Freshworks vs Zendesk
Freshworks vs Zendesk, compared side by side on 18 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Freshworks is on 56/100 and Zendesk on 62/100.
Where each one leads
Freshworks
- funding raised: $150M against $500K
Zendesk
- our overall score: 62/100 against 56/100
- agent readiness: 61/100 against 46/100
At a glance
| Measure | Freshworks | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud-based software company providing AI-powered customer service, IT service management, and CRM solutions. | Cloud-based customer service and engagement platform providing ticketing, messaging, and AI-powered support tools. |
| Category | AI, SaaS, CRM, ITSM | Customer Service, Software, AI, SaaS |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2B | B2B |
| Offering | Software | Software |
| Founded | 2010 | 2007 |
| Headquarters | San Mateo, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Freshworks | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | Not published | 6,706 |
| Total funding | $150M | $500K |
| Latest round | Series H | Seed |
| Valuation | $3.5B | $10B |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Freshworks | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 56/100 | 62/100 |
| Traction | 40/100 | 48/100 |
| Team | Not published | 30/100 |
| Community | 8/100 | Not published |
| Search visibility | 25/100 | 33/100 |
| Quality | 83/100 | 81/100 |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (46/100) | C (61/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 90/100 | 93/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Freshworks | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | AWS | Not detected |
| CDN | Cloudflare | Cloudflare |
| Frameworks | Not detected | Next.js |
| Analytics | Not detected | Google Tag Manager |
| Support stack | Not detected | Zendesk |
| Open source | No | Yes |
Freshworks vs Zendesk: common questions
Which is better, Freshworks or Zendesk?
On our 0-100 score Zendesk rates higher (62/100 against 56/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 18 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Freshworks and Zendesk compare on the numbers?
Freshworks leads on funding raised ($150M against $500K). Zendesk leads on our overall score (62/100 against 56/100), agent readiness (61/100 against 46/100).
Read the full Freshworks review and pricing or the Zendesk review and pricing. You can also browse other Freshworks alternatives we track.