Freshdesk vs Dispatch Tickets
Feature-rich traditional helpdesk vs modern API-first approach. Which model fits your team?
Freshdesk is the “affordable Zendesk alternative” that’s been around for years. Dispatch Tickets is the new API-first approach. Both solve ticketing—very differently.
The Positioning
Freshdesk wants to be your complete helpdesk. Email, chat, phone, knowledge base, automation, analytics—the works. It started as the budget Zendesk and grew into a full platform.
Dispatch Tickets wants to be your ticketing infrastructure. API-first, per-ticket pricing, built for integration. Less platform, more primitive.
Pricing Breakdown
| Freshdesk | Dispatch Tickets | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Per-agent | Per-ticket |
| Free tier | 10 agents | 100 tickets/mo |
| Paid starting | $15/agent/mo | $29/mo (1k tickets) |
| Multi-brand | Pro ($49/agent) | All plans |
| 5 agents, 1k tickets | $75-245/mo | $29/mo |
Freshdesk’s free tier is generous on agents but limited on features. Dispatch Tickets’ free tier is generous on users but limited on volume.
For growing teams, the math diverges quickly. A 10-person team on Freshdesk Pro (for multi-brand) pays $490/month. Same team on Dispatch Tickets pays $29-99/month.
What Freshdesk Does Better
Feature depth. Freshdesk has years of feature development. Automations, SLAs, satisfaction surveys, agent collision detection, time tracking—it’s all there.
Free tier generosity. Ten agents for free is genuinely useful. For small teams with basic needs, Freshdesk Free actually works.
Omnichannel options. Add Freshchat for messaging, Freshcaller for phone. Freshworks suite gives you everything eventually.
Established ecosystem. Marketplace apps, integrations, a known quantity. IT departments have heard of Freshdesk.
Self-service portal. Customer-facing knowledge base, ticket submission, community forums. Built-in, not separate.
What Dispatch Tickets Does Better
Pricing model. Per-ticket means unlimited users. Add engineers, founders, PMs without watching costs climb. Pay for usage, not headcount.
API quality. Everything in the UI is available via API. Built for developers who want to integrate, not just “has API access.”
Multi-brand simplicity. Workspaces included on all plans. No Pro tier required just to support multiple brands.
Modern architecture. Built recently with modern patterns. No legacy decisions from 2010.
Focused simplicity. Does ticketing, does it well, doesn’t try to be everything.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Freshdesk | Dispatch Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Email ticketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live chat | Freshchat add-on | No |
| Phone | Freshcaller add-on | No |
| Knowledge base | ✓ (all plans) | Roadmap |
| Automation rules | ✓ (Growth+) | Basic |
| SLA management | ✓ (Growth+) | Basic |
| Customer portal | ✓ | No |
| Multi-brand | Pro ($49) | All plans |
| API | Good | Excellent |
| Unlimited users | No | Yes |
Freshdesk has more features. Dispatch Tickets has better pricing economics. Classic trade-off.
When to Choose Freshdesk
You need features now. Knowledge base, customer portal, satisfaction surveys, advanced automation—without building them yourself.
Free tier fits perfectly. Under 10 agents, basic needs, budget is tight. Freshdesk Free genuinely works.
You want the Freshworks ecosystem. Planning to add chat (Freshchat), phone (Freshcaller), CRM (Freshsales). Integration is seamless.
IT needs a known vendor. Freshdesk has SOC 2, GDPR compliance, and name recognition for vendor approval processes.
When to Choose Dispatch Tickets
Per-seat pricing is killing you. Everyone who should see support—engineers, founders, PMs—would add to your Freshdesk bill.
You’re running multiple brands. Freshdesk charges $49/agent/month for multi-brand. Dispatch Tickets includes it at $29/month total.
You want to build on top. API-first architecture for custom integrations, embedded support, or building your own customer-facing experience.
Simplicity beats features. You don’t need everything Freshdesk offers and would rather not pay for it or navigate around it.
The Honest Assessment
Freshdesk is a solid, proven helpdesk that does a lot. If you need those features and can handle per-agent pricing, it works.
Dispatch Tickets is a simpler, cheaper option that trades features for better economics and API-first design. If you’re technical and don’t need the full platform, it’s compelling.
Freshdesk is better for: Teams that need complete helpdesk features, use free tier effectively, or want the Freshworks ecosystem.
Dispatch Tickets is better for: Technical teams, multi-brand operations, or anyone where per-seat pricing creates painful trade-offs.
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Get Early AccessFrequently Asked Questions
Freshdesk is better for teams needing full features (KB, portal, advanced automation) or who fit the free tier well. Dispatch Tickets is better for multi-brand operations, teams wanting unlimited users, or anyone frustrated by per-agent pricing.
Depends on team size. 2-3 people on Freshdesk Growth ($15/agent) is cheaper than Dispatch Tickets ($29/month). 5+ people, Dispatch Tickets wins because it's flat pricing. Multi-brand changes the math dramatically—Freshdesk Pro is $49/agent.
Not yet—it's on the roadmap. Freshdesk includes KB on all plans. If self-service documentation is important today, Freshdesk is the better choice. If you mainly need ticketing, Dispatch Tickets works fine.
Common reasons: per-agent pricing limiting who can access support, multi-brand locked behind Pro tier ($49/agent), wanting API-first architecture for integrations, or needing simpler software without feature bloat.