Table of Contents
- Key takeaways: HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat at a glance
- HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat: side-by-side comparison
- How do reviewers rank HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat?
- What is HubSpot Service Hub?
- What is Crisp?
- What is Freshchat?
- HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat pricing: what does each cost?
- Seat cost at 2, 5, 10 and 20 agents
- Cost with the AI agent switched on
- Which has the better AI agent: Customer Agent, Hugo or Freddy?
- HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat integrations: which ecosystem fits?
- The stack: which tool does which job
- How to choose between HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat
- Use-case cheat sheet
- FAQ
- Basics
- What is the difference between HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat?
- Is Freshchat the same as Freshdesk Messaging?
- Does HubSpot have free live chat?
- Comparisons and reviews
- Which is rated higher on G2: HubSpot, Crisp or Freshchat?
- Is Crisp better than Freshchat?
- Is HubSpot better than Freshworks for live chat?
- Pricing
- Is Crisp cheaper than Freshchat?
- How much does HubSpot Service Hub cost?
- How is AI priced in each tool?
- AI and integrations
- Can you add an AI chatbot to Crisp or Freshchat?
- Does SiteGPT work with HubSpot?
- Sources
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Created time
Jun 30, 2026 08:41 AM
HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat comes down to where your customer data lives: HubSpot fits teams already on the HubSpot CRM, Crisp fits small teams that want one flat price per workspace, and Freshchat fits teams that want free live chat for up to 10 agents inside Freshworks.
TL;DR
- Reviewers rank Crisp first. G2 scores are Crisp 4.5 (205 reviews), HubSpot Service Hub 4.4 (3,018) and Freshchat 4.4 (503). HubSpot has the largest review base by far.
- Crisp charges per workspace, not per agent: $45, $95 or $295 a month. Ten agents on Essentials cost $95 a month, half the $190 that Freshchat Growth costs.
- HubSpot is cheapest per seat at $7 a month billed annually (Starter). Professional is $90 a seat plus a required $1,500 onboarding fee.
- Freshchat is free for up to 10 agents. Paid plans start at $19 an agent a month billed annually, and the Freddy AI Agent costs $49 per 100 sessions.
- AI is billed differently in each tool. HubSpot charges 50 credits ($0.50) per resolved conversation, Freshchat sells AI sessions in packs of 100, and Crisp includes $5 to $75 of AI credits a month.
Key takeaways: HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat at a glance
Tool | Best for | Key strength | Entry paid price | G2 rating |
Teams already on the HubSpot CRM | Chat, tickets and contacts in one CRM | $7 a seat a month billed annually (Starter) | ||
Small teams that want one flat bill | Price per workspace, not per agent | $45 a month per workspace (Mini, 4 seats) | ||
Freshworks teams and teams with no budget | Free plan for up to 10 agents | $19 an agent a month billed annually (Growth) | ||
SiteGPT (stack layer) | AI answers from your own content inside Crisp or Freshchat | Flat plan, hands off to your agents | $79 a month billed yearly (Growth, the plan with integrations) | Not ranked here |
Transparency note: SiteGPT publishes this comparison and sells an AI chatbot. SiteGPT is not ranked against HubSpot, Crisp or Freshchat, because it is not a live chat suite. It appears once, in the stack section, in the role it fills.
HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat: side-by-side comparison
HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat compare as follows on price model, plans, AI and ratings. Prices are list prices in US dollars read on each vendor's pricing page.
Dimension | HubSpot Service Hub | Crisp | Freshchat |
Price model | Per seat | Per workspace, with seats included | Per agent |
Free plan | Up to 2 users, no credit card | 2 seats, no AI credits | Up to 10 agents |
Paid plans | Starter $7, Professional $90, Enterprise $150 per seat a month, billed annually | Mini $45, Essentials $95, Plus $295 per workspace a month | Growth $19, Pro $49, Enterprise $79 per agent a month, billed annually |
Monthly billing | Starter $20, Professional $100 per seat | Listed prices are monthly. Yearly billing can be switched on in the app | Available. Annual billing saves 20%, per the pricing page |
One-time fees | $1,500 onboarding on Professional, $3,500 on Enterprise | None listed | None listed |
AI agent | Customer Agent (Breeze) | Hugo AI agent and AI chatbot | Freddy AI Agent |
AI billing | 50 HubSpot Credits per resolved conversation, $0.50 at list | $5, $25 or $75 of AI credits included per month | $49 per 100 sessions |
Free trial | 14 days of Customer Agent with a Professional or Enterprise seat | 14 days, all features, no card required | 14 days on the Enterprise plan |
G2 rating | 4.4 from 3,018 reviews | 4.5 from 205 reviews | 4.4 from 503 reviews |
Best for | HubSpot CRM teams | Startups and small teams | Freshworks teams and free-plan starters |
One naming point causes confusion. Freshworks still sells Freshchat under that name on its pricing page, and also markets chat inside Freshdesk Omni. Inside Freshdesk, the same product appears as Freshdesk Messaging.
How do reviewers rank HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat?
Reviewers on G2 rank Crisp first with 4.5 out of 5, then HubSpot Service Hub and Freshchat tied at 4.4. HubSpot's score rests on 3,018 reviews, about 15 times Crisp's 205, so its average is the most stable of the three.
Rank | Tool | G2 rating | Reviews | G2 category |
1 | Crisp | 4.5 | 205 | Live Chat Software |
2 | HubSpot Service Hub | 4.4 | 3,018 | Help Desk Software |
3 | Freshchat | 4.4 | 503 | Live Chat Software |
For reference | LiveChat | 4.5 | 813 | Live Chat Software |
HubSpot ranks above Freshchat on the tie because its score comes from six times as many reviews. A 0.1-point gap on G2 is small, so price model and existing stack should decide the choice before the rating does.
LiveChat often appears on the same shortlist and also scores 4.5 on G2. Teams ready to leave HubSpot chat altogether can compare 10 options in HubSpot live chat alternatives. If the shortlist includes Intercom or Drift instead, the comparison is HubSpot vs Intercom vs Drift. If it includes Zendesk, the comparison is Zendesk vs Intercom.
What is HubSpot Service Hub?
HubSpot Service Hub is HubSpot's customer service software, and its live chat runs inside the HubSpot CRM. Every chat, ticket and contact sits on the same customer record that marketing and sales use.
HubSpot's AI agent is called Customer Agent. It answers on chat, email, forms and calling, and escalates to the team when needed.
Key features
- Live chat and shared inbox connected to the HubSpot CRM
- Customer Agent for chat, email, forms and calling
- HubSpot Credits included every month: 500 on Starter, 3,000 on Professional, 5,000 on Enterprise
- Help desk and customer success tools on Professional
- Advanced routing and enterprise controls on Enterprise
- Over 2,000 apps in the HubSpot marketplace
Pros
- Free tools for up to 2 users, with no credit card
- The lowest paid seat price in this comparison: $7 a month billed annually
- Chat history sits on the same record as deals and marketing emails
- A published AI price: 50 credits, or $0.50, per resolved conversation
Cons
- Professional costs $90 a seat a month plus a required $1,500 onboarding fee
- Enterprise adds a required $3,500 onboarding fee
- Customer Agent's free trial needs a Professional or Enterprise seat
- Unused HubSpot Credits do not roll over to the next month
Pricing
Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Included credits | Notes |
Free | $0 | $0 | None | Up to 2 users |
Starter | $7 a seat a month | $20 a seat a month | 500 a month | Email support |
Professional | $90 a seat a month | $100 a seat a month | 3,000 a month | $1,500 one-time onboarding, required |
Enterprise | $150 a seat a month | Talk to sales | 5,000 a month | $3,500 one-time onboarding, required |
Extra HubSpot Credits cost $0.010 each. HubSpot's product catalog charges 50 credits for Customer Agent to resolve one conversation on a text channel. Source: HubSpot Service Hub pricing.
User reviews: 4.4 out of 5 from 3,018 reviews on G2.
Best for: teams whose sales and marketing already run on the HubSpot CRM. A deeper look at Customer Agent against Fin is in HubSpot vs Intercom vs Drift.
What is Crisp?
Crisp is a live chat and shared inbox platform priced per workspace, not per agent. A plan includes a set number of seats, so adding a teammate inside that number does not raise the bill.
Crisp's AI agent is called Hugo. Each paid plan includes a monthly amount of AI credits, and Crisp does not limit the number of conversations.
Key features
- Website chat widget, shared inbox and mobile apps on the Free plan
- Shared email inbox, chat triggers and a custom email domain from Mini
- Omnichannel inbox, AI chatbot, knowledge base and routing rules from Essentials
- Workflow automation builder and CRM data from Essentials
- Ticketing system, white labelling and 100+ integrations on Plus
- Hugo, an AI agent for customer questions
Pros
- The top G2 score of the three: 4.5 out of 5
- One flat price per workspace: $95 covers 10 seats on Essentials
- No limit on the number of conversations
- 14-day trial of all features, with no card required
Cons
- Ticketing is on Plus only, at $295 a month
- Included AI credits are small on lower plans: $5 on Mini and $25 on Essentials
- The pricing page does not publish the AI cost per conversation
- More than 20 agents costs extra, at $10 per additional agent a month
Pricing
Plan | Price per workspace, per month | Seats included | AI credits included | Notable features |
Free | $0 | 2 | $0 | Chat widget, shared inbox, mobile apps |
Mini | $45 | 4 | $5 | Shared email inbox, triggers, unlimited data retention |
Essentials | $95 | 10 | $25 | AI chatbot, knowledge base, routing, analytics |
Plus | $295 | 20 and more | $75 | Ticketing, white labelling, 100+ integrations |
Crisp lists these prices per month. Yearly billing can be switched on from the Plans page inside the Crisp app, and the pricing page shows no yearly price. VAT is not included. Source: Crisp pricing.
User reviews: 4.5 out of 5 from 205 reviews on G2.
Best for: startups and small teams that want one predictable bill as they hire. Teams leaving Crisp can compare seven options in Crisp alternatives.
What is Freshchat?
Freshchat is the live chat and messaging product from Freshworks, priced per agent. The Free plan covers up to 10 agents, the most generous free tier of the three.
Freshchat's AI agent is Freddy AI Agent, sold in packs of sessions. Freddy AI Copilot is a separate add-on that assists human agents.
Key features
- Chat widget on web and mobile apps, shared inbox and email on the Free plan
- Freddy AI Agent, social media messengers and text messaging from Growth
- Multilingual conversations, intelligent routing and multiple SLA policies on Pro
- Skill-based routing, audit logs and IP allowlisting on Enterprise
- Freddy AI Copilot for agents as an add-on on Pro and Enterprise
Pros
- Free for up to 10 agents
- A published AI price: $49 per 100 sessions
- SLA policies and routing on Pro, at $49 an agent a month billed annually
- The 14-day trial opens on the Enterprise plan, so every feature can be tested
Cons
- Per-agent pricing grows fastest with headcount: 20 agents on Growth cost $380 a month
- AI is an extra line on the bill on top of seats
- Freddy AI Copilot costs another $29 an agent a month
- The product name differs between Freshchat, Freshdesk Omni and Freshdesk Messaging
Pricing
Plan | Price per agent a month, billed annually | Notable features |
Free | $0, up to 10 agents | Chat widget on web and mobile, shared inbox, connect email, roles |
Growth | $19 | Freddy AI Agent at $49 per 100 sessions, social messengers, text messaging, reports |
Pro | $49 | Multilingual conversations, intelligent routing, multiple SLA policies |
Enterprise | $79 | Skill-based routing, audit logs, JWT authentication, IP allowlisting |
Add-ons include Freddy AI Copilot at $29 an agent a month and day passes for occasional agents. The pricing page says annual billing saves 20%. Source: Freshchat pricing.
User reviews: 4.4 out of 5 from 503 reviews on G2.
Best for: teams that already use Freshdesk or Freshsales, and teams of up to 10 agents with no chat budget. AI chatbots that plug into Freshdesk are ranked in the best Freshdesk AI chatbots.
HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat pricing: what does each cost?
HubSpot Starter has the lowest price per seat at $7 a month billed annually. Crisp has the simplest bill: $95 covers 10 seats on Essentials, with the AI chatbot and knowledge base included. Freshchat is free up to 10 agents if the free features are enough.
Seat cost at 2, 5, 10 and 20 agents
The table multiplies each list price by the team size. Assumptions: HubSpot and Freshchat on annual billing, Crisp on its listed monthly price, no add-ons and no AI usage.
Plan | 2 agents | 5 agents | 10 agents | 20 agents |
HubSpot Starter ($7 a seat) | $14 | $35 | $70 | $140 |
HubSpot Professional ($90 a seat) | $180 | $450 | $900 | $1,800 |
Crisp, smallest plan that fits | $0 (Free) | $95 (Essentials) | $95 (Essentials) | $295 (Plus) |
Freshchat Free | $0 | $0 | $0 | Not available |
Freshchat Growth ($19 an agent) | $38 | $95 | $190 | $380 |
Freshchat Pro ($49 an agent) | $98 | $245 | $490 | $980 |
The differences, already calculated:
- 10 agents, Crisp Essentials vs Freshchat Growth: Crisp is $95 a month cheaper (50%). That is $1,140 a year.
- 20 agents, Crisp Plus vs Freshchat Growth: Crisp is $85 a month cheaper (22%). That is $1,020 a year.
- 10 agents, HubSpot Starter vs Crisp Essentials: HubSpot is $25 a month cheaper (26%), before AI and before any upgrade to Professional.
- 5 agents on HubSpot Professional, first year: $450 a month for 12 months plus $1,500 onboarding is $6,900.
Cost with the AI agent switched on
The table adds AI usage to seats for a 5-agent team whose AI handles 1,000 conversations a month. Assumptions: HubSpot and Freshchat on annual billing, list prices, and HubSpot's 3,000 included credits used first.
Setup | Seats | AI usage | Monthly total | Yearly total |
HubSpot Professional with Customer Agent | $450 | $470 (47,000 extra credits) | $920 | $11,040, plus $1,500 onboarding |
Freshchat Growth with Freddy AI Agent | $95 | $490 (10 packs of 100 sessions) | $585 | $7,020 |
Crisp Essentials with Hugo | $95 | $25 of credits included. Usage price not published | $95 plus usage past the credits | Not calculable from the pricing page |
Freshchat Growth costs $335 a month less than HubSpot Professional in this setup (36%). Over a first year with HubSpot's onboarding fee, the gap is $5,520.
The two AI units differ. HubSpot bills a resolved conversation, and Freshchat bills a session. A team that expects a low resolution rate should ask Freshworks how a session is counted before comparing the two. Flat-plan chatbots are priced against these usage models in the AI chatbot pricing comparison.
Which has the better AI agent: Customer Agent, Hugo or Freddy?
HubSpot's Customer Agent is the strongest pick when an answer needs CRM data, Freddy AI Agent has the clearest pack price, and Crisp's Hugo is the easiest to try because AI credits come with every paid plan.
Question | HubSpot Customer Agent | Crisp Hugo | Freshchat Freddy AI Agent |
Plan needed | Trial tied to a Professional or Enterprise seat | AI chatbot from Essentials, credits from Mini | Growth and above |
Billing unit | Resolved conversation, 50 credits ($0.50) | AI credits, $5 to $75 included a month | Session, $49 per 100 |
Channels named on the pricing page | Chat, email, forms, calling | Omnichannel inbox on Essentials | Web, mobile, social messengers, text messaging |
Knowledge base on the same plan | Yes, inside HubSpot | Yes, from Essentials | Not listed on the Freshchat pricing page |
Vendor-reported result | 65%+ of conversations resolved automatically | None on the pricing page | None on the pricing page |
HubSpot's 65% figure is vendor-reported on its pricing page. Crisp and Freshworks publish no comparable figure on theirs. Crisp's own AI agent is compared with add-on bots in AI chatbots for Crisp.
HubSpot vs Crisp vs Freshchat integrations: which ecosystem fits?
HubSpot has the largest ecosystem, Freshchat fits best inside Freshworks, and Crisp suits a stack that does not run on any suite.
Capability | HubSpot Service Hub | Crisp | Freshchat |
CRM | HubSpot CRM, built in | Customer data management from Essentials | Freshsales, from Freshworks |
Marketplace | Over 2,000 apps | 100+ integrations on Plus | Freshworks marketplace |
Ticketing | Help desk on Professional | Plus only | Freshdesk, from Freshworks |
SiteGPT integration | No HubSpot integration today | Yes, from the SiteGPT Growth plan | Yes, as Freshdesk Messaging, from the SiteGPT Growth plan |
The stack: which tool does which job
A stack splits customer service into layers, and each layer has one tool. HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat each cover the chat widget, the agent inbox and a native AI agent. A knowledge-trained chatbot covers one layer only.
Layer | Job | Tool |
Chat widget and agent inbox | Visitors write in, agents reply and assign | HubSpot, Crisp or Freshchat |
Customer record | Contacts, history, deals | HubSpot CRM, Crisp CRM data, or Freshsales |
Native AI agent | Answers inside the chat tool, billed by usage or credits | Customer Agent, Hugo or Freddy AI Agent |
Knowledge-trained answer layer | Answers first from your own docs, files and videos on a flat plan, then hands off | SiteGPT, in Crisp or Freshchat only |
SiteGPT is an AI chatbot trained on your own content: websites, sitemaps, files, YouTube, GitHub, Notion and cloud drives such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Box. It uses retrieval-augmented generation to answer from that content in 95+ languages.
In Crisp, SiteGPT installs as a plugin from the Crisp Marketplace. The chatbot answers first in the Crisp chatbox, and an operator takes over by replying in the Crisp inbox. In Freshchat, SiteGPT connects as Freshdesk Messaging, answers first, and stops when an agent replies. In both tools, the chatbot takes the conversation back after an agent resolves it.
The cost is a flat plan. Both integrations need the Growth plan: $129 a month billed monthly, or $79 a month billed yearly. Growth includes 10k GPT-4.1-mini messages a month, or 1,000 GPT-4.1 messages. Five agents on Crisp Essentials plus SiteGPT Growth cost $95 plus $79, which is $174 a month on SiteGPT's yearly billing.
The limits are real:
- No HubSpot integration today. A HubSpot Service Hub team cannot use this layout.
- Growth plan or above. Starter has no chat integrations.
- Not a live chat suite. SiteGPT has no ticket queue, no CRM and no phone channel. The agent inbox stays in Crisp or Freshchat.
- Message quota. Each plan has a monthly message allowance. Packs of 5k extra messages cost $59 a month.
- Not available in a HIPAA workspace. Integrations are off there, and a HIPAA BAA is Enterprise only. See the HIPAA workspace docs.
- The 7-day trial requires a credit card. There is no free plan.
How to choose between HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat
Choose by where your customer data lives first, then by team size and how you want to pay for AI.
If you need | Pick | Why |
Chat on the same record as sales and marketing | HubSpot Service Hub | Chat runs inside the HubSpot CRM |
The lowest paid price per seat | HubSpot Starter | $7 a seat a month billed annually |
One flat bill for up to 10 agents | Crisp Essentials | $95 a month per workspace |
The highest G2 rating | Crisp | 4.5 out of 5 |
Free chat for a team of up to 10 | Freshchat Free | $0 for up to 10 agents |
Chat next to Freshdesk tickets | Freshchat | Same Freshworks suite |
SLA policies and routing on a mid-tier plan | Freshchat Pro | $49 an agent a month billed annually |
An AI agent that reads CRM records | HubSpot Customer Agent | Uses HubSpot CRM data |
AI answers from docs, files and videos inside Crisp or Freshchat | SiteGPT as a stack layer | Growth plan, hands off to your agents |
Use-case cheat sheet
Scenario | Best pick | Why |
B2B SaaS with 6 reps on HubSpot Sales Hub | HubSpot Service Hub | Chats land on existing contact records |
3-person startup with no chat budget | Crisp Free or Freshchat Free | Crisp Free has 2 seats, Freshchat Free has up to 10 |
8-agent team that wants one predictable bill | Crisp Essentials | $95 a month covers 10 seats |
Team already on Freshdesk for email tickets | Freshchat | Chat and tickets in one Freshworks suite |
15-agent team with SLA targets | Freshchat Pro | Multiple SLA policies, $735 a month billed annually |
20-agent team on a fixed budget | Crisp Plus | $295 a month against $380 on Freshchat Growth |
Team that wants AI to quote deal or order data | HubSpot Customer Agent | Reads HubSpot CRM records |
Docs-heavy product on Crisp or Freshchat | Add SiteGPT Growth | Answers from your own content, agents stay in their inbox |
HubSpot team that wants AI from docs and videos | HubSpot Customer Agent for now | SiteGPT has no HubSpot integration today |
Teams still deciding between a bot and human chat can start with chatbots vs live chat.
FAQ
Basics
What is the difference between HubSpot, Crisp and Freshchat?
HubSpot Service Hub is customer service software inside the HubSpot CRM, priced per seat. Crisp is a live chat and shared inbox platform priced per workspace. Freshchat is the Freshworks live chat product, priced per agent with a free plan for up to 10 agents.
Is Freshchat the same as Freshdesk Messaging?
Yes. Freshworks sells the product as Freshchat on its pricing page, and the same chat product appears as Freshdesk Messaging inside Freshdesk. Freshworks also markets chat as part of Freshdesk Omni.
Does HubSpot have free live chat?
Yes. HubSpot's free tools cover up to 2 users with no credit card. Paid Starter seats cost $7 a month billed annually, or $20 billed monthly.
Comparisons and reviews
Which is rated higher on G2: HubSpot, Crisp or Freshchat?
Crisp is rated highest at 4.5 out of 5 from 205 reviews. HubSpot Service Hub and Freshchat both score 4.4, from 3,018 and 503 reviews.
Is Crisp better than Freshchat?
Crisp is better for a team of 5 to 20 agents that wants one flat bill. Freshchat is better for a team of up to 10 that needs free chat, or a team that already runs Freshdesk.
Is HubSpot better than Freshworks for live chat?
HubSpot is better when sales and marketing already run on the HubSpot CRM. Freshworks is cheaper for chat with AI: 5 agents with 1,000 AI conversations a month cost $585 on Freshchat Growth against $920 on HubSpot Professional.
Pricing
Is Crisp cheaper than Freshchat?
Crisp is cheaper above 5 agents on paid plans. Ten agents cost $95 a month on Crisp Essentials and $190 on Freshchat Growth billed annually. For up to 10 agents, Freshchat Free costs nothing.
How much does HubSpot Service Hub cost?
HubSpot Service Hub costs $7 (Starter), $90 (Professional) or $150 (Enterprise) per seat a month billed annually. Professional and Enterprise add one-time onboarding fees of $1,500 and $3,500.
How is AI priced in each tool?
HubSpot charges 50 credits, or $0.50, per resolved conversation. Freshchat charges $49 per 100 Freddy AI Agent sessions. Crisp includes $5, $25 or $75 of AI credits a month, depending on the plan.
AI and integrations
Can you add an AI chatbot to Crisp or Freshchat?
Yes. Both tools have their own AI agent, and both accept add-on bots. SiteGPT connects to Crisp and to Freshdesk Messaging on its Growth plan, at $79 a month billed yearly or $129 billed monthly.
Does SiteGPT work with HubSpot?
No. SiteGPT has no HubSpot integration today. A HubSpot team can use HubSpot's own Customer Agent.
Sources
Every source below was opened and checked on 22 October 2026.
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