Freshdesk vs Crisp: Which Help Desk is Better for Small Teams?

Compare Freshdesk and Crisp for customer support. See pricing, features, and which help desk tool works best for small teams on a budget.

Updated 2025-01 · 2026

Freshdesk

Full-featured help desk with ticketing and automation

$15per agent/month

Strengths

+Comprehensive ticketing system with automation rules
+Multi-channel support (email, phone, chat, social)
+Robust reporting and analytics

Weaknesses

-Free plan limited to 10 agents only
-Can feel overwhelming for simple support needs
-Phone support only on higher tiers

Best for

Growing support teams that need advanced ticketing, automation, and multi-channel support at scale

Crisp

All-in-one customer messaging platform with live chat

$25per workspace/month (unlimited agents)

Strengths

+Unlimited team members on all paid plans
+Modern live chat interface with co-browsing
+Built-in chatbot and automation

Weaknesses

-Less robust ticketing compared to traditional help desks
-Fewer third-party integrations than Freshdesk
-Reporting features are more basic

Best for

Small teams wanting modern live chat with unlimited agents and a focus on real-time customer conversations

Feature Comparison

Feature	Freshdesk	Crisp
Free Tier	Up to 10 agents, basic ticketing, email support	2 websites, unlimited conversations, basic features
Team Members	Per-agent pricing ($15-$79/agent/month)	Unlimited agents on all plans
Ticketing System	Advanced ticketing with automation, SLAs, custom fields	Basic ticket management through shared inbox
Live Chat	Available, but secondary to ticketing	Primary feature with co-browsing and rich messaging
Email Support	Full email-to-ticket conversion with threading	Email support via shared inbox
Automation	Workflow automator, canned responses, assignment rules	Chatbot builder, triggers, automated messages
Knowledge Base	Built-in with SEO, multi-language, analytics	Basic help center included
Reporting	Advanced analytics, custom reports, dashboards	Basic conversation and response time metrics
Integrations	1000+ apps via marketplace	50+ integrations including Slack, Shopify, WordPress
Mobile Apps	iOS and Android apps for agents	iOS and Android apps for agents
Phone Support	Available on Pro tier and above ($49+/agent/month)	Not available
SLA Management	Built-in SLA tracking and escalation	Not available

The Verdict

Freshdesk wins for teams needing traditional help desk features like advanced ticketing, SLAs, and extensive integrations. Crisp is the better choice for small teams that prioritize live chat and want unlimited agents without per-seat pricing—you'll save significantly if you have more than 2-3 support staff.

How to switch from Freshdesk to Crisp

1Export your data from Freshdesk by going to Admin > Account > Export Data. Download CSV files for tickets, contacts, and companies. Save all ticket attachments separately as they're not included in the CSV export.
2Sign up for Crisp and create your workspace. Install the Crisp chat widget on your website by copying the JavaScript snippet from Settings > Website Settings and adding it to your site's HTML.
3Import your contacts into Crisp by going to Settings > People and using the CSV import feature. Map your Freshdesk contact fields to Crisp's contact properties. Note that ticket history cannot be directly imported—you'll start fresh with conversations.
4Set up your chatbot and automated messages in Crisp to replace Freshdesk automation rules. Configure triggers for common scenarios like business hours, first response, and routing. Add canned responses for your team's frequent replies.
5Recreate your knowledge base articles in Crisp's help center. Copy content from Freshdesk's solution articles and republish them in Crisp. Update any links in your website footer or help pages to point to the new Crisp help center.
6Train your team on Crisp's interface and gradually transition support channels. Start by handling new conversations in Crisp while closing out remaining Freshdesk tickets. Once all old tickets are resolved, cancel your Freshdesk subscription and update your support email to forward to Crisp.

Freshdesk vs Crisp: common questions

How do I export my tickets and data from Freshdesk?+

Go to Admin > Account > Export Data in Freshdesk. You can export tickets, contacts, and companies as CSV files. The export includes ticket conversations, but attachments need to be downloaded separately. Freshdesk retains your data for 90 days after account closure.

What features will I lose switching from Freshdesk to Crisp?+

You'll lose advanced ticketing features like SLA management, custom ticket fields, workflow automator, and phone support. Crisp also has fewer third-party integrations (50+ vs 1000+) and less robust reporting. If you rely heavily on these features, Crisp may not be suitable.

Is Crisp's free plan enough for a small support team?+

Crisp's free plan works for very small teams handling basic live chat on up to 2 websites with unlimited conversations. However, you'll need the Pro plan ($25/month) for features like chatbot, email support, and removing Crisp branding. The free plan is good for testing but most teams upgrade quickly.

Can I connect Crisp to my existing tools like Slack and Shopify?+

Yes, Crisp integrates with popular tools including Slack, Shopify, WordPress, Zapier, and major CRMs. However, the integration library is smaller than Freshdesk's. Check Crisp's integrations page to verify your specific tools are supported before switching.

How much will I actually save switching to Crisp?+

With 5 agents, Freshdesk costs $75-$395/month while Crisp costs $25/month total (unlimited agents). That's $50-$370/month in savings. However, if you need advanced features like phone support or SLA management that Crisp doesn't offer, you may need additional tools that offset the savings.