Last updated: January 2026

What Is Freshchat?

Customer expectations have changed. People don't want to wait on hold or refresh email inboxes—they expect instant, conversational support wherever they already spend time. Freshchat is Freshworks' answer to this shift: a unified conversational platform that connects businesses with customers across websites, mobile apps, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, email, and more from a single inbox.

What separates Freshchat from basic chat widgets is its AI layer. Freddy AI doesn't just answer FAQs—it can actually take action: issue refunds, update records, cancel bookings. The 2026 release pushed this further with "Agentic AI" capabilities that handle complete customer service workflows autonomously.

For businesses tired of customers falling through cracks between channels, Freshchat offers genuine omnichannel unification without the enterprise price tag.

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Key Features Explained

Unified Omnichannel Inbox

Every message—live chat pings, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp conversations, SMS texts, support emails—lands in the same unified inbox. Agents see a single view regardless of how customers choose to reach out.

The inbox supports filtering by channel, priority, or custom tags. Presence indicators show agent availability, and intelligent assignment rules distribute conversations to prevent duplicate responses and balance workloads evenly across teams.

Channel context travels with the conversation. If a customer starts on web chat and continues via WhatsApp, the entire history remains visible to whoever handles the thread.

Freddy AI Chatbots and Copilot

Freddy AI operates on two levels: customer-facing chatbots that handle inquiries autonomously, and agent-facing Copilot that assists human representatives.

The customer-facing bots go beyond scripted FAQ responses. With Agentic AI skills, Freddy can execute transactions—check order status, process refunds, update account information, reschedule appointments—all without human intervention. The no-code Agent Studio lets non-technical team members build and publish these skills visually.

For human agents, Freddy Copilot drafts context-aware replies based on conversation history, translates messages in real-time for international support, and auto-summarizes long threads so agents don't need to read through extensive histories.

Proactive Campaigns and In-App Messages

Don't wait for customers to reach out—engage them proactively based on behavior signals. Trigger chat invites when cart value crosses a threshold, page scroll indicates interest, or custom events fire from your application.

Campaigns deploy across channels: web chat, mobile SDK, email. Real-time dashboards track open rates, reply rates, and revenue influenced by each campaign. A/B testing helps optimize messaging over time.

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Intelligent Routing and Collaboration

Smart routing ensures customers reach the right agent immediately. Route by language for international teams, by topic for specialized departments, or by customer tier to prioritize VIP accounts.

Enterprise plans add skills-based routing that automatically matches customers with agents who have specific expertise. VIP routing sends high-value customers to senior representatives automatically.

Collaboration features let agents @mention teammates, share private notes within conversations, and link related tickets for full context—all without leaving the conversation interface.

Analytics and Reporting

Out-of-the-box dashboards measure the metrics that matter: response time, resolution time, CSAT scores, bot deflection rates. See team performance at a glance and identify areas for improvement.

Pro and Enterprise plans unlock custom widgets for building tailored dashboards. Freddy Insights uses AI to surface root causes and trending topics without requiring SQL queries—natural language questions return actionable analytics.

Integrations Ecosystem

Native connectors integrate Freshchat with major platforms: Shopify for e-commerce context, Stripe for payment data, Salesforce for CRM synchronization. The rest of the Freshworks suite (Freshdesk, Freshsales) connects seamlessly.

Developers get REST APIs for custom integrations, JavaScript and mobile SDKs for embedded chat, and webhooks for event-driven workflows. Need full omnichannel ticketing? One-click upgrade migrates data to Freshdesk Omni.

Real-World Use Cases

E-Commerce Support

Online retailers use Freshchat to handle order inquiries, returns, and product questions across channels. Freddy AI resolves routine requests automatically while complex issues route to human agents with full purchase history visible.

SaaS Customer Success

Software companies embed Freshchat for in-app support and onboarding assistance. Proactive campaigns trigger based on usage patterns to help users discover features or prevent churn signals.

Multi-Brand Enterprises

Companies managing multiple brands use Freshchat's workspace separation to handle support for each brand independently while maintaining centralized analytics and agent management.

Global Support Teams

International businesses leverage real-time translation, language-based routing, and follow-the-sun scheduling to provide 24/7 support without requiring multilingual agents in every timezone.

For phone support alongside chat, pair Freshchat with Aircall or CloudTalk.

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Pricing (2026)

See official pricing for current rates. Seat-based pricing with annual discounts.

Free — $0 for up to 10 agents. Web chat, email, unified inbox, 100 campaign contacts. Perfect for small teams starting with live chat.

Growth — $19/agent/month. Adds WhatsApp, Messenger, real-time dashboards. Includes 500 free Freddy AI sessions monthly.

Pro — $49/agent/month. Custom dashboards, advanced routing, multiple SLA policies, deeper analytics.

Enterprise — $79/agent/month. Skills-based assignment, advanced security controls, governance features for regulated industries.

Add-ons: Freddy Copilot ($29/agent/month) for AI draft replies and live translation. Additional Freddy sessions at $49 per 100 beyond free allocation.

14-day free trial on all paid plans. Annual billing saves approximately 17%.

Pros and Cons

What We Like

Generous free plan supporting 10 agents—rare in the market

True omnichannel: WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, SMS, email in one inbox

Powerful Agentic AI that actually takes action, not just answers questions

No-code bot builder accessible to non-technical teams

Seamless integration with Freshworks ecosystem

Proactive campaigns to engage visitors before they leave

What Could Be Better

Freddy AI sessions can become expensive at high volumes

Advanced features locked behind Pro and Enterprise tiers

Learning curve for Agent Studio's complex workflows

Limited customization options on the free plan

WhatsApp Business API requires separate Meta approval

Freshchat vs. Alternatives

vs. Tidio: Tidio offers more affordable entry pricing with strong AI chatbots. Freshchat wins on omnichannel depth (WhatsApp Business API, Instagram DM integration) and enterprise governance features.

vs. Intercom: Intercom is feature-rich but significantly more expensive ($74+ per seat). Freshchat delivers comparable capabilities at roughly half the cost, especially for SMBs.

vs. Zendesk Chat: Zendesk has deeper ticketing integration for complex support organizations. Freshchat offers better native AI and a more modern, intuitive interface.

vs. LiveChat: LiveChat is simpler and focused on website chat. Freshchat provides broader omnichannel coverage and more sophisticated automation.

vs. ManyChat: ManyChat excels at marketing automation on social channels. Freshchat is more support-focused with helpdesk integration and enterprise features.

Tips for Best Results

Start with web chat and email: Get the basics working before adding WhatsApp or Instagram channels.

Build FAQ bot first: Create a simple FAQ-handling bot before attempting complex Agentic AI workflows.

Use proactive triggers wisely: Test trigger conditions carefully—overly aggressive chat invites annoy visitors.

Monitor Freddy usage: Track AI session consumption to avoid unexpected overage charges.

Connect your CRM: Integration with Salesforce or Freshsales adds customer context that improves every conversation.

FAQ

Is Freshchat really free for 10 agents?

Yes. The Free plan permanently supports 10 agents with web chat, email, unified inbox, and 100 campaign contacts. Upgrade when you need social channels, WhatsApp, or higher AI volume.

Does Freshchat work with WhatsApp Business?

On Growth plan and above. You can connect WhatsApp Business API, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, LINE, Apple Messages for Business, and SMS via Twilio—all in one unified inbox.

Do I need coding skills to build chatbots?

No. The visual Bot Builder and Freddy AI Agent Studio use drag-and-drop interfaces. Power users can extend flows with JavaScript or API calls, but launching basic bots requires no code.

What's the difference between Freddy AI Agent and Copilot?

Freddy AI Agents are customer-facing chatbots that autonomously handle inquiries and take actions. Freddy Copilot assists human agents by drafting replies, translating, and summarizing. One serves customers, the other empowers your team.

Can Freshchat integrate with my CRM?

Yes. Native integrations exist for Freshsales, HubSpot, Salesforce, and many others via Marketplace apps or REST APIs.

Final Verdict

Freshchat has evolved from simple live chat into a sophisticated conversational CX platform that balances AI automation with human touch. The tiered pricing lets you start free and scale as needs grow, while Freddy AI capabilities position your support for autonomous trends.

For businesses wanting unified customer conversations without enterprise complexity or pricing, Freshchat deserves serious evaluation.

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