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Freshchat vs Klaus

Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Live Chat

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Klaus logo

Klaus

Customer Support

AI-powered quality management for support teams

From
$50/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; Klaus no longer available as standalone product after Zendesk acquisition
  • They diverge on capability: Freshchat covers Live chat, Klaus covers AI-powered QA.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshchat and Klaus actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshchat and Klaus differ
AttributeFreshchatKlaus
Starting priceFree$50/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryLive ChatCustomer Support
Founded20102017

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 Freshchat

  • Live chat
  • Chatbots
  • Campaigns
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • Apple Business Chat
  • Freshsales
  • Shopify

Only in Klaus

  • AI-powered QA
  • Conversation reviews
  • Scorecards
  • Coaching
  • Performance analytics
  • Calibration
  • Intercom
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Freshdesk
  • Zendesk
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • ISO27001
  • Web 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 Klaus
  • Shared inbox across chat, email and social messengersnot Klaus
  • Chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agentnot Klaus
  • Routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiersnot Klaus

Klaus

  • Quality assurancenot Freshchat
  • Agent coachingnot Freshchat
  • Performance trackingnot 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

Klaus

  • No longer available as standalone product after Zendesk acquisition
  • Requires separate Zendesk subscription (not included in base plan)
  • Cannot be used with non-Zendesk help desk systems

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

Klaus

$50/month
  • Workforce Engagement Bundle$50/month
    • Includes Zendesk QA (formerly Klaus)
    • Requires base Zendesk Support or Suite plan
    • 100% conversation review with AI

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshchat if

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

Choose Klaus if

  • You need ai-powered qa.
  • You also want conversation reviews.
Klaus review

Questions people ask

Is Freshchat or Klaus better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshchat starts at Free and Klaus at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshchat or Klaus?
Freshchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshchat and $50/month for Klaus.
Does Freshchat or Klaus run on more platforms?
Freshchat runs on Web, Ios, Android. Klaus runs on Web.
Can I use Freshchat for free?
Yes. Freshchat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Klaus starts at $50/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 Klaus is typically brought in for.
What can Freshchat do that Klaus cannot?
Freshchat covers Live chat, Chatbots, Campaigns, WhatsApp. Klaus covers AI-powered QA, Conversation reviews, Scorecards, Coaching. Both handle Freshdesk, Zendesk, 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
Klaus: Is Klaus still available as a standalone product?

No. Klaus was acquired by Zendesk in February 2024 and is now integrated into Zendesk as Zendesk QA, requiring a paid Zendesk plan as the base.

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
Klaus: What QA features does Klaus provide?

Klaus automatically reviews 100% of customer interactions using AI, provides immediate performance insights, reduces QA time by 80%, and improves CSAT scores through targeted coaching.

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
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