Compare Freshdesk and LiveAgent on pricing, features, platforms, and ratings — both Help Desk tools, Freemium vs Subscription (30-day free trial, no permanent…
At a Glance
Freshdesk
LiveAgent
Primary category
Help Desk
Help Desk
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Freemium
Subscription (30-day free trial, no permanent free tier)
Starting price
Free (limited-time program for up to 2 agents); paid plans start at $19/agent/month billed annually
$15/agent/month (billed annually)
Free plan
Yes
Not documented
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Yes
Public API
Yes
Not documented
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Freshdesk
Free Program — Free Limited to 6 months
Growth — $19/agent/month Annual
Pro — $55/agent/month Annual
Enterprise — $89/agent/month Annual
LiveAgent
Small Business — $15/agent/month Annual
Medium Business — $29/agent/month Annual
Large Business — $49/agent/month Annual
Enterprise — $69/agent/month Annual
Pros & Cons
Freshdesk
Pros
Lower entry price than Zendesk with a comparable core feature set
Fast to set up and learn, with an intuitive agent interface
Strong automation and self-service tools even on mid-tier plans
Permanent free plan was discontinued in 2025, replaced with a time-limited free program
Freddy AI Copilot is a separate paid add-on rather than bundled in lower tiers
Enterprise-grade features (sandboxing, advanced security, audit logs) require the top tier
Per-agent pricing can get expensive quickly for larger support teams
LiveAgent
Pros
Broad feature set bundling ticketing, chat, call center and social in one price
API access and integrations included on every plan with no extra fees
30-day free trial with no credit card required
Long operating history since 2004 reflects mature, well-tested platform
Positioned as a lower-cost alternative to Zendesk and Freshdesk
Cons
No permanent free plan, only a time-limited trial
Per-agent pricing can scale up quickly for larger support teams
Advanced features like SSO and audit logs require higher-priced tiers
Frequently confused with the unrelated company LiveChat due to similar naming
Interface can feel feature-dense compared to simpler chat-only tools
Use Cases
Freshdesk
Multi-channel customer support — Support teams use Freshdesk to manage email, chat, phone, and social inquiries from a single shared inbox with automated routing.
Self-service deflection — Companies build knowledge bases and deploy Freddy AI's self-service bot to resolve common questions without agent involvement.
Field service coordination — Businesses with on-site technicians use Freshdesk's field service management to schedule jobs alongside standard support tickets.
LiveAgent
All-in-one SMB support desk — Small and mid-size businesses use LiveAgent to combine email, chat and phone support in one affordable ticketing system instead of paying for multiple point tools.
Multi-channel social support — E-commerce and consumer brands use LiveAgent to manage Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram support alongside traditional email tickets.
Call center plus digital support — Support teams needing phone-based service use LiveAgent's built-in call center and IVR alongside chat and ticketing.