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CRM · head to head

Freshsales vs ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Freshsales logo

Freshsales

CRM

Smart CRM for growing businesses

From
$19/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus logo

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Customer Support

IT help desk and ITSM software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshsales contact scoring, sales sequences and territory management require the Pro plan at $39 per user per month, more than four times the Growth price; ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus pricing structure based on per-technician model can become expensive for large teams
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshsales and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshsales and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus differ
AttributeFreshsalesManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
Starting price$19/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded2010Unknown

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 Freshsales

  • Contact management
  • Lead scoring
  • Sales pipeline
  • Activity tracking
  • Email sync
  • AI insights
  • Workflow automation
  • Gmail

Only in ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Nothing recorded that Freshsales does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Freshsales

  • Sales CRM with built in email, phone and chatnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
  • Managing deals, pipelines and sales sequencesnot ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

  • IT service desk for small to enterprise organizationsnot Freshsales
  • IT asset management and change managementnot Freshsales

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Freshsales

  • Contact scoring, sales sequences and territory management require the Pro plan at $39 per user per month, more than four times the Growth price
  • Forecasting insights, custom modules, sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only at $59 per user per month
  • Every published price requires annual billing
  • The Freddy AI agent is billed separately at $49 per 100 sessions
  • Branded documents are a further $19 per user add on
  • No contact limits are stated for any tier on the pricing page

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

  • Pricing structure based on per-technician model can become expensive for large teams
  • Asset management requires Professional tier or above, increasing costs for enterprises needing full inventory control
  • No explicit limit published for number of technicians, making cost projections difficult for scaling teams

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshsales

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Contact & account management
    • Pipeline management
  • Growth$39/month
    • Everything in Starter
    • Sales automation
    • Territory management
  • Pro$65/month
    • Everything in Growth
    • Forecasting
    • Advanced customization

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

Free
  • Standard$13/monthly
    • IT help desk functionality
    • Per technician or administrator pricing
    • Unlimited IT end users
  • Professional$27/monthly
    • IT help desk
    • Asset management
    • Per technician pricing
  • Enterprise$67/monthly
    • IT help desk
    • Asset management
    • Change management

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshsales if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want lead scoring.
Freshsales review

Choose ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus if

  • You want to start without paying.
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus review

Questions people ask

Is Freshsales or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshsales starts at $19/month and ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshsales or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for Freshsales and Free for ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus.
Does Freshsales or ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus run on more platforms?
Freshsales runs on Web, Ios, Android. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus runs on Web.
Can I use ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus for free?
Yes. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshsales starts at $19/month.
What is Freshsales best used for?
Freshsales is most often used for sales crm with built in email, phone and chat, managing deals, pipelines and sales sequences. Of those, sales crm with built in email, phone and chat and managing deals, pipelines and sales sequences are not what ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is typically brought in for.
What can Freshsales do that ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus cannot?
Freshsales covers Contact management, Lead scoring, Sales pipeline, Activity tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshsales: Is there a free trial for Freshsales?

Yes, Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial with no credit card required and no strings attached.

Source
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: How is pricing calculated for ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus?

Pricing is based on the number of administrators and technicians using the platform. There is no restriction on the number of IT end users. If you use IT asset management, you pay for the number of IT assets managed.

Source
Freshsales: How do I learn pricing for Freshsales?

Pricing is not listed on the main product pages. The site directs users to request a demo or sign up for the free trial to discuss pricing with the sales team.

Source
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: Is there a free tier available?

Yes, the Standard edition is available free for up to 5 technicians. Free tier includes 250 IT assets managed and basic IT help desk features.

Source
Freshsales: Is a demo required to see pricing?

The site prominently features demo and trial signup options, suggesting that pricing is discussed during the sales consultation process rather than published as standard tiers.

Source
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: What are the billing options?

ManageEngine offers both monthly and yearly billing options. Annual billing provides discounted rates compared to monthly. You can deploy on-premises or use cloud-based SaaS deployment.

Source
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