Sales & CRM · Review · Updated 17 October 2026
Freshchat reviewLive chat and messaging with an AI agent, free for up to 10 agents to start
Excellent
Brent score, out of 5
Freshchat is a strong, fairly priced choice for small and mid-sized teams that want live chat, social messaging and an AI agent in one inbox. The free plan is unusually generous on seats, and Growth at $19/agent adds the channels and bot most teams need. Watch the add-ons: AI sessions beyond the first 500 cost $49 per 100, and Copilot is another $29 per agent.
Price
Free for up to 10 agents; paid from $19/agent/month (USD, billed annually)
Free option
Free plan
Best for
Small support teams that want free live chat for up to 10 agents
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Best for
- Small support teams that want free live chat for up to 10 agents
- Ecommerce and D2C brands answering customers on web chat and social messengers
- Teams that want an AI agent to deflect common questions before a human steps in
- Businesses already using or planning to use Freshdesk
Skip it if
- Teams that need a full ticketing help desk on its own (Freshdesk is the better fit)
- High-volume brands that would burn through AI sessions and dislike per-session billing
- Anyone who wants AI features on the free plan
Customers expect a reply in minutes, on whatever channel they used: your website chat, Instagram, WhatsApp, a text message. If your team answers from five different apps, messages get missed and the same question gets answered ten times a day.
Freshchat, from Freshworks, pulls those conversations into one inbox and puts an AI agent in front of them to handle the routine questions. The free plan alone gives up to 10 agents a chat widget and shared inbox, which is rare.
This review covers what each plan includes, how the AI is billed, and when you should pick Freshchat over Tidio, Intercom or a full help desk.
What is Freshchat?
Freshchat is Freshworks' live chat and omnichannel messaging product. You add a chat widget to your site or app, connect messaging channels, and agents work from a shared inbox that shows each customer's history across channels. On paid plans, Freddy AI Agent answers common questions automatically from your knowledge base, with handoff to humans. Freshchat can also be bought as part of Freshdesk Omni, which adds ticketing and a knowledge base.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Free plan covers up to 10 agents with a chat widget, shared inbox and email connection
- Growth at $19/agent/month adds Freddy AI Agent, social messengers, SMS and reporting
- 500 free AI Agent sessions included once per account on paid plans
- Pro adds multilingual conversations, intelligent routing and multiple SLA policies
- 14-day trial with full Enterprise access and no credit card
- Unified agent view with customer context across channels
What could be better
- AI Agent sessions cost $49 per 100 after the first 500, so heavy bot use adds up
- Freddy AI Copilot is an extra $29/agent/month on Pro and Enterprise
- Free plan has no AI agent and no social or SMS channels
- Prices shown are annual; monthly billing costs more (the page says annual saves 20%)
Overall
Excellent
- Features4.4
- Ease of use4.4
- Value4.2
- Support4.0
Key features of Freshchat
Chat widget and shared inbox
The core of every plan, including Free. Agents see conversations from web chat and email in one place, with roles and permissions to control who sees what.
Freddy AI Agent
Available from Growth. It answers routine questions on your site and messaging channels and hands off to agents. Each paid account gets 500 free sessions once; a session covers a customer's AI interactions within 24 hours.
Social messengers and SMS
Growth adds social messengers and text messaging, so conversations from those channels land in the same inbox. Third-party guides say this includes WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram.
Routing and SLAs
Pro adds intelligent routing, multiple SLA policies and an agent availability dashboard. Enterprise adds skill-based routing so conversations reach the agent best able to answer.
Proactive campaigns
You can reach out to visitors on web or messaging channels before they ask. Every account gets 100 campaign contacts a month on Free, with more sold as an add-on.
Security and admin
Enterprise adds audit logs, JWT authentication, allowed domains and IP whitelisting for teams with stricter security requirements.
Freshchat pricing
Checked 2026-10. Prices can change; confirm on Freshworks Inc.’s site.
Free
$0
up to 10 agents
- Chat widget and shared inbox
- Email connection
- Roles and permissions
- 100 campaign contacts/month
Growth
$19/agent/month
billed annually
- Freddy AI Agent (500 free sessions once)
- Social messengers and SMS
- Reports and dashboards
Pro
$49/agent/month
billed annually
- Multilingual conversations
- Intelligent routing
- Multiple SLA policies
- Custom dashboards
Enterprise
$79/agent/month
billed annually
- Skill-based routing
- Audit logs
- JWT auth and IP whitelisting
Watch out: Prices are in US dollars per agent, billed annually; extra AI Agent sessions cost $49 per 100, Freddy AI Copilot is $29/agent/month, and day passes for occasional agents run $2 to $12 depending on plan.
See current Freshchat pricing →What people use Freshchat for
A D2C brand moving online
A cosmetics brand adds web chat and Instagram messaging on Growth and lets Freddy answer shipping and returns questions. Agents only see conversations that need a person.
A startup support team on a budget
A five-person SaaS team runs the Free plan for in-app chat and email in one inbox. They upgrade to Growth once they want reports and an AI agent.
A multilingual support desk
A company serving several countries uses Pro for multilingual conversations, routing and SLA policies so each region's queries reach the right team on time.
How to get started with Freshchat
- 1
Start the 14-day trial, which opens on the Enterprise plan with no credit card
- 2
Install the chat widget on your website or app and connect your support email
- 3
Connect your social messaging channels and invite agents
- 4
Add your FAQs to the knowledge base and switch on Freddy AI Agent for common questions
- 5
Before the trial ends, pick the plan that matches the features you actually used
Freshchat alternatives
| Product | Choose it when |
|---|---|
| Freshchat 4.3 | Small support teams that want free live chat for up to 10 agents |
| Tidio4.2 | Choose it for a simpler, small-business live chat with an AI agent and lower entry pricing. |
| WATI4.3 | Choose it if WhatsApp is your main support and sales channel. |
| HubSpot4.5 | Choose it if you want chat tightly tied to a CRM and marketing tools in one platform. |
Freshchat: frequently asked questions
Is Freshchat free?+
Yes. The Free plan supports up to 10 agents with a chat widget, shared inbox, email connection and roles. It does not include Freddy AI Agent or social and SMS channels.
How much does Freshchat cost?+
Growth is $19, Pro $49 and Enterprise $79 per agent per month, billed annually in US dollars. Monthly billing costs more.
How is Freddy AI billed in Freshchat?+
Paid plans get 500 free AI Agent sessions once per account. After that, sessions cost $49 per 100. A session covers a customer's interactions with the AI within 24 hours of starting.
What is the difference between Freshchat and Freshdesk?+
Freshchat is for real-time chat and messaging. Freshdesk is a ticketing help desk with a knowledge base and portal. Freshdesk Omni combines both.
Does Freshchat have a free trial?+
Yes, 14 days with access to the Enterprise plan and no credit card required. If you do not pick a plan, the account is suspended.
Does Freshchat support WhatsApp?+
Freshworks lists social messengers from the Growth plan, and third-party guides say this includes WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. Check the channel list during your trial.
Final verdict
Is Freshchat worth it?
If your customers already message you in several places, Freshchat is a low-risk way to put it all in one inbox. Start on the free plan or the 14-day trial, connect your site chat and one social channel, and see how much Freddy can answer before you pay for seats.
Try Freshchat freeAffiliate link · we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by
Amjid Ali, Founder and editor
Amjid Ali is a Melbourne-based AI and automation lead, author of five books on infrastructure, automation and digital transformation, and a corporate trainer whose courses on n8n, Proxmox, firewalls and ERP have taught thousands of IT professionals.
Last updated 17 October 2026 · How we review
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