Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Freshdesk vs OneSignal

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Customer Support

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
OneSignal logo

OneSignal

Telecommunications

Customer engagement and messaging, without the complexity

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Freshdesk growth tier lacks multilingual helpdesk and custom reporting dashboards; OneSignal free plan email sends cap at 10,000 per month and web push is capped at 10,000 subscribers per send, per onesignal.com/pricing (Aug 2026)
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and OneSignal actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and OneSignal differ
AttributeFreshdeskOneSignal
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
CategoryCustomer SupportTelecommunications
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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
  • Reporting
  • Mobile apps

Only in OneSignal

Nothing recorded that Freshdesk does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Freshdesk

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

OneSignal

  • Sending push notifications to mobile app users when orders shipnot Freshdesk
  • Triggering email confirmations based on form submission eventsnot Freshdesk
  • Creating multi-step SMS and email journeys for onboarding usersnot Freshdesk
  • Sending in-app messages to users abandoning checkout flowsnot 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)

OneSignal

  • Free plan email sends cap at 10,000 per month and web push is capped at 10,000 subscribers per send, per onesignal.com/pricing (Aug 2026)
  • Professional and Enterprise plans require custom annual contracts with no published rate, per onesignal.com; SMS/RCS messaging and dedicated IPs are gated behind the Professional tier

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

OneSignal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 free email sends/month
    • Unlimited mobile push
    • Basic analytics and automation
  • Growth$19/month
    • Base platform fee plus usage costs
    • Mobile push: $0.012 per monthly active user
    • Web push: $0.004 per subscriber
  • Professional$undefined/mo
    • Custom annual pricing
    • All Growth features plus SMS/RCS messaging
    • 24/7 prioritized support
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom annual pricing
    • Unlimited personalization
    • Dedicated success manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

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

Choose OneSignal if

  • You want to start without paying.
OneSignal review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or OneSignal better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at Free and OneSignal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or OneSignal?
Freshdesk starts at Free and OneSignal at Free.
Does Freshdesk or OneSignal run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Freshdesk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 OneSignal is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that OneSignal cannot?
Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration.

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
OneSignal: How much does OneSignal cost?

OneSignal offers a free tier with 10,000 free email sends/month and unlimited mobile push. Growth plan starts at $19/month plus usage-based charges for mobile push ($0.012 per monthly active user) and web push ($0.004 per subscriber).

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
OneSignal: Does OneSignal offer a free version?

Yes, OneSignal's free plan includes 10,000 free email sends per month, unlimited mobile push, basic analytics and automation, with up to 1 active journey and 2 message steps.

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
OneSignal: What are OneSignal's email costs beyond the free tier?

After the 20,000 free email sends/month included in the Growth plan, OneSignal charges $1.50 per 1,000 additional emails.

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
OneSignal: What is included in the Professional plan?

OneSignal's Professional plan includes custom annual pricing, all Growth features plus SMS/RCS messaging, 24/7 prioritized support, and optional dedicated IP for email.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Freshdesk

More on OneSignal

Keep looking

Other head to heads