Softwr

Live Chat · head to head

Freshchat vs HubSpot Service Hub

Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Live Chat

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
HubSpot Service Hub logo

HubSpot Service Hub

Customer Support

Customer service software for scaling companies

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting; HubSpot Service Hub the free tier is capped at 2 users
  • They diverge on capability: Freshchat covers Chatbots, HubSpot Service Hub covers Ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshchat and HubSpot Service Hub actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshchat and HubSpot Service Hub differ
AttributeFreshchatHubSpot Service Hub
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded20102006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), 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 HubSpot Service Hub

  • Ticketing
  • Knowledge base
  • Customer feedback
  • Conversational bots
  • Reporting
  • HubSpot CRM
  • Zoom
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • 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 HubSpot Service Hub
  • Shared inbox across chat, email and social messengersnot HubSpot Service Hub
  • Chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agentnot HubSpot Service Hub
  • Routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiersnot HubSpot Service Hub

HubSpot Service Hub

  • Shared inbox and ticketing for a support teamnot Freshchat
  • Knowledge base and customer self-servicenot Freshchat
  • Live chat and chatbots on a websitenot Freshchat
  • Customer feedback surveys and CSATnot Freshchat
  • Support reporting tied into the HubSpot CRMnot 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

HubSpot Service Hub

  • The free tier is capped at 2 users
  • Professional carries a one-off onboarding fee of $1,500, and Enterprise $3,500, on top of the seat price
  • Seats are $90 a month billed monthly against $100 billed annually on Professional, so the annual commitment is not the cheaper option per month
  • AI features run on monthly credits, 500 on Starter and 3,000 on Professional, which do not roll over
  • Extra credits cost $0.010 each once the monthly allocation is spent

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

HubSpot Service Hub

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Contact management
    • Ticketing
    • Team email
  • Starter$10/month
    • Simple ticket automation
    • Multiple ticket pipelines
    • Live chat
  • Professional$100/month
    • Help desk workspace
    • Customer success workspace
    • Customer agent
  • Enterprise$150/month
    • Skill-based routing
    • Conditional SLAs
    • Customer journey analytics

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.

Choose HubSpot Service Hub if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want knowledge base.

Questions people ask

Is Freshchat or HubSpot Service Hub better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshchat starts at Free and HubSpot Service Hub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshchat or HubSpot Service Hub?
Freshchat starts at Free and HubSpot Service Hub at Free.
Does Freshchat or HubSpot Service Hub 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?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 HubSpot Service Hub is typically brought in for.
What can Freshchat do that HubSpot Service Hub cannot?
Freshchat covers Chatbots, Campaigns, WhatsApp, Instagram. HubSpot Service Hub covers Ticketing, Knowledge base, Customer feedback, Conversational bots. Both handle Live chat, Slack, SOC2, GDPR.

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
HubSpot Service Hub: How much does HubSpot Service Hub cost per user?

Free plan at $0/month. Starter at $10/month per seat (new customers; regular $20/month), Professional at $100/month per seat, Enterprise at $150/month per seat.

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
HubSpot Service Hub: What is the free trial length for HubSpot Service Hub?

A 14-day free trial is available for evaluating Service Hub functionality before commitment to a paid plan.

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
HubSpot Service Hub: Does HubSpot Service Hub have a free permanent plan?

Yes, the free plan includes contact management, ticketing, and team email features at $0/month with no credit card required.

Source
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads