Freshdesk vs Intercom
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Quick verdict
Freshdesk edges it overall, winning 2 of 4 rating categories. Freshdesk is cheaper to start ($19 vs $29).
You’re small and mid-size support teams that want an easy, affordable help desk. Freshworks’ help desk: easy ticketing, automations and a self-service portal at a lower per-agent price than Zendesk, with Freddy AI agents and copilot as add-ons.
Visit FreshdeskYou’re saaS and digital businesses that want AI to handle most first-line support. An AI-first customer service platform built around Fin, its AI agent that resolves customer questions, plus a modern inbox, help center and in-app messaging.
Visit IntercomSide by side
| Freshdesk | Intercom | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Value | 4.4/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Features | 4.5/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Ease of use | 4.6/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Output quality | 4.4/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Category | Customer support | Customer support |
| Free plan | No free plan listed on the pricing page: 14-day trial | No: free trial |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | $19/mo | $29/mo |
| Same plan billed yearly | $19/mo | $29/mo |
| Top plan | Enterprise: $89/mo | Expert: $132/mo |
| Seats | Per agent | Per seat; Fin billed per outcome |
| Trial / refund | 14-day trial with Enterprise features | Free trial, add-ons included |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Small and mid-size support teams that want an easy, affordable help desk | SaaS and digital businesses that want AI to handle most first-line support |
Freshdesk: pros & cons
- Growth plan from $19/agent billed yearly
- Easy to set up and use
- First 500 AI agent sessions included
- Extra AI sessions cost $49 per 100
- Copilot is an add-on, not on Growth
- Monthly prices are higher (about 20% more)
Intercom: pros & cons
- Fin is one of the strongest AI support agents
- Beautiful in-app messenger
- Fin can run on top of Zendesk or Salesforce
- Per-seat plus per-outcome pricing is hard to forecast
- Expensive for large human teams
Questions from readers
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Freshdesk
Intercom