They diverge on capability: Airbase covers Corporate cards, Freshdesk covers Ticketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbase and Freshdesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbase and Freshdesk differ
AttributeAirbaseFreshdesk
Starting price$29/month$19/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20172010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Airbase

  • Corporate cards
  • Bill payments
  • Expense management
  • Procurement
  • Approvals
  • NetSuite
  • Sage Intacct
  • QuickBooks

Only in Freshdesk

  • Ticketing
  • Automation
  • Self-service
  • Team collaboration
  • Multi-channel support
  • SLA management
  • Reporting
  • Mobile apps

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Airbase

  • Spend managementnot Freshdesk
  • Expense reportingnot Freshdesk
  • Vendor paymentsnot Freshdesk

Freshdesk

  • Help desk and ticketing systemnot Airbase
  • Customer support portal and knowledge basenot Airbase
  • Multi-channel support coordinationnot Airbase
  • AI-assisted support agent interactionnot Airbase

Where each one falls short

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

Airbase

  • Airbase was acquired by Paylocity; its pricing page now redirects to paylocity.com/pricing and the product is marketed as 'Airbase, a Paylocity Company' within Paylocity's HCM platform rather than as a standalone product.

Freshdesk

  • Growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards
  • Skill-based routing available only on Enterprise tier
  • Freddy AI Copilot requires separate £29/agent/month add-on on Pro and Enterprise plans
  • AI agent sessions charged beyond initial 500 sessions: £49 per additional 100 sessions
  • Day passes for non-agents vary by tier: £2 (Growth), £7 (Pro), £12 (Enterprise)

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbase

$29/month
  • StandardFree
    • Corporate cards
    • Expense reports
    • Bill pay
  • Premium$10/month
    • Advanced approvals
    • NetSuite sync
    • Procurement
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom workflows
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

Freshdesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshdesk review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbase if

  • You need corporate cards.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want bill payments.
Airbase review

Choose Freshdesk if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You also want automation.
Freshdesk review

Questions people ask

Is Airbase or Freshdesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbase starts at $29/month and Freshdesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbase or Freshdesk?
Airbase starts at $29/month and Freshdesk at $19/month.
Does Airbase or Freshdesk run on more platforms?
Airbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. Freshdesk runs on Web.
What is Airbase best used for?
Airbase is most often used for spend management, expense reporting, vendor payments. Of those, spend management and expense reporting are not what Freshdesk is typically brought in for.
What can Airbase do that Freshdesk cannot?
Airbase covers Corporate cards, Bill payments, Expense management, Procurement. Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Both handle Slack.
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Related pages

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