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Customer Support · head to head

Freshdesk vs Scratchpad

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Customer Support

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Scratchpad logo

Scratchpad

CRM

Faster workspace over Salesforce for sales reps to update pipeline, take notes and manage deals

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; Scratchpad scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and Scratchpad actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and Scratchpad differ
AttributeFreshdeskScratchpad
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWebWeb, Chrome extension
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Scratchpad

  • Spreadsheet pipeline views
  • Call recorder and notetaker
  • AI field updates
  • Deal and account agent
  • Hygiene monitor
  • Notes linked to records
  • Custom prompts
  • Kanban and forecast views

What people use each for

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

Freshdesk

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

Scratchpad

  • A 60-rep Salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline callnot Freshdesk
  • A rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty Salesforce recordsnot Freshdesk
  • A sales manager wanting stale and incomplete pipeline records flagged automatically instead of chased by emailnot Freshdesk
  • A revenue operations lead trialling AI notetaking that writes back to CRM fields before committing budget, using the free tiernot 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)

Scratchpad

  • Scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • AI credits are metered per user per month at 400 on Solo and 800 on Team, which means heavy notetaking use pushes teams towards Enterprise for capacity rather than for features.
  • There is no proper native mobile application, so representatives who wanted to update records from a car park between meetings are back in a mobile browser.
  • Sync with Salesforce and call processing can lag, and a pipeline view showing yesterday state during a forecast call undermines the exact meeting the tool was bought to improve.
  • It creates a second notes surface alongside native Salesforce notes, so organisations end up with deal history split across two places unless they explicitly ban one of them.

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

Scratchpad

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Workspace limited to 3 views
    • 10 hours a month of call recording and notetaking
    • AI field updates
  • Solo$19/month
    • Unlimited views with sheets and notes
    • Call recorder and notetaker
    • AI field updates
  • Team$49/month
    • Everything in Solo
    • 800 AI credits per user per month
    • Gong integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited AI credits
    • White-glove agent services included
    • Enterprise security and administration

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

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

Choose Scratchpad if

  • You need spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome extension.
  • You also want call recorder and notetaker.
Scratchpad review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or Scratchpad better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Scratchpad?
Freshdesk starts at Free and Scratchpad at Free.
Does Freshdesk or Scratchpad run on more platforms?
Freshdesk runs on Web. Scratchpad runs on Web, Chrome extension.
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 Scratchpad is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that Scratchpad cannot?
Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views, Call recorder and notetaker, AI field updates, Deal and account agent.

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
Scratchpad: Does Scratchpad work with HubSpot?

No. It is Salesforce-only.

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
Scratchpad: Is the free plan usable in production?

Yes for an individual: full workspace with three views, 10 hours of recording and 100 AI credits a month. Teams outgrow it on views and credits.

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
Scratchpad: Does it replace Salesforce licences?

No. Every user still needs their own Salesforce licence; Scratchpad is an interface on top.

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
Scratchpad: What are AI credits spent on?

Notetaking, summarisation, field update suggestions and agent queries. Enterprise removes the cap.

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