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Customer Support · head to head

Freshworks Customer Service Suite vs Hiver

Freshworks Customer Service Suite logo

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Customer Support

Unified customer service powered by AI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hiver logo

Hiver

Customer Support

Gmail-based help desk

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Freshworks Customer Service Suite separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams; Hiver hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69
  • They diverge on capability: Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers Unified inbox, Hiver covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshworks Customer Service Suite and Hiver actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshworks Customer Service Suite and Hiver differ
AttributeFreshworks Customer Service SuiteHiver
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Web, Chrome-extension
CategoryCustomer SupportUnknown
Founded20102011

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 Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Unified inbox
  • AI-powered chatbot
  • Ticketing system
  • Self-service portal
  • Automation
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Salesforce
  • Shopify

Only in Hiver

  • Shared inbox
  • Email assignment
  • Collision detection
  • Email notes
  • Templates
  • Gmail
  • Google Workspace
  • Asana

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • ISO27001
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Customer supportnot Hiver
  • Help desknot Hiver
  • Self-servicenot Hiver

Hiver

  • Shared inbox managementnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite
  • Customer support via Gmailnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite
  • Team email collaborationnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Where each one falls short

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams
  • Add-ons and renewal uplifts typically increase real costs 30-50% above published pricing
  • Customization beyond default configurations requires significant training and consulting fees

Hiver

  • Hiver tiers as captured 28 December 2023: Lite at $15/user/month capped at 2 shared inboxes (up to 10 users each), Pro at $39/user/month capped at 5 shared inboxes and 50 shared labels, Elite at $59/user/month, all annual pricing with higher month-to-month rates of $19/$49/$69

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshworks Customer Service Suite review.

Hiver

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 users
    • Email management
    • Basic analytics
  • Lite$19/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Email templates
    • Notes & @mentions
  • Pro$49/month
    • CSAT surveys
    • SLA management
    • Custom reports
  • Elite$69/month
    • Round-robin
    • Skill-based routing
    • Okta SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshworks Customer Service Suite if

  • You need unified inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want ai-powered chatbot.
Freshworks Customer Service Suite review

Choose Hiver if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome-extension.
  • You also want email assignment.
Hiver review

Questions people ask

Is Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Hiver better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshworks Customer Service Suite starts at Free and Hiver at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Hiver?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite starts at Free and Hiver at Free.
Does Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Hiver run on more platforms?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). Hiver runs on Web, Chrome-extension.
Can I use Freshworks Customer Service Suite for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Freshworks Customer Service Suite best used for?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite is most often used for customer support, help desk, self-service. Of those, customer support and help desk are not what Hiver is typically brought in for.
What can Freshworks Customer Service Suite do that Hiver cannot?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers Unified inbox, AI-powered chatbot, Ticketing system, Self-service portal. Hiver covers Shared inbox, Email assignment, Collision detection, Email notes. Both handle Analytics, Slack, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshworks Customer Service Suite: What products are included in Freshworks Customer Service Suite?

The suite includes Freshdesk for support ticketing, Freshchat for live chat and messaging, and Freshsales for CRM. Pricing varies per product based on features and user count.

Source
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks offer a free tier?

Yes. Freshdesk offers a free plan for 1-2 agents for 6 months. Paid plans start at $19/agent/month for Growth tier.

Source
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks integrate with Slack?

Yes. Freshworks offers official Slack integration via the Freshdesk and Freshservice Slack apps, enabling ticket creation, notifications, and agent messaging directly in Slack.

Source
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Related pages

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