Comparison
FirstReply vs. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is Freshworks' ticketing help desk: email tickets, a customer portal, SLAs and automations, sold per agent with Freddy AI as an add-on and per-session pricing for the AI agent. Social and chat channels live in the separate Freshdesk Omni product. FirstReply is an AI-first shared inbox that handles email and social channels together, with AI included in the workspace price.
At a glance
Freshdesk is a strong fit for teams that think in tickets, SLAs and a self-service portal. FirstReply is the simpler choice for small teams that want one inbox for email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, LinkedIn and app store reviews, with AI that costs nothing extra.
| Feature | FirstReply | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per workspace, flat monthly price | Per agent per month |
| Starting price | $39 per month | $19 per agent (Growth, annual) |
| AI included | All AI features included, no usage fees | Freddy AI Agent with 500 sessions included, copilot $29 per agent a month |
| Free plan or trial | 14-day free trial | Free trial |
| Best for | Small teams that want AI replies across email and social inboxes at a flat price | Email ticketing teams that want a classic help desk with a portal |
Feature by feature
Taken from the public product and pricing pages on September 6, 2026.
| Feature | FirstReply | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | ||
| Included | Included | |
| Website chat widget | Included | Via Freshdesk Omni |
| Included | Via Freshdesk Omni | |
| Included | Via Freshdesk Omni | |
| Facebook Messenger | Included | Via Freshdesk Omni |
| Included | Not included | |
| App Store and Google Play reviews | Included | Not included |
| Phone and SMS | Not included | Via Freshdesk Omni |
| Slack, Teams or Discord | Not included | Via marketplace apps |
| AI | ||
| AI drafts and replies | Included in every plan | Freddy AI Copilot add-on, $29 per agent a month (Pro and up) |
| Autonomous AI agent | Auto replies above a confidence threshold, no usage fee | Freddy AI Agent, 500 sessions included, then $49 per 100 sessions |
| Automatic categorization and priority | Included | With Freddy Copilot |
| Sentiment detection | Included | With Freddy Copilot |
| Translation | Built in (DeepL) | With Freddy Copilot (60+ languages) |
| Extra AI usage fees | None | Per session beyond the included 500, plus copilot seats |
| Knowledge base | ||
| Knowledge base for the AI | Included | Included |
| Knowledge sources synced | Notion, GitHub, GitBook, ClickUp, Monday, help desks, websites | Own knowledge base |
| Public help center | Not included | Included |
| Team and workflow | ||
| Shared inbox with assignment | Included | Included |
| Internal notes | Included | Included |
| Reply templates | Included | Canned responses |
| Custom contact fields | Included | Included |
| Reporting | Included | Included |
| API and webhooks | REST API, webhooks, MCP server | REST API, webhooks, marketplace |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Per workspace, flat monthly price | Per agent per month |
| Starting price | $39 per month (1 inbox, 5 team members) | $19 per agent (Growth); Pro $55; Enterprise $89 |
| Seats | 5 to 25 team members included | Every agent is a paid seat |
| Free plan or trial | 14-day free trial | Free trial |
| Billing | Monthly or annual (2 months free) | Monthly or annual (annual 20% lower) |
Prices and features of Freshdesk were taken from its public pricing and product pages on September 6, 2026, in USD, and may have changed since. Freshdesk is a trademark of its owner; FirstReply is not affiliated with it. Spotted a mistake? Write to support@firstreply.ai. Freshdesk pricing page · FirstReply pricing
Where Freshdesk is strong
- Mature ticketing with SLAs, escalations, parent-child tickets and a customer portal.
- Freddy AI Agent comes with 500 sessions per plan before usage fees start.
- A large marketplace and the wider Freshworks suite (CRM, IT service management).
- Enterprise plan with audit logs, sandbox and skill-based routing.
Where FirstReply is strong
- Social channels and app store reviews are in the core product, not a separate Omni subscription.
- AI drafts, auto replies, categorization, sentiment and translation are included on every plan; Freshdesk charges $29 per agent a month for Freddy Copilot.
- Flat workspace pricing instead of per-agent seats: $39 per month for five team members.
- Knowledge sync from Notion, GitHub, GitBook, ClickUp, Monday and websites keeps the AI current without manual copying.
- Hosted in the EU with a GDPR data processing agreement included.
Which one should you choose?
Freshdesk is the better fit if
You need formal SLA management, a branded self-service portal and ticket workflows across departments, and you are fine with buying chat and social channels as a separate product.
FirstReply is the better fit if
You want your email and social conversations in one AI-assisted inbox from day one, with predictable costs and no per-agent AI add-ons.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Freshdesk cheaper than FirstReply?
- For one agent on Growth, Freshdesk costs $19 per month against FirstReply's $39. From three agents on, FirstReply's $39 Basic plan covering five team members is cheaper, and the gap widens once you add Freddy AI Copilot at $29 per agent.
- Does FirstReply have a customer portal?
- No. FirstReply focuses on the conversation itself; there is no ticket portal or public help center. Freshdesk includes a portal and knowledge base on all plans.
- How does the AI differ?
- Freshdesk's Freddy AI Agent handles email conversations with 500 sessions included and $49 per 100 sessions after that; the copilot is a separate per-agent add-on. FirstReply classifies every incoming message, replies automatically above a confidence threshold and drafts the rest, all included.
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