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Software · head to head

LiveAgent vs Freshservice

LiveAgent logo

LiveAgent

Software

All-in-one help desk software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshservice logo

Freshservice

Software

Modern IT service management

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only LiveAgent has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: LiveAgent social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price; 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: LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Freshservice covers Incident management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LiveAgent and Freshservice actually diverge.

Attributes where LiveAgent and Freshservice differ
AttributeLiveAgentFreshservice
Starting priceFree$19/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20042010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 LiveAgent

  • Ticketing system
  • Live chat
  • Call center
  • Social media
  • Customer portal
  • WordPress
  • Shopify
  • Magento

Only in Freshservice

  • Incident management
  • Asset management
  • Change management
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Microsoft Teams
  • AWS
  • Azure

Both cover

  • Knowledge base
  • Slack
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

LiveAgent

  • Multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messagesnot Freshservice
  • Ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teamsnot Freshservice

Freshservice

  • IT service management and internal help desk ticketingnot LiveAgent
  • Asset management and change control for IT teamsnot LiveAgent

Where each one falls short

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

LiveAgent

  • Social and messaging channels are separately priced add ons rather than plan features, at $19 to $39 a month each on top of the seat price
  • The entry plan is limited to 3 email accounts, 2 live chat buttons and 3 contact forms
  • WhatsApp numbers are rationed by plan, at 5 on Large Business and 20 on Enterprise
  • The advertised prices require annual billing, and monthly billing raises the entry plan from $10 to $13 per agent
  • Every published price is a discounted rate against a higher regular price

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

LiveAgent

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 7-day ticket history
    • 1 chat button
    • 1 email account
  • Small$9/month
    • Unlimited ticket history
    • 3 email accounts
    • Customer portal
  • Medium$29/month
    • Call center
    • 10 email accounts
    • Advanced reporting
  • Large$49/month
    • Everything unlimited
    • Senior account manager
    • White glove setup

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 LiveAgent if

  • You need ticketing system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want live chat.
LiveAgent review

Choose Freshservice if

  • You need incident management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want asset management.
Freshservice review

Questions people ask

Is LiveAgent or Freshservice better?
Neither clearly leads. LiveAgent 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, LiveAgent or Freshservice?
LiveAgent has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for LiveAgent and $19/month for Freshservice.
Does LiveAgent or Freshservice run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use LiveAgent for free?
Yes. LiveAgent has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Freshservice starts at $19/month.
What is LiveAgent best used for?
LiveAgent is most often used for multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages, ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams. Of those, multichannel help desk covering email, chat, calls and social messages and ticketing and shared inbox for customer support teams are not what Freshservice is typically brought in for.
What can LiveAgent do that Freshservice cannot?
LiveAgent covers Ticketing system, Live chat, Call center, Social media. Freshservice covers Incident management, Asset management, Change management, Automation. Both handle Knowledge base, Slack, GDPR, Web support.
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