Freshworks started back in 2010 and is now a major player in software.
It began in Chennai, India, and the company has been growing ever since. Today, it’s headquartered in San Mateo, California, with Girish Mathrubootham as CEO.
The goal?
Freshworks wants to make it simple for businesses of any size to delight both customers and employees. They do this with intuitive, affordable SaaS solutions that don’t overcomplicate things.
I like that Freshworks employs over 4,800 people and supports more than 60,000 customers worldwide. Their clients include big names like Bridgestone, Henkel, Pearson, and Klarna.
They went public in September 2021 on NASDAQ.
In this Freshworks review, I’m going to point out how their revenue passed $500 million in FY2023, showing just how serious they are in CRM and customer service software.
They’re also expanding features on their AI-powered tools and unifying everything under the Freshworks Neo platform. This keeps their offerings connected and easy to manage.
| Freshworks – Quick Overview | |
|---|---|
| What It Does | Offers cloud-based software for customer engagement, sales, IT service management, and HR operations that help you delight your customers and employees through intuitive SaaS solutions. |
| Best For | • Small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and mid-market companies • Teams needing quick-to-implement sales, support, or ITSM tools • Companies wanting unified customer data and AI-driven insights • Fast-growing businesses starting with CRM and adding other functions as needed |
| Key Products | Freshsales (CRM) • Freshmarketer (Marketing Automation) • Freshdesk (Customer Support) • Freshservice (ITSM) • Freshcaller (Call Center) • Freshchat (Messaging) • Freshteam (HR) • Freshsuccess (Customer Success) |
| Pricing | Free plan available • Growth $9/user/month (annual) • Pro $39/user/month (annual) • Enterprise $59+/user/month (annual) 21-day free trial • Monthly and annual billing options • Add-ons may cost extra |
| Standout Features | • Unified CRM dashboard across sales, marketing, and support • AI-powered deal scoring, forecasting, and data enrichment • Omnichannel communication (email, phone, chat, messaging) • Workflow automation for leads and ticket routing • Custom reporting and mobile apps for managing on the go |
| Integrations | Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Zapier, and 1,000+ apps via Freshworks Marketplace |
| Get Started | Start Free Trial → |
Freshworks Solutions
1. Freshsales (CRM)
Freshsales is their main CRM platform built for sales teams.
It helps you manage leads efficiently by automating sales workflows and using predictive analytics. You can engage customers through email, phone, and chat all in one place.
2. Freshmarketer
This is a marketing automation platform that focuses on personalized campaigns.
You get tools for optimizing conversion rates and nurturing your leads effectively.
3. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a customer support solution for managing tickets across multiple channels.
It includes automation features and offers self-service portals so your customers can find answers on their own.
4. Freshservice
Freshservice handles IT service management tasks.
It automates support processes like incident, asset, change, and problem management to help your IT team stay on top of things.
5. Freshcaller
Freshcaller is cloud-based call center software that works tightly with Freshdesk and Freshsales.
This makes it easier to provide phone support as part of your overall customer engagement.
6. Freshchat
Freshchat offers modern messaging for engaging customers on websites, apps, and social channels.
It’s designed to keep conversations going wherever your customers prefer to connect.
7. Freshteam
Freshteam is an HR management suite covering recruitment, onboarding, employee info, and time-off tracking.
It helps you keep your HR processes organized and running smoothly.
8. Freshsuccess
This tool is for customer success management.
It supports onboarding, retention, and provides insights into customer health to keep your relationships strong.
All these products can integrate with over 1,000 third-party apps through the Freshworks Marketplace.
Some popular integrations include Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and Zapier.
Freshsales CRM stands out in particular because it gives you a unified view of customer interactions. Plus, it offers strong automation capabilities that really benefit growing sales teams.
Freshworks Features
1. Unified CRM Dashboard
Freshworks gives your sales, marketing, and support teams a 360-degree view of your customers.
This reduces data silos and keeps everyone in the loop. It helps speed up deal cycles and improves how your team works together.
2. AI-Powered Insights (Freddy AI)
Freddy AI uses artificial intelligence for deal scoring, forecasting, and suggesting next-best actions.
It also automates data enrichment so your team can focus on the most promising leads and opportunities.
3. Omnichannel Communication
You can manage email, phone, chat, and messaging all in one place.
It saves you from switching between different tools and keeps all customer conversations centralized.
4. Workflow Automation
Freshworks automates repetitive work like assigning leads, follow-ups, and ticket routing.
This saves time and reduces the chance of human error in daily tasks.
5. Custom Reporting and Analytics
The platform offers customizable dashboards for tracking KPIs, sales pipeline health, campaign results, and support metrics.
This makes it easier to make decisions based on real your data.
6. Mobile Apps
Freshworks has native iOS and Android apps so you can manage deals, contacts, and support cases anywhere.
This is especially helpful if you have field reps or a remote team.
7. App Marketplace and API
With the Freshworks Marketplace, you get access to hundreds of integrations with popular business tools.
Plus, the open API lets you build custom workflows and deeper integrations tailored to your business.
8. Security & Compliance
Freshworks protects your data with role-based access, audit logs, and field-level permissions.
It also complies with standards like GDPR and SOC2, so your sensitive business info stays safe.
Some standout Freshworks features include AI-driven sales help, built-in telephony, and a clean, modern interface that’s easy for new users. You can start with one tool and add others as your business grows.
Freshworks Pricing Plans
Freshworks offers clear tiered pricing, though rates can shift depending on your region or any ongoing promotions.
I like that they provide a free plan to get started without any risk.
The plans scale up with features that suit growing sales teams, but keep in mind that some advanced tools only show up in the higher tiers. Freshworks pricing lets you choose monthly payment, which helps if you want flexibility.
| Plan | Price & Features |
|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 per user per month • Basic contact and account management • Email/phone integration • Limited automation • Mobile apps |
| Growth Plan | $9 per user per month (billed annually) / ~$11 monthly • Full Kanban pipeline management • Built-in chat • Custom fields • Email templates • Basic workflows • Curated reports • Mobile app • 24×5 support |
| Pro Plan | $39 per user per month (billed annually) / ~$47 monthly • AI-powered lead scoring • Advanced custom fields • Sales sequences • Multiple pipelines • Account hierarchy • Advanced workflows • Custom reporting • Enhanced AI tools |
| Enterprise Plan | $59 per user per month (billed annually) / ~$71+ monthly • Field-level permissions • Custom modules • Advanced forecasting • Sandbox environment • Audit logs • Highest customization |
Freshservice, their ITSM tool, starts at $19 per user per month and follows a somewhat similar pricing model.
They also have a 21-day free trial without requiring your credit card. That’s handy if you want to explore without commitments.
If you want to dive deeper, click here to learn more about Freshworks pricing →
Freshworks Alternatives
Here’s a quick look at how Freshworks (Freshsales) stacks up against its main competitors.
Each tool has its own strengths and offers different value depending on what you need.
Let’s break it down so you can see which one fits your business style better.
| Competitor | Their Strengths | Freshworks Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Deep customization, large-enterprise focus | Freshworks is easier to deploy and less complex, with a more straightforward setup and still covers most needs for businesses under the broader ecosystem. |
| HubSpot | Marketing + CRM, strong free plan | Freshworks offers strong automation out of the box and a more unified product suite across CRM, ITSM, marketing, and HR, often at a more competitive entry-level price. |
| Zoho CRM | Customization, value bundles | Freshworks has a simpler user interface and combines sales, support, and IT in one platform, which can feel less overwhelming compared to Zoho’s steeper learning curve. |
| Pipedrive | Sales pipeline simplicity | Freshworks provides a more comprehensive set of features for combining sales, support, and IT, even if Pipedrive is easier on marketing and support features. |
| Zendesk Sell | Integrated support/sales | Freshworks balances deeper sales focus with support and IT capabilities, while Zendesk Sell has more specialized ticketing but less sales coverage. |
Freshworks stands out for its unified product suite across CRM, ITSM, marketing, and HR, which keeps things simple.
You also get strong automation right from the start with an intuitive UI that doesn’t bog you down.
Pricing is friendly when you start, though it can climb if you add more users or advanced features.
If you want something easier to deploy than Salesforce, but more balanced than Pipedrive or Zendesk Sell, Freshworks fits that sweet spot nicely.
So if you’re checking out Freshworks alternatives, this gives you a good snapshot of what else is out there and how Freshworks holds its own.
Who Should Use Freshworks
1. Small to mid-sized businesses, mid-market companies, and some large enterprises
Freshworks fits well if you need CRM, ITSM, or omnichannel support without dealing with a massive setup. It keeps things straightforward but effective.
2. Teams looking for quick-to-implement, cloud-based solutions
Whether your focus is sales, support, or IT service management, Freshworks gets you up and running fast in the cloud. No lengthy deployment phases here.
3. Use cases where unified customer data, automation, and AI-driven insights matter
If you work in SaaS, ecommerce, or service industries, Freshworks can help boost your productivity by connecting data and automating routine tasks.
4. Fast-growing companies wanting to start with CRM and expand later
You can start with Freshworks for your CRM needs and add HR, marketing, or IT support modules down the line as your business grows and requires more tools.
If you need advanced customization for enterprise-level work, you might want to check out Salesforce or HubSpot.
When cost is your key concern but you want a bigger app suite, Zoho CRM could be a better match.
For sales teams who want simplicity without too many extras, Pipedrive may suit your style better.
Bottom Line
Freshworks offers user-friendly solutions for sales, support, IT, and HR.
Its clean interface and AI-driven features help your team boost productivity quickly.
You’ll find seamless integration between modules without a steep learning curve.
However, advanced features come only in higher-priced plans, so costs can rise with larger deployments. Some users mention that support response times could improve, especially on lower-tier plans.
If you want a scalable cloud CRM or ITSM platform with options to add marketing, HR, or support tools later, Freshworks is a solid pick.
I hope this Freshworks review has helped you get a clearer picture.
It works particularly well for SMBs and mid-market firms looking for something comprehensive yet easy to use.
