Chatwoot vs Freshdesk Support Desk — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Chatwoot starts at $19/mo. Freshdesk Support Desk starts at $23/mo. Chatwoot is $4/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Freshdesk Support Desk.
See price history: Chatwoot · Freshdesk Support Desk
Open-source customer support platform positioned as the alternative to Zendesk and Intercom for teams that want self-hosting + no per-agent seat trap. Distinctive as the OSS challenger with a serious cloud offering. Priced free (community edition, self-hosted) up to $99/user/mo Enterprise Cloud. Popular with agencies, regulated industries, and teams building customer-facing chat into their own products via API.
Customer support platform from Freshworks, positioned as the direct alternative to Zendesk at roughly half the price. Distinctive for its unified agent workspace (email, chat, phone, social in one view) and its genuine free tier for up to 10 agents. Priced $15-$79/agent/month (annual billing). Popular with SMBs pivoting from shared inbox tools like Front to real ticketing. Recently added Freddy AI Copilot for automated ticket suggestions.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Chatwoot monthly | Chatwoot annual | Freshdesk Support Desk monthly | Freshdesk Support Desk annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Hacker / Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Startups / Growth | $19 | $19 | $23 | $19 |
| Pro / power | — / Pro | — | — | $66 | $55 |
| Teams | Business / — | $39 | $39 | — | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise | $99 | $99 | $107 | $89 |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Chatwoot is worth it if… Chatwoot is the open-source Intercom alternative for teams (2-100 agents) that want customer messaging + shared inbox + Captain AI — with the option to self-host if data sovereignty matters. Free Hacker tier covers 2 agents; Startups scales for small teams; Business adds more Captain AI credits and admin controls.
Freshdesk Support Desk is worth it if… support teams (5-100 agents) that need ticketing + knowledge base + light automation without Zendesk's enterprise pricing. Free covers up to 2 agents; Growth adds automations and reports; Pro adds custom roles and multi-product; Enterprise adds sandbox and IP whitelisting.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Chatwoot over Freshdesk Support Desk if…
Choose Chatwoot if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $19/mo).
- You match the profile Chatwoot is built for: the open-source Intercom alternative for teams (2-100 agents) that want customer messaging + shared inbox + Captain AI — with the option to self-host if data sovereignty matters.
- You need a general-purpose customer support option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Freshdesk Support Desk if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $23/mo).
- You match the profile Freshdesk Support Desk is built for: support teams (5-100 agents) that need ticketing + knowledge base + light automation without Zendesk's enterprise pricing.
- You need a general-purpose customer support option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Chatwoot | Freshdesk Support Desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $19/mo | $23/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 12, 2026 | September 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 12, 2026. Tracked daily.
Frequently asked questions
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Common questions about Chatwoot and Freshdesk Support Desk
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- How much does Freshdesk Support Desk cost in 2026?
- Does Freshdesk Support Desk have a free plan?
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