We reviewed Freshchat and looked at its features, pros and cons, pricing, and how easy it is to use so you can decide if this tool is good and suitable for your needs.
What is Freshchat?
Freshchat is a customer messaging tool designed to help businesses connect with their customers through live chat, chatbots, and messaging across multiple platforms. It provides support and engagement on channels like websites, mobile apps, and social media, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more.
This tool aims to simplify communication, allowing businesses to offer personalized, real-time support. Freshchat also provides features like automated responses, a unified team inbox, and AI-driven insights to boost productivity for support teams.
Freshchat Review: Quick Overview
| Rating | Our thoughts |
|---|---|
| ★★★★ | Good balance between quality and price. Easy to use but has a learning curve for advanced options. |
| Description | |
|---|---|
| Messaging Channels | Connects with web, mobile, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple Business Chat |
| Chatbots | Offers 24/7 context-driven AI bots |
| Unified Inbox | Consolidates all conversations in one place |
| Canned Responses | Provides predefined answers |
| Real-time Dashboard | Tracks team performance metrics such as response times and resolution rates |
| Multi-language Support | Supports over 33 languages |
| Team Member Reports | Monitors individual team productivity and response quality |
| Integration with Tools | Connects to popular apps and APIs |
| Pricing | Free trial, paid plans starting from $23/month |
Freshchat can benefit customer support teams and e-commerce businesses.
For customer support teams, the Unified Inbox helps organize all incoming messages from different channels, making it easier to manage customer queries in one place. The Real-time Dashboard allows managers to track the team’s performance live, helping improve response times. Finally, Canned Responses enable agents to send quick replies to frequent questions, saving time and ensuring consistency.
For e-commerce businesses, Freshchat’s Messaging Channels feature allows them to engage customers on their preferred platform, improving reach and accessibility. The Chatbot function offers immediate support, guiding customers through common purchase or account questions. Multi-language Support further enhances the experience by allowing customers to receive help in their native language, essential for global businesses.
Freshchat Pros and Cons
Freshchat offers a balanced experience with useful features but has a few limitations.
It provides strong communication tools like unified inboxes and chatbot automation, which can improve team efficiency. However, it may lack some advanced customization options seen in other tools.
Overall, Freshchat feels professional and user-friendly, with a simple layout and functions that make it easy for teams to manage customer interactions effectively.
Pros
- Supports multiple messaging channels
- Includes chatbots for 24/7 service
- Unified inbox for easy team collaboration
- Offers real-time dashboards for performance insights
- Multi-language support for global reach
- Free trial
Cons
- Limited advanced customization options
- May require training to get the most out of its features
Is Freshchat Legit?
Yes, Freshchat is a legitimate customer messaging platform. It delivers what it promises, offering reliable messaging, chatbot support, and integration capabilities. The tool’s quality, especially its messaging and bot features, is solid and suitable for most business needs. Freshchat’s pricing is reasonable given its features, though smaller businesses may find it beneficial only if they need a unified, multi-channel messaging tool.
Freshchat Pricing
Freshchat offers four pricing packages to meet the needs of different businesses. Here’s a breakdown of the prices for each plan:
| Plan | Monthly Price (per agent) | Annual Price (per agent) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 |
| Growth | $23 | $228 |
| Pro | $59 | $588 |
| Enterprise | $95 | $948 |
Here’s a summarized look at what you’ll get with each tier:
Free
- Basic live chat and email support
- Limited to 10 agents
- Essential messaging
- Unified inbox
Growth
- Everything in Free
- Integrations with social messengers like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger
- Real-time dashboard
- Team performance metrics
Pro
- Everything in Growth
- Custom dashboards
- Advanced routing options
- Multiple SLAs
- Comprehensive analytics
Enterprise
- All features in Pro
- Skills-based assignments
- Higher security
- Advanced customer support options
The Free plan is ideal for small businesses that only need basic messaging with limited functionality. Growth is better for growing businesses needing more integrations and performance tracking. Pro offers more advanced routing and SLAs, while Enterprise is best for large organizations requiring top security and extensive customer support tools.
Does Freshchat offer a free trial?
Yes, Freshchat offers a 14-day free trial on all plans so users can try out premium features before committing. Freshchat also has a free-forever, limited plan.
How does Freshchat work?
Freshchat is a web-based customer messaging tool that connects users with customers across multiple channels. It combines live chat, chatbots, and integrations to streamline customer support and improve response times.
Here’s how to get started with Freshchat:
- Go to the Freshchat website and sign up for an account.
- Choose a pricing plan that fits your needs, or start a free trial.
- Customize your Freshchat dashboard, adding team members and setting roles as needed.
- Integrate Freshchat with your preferred channels like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or web chat.
- Set up chatbots or automated responses to answer frequently asked questions and reduce agent workload.
- Use the dashboard to track conversations, response times, and customer satisfaction metrics.
How easy is it to set up and use Freshchat?
To sign up for Freshchat, visit their website and select a plan that fits your needs. You can start with the Free plan or take advantage of the 14-day free trial on the paid plans. After signing up, Freshchat guides you through setting up your dashboard and configuring channels and team access.
Freshchat’s interface is designed with simplicity in mind. The dashboard offers a clean and organized look, with easy access to different channels and customer conversations. Users can switch between channels like live chat, chatbots, and email with just a few clicks. The sidebar makes it easy to find core functions like analytics, team performance, and settings.
However, advanced customization, such as setting up chatbots or custom dashboards, may require extra time to learn. Most basic features are easy to use, but users who want to access deeper settings may benefit from watching Freshchat tutorials.
Overall, the interface is intuitive, but some features might take a little exploration to master.
Tips for using Freshchat
Using Freshchat effectively can help you boost customer engagement and streamline support. Here are some tips to get the most out of Freshchat:
- Set up automated responses – Creating automated responses for common questions can save your agents time. It helps customers receive instant answers and reduces wait times.
- Track performance metrics – Use Freshchat’s analytics to monitor response times and customer satisfaction. Tracking these can help you adjust team practices for better service.
- Customize your chatbots – Make sure chatbots are set up to answer common queries effectively. Customized responses make interactions feel more natural and helpful.
- Integrate with social channels – Connect with customers on the channels they use most, like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. This expands your reach and improves customer accessibility.
- Train your team regularly – Freshchat is always updating, so make sure your team is aware of new features. Training helps your team use the platform effectively and stay up to date.
Alternatives to Freshchat
- Tidio – a live chat and chatbot solution for businesses that want quick communication with website visitors. It offers customizable chat widgets and integrates with email, Messenger, and Instagram, helping teams reach customers where they already are. Tidio also has AI-powered chatbots to automate responses, making it a good choice for small businesses looking to engage users without needing a large team.
- LiveChat – a versatile tool for businesses needing reliable, professional customer support. It features live chat, ticketing, and a team dashboard to monitor activity and manage multiple conversations. Integrations with popular CRM and marketing tools make LiveChat a strong option for medium to large businesses looking to build strong customer relationships.
- Manychat – a chatbot platform designed mainly for marketing and customer engagement on social media. Its easy-to-use interface allows businesses to automate conversations on Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Manychat works well for businesses focusing on e-commerce or social media engagement, allowing for automated sales messages and quick customer responses.
- BotStar – an intuitive chatbot builder for creating conversational experiences across messaging apps and websites. It’s ideal for businesses looking for both simplicity and flexibility in their chatbot designs. BotStar also supports integrations with e-commerce and CRM tools, making it a solid choice for small to mid-sized companies focused on conversational sales and support.
Conclusion: Is Freshchat the best choice for an AI-powered chat tool?
Freshchat is a solid choice for businesses looking for a comprehensive messaging tool. It brings together live chat, chatbots, and integrations, all in a user-friendly platform. For businesses that rely on multi-channel communication, Freshchat simplifies managing customer conversations, helping teams respond faster and more effectively.
However, Freshchat may not fit every business, especially if advanced customizations or extensive social media engagement are required. In those cases, alternatives like ManyChat or Tidio may be better choices, especially for companies focused on social media interactions or automated marketing.
Overall, Freshchat’s pricing is competitive, and its features cover a broad range of customer messaging needs. For businesses needing a reliable, multi-channel communication solution, Freshchat provides a well-rounded option. The best tool for you depends on your business type, budget, and the specific features you’re looking for in customer messaging.