Freshdesk
LiveAgent
| Feature | Freshdesk | LiveAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $15/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, growing-teams, e-commerce, startups | small-businesses, ecommerce, support-teams, call-centers |
| Founded | 2010 | 2006 |
| Ticketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ai Automation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sla Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Team Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multichannel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Call Center | ✗ | ✓ |
| Social Media Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Freshdesk Pros
- Free tier with up to 2 agents
- Intuitive and easy to set up
- Freddy AI for ticket classification
- Gamification for support teams
✗ Freshdesk Cons
- Advanced features only on expensive plans
- Less customizable than Zendesk
- Reporting depth limited on lower tiers
✓ LiveAgent Pros
- Feature-rich
- Affordable
- Built-in call center
- Fast live chat
✗ LiveAgent Cons
- Interface feels busy
- Setup takes time
- Mobile app limited
The Verdict
Freshdesk is built for small businesses and growing teams, with a focus on ticketing and knowledge-base. LiveAgent targets small businesses and ecommerce and leads with ticketing and live-chat.
On pricing, LiveAgent is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $9/mo compared to $15/mo for Freshdesk. That $6/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Freshdesk offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while LiveAgent takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for small businesses — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.