Freshdesk vs Zendesk: which tool should you choose for your customer support?

When it comes to professional customer support, two names keep coming up: Freshdesk and Zendesk. These two heavyweights of the SaaS market dominate the ticket management, multi-channel support and customer service automation software sector. So which one should you choose? Which integrates best with your business? And above all, which one meets your specific needs: ease of use? functional power? customisation? budget? These are just some of the questions we'll be looking to answer.

In this article, we offer you a complete and impartial comparison between Freshdesk and Zendesk: features, interface, AI, integrations, use cases, advantages, disadvantages, price... It's all there. The aim is to help you make the best choice for your team and your customer experience, without unnecessary jargon or vague comparisons.

Ready to decide? Freshdesk or Zendesk, let's see who deserves a place in your stack.

What is Freshdesk?

Overview of Freshdesk

Freshdesk is the customer support tool created by Freshworks that focuses on ease of use without sacrificing power. Designed for customer service teams, it lets you manage tickets, centralise channels (email, chat, telephone, social networks) and streamline exchanges with customers. Whether you're a SaaS startup or a large international company, Freshdesk adapts to your needs with a modular approach.

👤Who should use Freshdesk? Customer service managers, growing entrepreneurs, but also IT teams who want a reliable, cloud-based solution that doesn't require a gas factory. Companies such as HP, Panasonic and Henkel are using it to deliver a better customer experience.

Freshdesk's reputation in concrete terms: Freshdesk has more than 60,000 corporate customers worldwide and is acclaimed for its ease of implementation .

Freshdesk key features

Freshdesk offers a comprehensive set of features to help you optimise your customer support, including :

• multi-channel ticket management: centralisation of requests via email, telephone, chat, social networks, etc;
• automated workflows: automatic responses, intelligent prioritisation, allocation according to defined rules, etc;
• A knowledge base: self-service help articles to reduce agent workload;
• reports and analytics: performance monitoring per agent, resolution times, customer satisfaction, etc;
• Live chat functionality: via Freshchat, to offer proactive assistance;
• customisable customer portal: dedicated interface for customers to find their tickets or ask for help;
• native integrations: Slack, Shopify, Zapier, Microsoft Teams, etc.

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Advantages and disadvantages of Freshdesk

✅ Freshdesk ticks a lot of boxes for customer-facing teams. Here are the strengths that set it apart in the world of customer support software:

• Intelligent, collaborative ticketing: each ticket brings together the full history of exchanges, facilitates transfers between agents and enables internal discussions. The result: better ticket management and zero loss of information.
• Freddy AI (Freshdesk's AI): Freddy assists agents in real time with suggested responses, analyses the sentiment of messages, automates certain actions... in short, a real co-pilot to boost productivity without sacrificing quality.
• Powerful automation: thanks to its customisable scenarios (SLA rules, escalations, prioritisation), Freshdesk considerably reduces manual tasks. The focus is on the relationship, not the routine.
• Integrated knowledge base: possibility of creating a public FAQ, fed by the most frequent cases. Fewer tickets for the team, more autonomy for the customer.
• Multilingual and multi-time zone: perfectly suited to distributed teams or an international customer service department.
• Enterprise security: advanced role management, SSO/SAML authentication, RGPD compliance - customer data is treated seriously. Freshdesk is SOC 2 Type II certified.
• Analytics and real-time reporting: dynamic dashboards for monitoring key indicators (SLA, satisfaction, workload per agent, etc.). A real lever for steering performance and adjusting resources.
• Unified omnichannel experience: whether the customer writes by email, chat, telephone or social network, everything is centralised in a single thread, with no double processing.
• Rich ecosystem of integrations: over 1,000 connectors available (Shopify, Slack, Trello, Salesforce, etc.) to suit every technical stack.
• Scalability: whether you have 3 agents or 300, Freshdesk keeps pace with scalable plans and features that can be activated as needed from €15 per agent per month.

❌ Despite its many advantages, Freshdesk also has a few limitations to consider depending on the company's profile:

• Advanced features reserved for higher plans: to exploit personalised reporting or AI bots, you need to upgrade (Pro or Enterprise plan).
• Agent experience perfectible on mobile: the application is useful, but less fluid than the desktop interface.
• Interface cluttered with large volumes of tickets: beyond a few thousand requests, the UX becomes denser, especially without well-configured automation.
• Workflow customisation limits (in basic plans): some companies will have to juggle with standard rules or upgrade.
• Freshdesk technical support can be slow: especially in the case of complex bugs or third-party integrations.

What is Zendesk?

Overview of Zendesk

Zendesk is the big name in customer support. Born in Copenhagen in 2007, this SaaS software is now one of the most comprehensive platforms for managing omnichannel customer relations on a large scale. It is aimed primarily at growing or well-established businesses that want a robust, highly customisable solution that is connected to their entire IT ecosystem.

👤With customers including Airbnb, Shopify, Uber, Tesco and Mailchimp, Zendesk powers the customer service of more than 160,000 businesses in 160 countries.

Its strength? A modular platform that adapts just as well to an outsourced helpdesk as it does to a tech startup or in-house IT department.

Key features of Zendesk

Zendesk offers a comprehensive and scalable set of features designed to meet the diverse needs of customer support teams, whatever their size or industry. Here is an overview of the key tools offered by Zendesk:

• Multi-channel ticket management system: unified processing of requests from email, chat, social networks, telephone or web form
• Self-service help centre: articles, FAQs, community forums, intelligent search engine
• Intelligent routing and advanced SLAs: powerful automation rules to direct each ticket to the right agent at the right time
• Customisable agent interface: dashboards, dynamic views, response macros
• AI and automation tools (Zendesk AI): automatic responses, conversational bots, satisfaction predictions
• Customised reports and dashboards: via Zendesk Explore for detailed performance monitoring
• Integrations and APIs: over 1,200 integrations with CRM, e-commerce tools, internal platforms, etc.
• ITSM functionalities (Zendesk for IT): internal requests, incident management, knowledge base for IT teams

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Advantages and disadvantages of Zendesk

✅ Zendesk is often considered the Rolls Royce of customer support, and the reason so many companies rely on it is because of :

• Ultra-complete and mature platform: designed for complex environments with multiple teams or countries
• Native omnichannel experience: all channels are connected to a single interface, with no need for external modules
• Integrated Zendesk AI: automates responses, detects emotions, predicts satisfaction and guides live agents
• Extensive customisation: views, fields, workflows, automations - everything can be tailored to internal processes
• Powerful Help Centre: with intelligent search engine and real-time suggestions for customers
• High reliability and security: SSO, audit log, encryption, SOC 2 compliance, RGPD... this is serious business
• Very rich Zendesk Marketplace: over 1,200 applications available to enhance functionalities (CRM, analytics, e-commerce)

❌ But be warned: Zendesk isn't perfect and has limitations that are frequently mentioned by its customers, such as:

• Steeper learning curve: the interface is powerful, but takes time to master
• High cost per agent: Zendesk is one of the most expensive on the market (often from €69 per agent per month for advanced functions such as the AI agent)
• Complex set-up: without a dedicated technical team or consultant, you can quickly feel overwhelmed
• Zendesk customer support criticised (paradoxically): some users report long response times or a lack of customisation
• Key features only available in higher plans: Zendesk AI, advanced workflows or customised reports are sometimes locked behind paying options

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: compare features

☝️Verdict: Both solutions offer effective multi-channel management, robust automation options and advanced integration with business tools.

• Freshdesk stands out for its intelligent ticketing and Freddy AI, designed to lighten the workload of agents on a daily basis.
• Zendesk, on the other hand, stands out for the depth of its customisation, its advanced reporting and its ultra-mature platform, adapted to complex environments.

The choice between these two leaders will depend above all on the size of the team, the budget and the level of requirement in terms of advanced functionality.

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: compare prices

Freshdesk and Zendesk offer several modular plans, ranging from free or affordable offers to more comprehensive packages for demanding businesses. Here's a clear overview of the prices and key features included in each offer.

☝️En To sum up, Freshdesk is attractive because of its free offering and competitive prices, which are particularly well suited to small teams and start-ups.

Zendesk, on the other hand, is more expensive but offers advanced features and extensive customisation, justifying its positioning among medium-sized and large businesses.

The choice will therefore depend on the level of maturity of your customer service and the complexity of your needs.

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: which AI features for your customer support?

Freshdesk and Freddy AI: an intelligent assistant for agents and customers

Freshdesk offers Freddy AI, an artificial intelligence developed by Freshworks, which acts as a real co-pilot for support teams. 👨‍🎤 Freddy can:

• Automate responses to frequently asked questions via an integrated chatbot, available 24/7, reducing the load on human agents.
• Analyse the sentiment of incoming messages to prioritise urgent or sensitive tickets.
• Suggest predefined responses to agents in real time, speeding up the processing of requests.
• Automatically extract key information from tickets to feed the knowledge base or guide workflows.
• Help classify and prioritise tickets using supervised learning models.

Freddy IA is available according to the Freshdesk plan chosen, with advanced features available in the Pro and Enterprise packages.

Zendesk and its integrated AI: automation and advanced analysis

Zendesk has also developed AI tools integrated into its platform, which aim to automate support while retaining the human touch when necessary:

• Zendesk Answer Bot: a chatbot that uses machine learning to automatically answer customer questions based on the knowledge base.
• Predictive analysis: Zendesk can anticipate customer satisfaction and identify high-risk tickets, enabling proactive intervention.
• Intelligent ticket automation: automated routing, prioritisation and escalation based on dynamic criteria.
• Customisable virtual assistants: companies can create bots tailored to their specific needs via the Zendesk Sunshine platform.

Zendesk's AI solution is particularly suited to large enterprises requiring advanced automation and multilingual support.

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: which interface is more intuitive?

The interface plays a crucial role in customer support efficiency.Freshdesk appeals for its simplicity and speed of adoption, ideal for small and medium-sized teams, while Zendesk offers a richer, more customisable interface, perfect for complex environments, but requiring more time to master.

Let's take a closer look:

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: compare integrations

Integrations are a key criterion when it comes to choosing a customer support solution, because, as you know, they enable the software to be connected to your existing ecosystem. Both Freshdesk and Zendesk offer a wide range of connectors, but with notable differences in terms of quantity, ease of use and customisation. Here's a detailed assessment to guide you.

• Number of integrations
  • Freshdesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (over 1,000 apps available)
  • Zendesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (over 1,200 integrations, including many CRM and e-commerce tools)
• Quality and reliability of integrations
  • Freshdesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (stable integrations, regular updates)
  • Zendesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (robust integrations, dedicated technical support)
• Ease of installation and configuration
  • Freshdesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (intuitive marketplace, rapid deployment)
  • Zendesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (more complex, sometimes requires expertise)
• Depth of customisation
  • Freshdesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (good level of customisation, especially on advanced plans)
  • Zendesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (very high level of customisation, ideal for specific needs)
• Most popular integrations
  • Freshdesk: Slack, Shopify, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, Google Workspace
  • Zendesk: Salesforce, Shopify, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Mailchimp, Slack

☝️ In short, Freshdesk offers an excellent balance between the number and simplicity of integrations, perfect for teams looking for speed and efficiency.

Zendesk excels in variety and depth, suited to more demanding technical environments.

When should you choose Freshdesk or Zendesk?

Examples of Freshdesk use cases

Freshdesk is primarily aimed at companies looking for a simple to deploy, scalable and effective solution for managing their day-to-day customer support. Here are the profiles and situations where Freshdesk makes all the difference:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that want a complete platform without technical complexity. Freshdesk is quick to learn and offers an attractive free plan to get you started.
• Start-ups and growing teams who need a flexible tool, capable of scaling up over time with scalable features like automation and Freddy AI.
• Multi-channel support teams who want to centralise emails, chats, calls and social networks in a clear, collaborative interface.
• Internal IT departments that need structured ticket management, with good SLA tracking and an integrated knowledge base for internal requests.
• Companies on a budget: Freshdesk offers competitive pricing, including a free offer and plans tailored to small to medium-sized teams.
• Organisations looking for simple integration with their business tools (CRM, messaging, e-commerce) without complex configurations.

🗣️ Customer testimonial :

I had members of my team who were not at all comfortable with e-mail. Thanks to Freddy AI, they have gained in confidence and the quality of their emails is now remarkable.

Keira Hayter, Responsable de l'équipe commerciale de Bay Holiday

Examples of Zendesk use cases

Zendesk is the solution of choice for businesses looking for a highly customisable platform capable of managing complex, often large-scale, customer support environments. Here are the cases where Zendesk is the natural choice:

• Medium and large enterprises with large teams spread across multiple sites or countries, requiring advanced coordination and sophisticated workflows.
• Organisations with integrated ITSM needs, combining customer support and internal service management via dedicated Zendesk IT modules.
• Companies with high customisation requirements, with specific business processes and a need to adapt the interface, automations and reports in depth.
• Companies with technical resources capable of managing the complexity of a powerful platform and taking advantage of advanced APIs and integrations.
• Organisations requiring detailed, personalised reporting to monitor team performance and optimise the customer experience.
• Demanding multi-channel organisations that want to deliver a seamless customer journey across all touchpoints, with advanced automation via Zendesk AI.

🗣️ Customer testimonial :

When we launched the Zendesk 360 vision in our company, we had a contact rate of around 40%. Today, almost a year later, we have a contact rate of around 10%, which for us is a great victory.

Laure Berrut, Responsable du service client chez Printemps

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: which customer support tool should you choose?

Freshdesk or Zendesk? The choice depends above all on your specific needs.

👉 If you're looking for a solution that's easy to get to grips with, quick to deploy, with an intuitive interface and excellent value for money, Freshdesk will undoubtedly be your ally. Its free version, effective automations and Freddy AI make day-to-day customer support management easy, ideal for small teams, startups and growing SMEs.

👉 On the other hand, if your organisation requires an ultra-customisable platform capable of managing complex environments, ITSM processes, and offering advanced reporting, Zendesk stands out as the benchmark. Its rich functionality, extensive integrations and robust artificial intelligence make it a relevant choice for medium and large enterprises with distributed support teams.

☝️ In a nutshell:

👉 In the end, it's the size of your team, your budget and the maturity of your processes that should guide your choice.

And if you're still hesitating? The good news is that Freshdesk and Zendesk both offer free trials. The easiest thing to do is to test each solution on a pilot project to see which one suits your organisation best.

FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions about Freshdesk and Zendesk

What is the best tool for managing complex customer support?

For complex customer support, with large teams, customised processes and advanced automation and reporting requirements, Zendesk is often the best choice. Its ultra-complete, modular platform makes it possible to manage multilingual and international environments, and to integrate ITSM workflows. Freshdesk still performs well, but Zendesk excels in customisation and scale.

What are the conditions to benefit from the Freshdesk "Sprout" free plan?

The Freshdesk Sprout plan is available with no time limit and allows you to manage basic customer support with up to 10 agents, making it suitable for very small businesses and start-ups. It includes ticket management by email, a knowledge base, a customer portal and limited chat. This plan is ideal for testing the solution or for small teams with simple needs.

Do Freshdesk and Zendesk support multi-channel?

Yes, Freshdesk and Zendesk both support multi-channel customer support. They enable requests from different channels to be centralised: email, live chat, telephone, social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and web forms. This unification facilitates ticket management and improves the customer experience.

Which software offers the best user experience for agents?

Freshdesk stands out for its intuitive, easy-to-use interface, ideal for teams looking for speed and efficiency without complexity. Zendesk, which is more powerful and customisable, offers a rich interface but takes longer to get used to. The choice therefore depends on the size of the team and the sophistication of the processes.