Freshdesk, built by Chennai-based Freshworks, has become a top choice for Indian SMEs looking to manage customer support. With WhatsApp integration, SLA automations, and a free plan for startups, it balances affordability with advanced features. Here’s our 2025 review for Indian businesses.
India Snapshot
- Pricing (2025):
- Free: ₹0 (basic email ticketing, up to 10 agents).
- Growth: ₹1,199/agent/month (WhatsApp, automation rules).
- Pro: ₹3,599/agent/month (Freddy AI, advanced SLA).
- Enterprise: ₹4,799/agent/month (custom roles, enterprise security).
- WhatsApp: Native integration for support + chatbots.
- Payments: Razorpay, PayU, UPI for Indian billing. GST invoice available.
- SLA Automation: Auto-escalation, reminders, and AI-powered routing.
- Support Hours: India-friendly, Chennai-based HQ.
Want a customer support tool designed with India in mind?
Start with Freshdesk
Freshdesk Pricing in India
Freshdesk is flexible with a free plan for small startups and advanced tiers for SMEs/enterprises.
- Growth Plan (₹1,199): Adds WhatsApp integration, automation rules, and analytics.
- Pro Plan (₹3,599): Freddy AI for ticket suggestions + SLA automation.
- Enterprise Plan (₹4,799): Advanced custom roles, security, and sandbox.
WhatsApp Integration
Freshdesk offers direct WhatsApp Business integration:
- Reply to customer queries from inside Freshdesk.
- Send order updates, COD confirmations, and delivery alerts.
- Use WhatsApp bots to reduce manual replies.
This is a major win for Indian SMEs where WhatsApp is the default support channel.
SLA Automations & AI
- SLA (Service Level Agreements): Automate response deadlines. E.g., auto-escalate tickets not answered in 4 hours.
- Freddy AI: Suggests responses, assigns tickets to the right agent, reduces workload.
- Custom Rules: Route COD-related queries to finance, returns to operations.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free plan available for up to 10 agents.
- WhatsApp built-in for Indian customers.
- SLA automations + AI save time.
- India billing with GST invoices.
Cons
- Pro/Enterprise plans get expensive.
- Some advanced features locked behind higher tiers.
- Learning curve for customizing workflows.
Quick Checklist for Indian SMEs
- Start with Free or Growth plan.
- Enable WhatsApp integration.
- Add SLA rules for COD, returns, refunds.
- Use Freddy AI for response suggestions.
- Upgrade to Pro if your team grows beyond 10 agents.
Ready to modernize your customer support with WhatsApp and SLA automation?
Get Freshdesk Today
In 2025, Freshdesk remains one of the most SME-friendly CRMs for customer support in India. The free plan helps startups, while the Growth/Pro plans give SMEs WhatsApp support, SLA automation, and AI-powered efficiency. For most Indian SMEs, Freshdesk is a smart, scalable choice.
