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Head-to-head · Help Desk Software

Freshdesk vs Zammad

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score Freshdesk #2 in Help Desk Software 9.3/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Freshdesk
Zammad #16 in Help Desk Software 7.8/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Zammad

Freshdesk leads on 0 checks, Zammad on 2, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreFreshdesk · 9.3/10
  • Free planonly Zammad
  • Free trialboth

Freshdesk scores higher on our rubric for help desk software: 9.3 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #16.

Zammad offers free plan; Freshdesk doesn't. Zammad leads on included agent seats: 5 versus 1.

Freshdesk is the better fit for growing teams needing mature omnichannel support. Zammad is the better fit for technical teams wanting open-source help desk control.

  • Freshdesk fits best

    Growing teams needing mature omnichannel support

  • Zammad fits best

    Technical teams wanting open-source help desk control

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Freshdesk 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Zammad 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 7.8
Ranking #2 in Help Desk Software #16 in Help Desk Software
Best for Growing teams needing mature omnichannel support Technical teams wanting open-source help desk control
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price $19/user/mo Free
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 14 days 30 days
Free trial length 14 days · no card needed 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, Linux
Support Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs Email, Phone, Docs
Compliance SOC 2, ISO 27001 ISO 27001, 2FA
Integrations 1,000+ integrations 12 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Freshdesk 6/6 · Zammad 6/6
Shared inbox ✓ ✓
SLA management ✓ ✓
Help center ✓ ✓
Ticket automation ✓ ✓
Customer portal ✓ ✓
API access ✓ ✓
Specs
Included agent seats 1 5 (best)
Our review
Pros
  • Ticketing, SLAs, automation, portals, analytics, and AI in one platform
  • Integrates with Slack, Teams, Shopify, Salesforce, and Jira
  • Web, iOS, Android, and REST API access support flexible operations
  • Open-source and self-hosted options support control over deployment.
  • Tickets, SLAs, triggers, schedulers, and a shared inbox cover core support workflows.
  • REST API, Elasticsearch search, AI tools, and broad channel integrations extend its scope.
Cons
  • No ongoing free plan
  • Annual pricing starts at $19 per agent per month
  • Advanced portals, reporting, routing, and security require higher tiers
  • Advanced plans vary by agent limits and feature availability.
  • Self-hosted support contracts are separate from the software itself.
  • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of teams seeking basic email support.
Our verdict

Freshdesk is cloud-based customer support software for teams managing incoming service requests across structured help desk workflows. It combines ticketing and prioritization with a shared inbox, internal notes, auto-assignment, customer…

Read the review →

Zammad is a web-based help desk and ticketing platform for organizations handling customer and internal support requests. It brings conversations from multiple channels into tickets, provides a customer-facing web interface, and supports…

Read the review →
  1. FreshdeskHelp Desk Software 9.314-day trial
  2. ZammadHelp Desk Software 7.8Free plan · 30-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Freshdesk — where it wins

    • Ticketing, SLAs, automation, portals, analytics, and AI in one platform
    • Integrates with Slack, Teams, Shopify, Salesforce, and Jira
    • Web, iOS, Android, and REST API access support flexible operations

    Where it doesn't

    • No ongoing free plan
    • Annual pricing starts at $19 per agent per month
    • Advanced portals, reporting, routing, and security require higher tiers

  • Zammad — where it wins

    • Open-source and self-hosted options support control over deployment.
    • Tickets, SLAs, triggers, schedulers, and a shared inbox cover core support workflows.
    • REST API, Elasticsearch search, AI tools, and broad channel integrations extend its scope.

    Where it doesn't

    • Advanced plans vary by agent limits and feature availability.
    • Self-hosted support contracts are separate from the software itself.
    • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of teams seeking basic email support.

More comparisons

All help desk software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update