Zendesk → Freshdesk
Switching Zendesk to Freshdesk for 15 agents: Zendesk Suite Team is $9,900 a year, Freshdesk Growth is $3,420 (−$6,480), and our self-scored effort is 5–12 days (13/25). Checked 2026-11-10.
COST BY SEATS · ANNUAL BILLING
| Seats | Zendesk Suite Team | Freshdesk cheapest fit | Difference / yr | Effort (days, range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 seats | $3,300 | Growth · $1,140 | −$2,160 | 5–12 days |
| 15 seats | $9,900 | Growth · $3,420 | −$6,480 | 5–12 days |
| 50 seats | $33,000 | Growth · $11,400 | −$21,600 | 8–18 days |
Sources: Zendesk pricing and Freshdesk pricing, checked 2026-11-10. The cheapest Freshdesk plan may lack features your current plan has. Change the plan in the estimator.
Migration check
| Question | What the vendor documents | Official doc |
|---|---|---|
| Can I export from Zendesk? | Zendesk exports JSON, CSV or XML, but data exports are off by default: the account owner must ask Zendesk Support to enable them. | Zendesk help: exporting ticket, user, or organization data |
| Can I import into Freshdesk? | Freshdesk's help center says an existing knowledge base is imported by emailing the CSV to Freshdesk support. A third-party guide (HelpCompare) describes a native Zendesk importer for tickets, users, agents, attachments and notes; we did not find that in Freshdesk's own docs, so treat it as unconfirmed. | Freshdesk support: import an existing knowledge base (by CSV to support) |
| Not moved | Macros, triggers and automations are rebuilt by hand (Freshworks migration guide). | — |
More from the vendors: Freshworks help desk migration handbook
Steps (hand-written from the docs above)
- Ask Zendesk Support to enable data exports, then export tickets, users and organizations (JSON for large accounts).
- List every help-center article URL, because moved articles get new addresses.
- Create Freshdesk agents as full agents, then create the custom fields and picklist values that tickets use.
- Run a small test import before the full one, then re-run for tickets created in between.
- Rebuild macros, triggers and SLA rules by hand; point support email forwarding at Freshdesk on cutover day.
Effort score
| Factor | Score (1 easy, 5 hard) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Export | 3 / 5 | Based on the export documentation linked above (limits, add-ons, who must enable it). |
| Import | 2 / 5 | Based on the destination vendor's import documentation linked above (first-party tool vs scripting, what is not imported). |
| Permissions | 3 / 5 | Users, roles and groups usually need to be created and mapped by hand before data can land. |
| Integrations | 3 / 5 | Email forwarding, forms, plugins and API keys all have to be re-pointed; default score unless the vendors document a connector. |
| Training | 2 / 5 | Similar concepts with new menus. |
Total 13 / 25 → 5–12 days for up to 15 seats (×1.5 for 16–50, ×2 above). This is our judgment from public docs, not a measured project. Rubric.
Other moves from Zendesk
Sponsored station: none yet. We do not sell any product that competes with Zendesk or Freshdesk.