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Freshchat vs Groove

Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Live Chat

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Groove logo

Groove

Customer Support

Simple, powerful support for growing businesses

From
$12/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshchat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting; Groove billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • They diverge on capability: Freshchat covers Chatbots, Groove covers Shared inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshchat and Groove actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshchat and Groove differ
AttributeFreshchatGroove
Starting priceFree$12/month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded20102011

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Freshchat

  • Chatbots
  • Campaigns
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • Apple Business Chat
  • Freshdesk
  • Freshsales
  • Shopify

Only in Groove

  • Shared inbox
  • Knowledge base
  • Automation rules
  • Reporting
  • Collision detection
  • Salesforce
  • Zapier
  • Trello

Both cover

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

What people use each for

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

Freshchat

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

Groove

  • Shared inbox and help desk ticketing for small support teamsnot Freshchat
  • Handling email, chat and messaging support in one queuenot Freshchat

Where each one falls short

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

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

Groove

  • Billed per ticket at $1 rather than per agent, so support cost scales with how many customers get in touch
  • A minimum of 250 tickets a month applies, which is a $3,000 annual commitment before any usage
  • A quiet month still pays the 250 ticket floor
  • No mailbox limit is published

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Groove

$12/month
  • Standard$12/month
    • 1 mailbox
    • Knowledge base
    • Live chat
  • Plus$20/month
    • 5 mailboxes
    • Full reporting
    • Rules
  • Pro$35/month
    • 25 mailboxes
    • Salesforce
    • Enterprise SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshchat if

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

Choose Groove if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.
Groove review

Questions people ask

Is Freshchat or Groove better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshchat starts at Free and Groove at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshchat or Groove?
Freshchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshchat and $12/month for Groove.
Does Freshchat or Groove run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Freshchat for free?
Yes. Freshchat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Groove starts at $12/month.
What is Freshchat best used for?
Freshchat is most often used for live chat on a website or in an app, shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers, chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agent, routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiers. Of those, live chat on a website or in an app and shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers are not what Groove is typically brought in for.
What can Freshchat do that Groove cannot?
Freshchat covers Chatbots, Campaigns, WhatsApp, Instagram. Groove covers Shared inbox, Knowledge base, Automation rules, Reporting. Both handle Live chat, Slack, GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Groove: How is Helply priced?

Helply uses per-ticket pricing at 1 dollar per ticket. This single price covers all features including resolutions, drafts, churn alerts, upsell flags, feature requests, and documentation.

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
Groove: Do I need to pay per team member for Helply?

No, Helply charges per ticket, not per seat. You can bring your entire team, AEs, PMs, and integrations without additional per-person charges.

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
Groove: What's included in Helply's per-ticket price?

The per-ticket price of 1 dollar includes resolutions, drafts, churn alerts, upsell flags, feature requests, documentation, and all AI capabilities with no separate add-on charges.

Source
Groove: Is there a free trial for Helply?

Helply offers a free 12-minute demo walkthrough. Enterprise plans are also available for larger organizations.

Source
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