Freshchat

Overview

Freshchat is customer messaging software for teams handling support across digital channels. It is strongest for organizations that want a shared inbox alongside chatbots and integrations, with a free tier that accommodates up to 10 agents. Teams needing more sophisticated routing or administration will need a paid plan.

Freshworks serves organizations from small businesses to large enterprises, including those in e-commerce, travel and hospitality, and healthcare. For a category-wide comparison, see our Live chat software list.

Key features

Shared inbox and channel coverage

Freshchat brings web and mobile-app chat, email, social messaging, SMS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Google Business Messages into its channel mix. Agents can also work with conversations from Facebook, Apple Business Chat, and Slack in one workspace, while APIs support connecting other channels. This breadth suits teams serving customers across several messaging routes; it may be more than a small team needs if most questions arrive through one channel.

The Team Inbox supports individual or bulk assignment, saved replies, and a single action to assign, respond to, and resolve a conversation. That makes a shared queue more manageable for teams, although the free tier's 10-agent cap may be a constraint as the team grows.

Automation, language and integrations

No-code Freddy AI chatbots can answer common questions without an agent. Freshworks says Freddy AI Agent can deflect up to 86% of customer requests, but that figure is not a guarantee for an individual business. Growth, Pro, and Enterprise each include 500 AI Agent sessions once per account; Growth charges $49 per 100 sessions for additional use.

Multilingual conversations, which translate incoming and outgoing communications in over 45 languages, start at Pro. That makes the tier more relevant to teams serving customers across language boundaries, but leaves Growth without this capability. The Freshworks Marketplace has more than 1,000 integrations, including Shopify, Salesforce, Slack, Jira, and Five9. Connectors, templates, APIs, and a low-code interface support custom integrations and workflow automation.

Administration and security

Role-based access is included in the free plan; business hours, audit logs, and domain or IP allowlisting are among the administration controls, with audit logs and allowlisting reserved for Enterprise. SAML single sign-on and JWT authentication are also supported. Freshchat data stores are encrypted in transit and at rest, and controls are audited under SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.

Pricing

Freshchat uses a freemium model. The free plan supports up to 10 agents and includes web and mobile chat widgets, a shared inbox, email connection, and roles and permissions. It is a useful starting point for a small team, but does not include the paid tiers' stated additions such as social messengers, text messaging, reporting, or Freddy AI Agent.

The annual-billing term matters: the quoted paid prices are not monthly-billing prices. Growth charges $49 per 100 additional Freddy AI Agent sessions and $80 per 5,000 connector app tasks. Pro and Enterprise list Freddy AI Copilot at $29 per agent per month, and connector app tasks at $80 per 5,000; day passes cost $2, $7, or $12 per pass depending on plan. The Free plan includes 100 campaign contacts per account per month, compared with 500 on paid plans. Growth, Pro, and Enterprise also include 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions once per account.

A 14-day trial provides Enterprise access without requiring a credit card. Freshchat has no cancellation fees, though cancellation takes effect after the current term. Teams unsure whether Enterprise controls justify the higher annual price can use the trial to assess that tier before committing.

Platforms

Freshchat supports websites, mobile apps, and messaging channels, with apps for iOS and Android. Agents using the mobile apps can respond, assign conversations, add private notes, resolve chats, and receive push notifications. An API is also available for channel connectivity.

Who it's for

Freshchat is a sensible fit for customer-facing teams that need to coordinate conversations across several channels, especially when a shared inbox, automation, or integrations can reduce fragmented work. Free can serve a small team within its 10-agent ceiling; Growth is the entry point for social messaging and Freddy AI Agent, while Pro and Enterprise target teams with more demanding language, routing, and administration needs. A team that only needs a basic, single-channel chat setup may not benefit from the broader paid-tier capabilities.

Pros and cons

• Pros: The free plan supports up to 10 agents and includes a shared inbox, web and mobile widgets, email, and role permissions, making it practical for a small support team to start.
• Pros: Broad channel coverage, APIs, and more than 1,000 integrations give teams options for consolidating customer conversations and connecting other applications.
• Pros: The 14-day Enterprise trial needs no credit card, so teams can evaluate advanced controls before choosing a paid tier.
• Cons: Multilingual conversations and intelligent routing begin at Pro, while skill-based routing and audit logs require Enterprise; teams needing these capabilities face a substantial step up from Growth.
• Cons: Paid plan prices are stated for annual billing, and extra AI sessions or connector tasks can add cost beyond the included allowances.
• Cons: Cancellation is fee-free but takes effect only after the current term, so it does not end a subscription immediately.

Alternatives

Chatwoot is worth considering for readers who prioritize open-source software or self-hosting; its Hacker plan supports up to 2 agents and 500 conversations per month.

Zoho SalesIQ offers a free plan with 3 operator licenses, 100 chats per month, 10,000 visitors per month, and 30 days of chat history, which may suit a team with those limits.

tawk.to has a free Hobby plan with 100 monthly message credits, one AI chat agent, and 100 crawled web pages; consider it if those allowances fit your needs.

JivoChat is another freemium option, with a free plan for five agents.

Crisp has a free plan with two seats, unlimited conversations, 100 customer profiles, and no AI credits, a different balance for teams prioritizing conversation volume over included AI use.

Brevo Conversations offers a free plan for one user.

MyLiveChat has a free plan for one agent and three years of chat history.

Smartsupp has a free plan for one operator and 25 conversations per month.

Verdict

Choose Freshchat if your team needs a shared inbox across multiple customer channels and wants a path from a free 10-agent plan to AI, routing, and enterprise controls. Its channel and integration breadth is the central reason to choose it; the main reason to look elsewhere is that language support and advanced routing sit on higher-priced annual tiers, with extra usage charges also possible.