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Software · head to head

Freshdesk vs LiveChat

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Software

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Software

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards; LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Automation, LiveChat covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and LiveChat actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and LiveChat differ
AttributeFreshdeskLiveChat
Starting price$19/month$20/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded20102002

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

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

  • Automation
  • Self-service
  • Team collaboration
  • Multi-channel support
  • SLA management
  • Reporting
  • Mobile apps
  • Slack

Only in LiveChat

  • Live chat
  • Chat routing
  • Analytics
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • HubSpot
  • Zapier
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Ticketing
  • Salesforce
  • Shopify
  • WordPress
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Freshdesk

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

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Freshdesk
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot 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)

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshdesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshdesk review.

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

  • You need automation.
  • You also want self-service.
Freshdesk review

Choose LiveChat if

  • You need live chat.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want chat routing.
LiveChat review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or LiveChat better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at $19/month and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or LiveChat?
Freshdesk starts at $19/month and LiveChat at $20/month.
Does Freshdesk or LiveChat run on more platforms?
Freshdesk runs on Web. LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
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 LiveChat is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that LiveChat cannot?
Freshdesk covers Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration, Multi-channel support. LiveChat covers Live chat, Chat routing, Analytics, Canned responses. Both handle Ticketing, Salesforce, Shopify, WordPress.
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