TL;DR / Key Takeaways
- Freshdesk Growth is $19 an agent a month on annual billing ($23 monthly), and its pricing page lists no free plan.
- Freddy AI Agent includes 500 sessions once per account, then $49 per 100, billed whether or not the AI resolves the request.
- Zoho Desk is the cheapest paid alternative at $7 a user a month, with a free edition for 3 users.
- Help Scout has a free plan for 5 users and charges $0.75 per AI resolution.
- You can keep Freshdesk and add Fin ($0.99 per outcome) or eesel AI ($299 for 500 tickets) instead of Freddy.
Short answer: if you came to Freshdesk for a low price, the cheapest paid alternative is Zoho Desk at $7 a user a month on annual billing, with a free edition for 3 users. For the best small-team inbox, Help Scout has a free plan for 5 users and AI at $0.75 per resolution. For no software bill at all, self-host FreeScout or Chatwoot. And if Freshdesk itself is fine but Freddy AI is not, you can keep it and add Fin or eesel AI on top. Updated November 9, 2026.
How we checked: plans, seat prices and AI unit prices come from each vendor's own pricing page, read November 9, 2026. Monthly-billing prices that only appear after flipping a page's toggle were read in a browser. Where a vendor does not publish a number, we say "Not stated". We did not test these help desks hands-on, so this guide compares published price, limits and channels, not answer quality.
What Freshdesk costs in 2026
Freshdesk's pricing page lists three plans, priced per agent per month. It lists no free plan; new accounts get a 14-day trial of Enterprise.
| Plan | Annual billing | Monthly billing | Freddy AI | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | $19 | $23 | AI Agent (500 sessions once); no Copilot | Email ticketing, shared inbox, portal and knowledge base |
| Pro | $55 | $66 | AI Agent; Copilot add-on | Multilingual helpdesk, custom dashboards, multiple SLAs |
| Enterprise | $89 | $107 | AI Agent; Copilot add-on; AI Insights | Skill-based routing, sandbox, audit logs |
- Freddy AI Agent is billed per session. Each plan includes your first 500 sessions, once per account. After that, sessions cost $49 per 100, about $0.49 each. Freshworks defines a session as a unique interaction with the AI agent; for email, every AI reply within 72 hours of the customer's first email is one session. A session is billed whether or not the AI solves the problem.
- Freddy AI Copilot is $29 an agent a month on annual billing or $35 monthly, available on Pro and Enterprise only, and you can buy it for some agents rather than all.
- Chat and phone need Freshdesk Omni. The Omni pricing page lists Growth at $29, Pro at $79 and Enterprise at $119 an agent a month annually, with voice as an add-on at $15, $39 or $69 an agent.
- Other add-ons: day passes for occasional agents ($2 to $12 a day by plan), connector app tasks at $80 per 5,000, and MCP actions at $15 per 1,000.
Why Freshdesk users look elsewhere
- No free plan listed. A team that just needs shared email ticketing now starts at $19 an agent a month on annual billing. Zoho Desk, Help Scout and HubSpot all list free tiers.
- AI is billed on activity, not results. Freddy sessions count every interaction, so an AI that answers but does not resolve still costs about $0.49. Help Scout, Fin and Zendesk charge only on resolution or outcome.
- Chat and voice cost more than the headline. Email-only Freshdesk starts at $19; the omnichannel version starts at $29, and voice is extra on top.
- Copilot sits on Pro. Agent-assist AI needs Pro ($55) plus $29 an agent, so $84 an agent a month on annual billing.
Freshdesk alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Entry price per agent | AI pricing model | Channels (email / chat / voice / social) | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshdesk | $19 annual ($23 monthly) | $49 per 100 AI sessions after 500 free | Email and portal; chat and voice on Omni from $29 | No, 14-day trial |
| Zoho Desk | $7 annual ($9 monthly) | AI agents with your own key or Zoho's model, up to 30M free tokens a month | Email, social, web forms; chat from Standard; telephony from Professional | Yes, 3 users |
| Help Scout | $25 annual ($30 monthly) | $0.75 per AI resolution | Email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger; voice via integration | Yes, up to 5 users |
| HubSpot Service Hub | $7 annual for new customers ($20 monthly) | Customer Agent uses HubSpot Credits, from Professional ($90) | Email, chat, calling, Messenger; WhatsApp from Professional | Yes, up to 2 users |
| Chatwoot | $19 cloud (Startups) | Captain AI credits: 300 included, $20 per 1,000 extra | Chat, email, social; voice from Business ($39) | Yes, 2 agents; free self-hosted |
| FreeScout | $0, self-hosted | Free AI module; you pay your model provider | Email; chat, WhatsApp and more via paid modules | Yes, open source |
| Missive | $14 annual (up to 5 users) | AI credits or your own model key; no AI agent price listed | Email, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger | No, 30-day trial |
| Hiver | $25 annual ($35 monthly), 2-seat minimum | AI agents on all plans; usage price not stated | Email, chat, WhatsApp, Slack; voice add-on $30/seat | No, 7-day trial |
| Front | $25 annual (Starter, one channel type) | Autopilot from $0.39 per conversation | Email, chat, SMS; social and WhatsApp from Professional | No, 14-day trial |
| Tidio | Not per agent: $24.17/month annual, 100 conversations | Lyro AI from $32.50/month for 50 AI conversations | Chat, email, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp | Yes, 50 conversations |
| Gorgias | Not per agent: $10/month for 50 tickets | Per automated interaction, $1.50 past the included amount | Email, chat, social; voice and SMS add-ons | No, free trial |
| Richpanel | $69 (yearly contract) | $0.20 per AI-handled conversation | Email, chat, SMS, phone, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp | No |
| Intercom Fin | $19 for new customers, annual (list $29); no seats on Freshdesk | $0.99 per outcome; 50-outcome minimum on other helpdesks | Email, chat, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, social | No, 14-day trial |
| eesel AI | No seat fee: $299/month for 500 credits | 1 credit per ticket or chat; $0.80 overage | Works inside Freshdesk, chat bubble, email, Slack | 7-day trial, 100 credits |
| Zendesk | $55 annual ($69 monthly) on Suite Team | Per automated resolution: $1.50 committed, $2.00 pay-as-you-go | Email, chat, voice, social | No, 14-day trial |
Worked example: 5 agents and 500 AI resolutions a month
One team: 5 agents, and an AI agent that fully resolves 500 conversations a month. Annual billing unless noted, before tax. For tools that bill per AI session or conversation, 500 is a floor: anything the AI handles without resolving is billed too.
| Tool and plan | Seats | AI cost for 500 | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshdesk Growth + Freddy AI Agent | 5 x $19 = $95 | 5 packs x $49 = $245 (at least) | $340 |
| Freshdesk Growth, monthly billing | 5 x $23 = $115 | $245 (at least) | $360 |
| Freshdesk Pro + Copilot for all 5 + Freddy | 5 x ($55 + $29) = $420 | $245 (at least) | $665 |
| Freshdesk Omni Growth (adds chat) + Freddy | 5 x $29 = $145 | $245 (at least) | $390 |
| Freshdesk Growth + Fin on top | $95 | 500 x $0.99 = $495 | $590 |
| Freshdesk Growth + eesel AI on top | $95 | $299 for 500 credits (at least) | $394 |
| Help Scout Standard + AI Answers | 5 x $25 = $125 | 500 x $0.75 = $375 | $500 ($125 for the first 3 months) |
| Richpanel Pro + Customer Service AI | 5 x $69 = $345 | 500 x $0.20 = $100 (at least) | $445 |
| Front Starter + Autopilot | 5 x $25 = $125 | 500 x $0.39 = $195 (starting rate) | $320 |
| Intercom Essential + Fin | 5 x $19 = $95 (new-customer price) | $495 | $590 |
| Zendesk Suite Team, committed resolutions | 5 x $55 = $275 | 25 included, 475 x $1.50 = $712.50 | $987.50 |
Free and cheapest: Zoho Desk, HubSpot, Help Scout Free
Zoho Desk is the cheapest paid suite we found: a free edition for 3 users with email ticketing, then Express at $7 a user a month annually ($9 monthly), Standard at $14 ($20), Professional at $23 ($35) and Enterprise at $40 ($50). Live chat, WhatsApp and other messaging start on Standard, telephony on Professional. AI agents work with your own OpenAI key or Zoho's model, with up to 30 million free tokens a month listed. Not for: teams that want one predictable AI price; with your own key, model costs land on your provider bill.
HubSpot Service Hub has free tools for up to 2 users and Starter at $7 a seat a month on annual billing for new customers ($20 monthly), with ticketing, live chat and calling, per its pricing page. Customer Agent, its AI agent, starts on Professional at $90 a seat annually ($100 monthly) plus a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee, and draws on HubSpot Credits; credits per conversation are not stated. Not for: a small team that wants a cheap AI agent; the jump from Starter to Professional is large.
Help Scout (our Help Scout listing) has a Free plan that covers 5 users, one inbox, one Docs site and 100 contacts a month. Paid plans on its pricing page are Standard at $25 a user annually ($30 monthly), Plus at $45 ($54) and Pro at $75 ($90). AI Answers costs $0.75 per resolution, charged once per conversation, with a spending cap you set and 3 months free for new accounts. Not for: phone support; voice is via integrations such as Aircall.
Open source: Chatwoot or FreeScout
Chatwoot is an open-source support inbox you can run on Chatwoot's cloud or your own server. Its pricing page lists a free cloud plan for 2 agents and 500 conversations a month (live chat only), Startups at $19 an agent a month with all channels and 300 Captain AI credits, Business at $39 with voice and 500 credits, and Enterprise at $99. Extra credits are $20 per 1,000, and nonprofits and open-source projects can ask for Startups free. Not for: teams that need the AI agent on the free self-hosted edition.
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox, licensed AGPL-3.0, written in PHP and MySQL, with unlimited agents and mailboxes. It runs on shared hosting. Live chat, WhatsApp and other channels are paid modules sold as lifetime licenses per installation; the AI Integration module is free. Not for: teams without someone to handle updates, backups and email deliverability.
Shared inboxes for small teams: Missive, Hiver, Front
Missive is the low-cost team inbox: Starter at $14 a user a month billed yearly for up to 5 users, Productive at $24 and Business at $36, per its pricing page, with a 30-day trial and no card. It handles email, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, and AI drafting runs on Missive credits or your own model key. Not for: a public help center or a customer-facing AI agent; neither is listed.
Hiver (our Hiver listing) runs inside Gmail or as a standalone help desk. Its pricing page lists Growth at $25 a user a month annually ($35 monthly), Pro at $55 and Elite at $85, with a 2-seat minimum and AI agents on all plans. The usage price for those agents is not stated. Not for: budget planning on AI volume before a sales call.
Front (our Front listing) starts at $25 a seat a month billed annually on Starter, which covers one channel type for up to 10 seats; omnichannel is Professional at $65, per its pricing page. Autopilot starts at $0.39 per conversation through sales, and Copilot is $20 a seat. Not for: a 2-person team that wants email and chat; that means Professional.
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Ecommerce: Gorgias or Richpanel
Gorgias (our Gorgias listing) does not charge per agent. Its pricing page lists Starter at $10 a month for 50 tickets, Basic at $60 monthly or $50 annually for 300 tickets, and Pro at $360 or $300 for 2,000; AI Agent bundles a set of automated interactions, then $1.50 each. Richpanel is per agent at $69 a month on a yearly contract, with AI at $0.20 per AI-handled conversation, per its pricing page. Not for: service businesses without orders to look up; both are built around store data.
Keep Freshdesk, change the AI: Fin or eesel
If your team likes Freshdesk and only the AI bill bothers you, two tools plug into it. Fin lists Freshworks among supported helpdesks on its pricing page: $0.99 per outcome, no seat fees, and a 50-outcome monthly minimum, so at least $49.50 a month. You pay only when Fin resolves the issue or completes a configured handoff Procedure. eesel AI connects to Freshdesk with no seat fee, from $299 a month for 500 credits, one credit per ticket, per its pricing page. Not for: low volume; Freddy's first 500 free sessions beat both until they run out.
For a chat widget on your site without a help desk, Tidio has a free plan with 50 lifetime Lyro AI conversations and Lyro from $32.50 a month, and Chatbase starts at $32 a month annually; its Basic plan ($120) connects to Freshdesk. More in our best AI chatbots for websites.
Moving up: Zendesk
Some Freshdesk teams outgrow it rather than overpay for it. Zendesk Suite Team is $55 an agent a month on annual billing ($69 monthly), with telephony, messaging and AI agents included, 5 AI resolutions per agent a month, then $1.50 or $2.00 each, per Zendesk's pricing page. It is the most expensive option here for a 5-agent team. We break down its costs and the May 2026 change to how it counts resolutions in our Zendesk alternatives guide. Not for: a team leaving Freshdesk over price.
How to choose
- Lowest bill with a real help desk: Zoho Desk free or Express. Add HubSpot free tools if your CRM is HubSpot.
- Best small-team inbox with a fair AI price: Help Scout.
- No vendor bill at all: FreeScout or Chatwoot, self-hosted.
- Mostly email between a few people: Missive or Hiver.
- You sell online: Gorgias or Richpanel.
- Freshdesk is fine, Freddy is not: keep it and add Fin or eesel AI.
- Your team needs help drafting replies, not a bot: see our best AI email assistants.
Before you switch, check three numbers in Freshdesk: agents who log in every day, tickets per month, and Freddy sessions per month. Agents who log in rarely may be cheaper on Freshdesk day passes than on full seats elsewhere. See current plans on our Freshdesk listing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Freshdesk?
For small teams, Help Scout: $25 a user a month on annual billing, a free plan for 5 users, and AI at $0.75 per resolution. For the lowest price, Zoho Desk at $7 a user a month with a free edition for 3 users. For no software bill, self-hosted FreeScout or Chatwoot.
How much does Freshdesk cost in 2026?
Per Freshworks' pricing page on November 9, 2026: Growth $19 an agent a month on annual billing ($23 monthly), Pro $55 ($66), Enterprise $89 ($107). Freddy AI Agent includes 500 sessions once per account, then $49 per 100. Freddy AI Copilot is $29 an agent a month annually ($35 monthly) on Pro and Enterprise.
Does Freshdesk have a free plan?
Freshdesk's pricing page listed no free plan on November 9, 2026, only a 14-day trial of Enterprise. Free alternatives include Zoho Desk (3 users), Help Scout (5 users, one inbox), HubSpot (2 users) and Chatwoot (2 agents), and FreeScout is free to self-host.
What is a Freddy AI Agent session?
Freshworks defines a session as a unique interaction between a customer and the AI agent. For email, all AI replies within 72 hours of the customer's first email count as one session. Sessions are billed whether or not the AI resolves the request, at $49 per 100 after the first 500.
Can I use a different AI agent with Freshdesk?
Yes. Fin lists Freshworks as a supported helpdesk at $0.99 per outcome with no seat fees and a 50-outcome monthly minimum. eesel AI connects to Freshdesk from $299 a month for 500 tickets, with no seat fee.
Is Zoho Desk cheaper than Freshdesk?
Yes, on seats. Zoho Desk Express is $7 a user a month on annual billing and Standard, which adds live chat and messaging, is $14. Freshdesk Growth is $19 for email ticketing, and chat needs Freshdesk Omni from $29. AI costs depend on usage on both.