Softwr

Software · head to head

Freshdesk vs Kudos

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Software

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kudos logo

Kudos

Software

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards; Kudos kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)
  • They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and Kudos actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and Kudos differ
AttributeFreshdeskKudos
Starting price$19/month$5/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2010).

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
  • Reporting
  • Mobile apps

Only in Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Freshdesk

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

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Freshdesk
  • Culture buildingnot Freshdesk
  • Employee engagementnot Freshdesk
  • Retention improvementnot Freshdesk
  • Values reinforcementnot 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)

Kudos

  • Kudos publishes no price for any of its three tiers (Basic, Plus, Enterprise); the entire plans page gates every tier behind "Request a Demo" or "Request a Trial" with only a discount for not-for-profit organizations over 100 employees mentioned, no figures given (archived plans page, 22 February 2021)

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshdesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshdesk review.

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You also want automation.
Freshdesk review

Choose Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.
Kudos review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or Kudos better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at $19/month and Kudos at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Kudos?
Freshdesk starts at $19/month and Kudos at $5/month.
Does Freshdesk or Kudos run on more platforms?
Freshdesk runs on Web. Kudos runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Kudos is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that Kudos cannot?
Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. Both handle Slack, Microsoft Teams, SOC2, ISO27001.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Freshdesk

More on Kudos

Keep looking

Other head to heads