Comparison
Zendesk vs Freshdesk
How Zendesk and Freshdesk compare on price, pricing model, features and reviews, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Quick verdict
Choose Zendesk if
- Support teams that want a broad omnichannel suite with a regional data hosting option.
- Teams comfortable paying per AI resolution.
Choose Freshdesk if
- SMB support teams wanting low entry price and SAML SSO on every plan.
- Teams with moderate AI chatbot volume (500 sessions included)
Zendesk vs Freshdesk side by side
| Zendesk | Freshdesk | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Enterprise-grade help desk with per-agent plans, a bundled Guide knowledge base and per-resolution AI pricing. | Help desk from Freshworks with three per-agent plans, session-based AI pricing and a built-in knowledge base. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Starting price | $19 per agent/month billed annually (Support Team) | $19 per agent/month billed annually (Growth) |
| Pricing model | per agent | per agent |
| Free plan or trial | Free trial | Free trial |
| SAML SSO | Ambiguous on pricing table; enterprise details not published. | SAML SSO on all plans. |
| SCIM provisioning | Not published | Not published |
| Audit logs | Not shown on Support Team, Suite Team or Suite Professional. | Enterprise only. |
| Data residency | US, AU, JP and EEA via Data Center Location add-on. | Not stated by the vendor; hosted on AWS. |
| Contract | Month-to-month, annual and multi-year available. | Monthly option exists; cancellation effective at end of term. |
| Support | Business-hours digital support included; Premier 24/7 is an add-on. | Support tiers not stated by the vendor. |
| G2 rating | 4.3 (7,001 reviews) | 4.4 (3,750 reviews) |
| Founded | Not verified | Not verified |
| Headquarters | Not verified | Not verified |
| Employees | Not verified | Not verified |
| Channel coverage | Suite plans bundle email, messaging and voice channels; Contact Center add-on $83/agent/month. | Not verified |
| Ticket automation and routing | Not verified | Intelligent routing and multiple SLA policies on Pro; skill-based routing on Enterprise. |
| Knowledge base and self-service | Guide knowledge base included in Suite plans. | Knowledge base and customer portal on all plans. |
| AI agents and assistance | AI agents billed per automated resolution; Copilot $50/agent/month on Professional and up. | Freddy AI Agent: 500 sessions included, extra $49 per 100; Copilot $29/agent/month (add-on on Pro, included on Enterprise) |
| Reporting and SLA tracking | Not verified | Custom dashboards on Pro; Freddy AI Insights on Enterprise. |
| Integrations | Not verified | Connector app tasks $80 per 5,000. |
| Pricing model | Per agent plus per-resolution AI fees and add-ons. | Per agent plus AI session packs. |
| Target company size | Tiers from Support Team to Enterprise. | SMB to mid-market tiers. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Zendesk
- Automated AI resolutions are billed at $1.50 (committed) or $2.00 (pay-as-you-go) beyond 5 to 10 included per agent per month.
- Copilot costs $50 per agent/month on top of Professional.
- Data center location choice is a paid add-on (US, AU, JP, EEA)
- Premier 24/7 support and professional services are add-ons on every listed plan.
Worth knowing about Freshdesk
- SAML SSO is on all plans but audit logs are Enterprise only.
- AI is priced per session (a 72-hour email window counts as one), not per resolution.
- Day passes for occasional agents: $2 Growth, $7 Pro, $12 Enterprise.
- Trial needs a card to continue, otherwise the account is suspended.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Zendesk and Freshdesk reviews.