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Customer Support · head to head

Freshdesk vs Keap

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Customer Support

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Keap logo

Keap

CRM

CRM and marketing automation for small business

From
$29/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshdesk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards; Keap the entry price is $299 a month and includes only 2 user licences, with each additional user at $39 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Keap covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and Keap actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and Keap differ
AttributeFreshdeskKeap
Starting priceFree$29/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20102000

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Freshdesk

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

Only in Keap

  • Contact management
  • Pipeline management
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Sales automation
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • Google Ads

Both cover

  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Freshdesk

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

Keap

  • Contact management and CRMnot Freshdesk
  • Marketing automationnot Freshdesk
  • Sales pipeline managementnot Freshdesk

Where each one falls short

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

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)

Keap

  • The entry price is $299 a month and includes only 2 user licences, with each additional user at $39 a month
  • Price varies with contact count, and the bands are only visible by entering a number into a calculator on the page
  • Implementation services are described as required rather than optional
  • Text marketing beyond the included 500 messages is a separate add on running from $24 to $279 a month

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Keap

$29/month
  • Lite$29/month
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
  • Standard$59/month
    • Everything in Lite
    • Sales automation
    • Pipeline management
  • Professional$149/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Advanced automation
    • AI features

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

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

Choose Keap if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want pipeline management.
Keap review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or Keap better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at Free and Keap at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Keap?
Freshdesk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshdesk and $29/month for Keap.
Does Freshdesk or Keap run on more platforms?
Freshdesk runs on Web. Keap runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Freshdesk for free?
Yes. Freshdesk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Keap starts at $29/month.
What is Freshdesk best used for?
Freshdesk is most often used for help desk and ticketing system, customer support portal and knowledge base, multi-channel support coordination, ai-assisted support agent interaction. Of those, help desk and ticketing system and customer support portal and knowledge base are not what Keap is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that Keap cannot?
Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Keap covers Contact management, Pipeline management, Email marketing, Marketing automation. Both handle Reporting, Slack, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Keap: How much does Keap cost?

Keap costs $299/month billed at $2,988/year for the main plan, which includes 2 user licenses. Additional users cost $39/month each.

Source
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
Keap: What text messaging fees does Keap charge?

Text marketing tiers range from $24 to $279/month with included message allotments. Overages are $0.015 per message and $0.01 per minute for voice.

Source
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
Keap: Is implementation included in Keap pricing?

Implementation services are required at additional cost. Package pricing is available through Keap sales.

Source
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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