Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Freshdesk vs Salesforce

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Customer Support

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce logo

Salesforce

CRM

World's #1 CRM

From
$25/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; Salesforce sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually
  • They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Salesforce covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and Salesforce actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and Salesforce differ
AttributeFreshdeskSalesforce
Starting priceFree$25/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20101999

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
  • Reporting
  • Mobile apps

Only in Salesforce

  • Contact management
  • Opportunity management
  • Lead management
  • Reports & dashboards
  • Email integration
  • Workflow automation
  • Mobile access
  • AppExchange

Both cover

  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Freshdesk

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

Salesforce

  • Sales managementnot Freshdesk
  • Customer servicenot Freshdesk
  • Marketing automationnot Freshdesk
  • Lead generationnot Freshdesk
  • Analytics & reportingnot 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)

Salesforce

  • Sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually

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

Salesforce

$25/month
  • Essentials$25/month
    • Account & contact management
    • Opportunity tracking
    • Lead management
  • Professional$80/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Complete CRM
    • Lead scoring
  • Enterprise$165/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Workflow automation
    • Advanced analytics
  • Unlimited$330/month
    • Everything in Enterprise
    • Unlimited customizations
    • 24/7 support

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

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

Choose Salesforce if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want opportunity management.
Salesforce review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or Salesforce better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at Free and Salesforce at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Salesforce?
Freshdesk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshdesk and $25/month for Salesforce.
Does Freshdesk or Salesforce run on more platforms?
Freshdesk runs on Web. Salesforce runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Freshdesk for free?
Yes. Freshdesk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salesforce starts at $25/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 Salesforce is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that Salesforce cannot?
Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Salesforce covers Contact management, Opportunity management, Lead management, Reports & dashboards. Both handle Slack, SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA.

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
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
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
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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