Softwr

Customer Support · head to head

Freshdesk vs Tidio

Freshdesk logo

Freshdesk

Customer Support

Delight your customers, effortlessly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tidio logo

Tidio

Live Chat

Customer service platform driven by live chat

From
$24.17/month
Rated
-
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; Tidio free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Tidio covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and Tidio actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshdesk and Tidio differ
AttributeFreshdeskTidio
Starting priceFree$24.17/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebCloud-based SaaS
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20102013

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
  • Slack

Only in Tidio

  • Live chat
  • Chatbots
  • Visitor tracking
  • Email marketing
  • Canned responses
  • Wix
  • BigCommerce
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Mobile apps
  • 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 Tidio
  • Customer support portal and knowledge basenot Tidio
  • Multi-channel support coordinationnot Tidio
  • AI-assisted support agent interactionnot Tidio

Tidio

  • Live chat customer support across web and mobilenot Freshdesk
  • AI-powered customer service automation with Lyro AI Agentnot Freshdesk
  • Ticketing and conversation management for support teamsnot Freshdesk
  • Multi-agent support with team collaboration featuresnot 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)

Tidio

  • Free tier limited to 50 billable conversations per month; exceeding this requires paid plan upgrade
  • Advanced analytics, user permissions, and macros excluded from Free and Starter tiers
  • Custom branding, multiproject, and department features only available in Plus tier ($300+/month)
  • Guaranteed AI resolution rates (50% minimum) only in Premium tier; Premium pricing requires contacting sales

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

Tidio

$24.17/month
  • Starter$24.17/month
    • 100 billable conversations
    • 50 Lyro AI Agent conversations
    • 100 Flows visitors reached
  • Growth$49.17/month
    • 250+ billable conversations
    • Advanced analytics
    • User permissions
  • Plus$300/month
    • Custom billable conversations
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated Success Manager
  • Premium$null/custom
    • 3000+ Lyro AI conversations
    • Guaranteed 50% Lyro AI resolution rate
    • Pay-per-resolution billing option

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshdesk if

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

Choose Tidio if

  • You need live chat.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want chatbots.
Tidio review

Questions people ask

Is Freshdesk or Tidio better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at Free and Tidio at $24.17/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Tidio?
Freshdesk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshdesk and $24.17/month for Tidio.
Does Freshdesk or Tidio run on more platforms?
Freshdesk runs on Web. Tidio runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
Can I use Freshdesk for free?
Yes. Freshdesk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tidio starts at $24.17/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 Tidio is typically brought in for.
What can Freshdesk do that Tidio cannot?
Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Automation, Self-service, Team collaboration. Tidio covers Live chat, Chatbots, Visitor tracking, Email marketing. Both handle Mobile apps, Shopify, WordPress, 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
Tidio: What is the cheapest way to start with Tidio?

The Starter plan at $24.17/month (annual billing) includes 100 billable conversations, live chat, ticketing, and basic analytics. Annual billing provides 2 months free compared to monthly billing.

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
Tidio: Does Tidio offer a free trial?

Yes, Tidio provides a 7-day free trial that does not require a credit card and automatically downgrades to the free plan unless you upgrade after the trial ends.

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
Tidio: How much does Lyro AI Agent cost?

Lyro AI Agent is an add-on starting at $32.50/month for 50 conversations. It is available on all plans and can be added separately from the base subscription.

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
Tidio: What are Tidio's billable conversation limits?

Starter includes 100 billable conversations per month. Growth includes 250+. Plus and Premium have custom limits. Each plan tier includes conversations for the AI Agent feature separately.

Source
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