Zendesk vs Freshdesk
Zendesk vs Freshdesk compared side by side on price, plans and features. Cheapest paid option for one person: Zendesk $19/mo on Support Team, against Freshdesk $19/mo on Growth. Cheapest paid option for a team of 10: Zendesk $190/mo on Support Team, against Freshdesk $190/mo on Growth.
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Our verdict
The deciding difference is what each spends the same mid-tier price on. Billed annually, Freshdesk Pro and Zendesk Suite Team both cost $55 per agent a month. Freshdesk's Pro buys multiple SLA policies, CSAT surveys, round-robin assignment and custom reports, but this email-first edition has no live chat, WhatsApp or Instagram, which need Freshdesk Omni, priced separately from $29. Zendesk's Suite Team buys messaging, live chat, a help center and telephony, and leaves SLAs, CSAT surveys and custom reporting to Suite Professional at $115. Both start at $19: Zendesk Support Team handles email tickets without a help center, while Freshdesk Growth adds a knowledge base, one SLA policy and an Email AI Agent with 500 sessions included once. Choose Freshdesk if your support runs on email and you need service targets and satisfaction reporting at the middle price. Choose Zendesk if customers expect chat and phone in the same system as email.
The numbers
At a glance
How Zendesk and Freshdesk stack up on price and plans. The highlighted cell wins the row; costs are monthly, at the yearly rate where one is published.
| Metric |  Zendesk |  Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest for 1 person | $19/mo + usageSupport Team | $19/mo + usageGrowth |
| Cheapest for 10 people | $190/mo + usageSupport Team | $190/mo + usageGrowth |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes (14 days) | Yes (14 days) |
| Best for | Best for support teams that run email, chat and phone from one queue and need SLAs | Best for small and mid-sized teams that handle customer support mainly by email |
Pricing
Pricing compared
Per month, at the yearly rate where one is published. Checked against both vendors' pricing pages (Zendesk Oct 4, 2026, Freshdesk Oct 4, 2026).
Zendesk
From $19/mo
- Support Teamper agent, per month$19/mo
- Suite Teamper agent, per month$55/mo
- Suite Professionalper agent, per month$115/mo
- Suite Enterprise + Copilotcustom pricingCustom
Freshdesk
From $19/mo
- Freefree for 6 months, up to 2 agentsFree
- Growthper agent, per month$19/mo
- Proper agent, per month$55/mo
- Enterpriseper agent, per month$89/mo
| Team size | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19/mo + usageSupport Team | $19/mo + usageGrowth |
| 5 people | $95/mo + usageSupport Team | $95/mo + usageGrowth |
| 10 people | $190/mo + usageSupport Team | $190/mo + usageGrowth |
| 25 people | $475/mo + usageSupport Team | $475/mo + usageGrowth |
Feature by feature
Zendesk vs Freshdesk features
Every feature either tool lists, grouped by area. A check means it's included.
Live chat & messenger · Omnichannel ticketing
Nothing Freshdesk offers alone.
Automation & AI1 feature
| Feature | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow automation & routing | Included | Included |
Reporting & Analytics2 features
| Feature | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| CSAT surveys | Included | Included |
| Custom reporting & dashboards | Included | Included |
Ticketing & Channels5 features
| Feature | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat & messenger | Included | Not included |
| Omnichannel ticketing | Included | Not included |
| Shared team inbox | Included | Included |
| SLA management | Included | Included |
| Voice & phone support | Included | Included |
Knowledge & Self-Service4 features
| Feature | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| AI agent copilot | Included | Included |
| AI resolution agent | Included | Included |
| Customer help center | Included | Included |
| Macros & saved replies | Included | Included |
Bottom line
Which should you choose?
Choose Zendesk if…
Best for support teams that run email, chat and phone from one queue and need SLAs
Zendesk pros and consChoose Freshdesk if…
Best for small and mid-sized teams that handle customer support mainly by email
Freshdesk pros and consKeep exploring
Related comparisons & guides
Try Zendesk
Help desk that turns email, chat and phone requests into tickets
Try Freshdesk
Help desk for email support, with ticketing, a knowledge base and SLAs