Customer Support · head to head
Freshdesk vs Freshservice
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; Freshservice change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
- They diverge on capability: Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Freshservice covers Incident management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Freshdesk and Freshservice actually diverge.
| Attribute | Freshdesk | Freshservice |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $19/month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Ios, Android |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Customer Support), founded (2010).
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
- Salesforce
- Jira
Only in Freshservice
- Incident management
- Asset management
- Change management
- Knowledge base
- AWS
- Azure
- G Suite
- Web support
Both cover
- Automation
- Reporting
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- HIPAA
- GDPR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Freshdesk
- Help desk and ticketing systemnot Freshservice
- Customer support portal and knowledge basenot Freshservice
- Multi-channel support coordinationnot Freshservice
- AI-assisted support agent interactionnot Freshservice
Freshservice
- IT service management and internal help desk ticketingnot Freshdesk
- Asset management and change control for IT teamsnot 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)
Freshservice
- Change, problem and release management require the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month, so core ITIL processes sit two tiers up
- Every plan includes only 100 ITAM asset units, with more sold separately regardless of tier
- Orchestration transactions are metered monthly, from 1,000 on Starter to 20,000 on Enterprise, with extra packs at $250 per 1,000
- The Freddy AI copilot is a $29 per agent per month add on on top of Pro or Enterprise
- Sandbox and audit logs are Enterprise only, which carries no published price
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
Freshservice
$19/month- Starter$19/month
- Incident management
- Knowledge base
- Self-service portal
- Growth$49/month
- Asset management
- Approval workflows
- SLA management
- Pro$95/month
- Problem management
- Change management
- Release management
- Enterprise$119/month
- Freddy AI
- Audit logs
- Custom SSL
Which should you pick?
Choose Freshdesk if
- You need ticketing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want self-service.
Choose Freshservice if
- You need incident management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want asset management.
Questions people ask
- Is Freshdesk or Freshservice better?
- Neither clearly leads. Freshdesk starts at Free and Freshservice at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Freshdesk or Freshservice?
- Freshdesk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshdesk and $19/month for Freshservice.
- Does Freshdesk or Freshservice run on more platforms?
- Freshdesk runs on Web. Freshservice runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Freshdesk for free?
- Yes. Freshdesk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshservice starts at $19/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 Freshservice is typically brought in for.
- What can Freshdesk do that Freshservice cannot?
- Freshdesk covers Ticketing, Self-service, Team collaboration, Multi-channel support. Freshservice covers Incident management, Asset management, Change management, Knowledge base. Both handle Automation, Reporting, Slack, Microsoft Teams.
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.
SourceFreshservice: How much does Freshservice cost?
Freshservice is priced per agent per month on annual billing: Starter at $19, Growth at $49 and Pro at $99. Enterprise is quoted by sales. Freshworks states annual billing is 20% cheaper than monthly.
SourceFreshdesk: 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.
SourceFreshservice: Does Freshservice have a free trial?
Yes. Freshworks states you get free unrestricted access to all features available in Freshservice for 14 days after sign up, plus 3 free Day Passes for occasional agents.
SourceFreshdesk: 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.
SourceFreshservice: Which Freshservice plan includes change management?
Problem management, change management, major incident management and release management all start on the Pro plan at $99 per agent per month. The Growth plan at $49 covers service catalog, SLA and on-call management.
SourceFreshdesk: 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.
SourceFreshservice: How much does Freddy AI cost on Freshservice?
Freddy AI Copilot is an optional add-on at $29 per agent per month on the Pro plan. The Freddy AI Agent in its Classic form is included on the Enterprise plan.
SourceRelated pages
More on Freshservice
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