Bouts / Freshdesk vs Intercom
Freshdesk vs Intercom
Red cornerFreshdesk
$19 per agent a month, billed annually (Freshdesk Growth)
Blue cornerIntercom
$29 per seat a month, billed annually
Freshdesk: Plain Freshdesk no longer offers WhatsApp to accounts created from December 2025; live chat, WhatsApp, Instagram and the chat AI agent now come with Freshdesk Omni.
Intercom: Intercom renamed itself Fin, and Salesforce completed its acquisition of the company on September 10, 2026.
Intercom wins 4–1 at 10 agents (clear win). Freshdesk takes price tags; Intercom takes the bill, AI, desk basics and user verdict; one round is even.
The judges' card
| Round | Freshdesk | What happened | Intercom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1The bill | At 10 agents with AI on: Freshdesk $1,325, Intercom $1,075 a month. Intercom is 19% cheaper and takes the round. | W | |
| Round 2Price tags | W | Freshdesk offers every price in public, monthly billing and no minimum; Intercom offers AI prices in public, but with a minimum, annual-only terms or vague limits. Freshdesk takes the round. | |
| Round 3AI | Intercom offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Freshdesk offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems. Intercom takes the round. | W | |
| Round 4Desk basics | Intercom offers every channel natively, skills-based routing and 300+ integrations; Freshdesk offers all that plus phone and messaging apps. Intercom takes the round. | W | |
| Round 5Security | = | Both offer SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, plus EU hosting, a HIPAA BAA or a no-training promise. Even. | = |
| Round 6User verdict | On G2: Freshdesk 4.4 from 3,779 reviews, Intercom 4.5 from 3,918 reviews. Intercom takes the round. | W | |
| Rounds won | 1 | Intercom wins, 1 even | 4 |
Does team size change it?
Only the bill round depends on team size. Here is the full result in each weight class.
Small team
- Freshdesk
- $422
- Intercom
- $323
3 agents, 750 conversations a month. Intercom wins 4–1.
Mid-size team
- Freshdesk
- $1,325
- Intercom
- $1,075
10 agents, 2,500 conversations a month. Intercom wins 4–1.
Large team
- Freshdesk
- $3,337
- Intercom
- $2,688
25 agents, 6,250 conversations a month. Intercom wins 4–1.
Monthly bills from USD list prices, annual billing where offered, with the AI agent resolving 20% of conversations and agent assist for every agent. Plans: Freshdesk Freshdesk Omni Pro; Intercom Essential.
Tale of the tape
| Freshworks | Made by | Fin (formerly Intercom) |
|---|---|---|
| per agent | Pricing | per agent |
| $19 per agent a month, billed annually (Freshdesk Growth) | Paid plans from | $29 per seat a month, billed annually |
| Freshdesk Omni Pro | Plan we priced | Essential |
| $422 | 3 agents, AI on | $323 |
| $1,325 | 10 agents, AI on | $1,075 |
| $3,337 | 25 agents, AI on | $2,688 |
| $49 per 100 sessions | AI agent price | $0.99 per outcome |
| Email, Live chat, WhatsApp, Social | Channels | Email, Live chat, Phone, WhatsApp, Social, SMS |
| No | Free plan | No |
| 14 days | Free trial | 14 days |
| Yes | Monthly billing | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 1 Type II, CSA STAR Level 1 | Audit reports | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, ISO 42001 |
| US, EU, Australia, India and Middle East regions on AWS | Data hosting | US, EU and Australia hosting |
| 4.4 (3,779) | G2 rating | 4.5 (3,918) |
| 4.5 (3,486) | Capterra rating | — |
Questions
Which is better, Freshdesk or Intercom?
Intercom wins 4–1 at 10 agents (clear win). Freshdesk takes price tags; Intercom takes the bill, AI, desk basics and user verdict; one round is even.
Is Freshdesk cheaper than Intercom?
At 10 agents with the AI agent and agent assist on, Freshdesk comes to $1,325 a month and Intercom to $1,075, from list prices. Intercom takes the bill round.
Which has the better AI, Freshdesk or Intercom?
Intercom offers an action-taking AI agent on chat, email and phone, with test runs and reporting; Freshdesk offers an AI agent that also takes actions in other systems. Intercom takes the round.
