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Customer Support · head to head

Freshdesk vs Ontraport

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Customer Support

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Ontraport logo

Ontraport

CRM

All-in-one CRM and marketing automation

From
$24/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; Ontraport no plan name, monthly price, contact band, user count or email send limit is published on the pricing page
  • They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Ontraport covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and Ontraport actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and Ontraport differ
AttributeFreshdeskOntraport
Starting priceFree$24/month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20102009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
  • Self-service
  • Team collaboration
  • Multi-channel support
  • SLA management
  • Mobile apps
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Salesforce

Only in Ontraport

  • Contact management
  • Sales pipeline
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Landing pages
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • Cloud deployment

Both cover

  • Automation
  • 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 Ontraport
  • Customer support portal and knowledge basenot Ontraport
  • Multi-channel support coordinationnot Ontraport
  • AI-assisted support agent interactionnot Ontraport

Ontraport

  • CRM with marketing automation and campaign buildingnot Freshdesk
  • Managing contacts, pages and email sequences in one platformnot 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)

Ontraport

  • No plan name, monthly price, contact band, user count or email send limit is published on the pricing page
  • Reaching a figure requires a trial signup or a sales conversation
  • The two months free saving requires annual billing

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

Ontraport

$24/month
  • Plus$24/month
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
  • Pro$79/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Automation
    • CRM
  • Pro+$149/month
    • Everything in Pro
    • Advanced features
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want self-service.
Freshdesk review

Choose Ontraport if

  • You need contact management.
  • You also want sales pipeline.
Ontraport review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or Ontraport better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at Free and Ontraport at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Ontraport?
Freshdesk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshdesk and $24/month for Ontraport.
Does Freshdesk or Ontraport run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Freshdesk for free?
Yes. Freshdesk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ontraport starts at $24/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 Ontraport is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that Ontraport cannot?
Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Self-service, Team collaboration, Multi-channel support. Ontraport covers Contact management, Sales pipeline, Email marketing, Marketing automation. Both handle Automation, 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
Ontraport: How much does Ontraport cost?

Ontraport does not publish specific pricing online. The company offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, and users must contact sales or start a trial to learn pricing details.

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
Ontraport: What payment options does Ontraport offer?

Ontraport offers flexible subscription options with monthly or annual billing available. Annual subscriptions include two months free compared to monthly rates.

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
Ontraport: Are there long-term contracts required?

Ontraport emphasizes month-to-month commitment availability with no long-term contracts required. Users can upgrade or downgrade plans as needed.

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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