Zendesk vs Freshchat. Pricing, AI and which to pick.
Both charge per agent. Zendesk's live chat starts on Suite Team and its AI agents are billed per automated resolution; Freshchat is free for a small team and sells its Freddy AI Agent by sessions.
Every price and feature here comes from Zendesk's and Freshchat's own websites, with links. ChatBento, our product, appears as a third column so you can see where a simpler website chatbot fits.
Live chat and help desks
Zendesk
Zendesk is a customer service suite with ticketing, messaging and live chat, a help center and voice, with AI agents built in, priced per agent seat.
- Starts at
- $19per agent / mo, billed yearly. Live chat from $55
- Billing
- Per agent seat, plus per automated resolution
- Free option
- No (14-day trial)
Live chat and help desks
Freshchat
Freshchat, from Freshworks, is a messaging and live chat platform: a shared team inbox for web chat, social apps, SMS, WhatsApp and email, with Freddy AI as a paid option.
- Starts at
- $0free for up to 10 agents; paid from $19/agent/mo billed yearly
- Billing
- Per agent, plus $49 per 100 AI sessions
- Free option
- Yes, up to 10 agents
Zendesk vs Freshchat, side by side
"Not confirmed" means we couldn't verify it on that company's site, not that it's missing.
| Feature | Zendesk | Freshchat | ChatBentoOur product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No (14-day trial) | Yes, up to 10 agents | Yes, 50 AI messages/mo |
| Lowest paid plan | $19/agent/mo billed yearly; live chat from $55 | $19/agent/mo billed yearly | $8/mo (2,000 AI messages) |
| How the AI is billed | Per agent seat, plus per automated resolution | Per agent, plus $49 per 100 AI sessions | Flat monthly price, no seats |
| AI answers trained on your website | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Install with one script tag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hand-off to a human | Yes, to agents in Zendesk | Yes, to agents in the inbox | Yes, by email |
| Live chat inbox for your team | Yes | Yes | No |
| WhatsApp, Messenger and other channels | Yes | Yes | Not yet |
| Native integrations (CRM, Slack and others) | 1,800+ apps | Not confirmed | Not yet |
| Help desk ticketing | Yes | Not confirmed | No |
Zendesk details checked October 23, 2026; Freshchat details checked October 23, 2026. Prices change, so check each company's pricing page before you decide.
Where each one is stronger
Zendesk's strengths
From Zendesk's own site. Check Freshchat's column in the table above for the same rows.
A complete help desk
Ticketing, messaging and live chat, a help center and telephony in one suite, with prebuilt analytics dashboards. ChatBento is only the website chatbot.
zendesk.com/pricingEvery channel in one place
Zendesk connects Facebook, Instagram and X, and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Slack, WeChat and LINE. ChatBento runs on your website only.
zendesk.com/pricingAI agents beyond chat
Zendesk AI agents work across messaging, email and voice, support 80+ languages, and can learn from your help center plus sources like Google Drive and PDFs.
zendesk.com/service/ai/ai-agentsA large app marketplace
Zendesk lists 1,800+ apps and integrations, 90+ telephony providers, and agent mobile apps for iOS and Android.
zendesk.com/pricing
Freshchat's strengths
From Freshchat's own site. Check Zendesk's column in the table above for the same rows.
A free team inbox
Freshchat's free plan covers up to 10 agents answering web chat in a shared inbox. ChatBento has no live inbox; it hands visitors to you by email.
freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricingMessaging channels
From Growth up, Freshchat brings Facebook and Instagram messages, SMS, WhatsApp, LINE and Google Business Messages into the same inbox.
freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricingRouting and SLAs
Intelligent, round-robin and skill-based routing, multiple SLAs, and translation in over 45 languages on Pro and up.
freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricingMore AI knowledge sources
Freddy AI Agent can learn from public URLs, files (.pdf, .docx, .txt), your published solution articles and custom Q&As.
crmsupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000010092-configure-knowledge-sources
Zendesk and Freshchat pricing
Each plan as the company lists it, with the fees that come on top.
Zendesk pricing
- Support Teamper agent / mo, billed yearly ($25 monthly). Email and ticketing, no live chat$19
- Suite Teamper agent / mo, billed yearly ($69 monthly). Adds messaging and live chat$55
- Suite Professionalper agent / mo, billed yearly ($149 monthly)$115
- Suite Enterprisetalk to salesCustom
No free plan; a 14-day free trial of Suite Professional. Checked October 23, 2026 on zendesk.com/pricing.
- Zendesk AI agents are billed by automated resolution. Plans include 5 per agent a month (10 on Suite Professional); more cost US$2.00 each pay-as-you-go, or a lower committed rate (shown only in pounds on its US page, checked October 30, 2026). Source
Freshchat pricing
- Freeup to 10 agents, web chat widget and shared inbox$0
- Growthper agent / mo, billed yearly$19
- Proper agent / mo, billed yearly$49
- Enterpriseper agent / mo, billed yearly$79
Free plan for up to 10 agents, and a 14-day trial of Enterprise. Checked October 23, 2026 on freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing.
Which to choose
It comes down to who answers your chats and how you'd rather be billed.
Choose Zendesk if
- Your team works tickets across email, chat, phone and social, and needs one help desk for all of it.
- Several agents answer chats live, so a shared inbox and per-seat pricing make sense for you.
- You want AI agents on email and voice too, not only on your website.
- You rely on integrations from a large marketplace, or on telephony.
Choose Freshchat if
- Several people answer chats live and want a shared inbox, free for up to 10 agents.
- Customers reach you on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger or SMS, and you want all of it in one inbox.
- You need routing rules and SLAs for a support team.
- Per-agent pricing plus AI sessions fits your volume better than a flat plan.
Choose ChatBento if
Our product
- You want an AI chatbot on your website that answers from your own pages, Q&As and text, not a full support suite.
- You'd rather pay a flat $8, $30 or $100 a month than per seat or per resolution, or start on the free plan with 50 AI messages a month.
- An email hand-off is enough when a visitor needs a person.
Only need AI answers on your website?
ChatBento reads your site in about a minute and answers visitors from it. Free plan forever, paid plans from $8 a month.
Zendesk vs Freshchat. Questions, answered.
Which is cheaper, Zendesk or Freshchat?
It depends on how you'd use them, because they bill differently. Zendesk starts at $19 (per agent / mo, billed yearly. Live chat from $55), billed as: per agent seat, plus per automated resolution. Freshchat is free to start (free for up to 10 agents; paid from $19/agent/mo billed yearly), billed as: per agent, plus $49 per 100 AI sessions. Price your own monthly volume on both before you decide.
Do Zendesk and Freshchat have free plans?
Zendesk: No free plan; a 14-day free trial of Suite Professional. Freshchat: Free plan for up to 10 agents, and a 14-day trial of Enterprise.
What is the main difference between Zendesk and Freshchat?
Both charge per agent. Zendesk's live chat starts on Suite Team and its AI agents are billed per automated resolution; Freshchat is free for a small team and sells its Freddy AI Agent by sessions.
Which should I choose, Zendesk or Freshchat?
Choose Zendesk if your team works tickets across email, chat, phone and social, and needs one help desk for all of it. Choose Freshchat if several people answer chats live and want a shared inbox, free for up to 10 agents.
Do I need a live chat inbox at all?
Only if someone on your team will answer chats in real time. Zendesk and Freshchat both include one. If you mostly want visitors' questions answered from your website, an AI chatbot with an email hand-off does that without a seat for each person.
Is there a simpler, flat-priced alternative to Zendesk and Freshchat?
ChatBento is an AI chatbot for your website that learns from your pages and Q&As, captures leads and hands off to you by email. It has a free plan with 50 AI messages a month, then $8, $30 or $100 a month, with AI answers included and no seats. It has no live chat inbox, ticketing or messaging channels, so it fits when the website chatbot is the job.
Keep comparing
- Zendesk pricingPlans, costs and fees on top
- Freshchat pricingPlans, costs and fees on top
- Intercom vs ZendeskHead to head
All comparisonsAI chatbot pricing guide
Zendesk and Freshchat are trademarks of their owners; ChatBento is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.
Sources: zendesk.com/pricing, zendesk.com/service/ai/ai-agents, freshworks.com/live-chat-software/pricing, crmsupport.freshworks.com/support/solutions/articles/50000010092-configure-knowledge-sources
Put AI answers on your site. Free to start, then $8 a month.
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