Crisp vs Freshdesk
Crisp and Freshdesk, side by side across AI, pricing, channels, security, and seven more categories. We pull every figure from public sources and don’t pick a winner.
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Crisp
The AI customer support platform for every business. Omnichannel shared inbox plus AI agent.
Best for SMBs and growing teams wanting affordable all-in-one AI support; bootstrapped companies.
2015 · Nantes, France.
Freshdesk
Omnichannel customer service platform with built-in AI.
Best for SMB to enterprise ticketing; strong for ecommerce.
2010 · San Mateo, USA
Claimed: from the vendor, not independently verified.
3rd-party: sourced elsewhere, not on the vendor's site.
Everything else: from the vendor's own pages and verifiable.
Pricing
List prices, seat rules, trials, and pricing transparency.
- Pricing model
- CrispFlat rate per workspace/mo, not per-seat (extra seats $10/mo each).
- FreshdeskPer agent/month. AI billed separately.
- Free plan
- CrispYes. Forever free; 2 seats, 100 profiles, no AI credits.
- FreshdeskFree tier for up to 2 agents
- Free trial / guarantee
- Crisp14-day; all features; no card.
- Freshdesk14 days, no card
- Price
- Crisp$45/mo (Mini, 4 seats, 5,000 profiles, ~$5 AI credits). · $95/mo (Essentials, 10 seats, 50,000 profiles, ~$25 AI credits). · $295/mo (Plus, 20+ seats, ~$75 AI credits); Enterprise custom.
- Freshdesk$19/agent/mo (Growth); $29 Omni · $55/agent/mo (Pro); $79 Omni · $89/agent/mo (Enterprise); $119 Omni
- Seat minimum
- Crisp2 (Free); 4 (Mini); 10 (Essentials); 20+ (Plus); extra seats $10/mo.
- FreshdeskNone stated
- Unlimited agents
- CrispNo. Extra agents $10/mo.
- FreshdeskNo. Priced per agent.
- Implementation fee
- CrispNone.
- FreshdeskNot disclosed
- Transparency
- CrispHigh. All tier prices public.
- FreshdeskHigh for plans; services not disclosed
- Pricing last verified
- Crisp2026-06-02
- Freshdesk2026-06-02
Channels
Where each tool can talk to customers.
- CrispNative
- FreshdeskNative
- Live chat
- CrispNative
- FreshdeskNative (Freshchat, Omni plans)
- In-app messenger
- CrispNative (SDK iOS/Android/React Native/JS)
- FreshdeskNative (Freshchat widget)(claimed)source
- Voice
- CrispVia integration (Aircall, Ringover, KrispCall; no native phone)
- FreshdeskAdd-on (Freshcaller, a separate product)
- SMS
- CrispVia integration (Twilio)
- FreshdeskVia integration (Twilio and others)
- CrispNative (WhatsApp Business)
- FreshdeskNative on Omni; integration otherwise
- Social
- CrispNative. Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, Line, Viber, Twitter/X.
- FreshdeskNative (Facebook, Instagram, X)
Voice & Telephony
Native voice vs telephony integrations.
- Native vs via integration
- CrispVia integration. Aircall/Ringover/KrispCall; no native PSTN.
- FreshdeskAdd-on. Freshcaller is a separate product.
- Voice AI / transcription
- CrispYes. Voice-to-text for audio messages and recorded calls.
- FreshdeskYes. Transcription and summaries (via Freshcaller).
- Telephony billed separately
- CrispYes. Via third-party provider.
- FreshdeskYes. Freshcaller is billed separately.
AI & Automation
Autonomous resolution, agentic actions, models, and how AI is priced.
- Autonomous AI agent
- CrispYes. Hugo AI agent resolves tickets 24/7.
- FreshdeskYes. Freddy AI Agent resolves tickets end to end.(claimed)source
- Copilot / Assist mode
- CrispYes. Reply suggestions, grammar, rephrasing, summarization, transcription, translation.
- FreshdeskYes. Freddy Copilot drafts replies, summarizes, and translates.(claimed)source
- Claimed automation rate
- CrispResolves up to 60% of repetitive questions automatically.(claimed)source
- FreshdeskUp to 80% of queries(claimed)source
- AI channel coverage
- CrispWeb chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, email, SMS, Telegram, Line, Viber, Twitter/X.
- FreshdeskEmail, chat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram(claimed)source
- Agentic actions (API) vs answer-only
- CrispActions via API. HTTP calls in workflows (Shopify refunds, order lookup, password resets).
- FreshdeskTakes actions like refunds and order updates(claimed)source
- Knowledge sources
- CrispAnswer snippets, KB articles (auto-reindexed), website crawl, conversation history, file importer (PDF/CSV).
- FreshdeskHelp articles, web pages, uploaded files, custom Q&A. Not past tickets.
- Underlying model
- CrispNot fully disclosed. Can connect Claude, Llama, or ChatGPT; in-house private LLM mentioned.
- FreshdeskAzure OpenAI (GPT-3.5 and GPT-4)
- Trains on past tickets
- CrispYes. Conversation history is a knowledge source.
- FreshdeskNo. On the roadmap.
- Pre-deploy simulation / sandbox
- CrispWorkflow testing available; no dedicated simulation sandbox.
- FreshdeskNot disclosed
- Multilingual
- CrispYes. Multilingual snippets, language detection, translation.
- FreshdeskYes. 60+ languages.(claimed)source
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- CrispNative only.
- FreshdeskNative to Freshdesk only
- AI pricing model
- CrispAI credits bundled per plan tier.
- FreshdeskPer session for the AI Agent (a 72-hour window). Copilot is a per-agent add-on.
- AI unit price
- Crisp~$0.055/automated conversation implied (Mini $5 credit ~90; Essentials $25 ~450; Plus $75 ~1,350).
- FreshdeskFirst 500 sessions free, then $49 per 100
How Open.cx compares
Open.cx runs on top of Crisp or Freshdeskas an AI layer, or works as its own helpdesk. Here's where it lands on the same questions.
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- Both. Add it on top of the helpdesk you already run, or use it as your own inbox. Works with Zendesk, Intercom, Front, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365, Twilio Flex, and Creatio.
- Autonomous AI agent
- Yes. Autopilot resolves tickets end to end on its own, across every channel.
- AI pricing model
- Per resolution, so you pay for outcomes. Escalations to a human are free.
- Claimed automation rate
- 77% average automation; up to 80% (Trunkrs)(claimed)source
Security & Compliance
Certifications, data residency, and access controls.
- SOC 2 Type II
- CrispNot certified. No SOC2 audit; self-assessed only.
- FreshdeskYes. SOC 2 Type II.
- GDPR
- CrispYes. Fully GDPR-compliant; DPA; EU-only storage; DPO.
- FreshdeskYes. EU-US DPF certified.
- HIPAA / PCI
- CrispNot disclosed.
- FreshdeskYes. BAA, on Enterprise.
- SSO / SAML
- CrispOIDC SSO (Enterprise); SAML not confirmed.
- FreshdeskYes. SAML SSO.
- Data residency
- CrispEU only. Messaging in Netherlands, plugin data in Germany; relay (no storage) US/UK/SG.
- FreshdeskYes. US, EU, UAE, India, Australia.
Integrations
Marketplace breadth, APIs, and developer tooling.
- Marketplace / integrations (approx.)
- Crisp~73 integrations across 7 categories.
- Freshdesk1,000+ apps in the marketplace
- Shopify depth
- CrispOrder history in inbox; refunds actionable; live chat widget; built-in ecommerce features.
- FreshdeskFree Shopify app. Orders, refunds, cancellations, multi-store.
- Open / public API
- CrispYes. REST API; Developer Hub.
- FreshdeskYes. REST API.
- Developer SDK / MCP
- CrispYes. Chat SDK (JS, iOS, Android, React Native); open-source on GitHub.
- FreshdeskYes. Serverless SDK.
Automation & Workflows
Builders, triggers, routing, and SLAs.
- Workflow builder
- CrispYes. No-code visual builder; conditional logic, HTTP calls.
- FreshdeskYes. Low-code rule builder.
- Triggers / automations
- CrispYes. Auto-trigger on conversation start/events/Hugo scenarios.
- FreshdeskYes. Time and event triggers.
- Routing
- CrispYes. Round Robin, origin-based, intent-based, custom rules.
- FreshdeskYes. Skill-based, round-robin, load-balanced.
- Macros / canned responses
- CrispYes. Shortcuts (templated, dynamic data).
- FreshdeskYes. Canned responses and templates.
- SLA management
- CrispPersonalized SLA at Enterprise only; SLA tracking in analytics.
- FreshdeskYes. Multiple SLA policies.
Collaboration
How support teams work a queue together.
- Internal notes
- CrispYes. Agent-only private notes.
- FreshdeskYes
- Collision detection
- CrispYes. Real-time alerts when another agent is replying.
- FreshdeskYes (Growth+). $5/agent/mo add-on.
- Side conversations
- CrispNot disclosed (@mentions exist).
- FreshdeskYes. Threads, plus external collaborators on Pro+.
- Shared inbox
- CrispYes. Omnichannel shared inbox.
- FreshdeskYes
Self-Service & Knowledge
Knowledge base, help center, and deflection.
- Knowledge base
- CrispYes. Customizable, brandable, multilingual.
- FreshdeskYes. Multilingual.
- Help center
- CrispYes. Public-facing, widget plus standalone URL.
- FreshdeskYes. Customer portal.
- Community forum
- CrispNot offered.
- FreshdeskYes
- AI answers from knowledge base
- CrispYes. Hugo uses KB articles as primary source.
- FreshdeskYes. Freddy suggests and writes articles.(claimed)source
Reporting & Analytics
Dashboards, custom reports, and CSAT.
- Dashboards
- CrispYes. Line/bar/treemap/heatmap, operator performance, geo, ratings.
- FreshdeskYes. Prebuilt and custom.
- Custom reports
- CrispYes. Custom analytics playground; filtering; formulas; export.
- FreshdeskYes. Custom reports.
- Included in lowest tier
- CrispAnalytics across plans; advanced gating not disclosed.
- FreshdeskPrebuilt from Free; custom from Pro.
- CSAT surveys
- CrispYes. Automated post-interaction CSAT via email and chat.
- FreshdeskYes. CSAT plus AI impact metrics.
Onboarding & Support
Implementation, CSM tiers, and partners.
- Onboarding
- CrispSelf-service all tiers; dedicated onboarding plus training at Enterprise; Plus gets onboarding assistance.
- Freshdesk5 paid onboarding tiers, plus advisory.
- Support channels
- CrispKB; chat; email. Per-tier channels not disclosed.
- Freshdesk24/7 email; 24/5 phone and chat(claimed)source
- Dedicated CSM
- CrispEnterprise only. Dedicated onboarding/personalized service.
- FreshdeskOn Enterprise/Premium.
- Implementation partners
- CrispNot disclosed. No partner program found.
- FreshdeskYes. Solution partner program.