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Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head

Botpress vs Freshdesk

Botpress logo

Botpress

Live Chat & Chatbots

Open-source chatbot platform and framework

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

All industries

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Botpress has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Botpress managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure; Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards
  • They diverge on capability: Botpress covers Visual bot builder, Freshdesk covers Ticketing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Botpress and Freshdesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Botpress and Freshdesk differ
AttributeBotpressFreshdesk
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsOpen-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud)Web
CategoryLive Chat & ChatbotsAll industries
Founded20162010

Identical on both: 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 Botpress

  • Visual bot builder
  • NLU integration
  • Analytics
  • Teams
  • Messenger
  • WhatsApp
  • On-premise support
  • Cloud support

Only in Freshdesk

  • Ticketing
  • Automation
  • Self-service
  • Team collaboration
  • SLA management
  • Reporting
  • Mobile apps
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Multi-channel support
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Botpress

  • Development teams building chatbots and conversational AI using MIT-licensed open-source frameworknot Freshdesk
  • Organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via SDK/CLInot Freshdesk

Freshdesk

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

Where each one falls short

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

Botpress

  • Managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure
  • Dependent on OpenAI integration; users must provide and manage OpenAI API keys and costs

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

Botpress

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Botpress review.

Freshdesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshdesk review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Botpress if

  • You need visual bot builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud).
  • You also want nlu integration.
Botpress review

Choose Freshdesk if

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

Questions people ask

Is Botpress or Freshdesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Botpress starts at Free and Freshdesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Botpress or Freshdesk?
Botpress has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Botpress and $19/month for Freshdesk.
Does Botpress or Freshdesk run on more platforms?
Botpress runs on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud). Freshdesk runs on Web.
Can I use Botpress for free?
Yes. Botpress has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshdesk starts at $19/month.
What is Botpress best used for?
Botpress is most often used for development teams building chatbots and conversational ai using mit-licensed open-source framework, organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via sdk/cli. Of those, development teams building chatbots and conversational ai using mit-licensed open-source framework and organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via sdk/cli are not what Freshdesk is typically brought in for.
What can Botpress do that Freshdesk cannot?
Botpress covers Visual bot builder, NLU integration, Analytics, Teams. Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Both handle Multi-channel support, Slack.
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