Freshchat

Freshchat helps organizations manage customer conversations on websites, mobile apps, and messaging channels. Agents can work in a shared inbox to assign, respond to, and resolve conversations, use pre-saved replies, and handle work across channels including web and mobile chat, email, social messaging, SMS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Google Business Messages. Businesses can deploy no-code Freddy AI chatbots to answer common questions without an agent. The free plan includes a web and mobile chat widget, shared inbox, email connection, and roles and permissions for up to 10 agents. Paid plans start at $19.00 per month billed annually. New signups can try the Enterprise plan for 14 days without a credit card. Higher-tier features include multilingual conversations, intelligent routing, custom dashboards, and audit logs. Freshchat has Android and iOS apps for agents to respond, assign conversations, add private notes, resolve chats, and receive notifications. Connectors and APIs support integrations and workflow automation. Freshchat says standalone data stores are encrypted in transit and at rest.

Freshchat brings multiple customer communication channels into a shared agent workspace, with chatbot and integration options. The free plan covers up to 10 agents; paid plans add features such as multilingual conversations and intelligent routing.

Freshchat suits teams that handle customer conversations across websites, apps, and messaging services. Its stated customer range extends from small businesses to large enterprises, including e-commerce, travel and hospitality, and healthcare organizations.

Overview

Freshchat is customer messaging software for businesses handling service conversations across web, mobile apps, and messaging channels. It suits teams that need a shared agent workspace alongside chatbots and integrations. Its free tier supports up to 10 agents, while paid plans add capabilities such as intelligent routing and multilingual conversations.

Freshchat is made by Freshworks, founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Mateo, California. It is positioned for organizations from small businesses to large enterprises, including those in e-commerce, travel and hospitality, and healthcare. For a broader category comparison, see our Live chat software list.

Key features

Channels and team inbox

Freshchat brings web and mobile chat together with email, Facebook and Instagram messaging, SMS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Google Business Messages. Agents can also manage conversations from Apple Business Chat and Slack in one workspace. That range can reduce channel switching for teams serving customers in several places; APIs provide a route for organizations that need to connect their own channel.

The Team Inbox supports individual or bulk assignment, saved replies, and a single action to assign, respond to, and resolve a conversation. These tools help teams share a queue, while the free plan’s 10-agent cap is generous for a small operation but may become a constraint as staffing grows.

Chatbots, language, and integrations

No-code Freddy AI chatbots can handle common questions without an agent. Freshworks says Freddy AI Agent can deflect up to 86% of customer requests, but that is a stated ceiling rather than a guarantee for every business. Growth, Pro, and Enterprise include 500 AI sessions once per account; Growth charges $49 per 100 sessions for additional use.

Multilingual conversations translate incoming and outgoing communications in more than 45 languages, but that feature begins with Pro. Freshchat offers pre-built integration connectors and workflow automation, with featured connections including Shopify, Salesforce, Slack, Jira, and Five9. The marketplace has more than 1,000 integrations, and APIs and low-code tools support custom workflows. Connector app tasks cost $80/5000 tasks on Growth, Pro, and Enterprise.

Administration, security, and mobile

Role-based access control is included in the free plan. Higher-tier administration adds controls such as business hours and audit logs, while Enterprise adds allowed domains and IP whitelisting. Security features include SAML single sign-on and JWT authentication; standalone Freshchat data stores are encrypted in transit and at rest, with controls audited under SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and Cyber Essentials Plus.

iOS and Android apps let agents respond, assign conversations, add private notes, resolve chats, and receive push notifications. Support is offered by phone, live chat, email, community forums, and a knowledge base.

Pricing

Freshchat is freemium. The free plan costs nothing and supports up to 10 agents, with web and mobile chat widgets, a shared inbox, email, and roles and permissions. It also includes 100 campaign contacts per account per month. This is a meaningful starting point for a small team, but it does not include the paid plans’ social messaging and text messaging features.

Growth costs $19 a month, billed annually. It adds Freddy AI Agent, social media messengers, text messaging, and reporting; campaign contacts rise to 500 per account per month. Extra AI sessions cost $49 per 100 sessions, day passes cost $2/pass, and connector app tasks cost $80/5000 tasks. Growth is the entry paid tier for teams wanting those channels and reporting, but it lacks multilingual conversations and intelligent routing.

Pro costs $49 a month, billed annually. It adds multilingual conversations, custom dashboards, intelligent routing, and multiple SLA policies. Freddy AI Copilot costs $29/agent/month, day passes cost $7/pass, and connector app tasks cost $80/5000 tasks. Pro is the more suitable step for teams that need language support or more controlled routing, though those capabilities come with a substantial price increase over Growth.

Enterprise costs $79 a month, billed annually. It adds skill-based routing, audit logs, JWT authentication, and allowed domains and IP whitelisting. Freddy AI Copilot costs $29/agent/annually, day passes cost $12/pass, and connector app tasks cost $80/5000 tasks. It best fits organizations that need the additional routing and administrative controls; smaller teams may not need them.

A 14-day free trial provides Enterprise access and requires no credit card. There are no cancellation fees, but cancellation takes effect after the current term, so it does not end service immediately.

Platforms

Freshchat supports websites, mobile apps, and messaging channels, with web, iOS, Android, and API availability. Its supported channels include web and mobile chat, email, social messengers, SMS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Google Business Messages.

Who it's for

Freshchat is a strong fit for businesses that need agents to manage conversations from several digital channels in one place, particularly when a shared inbox, chatbot handling, and integrations are central requirements. The free plan can serve a team of up to 10 agents; Growth is the practical paid entry point for social messaging and text messaging, while Pro and Enterprise target teams with more demanding language, routing, or administration needs.

It is less compelling for a small team that only needs a simple live-chat widget, or for organizations that do not need the added channels and workflow features enough to justify paid tiers. Teams should also account for the annual billing terms and potential charges for extra AI sessions, day passes, and connector tasks.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad channel coverage: agents can handle web and app chat alongside messaging, email, and SMS options in a shared workspace.
• Useful small-team starting point: the free tier includes up to 10 agents, web and mobile widgets, a shared inbox, and email connection.
• Room to extend workflows: pre-built integrations, APIs, and low-code tools support connections beyond the core channels.
• Clear upgrade path: higher tiers add multilingual conversations, intelligent routing, and enterprise administration controls.

Cons

• Several useful capabilities are gated: social messaging and text messaging start with Growth, while multilingual conversations and intelligent routing require Pro.
• Usage can add cost: extra AI sessions, day passes, connector tasks, and AI Copilot have separate charges.
• Annual billing matters: the stated paid monthly prices are billed annually, and cancellation only takes effect after the current term.

Alternatives

tawk.to is worth considering if a free plan with 100 monthly message credits and one AI chat agent better matches a modest messaging workload.

Crisp may suit a small team that values unlimited conversations on its free tier and can work within its two-seat limit.

Chatwoot is an alternative for teams interested in open-source software, with a free Hacker plan capped at two agents and 500 conversations per month.

Zoho SalesIQ may fit a team whose free allowance of three operator licenses and 100 chats per month is sufficient.

JivoChat is an alternative with a free plan for up to five agents.

Smartsupp may suit a solo operator who can work within a free allowance of 25 conversations per month.

Brevo Conversations is another freemium option, with a free plan for one user.

MyLiveChat is an alternative with a free plan for one agent.

Verdict

Choose Freshchat if your business needs a shared workspace for customer conversations across multiple channels and expects to grow into chatbot, integration, or routing features. Its 10-agent free tier is a credible starting point, and its paid plans offer a clear progression. Look elsewhere if you need only simple live chat or want to avoid annual terms and usage-based extras.