Freshchat vs Smooch (Sunshine Conversations)

Freshchat and Smooch (now Sunshine Conversations by Zendesk) both enable businesses to manage customer conversations across multiple channels. Freshchat provides a comprehensive support platform with built-in CRM features, while Smooch specializes in conversation orchestration and channel unification.

Understanding their different strengths in automation, integration capabilities, and pricing structures will help you choose the right platform for your customer communication strategy.

Freshchat offers a complete customer support suite including live chat, phone support, email management, and social media integration. Its strength lies in providing a unified agent workspace with built-in CRM, knowledge base, and reporting tools.

Smooch excels in conversation orchestration, allowing businesses to manage customer interactions across WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, SMS, and other channels from a single interface. It provides sophisticated routing rules and conversation continuity across channels.

While both platforms support multiple channels, Freshchat focuses on agent productivity and team management, whereas Smooch emphasizes seamless customer experience across touchpoints.

Freshchat follows a per-agent pricing model with plans starting at $15/month per agent for basic features, scaling up to $49/month per agent for advanced automation and reporting capabilities.

Smooch uses a conversation-based pricing model starting at $60/month for up to 100 conversations, with additional charges for extra conversations and premium channels like WhatsApp Business API.

The cost comparison depends heavily on your conversation volume versus team size - Smooch can be more economical for high-volume, low-touch interactions.

Choose Freshchat if you want an integrated support ecosystem with CRM functionality and team collaboration features. Choose Smooch if you prioritize advanced conversation routing and need deep integration with existing business systems.

Choose Freshchat if: You need a full-featured support platform with integrated CRM, prefer per-agent pricing, and want comprehensive team management tools.

Choose Smooch if: You handle high conversation volumes across multiple channels, need advanced routing capabilities, and prefer conversation-based pricing.

For a straightforward solution without complex pricing tiers, Converge offers flat-rate pricing at $49/month - providing essential customer communication tools without per-agent or per-conversation fees.