# CollieDesk vs Freshdesk

> Freshdesk is a mature, broad helpdesk. CollieDesk is a young open-source one with a flat price. Here is the honest difference, with sources.

Source: https://colliedesk.com/vs/freshdesk
Updated: 2026-10-14

## The short answer

- **Choose Freshdesk** if you need a mature, broad helpdesk today: many channels, a large marketplace and an AI agent you can switch on now.
- **Choose CollieDesk** if per-agent pricing and paid AI add-ons are the problem, you want your support data in a database you control, and you can plan your move around our [roadmap](https://colliedesk.com/roadmap). Or self-host it free and look around.

## Price, side by side

Freshdesk prices are per agent per month, billed annually, as published on 14 October 2026.

| | Freshdesk | CollieDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Growth $19, Pro $55, Enterprise $89 per agent per month | $10 per workspace per month, or $100 per year. No per-agent fees. Founding customers: $100 per year, locked for life. |
| AI drafting | Freddy AI Copilot $29 per agent per month, add-on for Pro and Enterprise only | Included (coming v0.3). LLM cost +30% on our key, or bring your own key. |
| AI agent | 500 sessions free once per account, then $49 per 100 sessions | Auto-answer with a human in the loop, same AI pricing (coming v0.3) |
| Free option | No free plan on the pricing page; 14-day trial | Self-host free, every feature. |
| Source code | Proprietary | Open source, AGPL-3.0. Self-host or use Cloud. |

### What five agents pay

| Team | Freshdesk Pro + Copilot | CollieDesk Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| 5 agents | 5 × ($55 + $29) = **$420 per month** | $10 per month + AI usage |
| 10 agents | 10 × ($55 + $29) = **$840 per month** | $10 per month + AI usage |

List prices before tax. AI usage on CollieDesk depends on ticket volume and the model you pick; with your own key it is billed by your provider.

## Leaving: what Freshdesk gives you

- The ticket export in the Freshdesk UI gives **ticket fields only**, as CSV or Excel. It does not include the conversation, and archived tickets are excluded.
- The API lists **100 tickets per page, up to 300 pages** (30,000 tickets) per filter, and only the **last 30 days** unless you pass `updated_since`.
- Closed tickets with no activity for 120 days are **archived** and fetched through a separate endpoint.
- API rate limits are **100, 400 or 700 calls per minute** on Growth, Pro and Enterprise.

CollieDesk keeps your data in PostgreSQL with an open, documented model. Your data lives in PostgreSQL. Self-hosted, you can take a database dump at any time. The step-by-step guide: [migrate from Freshdesk](https://colliedesk.com/migrate/freshdesk).

## What CollieDesk does today

| Capability | CollieDesk |
|---|---|
| Shared inbox: replies, private notes, status, priority, assignee, tags, search | **Shipped v0.1** |
| Passwordless sign-in, revocable sessions, isolated workspaces | **Shipped v0.1** |
| Email channel (inbound and outbound, threading) | **Coming v0.2** |
| Freshdesk importer with reconcile report | **Coming v0.2** |
| One-command install and published container image | **Shipped** |
| CollieDesk Cloud for founding customers | **Coming v0.2** |
| AI draft replies, triage, auto-answer with a human in the loop | **Coming v0.3** |
| Knowledge base and public help center | **Coming v0.3** |
| Automations, macros, SLA, business hours, time tracking | **Coming v0.4** |
| CSAT and reports | **Coming v0.5** |
| Zendesk and Help Scout importers, live chat widget, MCP server | **Coming later** |

## Sources

Read on 14 October 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before you decide.

- Freshdesk pricing: [freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing](https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing/)
- Ticket export (fields only, archived excluded): [support.freshdesk.com article 225158](https://support.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/225158)
- API pagination, 30-day default, archived tickets: [developers.freshdesk.com/api](https://developers.freshdesk.com/api/)
- API rate limits: [support.freshdesk.com article 225439](https://support.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/225439-what-are-the-rate-limits-for-the-api-calls-to-freshdesk-)

## Questions people ask

### What is the best open-source alternative to Freshdesk?

CollieDesk is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) helpdesk built for small teams leaving Freshdesk: flat $10 per workspace per month, AI included at cost, and a Freshdesk importer (coming v0.2). It is pre-alpha today, so check the status table before you switch.

### How much does Freshdesk cost for 5 agents with AI?

At list prices read on 14 October 2026: Freshdesk Pro is $55 per agent per month billed annually, and Freddy AI Copilot is $29 per agent per month. Five agents: 5 × ($55 + $29) = $420 per month.

### Is CollieDesk ready to replace Freshdesk today?

Not for most teams. CollieDesk v0.1 has a shared inbox but no email channel yet; email and the Freshdesk importer arrive in v0.2. If your renewal is months away, the founding offer locks $100 per year for life and includes the migration.

### Can I get my tickets out of Freshdesk with the full conversation?

Not with the ticket export in the Freshdesk UI: it exports ticket fields to CSV or Excel, without the conversation. The full thread needs the Freshdesk API. See [how to migrate from Freshdesk](https://colliedesk.com/migrate/freshdesk).