Freshchat vs Respond.io
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Freshchat | Respond.io |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $49/seat/mo | From $199/mo |
| Best For | Large enterprises already using Freshworks products | Medium to large enterprises needing advanced automation and AI-powered customer engagement across multiple channels |
| Standout Feature | Deep integration with Freshworks CRM and helpdesk | Sophisticated AI agents that can handle complex customer conversations and automatically qualify leads through intelligent workflows |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.2 | 4.8/5 |
Freshchat and Respond.io both focus on modern customer messaging, but serve different market segments. Freshchat, part of the Freshworks suite, offers traditional live chat with modern messaging features, while Respond.io specializes in conversational commerce across platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram.
The pricing structures reveal their different approaches: Freshchat's $15-69 per agent pricing follows traditional SaaS models, while Respond.io's $79-299 team-based plans target businesses prioritizing messaging automation and omnichannel engagement.
Feature Comparison
Freshchat provides robust live chat with proactive messaging, chatbots, and mobile SDK for in-app messaging. Its strength lies in website chat optimization, visitor tracking, and integration with the broader Freshworks ecosystem including Freshdesk and Freshsales.
Respond.io excels in messaging platform integration with native WhatsApp Business API, Instagram DM, and Telegram support. It offers sophisticated workflow automation, broadcast messaging, and contact segmentation that goes beyond Freshchat's capabilities.
For analytics, Freshchat focuses on chat performance metrics and visitor behavior, while Respond.io provides comprehensive conversation analytics, funnel tracking, and ROI measurement across all messaging channels.
Pricing Comparison
Freshchat charges per agent: $15/month for Growth, $39 for Pro, and $69 for Enterprise. Additional costs apply for phone support and advanced features, making it expensive as teams scale.
Respond.io uses team-based pricing: $79/month (5 users), $165 (10 users), and $299 (25 users). While initially more expensive, it includes advanced automation and messaging features that would require Freshchat's highest tiers.
For a 6-person team, Freshchat costs $90-414/month while Respond.io costs $165/month, making Respond.io more economical for teams needing advanced messaging capabilities.
Freshchat
Pros
- ✓ Part of Freshworks ecosystem
- ✓ Strong mobile app
- ✓ Good WhatsApp integration
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing gets expensive
- ✗ Limited customization options
- ✗ Steep learning curve
Respond.io
Pros
- ✓ Comprehensive omnichannel support with deep integrations
- ✓ Advanced AI capabilities for automated customer interactions
- ✓ Powerful workflow automation with visual builder
Cons
- ✗ Complex setup and learning curve for advanced features
- ✗ Higher cost structure with per-agent pricing model
- ✗ WhatsApp API charges add significant ongoing costs
Verdict
Choose Freshchat if you need a comprehensive live chat solution with strong Freshworks integration and prefer per-agent pricing. Choose Respond.io if WhatsApp Business API and advanced messaging automation are critical to your customer engagement strategy.
Choose Freshchat if: You're already using Freshworks products, need comprehensive website chat optimization, and prefer traditional per-agent pricing with familiar helpdesk features.
Choose Respond.io if: WhatsApp and Instagram messaging are crucial, you need advanced automation workflows, or you want comprehensive omnichannel customer engagement beyond traditional live chat.
Consider Converge at $49/month flat rate if you want predictable pricing without per-agent fees and need essential customer support features without the complexity of either specialized platform.
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