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 SaaS heavyweights dominate the field of ticket management, multi-channel support and customer service automation software. But which one to choose? Which integrates best with your business? And above all, which one meets your specific needs: ease of use? functional power? customization? budget? These are just a few of the questions we're here to answer.

In this article, we offer you a complete and unbiased comparison between Freshdesk and Zendesk: features, interface, AI, integrations, use cases, advantages, disadvantages, price... It's all here. Our goal: 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?

Freshdesk overview

Freshdesk is the customer support tool created by Freshworks that focuses on ease of use without sacrificing power. Designed for customer service teams, it enables them to manage tickets, centralize channels (email, chat, telephone, social networks) and streamline exchanges with customers. Whether for a SaaS startup or a large international enterprise, Freshdesk adapts to 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, with no gasworks. Companies such as HP, Panasonic and Henkel use it to deliver a better customer experience.

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

Freshdesk key features

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

• multi-channel ticket management: centralization of requests via email, telephone, chat, social networks ;
• automated workflows: automatic responses, intelligent prioritization, allocation according to defined rules;
• Knowledge base: self-service help articles to reduce agent workload;
• reports and analytics: performance tracking by agent, resolution time, customer satisfaction;
• live chat functionalities: via Freshchat, for proactive assistance;
• customizable customer portal: dedicated interface for customers to find their tickets or request 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 complete history of exchanges, facilitating transfers between agents and enabling 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, analyzes message sentiment, automates certain actions... in short, a real co-pilot to boost productivity without sacrificing quality.
• Powerful automation: thanks to its customizable scenarios (SLA rules, escalations, prioritization), 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 international customer service.
• 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 to monitor 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 centralized 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've got 3 agents or 300, Freshdesk keeps pace, with scalable plans and features that can be activated as needed, starting at €15 per agent per month.

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

• Advanced functionalities reserved for higher plans: to exploit personalized 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.
• Cluttered interface on large volumes of tickets: beyond a few thousand requests, the UX becomes denser, especially without well-configured automation.
• Workflow customization limits (in basic plans): some companies will have to juggle with standard rules or upgrade.
• Sometimes slow Freshdesk technical support: especially in the case of complex bugs or third-party integrations.

What is Zendesk?

Zendesk overview

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

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

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

Zendesk key features

Zendesk offers a comprehensive, scalable set of features designed to meet the varied needs of customer support teams, whatever their size or industry. Here's 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 center: articles, FAQs, community forums, intelligent search engine
• Intelligent routing and advanced SLAs: powerful automation rules direct each ticket to the right agent at the right time
• Customizable agent interface: dashboards, dynamic views, response macros
• AI and automation tools (Zendesk AI): automatic responses, conversational bots, satisfaction predictions
• Customized 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

Advantages and disadvantages of Zendesk

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

• Ultra-complete, 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: automate responses, detect emotions, predict satisfaction and guide live agents
• Extensive customization: views, fields, workflows, automations - everything can be tailored to internal processes
• Powerful Help Center: 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 enrich functionalities (CRM, analytics, e-commerce)

❌ But beware: 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 starting at €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 criticized (paradoxically): some users report long response times or a lack of personalization
• Key features only available in higher plans: Zendesk AI, advanced workflows or customized reports are sometimes locked behind paid options

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: compare features

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

• Freshdesk stands out for its intelligent ticketing and Freddy AI, designed to lighten agents' daily workloads.
• Zendesk, on the other hand, shines with its depth of customization, advanced reporting and ultra-mature platform, adapted to complex environments.

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

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: compare prices

Freshdesk and Zendesk offer a number of 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's free offering and competitive pricing make it particularly attractive to small teams and startups.

Zendesk, on the other hand, is more expensive, but boasts advanced features and extensive customization, justifying its positioning among medium-sized and large companies.

Your choice will depend on the 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 true 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.
• Analyze the sentiment of incoming messages to prioritize 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 prioritize 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 at-risk tickets, enabling proactive intervention.
• Intelligent ticket automation: automated routing, prioritization and escalation based on dynamic criteria.
• Customizable virtual assistants: companies can create bots tailored to their specific needs via the Zendesk Sunshine platform.

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

Freshdesk vs Zendesk: which interface is more intuitive?

Interface plays a crucial role in customer support efficiency.Freshdesk seduces with its simplicity and speed of adoption, ideal for small and medium-sized teams, while Zendesk offers a richer, more customizable 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 you to connect the software 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 customization. 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 customization
  • Freshdesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (good level of customization, especially on advanced plans)
  • Zendesk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (very high level of customization, 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 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 to choose Freshdesk or Zendesk?

Examples of Freshdesk use cases

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

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who want a complete platform without technical complexity. Freshdesk is quick to learn, and offers an attractive free plan to get you started.
• Startups 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 wishing to centralize emails, chats, calls and social networks in a clear, collaborative interface.
• Internal IT departments needing 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.
• Organizations looking for simple integration with their business tools (CRM, messaging, e-commerce) without complex configurations.

🗣️ Customer testimonial :

I had team members who were not at all comfortable with e-mail. Thanks to Freddy AI, they have gained in confidence and the quality of their e-mails 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 companies looking for a highly customizable platform capable of managing complex, often large-scale, customer support environments. Here are the cases where Zendesk is a natural fit:

• Medium-sized and large companies with large teams spread over several sites or countries, requiring advanced coordination and sophisticated workflows.
• Organizations with integrated ITSM needs, combining customer support and internal service management via dedicated Zendesk IT modules.
• Companies with high customization 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.
• Organizations requiring detailed, customized reporting to drive team performance and optimize the customer experience.
• Demanding multi-channel organizations wishing to offer 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, efficient automations and Freddy AI make day-to-day customer support management easy, ideal for small teams, startups and growing SMBs.

👉 On the other hand, if your organization requires an ultra-customizable 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:

👉 Ultimately, 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? Good news: 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 best suits your organization.

FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions about Freshdesk and Zendesk

What's the best tool for managing complex customer support?

For complex customer support, with large teams, customized processes and advanced automation and reporting requirements, Zendesk is often the best choice. Its ultra-complete, modular platform can handle multilingual, international environments, and integrate ITSM workflows. Freshdesk remains a top performer, but Zendesk excels in customization and scale.

What are the conditions for taking advantage of Freshdesk's free "Sprout" plan?

The Freshdesk Sprout plan is available for an unlimited period of time and allows you to manage basic customer support with up to 10 agents, making it ideal for small businesses and startups. 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, both Freshdesk and Zendesk support multi-channel customer support. They centralize requests from different channels: email, live chat, telephone, social networks (Facebook, Twitter...), 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, more powerful and customizable, offers a rich interface but takes longer to adapt to. The choice therefore depends on the size of your team and the sophistication of your processes.