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Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head

Crisp vs Freshservice

Crisp logo

Crisp

Live Chat & Chatbots

Customer messaging platform for startups and SMBs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshservice logo

Freshservice

Customer Support

Modern IT service management

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Crisp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crisp free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier; Freshservice change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
  • They diverge on capability: Crisp covers Live chat, Freshservice covers Incident management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crisp and Freshservice actually diverge.

Attributes where Crisp and Freshservice differ
AttributeCrispFreshservice
Starting priceFree$19/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryLive Chat & ChatbotsCustomer Support
Founded20152010

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 Crisp

  • Live chat
  • Shared inbox
  • Chatbots
  • Video calls
  • CRM
  • WordPress
  • Shopify
  • Zapier

Only in Freshservice

  • Incident management
  • Asset management
  • Change management
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Microsoft Teams
  • AWS
  • Azure

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Crisp

  • Growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with AI automationnot Freshservice
  • Teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagramnot Freshservice

Freshservice

  • IT service management and internal help desk ticketingnot Crisp
  • Asset management and change control for IT teamsnot Crisp

Where each one falls short

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

Crisp

  • Free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
  • Free tier customer profile limit of 100; higher limits require upgrade
  • Omnichannel support and workflow automation excluded from Free and Mini tiers
  • White labelling only available in Plus tier ($295+/month)

Freshservice

  • Change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
  • Every plan includes only 100 ITAM asset units, with more sold separately regardless of tier
  • Orchestration transactions are metered monthly, from 1,000 on Starter to 20,000 on Enterprise, with extra packs at $250 per 1,000
  • The Freddy AI copilot is a $29 per agent per month add on on top of Pro or Enterprise
  • Sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only, which carries no published price

Pricing, plan by plan

Crisp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Crisp review.

Freshservice

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Incident management
    • Knowledge base
    • Self-service portal
  • Growth$49/month
    • Asset management
    • Approval workflows
    • SLA management
  • Pro$95/month
    • Problem management
    • Change management
    • Release management
  • Enterprise$119/month
    • Freddy AI
    • Audit logs
    • Custom SSL

Which should you pick?

Choose Crisp if

  • You need live chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want shared inbox.
Crisp review

Choose Freshservice if

  • You need incident management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want asset management.
Freshservice review

Questions people ask

Is Crisp or Freshservice better?
Neither clearly leads. Crisp starts at Free and Freshservice at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crisp or Freshservice?
Crisp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Crisp and $19/month for Freshservice.
Does Crisp or Freshservice run on more platforms?
Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Freshservice runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Crisp for free?
Yes. Crisp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshservice starts at $19/month.
What is Crisp best used for?
Crisp is most often used for growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with ai automation, teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, whatsapp, messenger, instagram. Of those, growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with ai automation and teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, whatsapp, messenger, instagram are not what Freshservice is typically brought in for.
What can Crisp do that Freshservice cannot?
Crisp covers Live chat, Shared inbox, Chatbots, Video calls. Freshservice covers Incident management, Asset management, Change management, Automation. Both handle Knowledge base, Slack, GDPR, Web support.
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