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CRM · head to head

Daylite vs Freshdesk

Daylite logo

Daylite

CRM

CRM and project management built exclusively for Mac, iPhone and iPad

From
$15/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Customer Support

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshdesk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Daylite it is Apple-only. There is no Windows client, so a single team member on a Windows machine, or a client-facing contractor who is not on a Mac, makes the product unworkable for the whole organisation.; Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards
  • They diverge on capability: Daylite covers Native Apple apps, Freshdesk covers Ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Daylite and Freshdesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Daylite and Freshdesk differ
AttributeDayliteFreshdesk
Starting price$15/monthFree
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOS, iOS, iPadOSWeb
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
FoundedUnknown2010

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 Daylite

  • Native Apple apps
  • Apple Mail Assistant
  • Projects as first-class objects
  • Pipelines
  • Linked records
  • Smart lists
  • Offline working
  • Delegation

Only in Freshdesk

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

What people use each for

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

Daylite

  • An all-Mac law firm or architecture practice wants a CRM that behaves like Mac software and files emails from Apple Mail rather than forcing everyone into a browser tab.not Freshdesk
  • A consultancy needs client relationships and delivery projects in one system, where the project is a real record with its own tasks and meetings rather than a custom object bolted onto a deal.not Freshdesk
  • A team works frequently without connectivity, on site or in transit, and needs a CRM with a genuine local data store rather than a web app that degrades to nothing offline.not Freshdesk
  • A small business already standardised on Apple hardware wants to avoid paying for a CRM whose Mac experience is an afterthought.not Freshdesk

Freshdesk

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

Where each one falls short

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

Daylite

  • It is Apple-only. There is no Windows client, so a single team member on a Windows machine, or a client-facing contractor who is not on a Mac, makes the product unworkable for the whole organisation.
  • The web experience is secondary to the native apps, so remote access from a borrowed or non-Apple computer is limited in a way buyers used to browser CRMs do not anticipate.
  • It has no built-in marketing automation, email campaigns or lead scoring, so anything beyond one-to-one email means a separate tool and a Zapier connection.
  • Plan caps are hard rather than advisory: Leap is a single user with 500 contacts, and crossing twenty users forces you from Growth to Scale, which is a 50 per cent increase in the per-user rate for capacity you may not need.
  • Third-party integrations are thin compared with HubSpot or Pipedrive, and much of what does exist runs through Zapier, so accounting, telephony and support connections are indirect and add their own subscription cost.

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

Daylite

$15/month
  • Leap$15/month
    • One user only
    • 500 contacts
    • One email integration
  • Growth$30/month
    • Up to 20 users
    • 25,000 contacts
    • Three email integrations per user
  • Scale$45/month
    • Up to 100 users
    • 250,000 contacts
    • Ten email integrations per user
  • Custom$undefined/month
    • For teams of ten or more with specific requirements
    • Quoted on application

Freshdesk

Free
  • Growth$19/month per agent
    • Basic ticketing, shared inbox, customer portal
    • Freddy AI Agent (500 sessions included)
    • Billed annually, 20% discount vs. monthly
  • Pro$55/month per agent
    • Multilingual support, custom dashboards
    • Intelligent routing, multiple SLA policies
    • Billed annually, 20% discount vs. monthly
  • Enterprise$89/month per agent
    • Skill-based routing, audit logs, IP whitelisting
    • Freddy AI Insights
    • Billed annually, 20% discount vs. monthly

Which should you pick?

Choose Daylite if

  • You need native apple apps.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS.
  • You also want apple mail assistant.
Daylite review

Choose Freshdesk if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want automation.
Freshdesk review

Questions people ask

Is Daylite or Freshdesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Daylite starts at $15/month and Freshdesk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Daylite or Freshdesk?
Freshdesk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/month for Daylite and Free for Freshdesk.
Does Daylite or Freshdesk run on more platforms?
Daylite runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS. Freshdesk runs on Web.
Can I use Freshdesk for free?
Yes. Freshdesk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Daylite starts at $15/month.
What is Daylite best used for?
Daylite is most often used for an all-mac law firm or architecture practice wants a crm that behaves like mac software and files emails from apple mail rather than forcing everyone into a browser tab., a consultancy needs client relationships and delivery projects in one system, where the project is a real record with its own tasks and meetings rather than a custom object bolted onto a deal., a team works frequently without connectivity, on site or in transit, and needs a crm with a genuine local data store rather than a web app that degrades to nothing offline., a small business already standardised on apple hardware wants to avoid paying for a crm whose mac experience is an afterthought.. Of those, an all-mac law firm or architecture practice wants a crm that behaves like mac software and files emails from apple mail rather than forcing everyone into a browser tab. and a consultancy needs client relationships and delivery projects in one system, where the project is a real record with its own tasks and meetings rather than a custom object bolted onto a deal. are not what Freshdesk is typically brought in for.
What can Daylite do that Freshdesk cannot?
Daylite covers Native Apple apps, Apple Mail Assistant, Projects as first-class objects, Pipelines. Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Daylite: Does Daylite run on Windows?

No. It is macOS, iPadOS and iOS only. This is the single most common reason buyers rule it out.

Freshdesk: What is Freshdesk's Growth plan pricing?

The Growth plan costs $19 per agent per month when billed annually and includes basic ticketing, shared inbox, customer portal, and 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions.

Source
Daylite: Is there a web version?

There is browser access, but the product is designed around the native Mac app and the web view is not a full replacement.

Freshdesk: Does Freshdesk offer a free trial?

Freshdesk offers a 14-day free trial with full Enterprise plan access, allowing customers to test all features before committing.

Source
Daylite: What does it cost?

Leap is 15 US dollars a month for one user billed annually, Growth 30 per user and Scale 45 per user, rising to 20, 40 and 60 on monthly billing.

Freshdesk: What is the difference between Freshdesk plans?

Growth ($19/agent) provides basics; Pro ($55/agent) adds multilingual support and advanced routing; Enterprise ($89/agent) includes skill-based routing and audit logs. All prices are annual billing rates.

Source
Daylite: Does it work offline?

Yes. The Mac app keeps a local store and syncs through Marketcircle Cloud when a connection returns.

Freshdesk: What are Freshdesk's add-on costs?

Optional add-ons include Freddy AI Copilot at $29/agent/month, additional AI Agent sessions at $49 per 100 sessions, and day passes at $2-$12 per pass.

Source
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