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Crisp vs Freshchat

Crisp logo

Crisp

Live Chat

Customer messaging platform for startups and SMBs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Live Chat

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Crisp free tier limited to 2 seats and 100 customer profiles; Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting
  • They diverge on capability: Crisp covers Shared inbox, Freshchat covers Campaigns.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crisp and Freshchat actually diverge.

Attributes where Crisp and Freshchat differ
AttributeCrispFreshchat
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20152010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).

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

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Video calls
  • CRM
  • WordPress
  • Zapier
  • Segment
  • SSL

Only in Freshchat

  • Campaigns
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • Apple Business Chat
  • Freshdesk
  • Freshsales
  • Zendesk
  • SOC2

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Chatbots
  • Slack
  • Shopify
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Crisp

  • Customer service and support automationnot Freshchat
  • Chat and omnichannel messagingnot Freshchat
  • Chatbot and AI conversation managementnot Freshchat
  • Customer profile and ticket managementnot Freshchat
  • Team collaboration on customer communicationnot Freshchat

Freshchat

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

Where each one falls short

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

Crisp

  • Free tier limited to 2 seats and 100 customer profiles
  • Additional agents cost $10/month per seat beyond included seats
  • Customer profile limits increase with each tier; 5,000 (Mini) to 200,000 (Plus)
  • Enterprise pricing requires contacting sales

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

Crisp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 seats
    • Website chat widget
    • Shared inbox
  • Mini$45/month
    • 4 seats
    • ~$5 AI credits (around 90 automated conversations)
    • Shared email inbox
  • Essentials$95/month
    • 10 seats
    • ~$25 AI credits (around 450 automated conversations)
    • Omnichannel inbox
  • Plus$295/month
    • 20+ seats
    • ~$75 AI credits (around 1,350 automated conversations)
    • Unlimited task automations

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 Crisp if

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

Choose Freshchat if

  • You need campaigns.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want whatsapp.
Freshchat review

Questions people ask

Is Crisp or Freshchat better?
Neither clearly leads. Crisp starts at Free and Freshchat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crisp or Freshchat?
Crisp starts at Free and Freshchat at Free.
Does Crisp or Freshchat run on more platforms?
Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS. Freshchat runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Crisp for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Crisp best used for?
Crisp is most often used for customer service and support automation, chat and omnichannel messaging, chatbot and ai conversation management, customer profile and ticket management. Of those, customer service and support automation and chat and omnichannel messaging are not what Freshchat is typically brought in for.
What can Crisp do that Freshchat cannot?
Crisp covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Video calls, CRM. Freshchat covers Campaigns, WhatsApp, Instagram, Apple Business Chat. Both handle Live chat, Chatbots, Slack, Shopify.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Crisp: How much does Crisp cost?

Crisp offers a free plan ($0/month for 2 seats), Mini ($45/month for 4 seats), Essentials ($95/month for 10 seats), Plus ($295/month for 20+ seats), and Enterprise (custom pricing).

Source
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
Crisp: Is there a free version of Crisp?

Yes, Crisp Free includes 2 seats, website chat widget, shared inbox, and mobile/desktop apps with a 100 customer profile limit and no AI credits.

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
Crisp: What are AI credits in Crisp?

AI credits power automated conversations. Mini plan includes ~$5 credits (90 conversations), Essentials includes ~$25 credits (450 conversations), Plus includes ~$75 credits (1,350 conversations).

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
Crisp: Does Crisp charge per additional agent?

Yes, additional agents beyond included seats cost $10/month per person. Free plan includes 2 seats; additional seats available on paid plans.

Source
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