Freshdesk vs Crisp
A head-to-head comparison for 2026 — pricing, features, and which is better for different use cases.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Freshdesk | Crisp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free-$15/agent/mo | Free-$25/mo (workspace) |
| Free Tier | 10 agents free | 2 agents free |
| Channels | Email, chat, phone, social | Chat, email, social, phone |
| AI | Freddy AI | AI bot included |
| Reporting | Good | Basic |
| Best For | Growing teams + value | Startups + SMB |
Freshdesk — Overview
Freshdesk offers the most generous free tier in help desk software — 10 agents free with email and social ticketing. The paid plans start at $15/agent/month with automation, SLA management, and collision detection. Freddy AI assists agents with suggested responses and ticket classification.
The interface is clean and intuitive — most teams are productive within hours, not weeks. The Freshworks ecosystem (Freshsales, Freshchat, Freshservice) provides native integrations for growing businesses. At roughly half of Zendesk's price for comparable features, Freshdesk is the value leader for growing support teams. Best for small-to-mid teams that want solid help desk features without enterprise pricing.
Crisp — Overview
Crisp is the startup-friendly help desk with a genuinely useful free tier (2 agents) and per-workspace pricing instead of per-agent. The Pro plan at $25/month covers your entire workspace regardless of team size — a dramatic cost advantage over per-agent pricing as teams grow.
Live chat, shared inbox, knowledge base, chatbot builder, and CRM are included. The co-browsing feature lets agents see and navigate a customer's screen in real-time — unique among help desks at this price point. The platform is simpler than Zendesk or Intercom but covers the essentials well. Best for startups and SMBs that want modern support tools without per-agent pricing pressure.
Key Differences
Established value vs startup disruptor. Freshdesk offers 10 free agents with the backing of the Freshworks ecosystem. Crisp offers per-workspace pricing with co-browsing and modern design.
Free tier comparison. Freshdesk: 10 agents free with email ticketing. Crisp: 2 agents free with live chat. Freshdesk's free tier is more generous for larger teams. Crisp's free tier includes live chat which Freshdesk's free plan doesn't.
Paid tier pricing diverges. Freshdesk charges per agent ($15/agent/month). Crisp charges per workspace ($25/month regardless of team size). At 3+ agents, Crisp's flat pricing becomes cheaper. At 10+ agents, dramatically cheaper.
The Verdict
Choose Freshdesk for the most generous free tier (10 agents) and the Freshworks ecosystem. Choose Crisp for flat workspace pricing that stays affordable as your team grows.