Freshdesk vs Spiceworks Comparison 2024: Which Is Better?
Trying to decide between Freshdesk and Spiceworks? We understand your struggles!
Each has its benefits, but your business needs are unique. Our detailed Freshdesk vs Spiceworks comparison will shed light on their strengths, differences, and how they stack up in various categories.
By the end, you'll have a clearer picture to make a decision that's right for your company.
Dive in and let's find your ideal match.
What is the difference between Freshdesk and Spiceworks?
The main difference between Spiceworks and Freshdesk is that while Freshdesk offers both free and paid plans with advanced features tailored for small to medium businesses, Spiceworks is entirely free, focusing mainly on internal IT support with basic ticketing and reporting functionalities. Read on for more details!
Diving deeper, Freshdesk, a product of Freshworks, provides a comprehensive suite of features, making it a versatile tool for businesses of various sizes. On the other hand, Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk narrows its concentration on internal IT support, positioning it in competition with platforms like Vivantio and HaloITSM rather than being a direct rival to Freshdesk.
You can read more about this product in our detailed Freshdesk review that’s packed with the most current data.
Any Spiceworks review will tell you that the platform is the best help desk software for IT teams. Spiceworks offers multiple free products, with its IT help desk being just one among them.
Other available tools from Spiceworks encompass inventory management, a contract tracker, and remote support. Their no-frills approach makes them a great pick for companies that need essential functionalities without the bells and whistles of advanced features.
In contrast, Freshdesk, being a part of the larger Freshworks ecosystem, serves a broader range of customer support needs with its feature-rich platform.
Freshdesk vs Spiceworks comparison chart
The table below presents the conclusive reviews and ratings from our comparative analysis of these two popular help desk software.
Comparison | Freshdesk | Spiceworks | Winner |
Pricing | 4 | 5 | |
Free version | 4 | 5 | |
Customer support and knowledgebase | 4 | 3 | |
Ease of use | 3 | 4 | |
Online versions | 5 | 5 | Tie |
Desktop versions | 0 | 4 | |
Mobile apps | 5 | 5 | Tie |
Ticket management | 5 | 4 | |
Omnichannel support | 5 | 2 | |
Integrations | 5 | 4 | |
Customization | 4 | 3 | |
Automation | 5 | 4 | |
AI features | 4 | 0 | |
Reports and analytics | 3 | 4 | |
Overall winner | 56 | 52 |
Freshdesk vs Spiceworks pricing
Freshdesk offers its services through three distinct pricing tiers.
The Growth plan is priced at $18 per user each month, but if you opt for annual billing, it reduces to $15. The Pro plan is set at $59 per user monthly, with a yearly rate of $49. Their Enterprise plan is available at $95 per user monthly, with an annual discount bringing it down to $79.
Spiceworks takes a straightforward approach to pricing.
Regardless of whether you're using the web version, installing it on a Windows server, or you require unlimited access across tickets, users, or agents, the cost remains consistent: it's free.
The platform is funded by ads aimed at IT professionals. However, if you prefer an ad-free experience and the option to add your logo, the Spiceworks My Way plan is available for $45 a month or $495 a year.
Winner:
For sheer affordability, Spiceworks is the clear choice due to its free offering. But if you're in the market for a more comprehensive tool and are willing to invest, Freshdesk could be the better fit.
Spiceworks vs Freshdesk free versions
With Freshdesk's free tier, you can onboard up to ten agents and access a variety of foundational tools.
These include an email ticketing system, ready-to-use shared responses, the capability to create a knowledge base, essential contact forms, and an added perk: 24/7 email support from their customer service team.
Spiceworks, on the other hand, is entirely free. You can tap into the full breadth of their features without any time limitations. Simply set up an account, and you're all set.
Winner:
While Freshdesk generously accommodates in its free version, Spiceworks edges out by offering you full-fledged access without any financial commitments.
However, Freshdesk's free tier shouldn't be overlooked if you're scouting for versatile help desk options.
Customer support and knowledgebase
When you use Freshdesk, you get access to a knowledge base and community forums to help answer common questions. They also offer different ways to reach out for help, like email, phone, and chat, but the level of access might change based on your plan.
In contrast, Spiceworks gives you direct support mainly through email. For guidance, you can lean on Spiceworks University, with its video tutorials and webinars, and the community forums.
Their knowledge base, found in the dashboard, organizes articles into three sections: community-wide articles, those by your team, and your own articles.
Winner:
Considering the range of support options, Freshdesk has a slight edge in this category.
Spiceworks vs Freshdesk features & functionality
Having discussed the essentials like pricing, support, free plans, let's now dive into the actual tools. We'll be exploring these functionalities today:
Ease of use
Online versions
Desktop versions
Mobile apps
Ticket management
Omnichannel support
Integrations
Customization
Automation
AI features
Reports and analytics
Freshdesk or Spiceworks for ease of use?
Using Freshdesk, you'll find a clean and straightforward interface. Everything is organized, making it simpler to handle daily tasks and tickets. The platform allows agents to easily categorize and manage tickets based on factors like priority and date.
On the other hand, Spiceworks offers a hassle-free setup. Their web-based help desk can be ready in minutes, providing a portal for user support tickets.
If you prefer the server-based version, it's quite simple to get started. Its minimalistic design and functions make navigation and customization easy. Additionally, the options available within each ticket help in resolving issues efficiently.
Winner:
For ease of setup and straightforward use, Spiceworks comes out ahead.
Spiceworks vs Freshdesk online versions
With Freshdesk, you can access its cloud-based version from any device with an internet connection. It's designed to ensure that businesses can manage their customer support on the go, responding to queries and managing tickets from anywhere.
Similarly, Spiceworks offers a web-based version that's user-friendly and responsive. Whether you're at the office or remotely accessing your help desk from a coffee shop, Spiceworks ensures a seamless experience.
The online platform is intuitive, making it easy for IT professionals to track, manage, and resolve tickets without any hitches.
Winner:
Considering the adaptability and functionality of their online versions, it's a tie between Freshdesk and Spiceworks. Both platforms prioritize user convenience and online accessibility.
Freshdesk vs Spiceworks desktop versions
When it comes to desktop versions, Freshdesk opts to stay cloud-centric. This means there aren't any dedicated desktop apps available for Freshdesk users.
On the other hand, Spiceworks leans towards offering flexibility with a self-hosted version tailored for Microsoft Windows servers. However, it's worth noting that this version comes with some limitations.
While you won't find features like document storage, multi-channel communication, or remote support built-in, additional tools and apps can be installed to bridge these gaps. Similar to Freshdesk, Spiceworks also doesn't provide standalone desktop apps.
Winner:
For those who want a more traditional self-hosted experience, Spiceworks takes the lead.
Mobile apps
Freshdesk offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android. Using their app, you can get a quick overview of help desk activities, check individual tickets, and set ticket priorities. You’ll also get ticket routing, automation, and time tracking.
Spiceworks also has a mobile app available for Android and iOS. It's a simple tool that lets you manage help desk tickets and users on the go. You can also access features like network inventory, monitoring, and vendor reviews.
Winner:
Both provide mobile solutions, but if we're considering features, it's a tie. However, for sheer ease and accessibility, Spiceworks edges ahead.
Ticket management
With Freshdesk, you can streamline your ticket management using a shared team inbox. You'll benefit from features like a ticket field suggester, custom ticket status, and an auto-dispatch function.
Notably, their intelligent ticket assignment is a game-changer. Want to avoid multiple agents addressing the same query? Their Collision Detection ensures that. Plus, merging tickets, tracking agent time, and leveraging ticket templates make your task smoother.
On the other hand, Spiceworks delivers standard help desk functions. You can create tickets through email, a user portal, or directly in the Admin UI.
You'll also find functionalities for ticket collaboration and auto-assignment based on your set "Ticket Rules." Adding custom fields, replies, private comments, and attachments within the same ticket window are also possible.
Winner:
For its breadth of features, Freshdesk takes the lead in this category.
Omnichannel support
With Freshdesk, you're stepping into a centralized system for managing interactions from multiple channels like email, social media, and live chat. However, a potential hiccup might be that you could end up toggling between distinct interfaces for phone, chat, and email.
While it does cover a broad spectrum of channels, there's a catch. Channels like Instagram, telephony, and LINE either come with specific bundles or as additional purchases. For platforms such as Telegram and WeChat, you'll have to look into external integrations.
In contrast, Spiceworks keeps it straightforward. Your main avenues for ticketing are email, a user portal, and the Admin UI. If you're looking to pull tickets from social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram, you're out of luck here.
Winner:
Freshdesk wins in the omnichannel support category for offering a broader spectrum of channels.
Integrations
Freshdesk offers seamless compatibility with both Freshworks products and popular third-party apps like WhatsApp, Slack, and Salesforce. Their marketplace further bridges the gap with Google products.
Spiceworks, on the other hand, banks on its community-driven app center. Here, you'll find a suite of apps tailored for help desk optimization, inventory management, reporting, and even language support. These user-generated apps are available for free and are easy to install.
Winner:
Given its broader third-party app connections, Freshdesk edges out in this category. However, if you prefer a community-driven app center, then Spiceworks can be exactly what you need.
A note on Freshdesk Spiceworks integration
Unfortunately, there’s no native Spiceworks Freshdesk integration. The two platforms can’t integrate via third-party connector apps like Zapier either.
Customization
When diving into customization, Freshdesk provides you with an array of choices. You can tailor the look and feel of your help desk through their Help Desk Rebranding Settings. Adjust logos, URLs, and even the color themes to match your branding.
Beyond aesthetics, they also enhance the user experience with Freshdesk Arcade, a system that gamifies ticket resolution, spurring agents on with "quests" and badges.
Conversely, Spiceworks takes a different approach. While their built-in customization might seem more limited, it opens doors by integrating with over 150 third-party apps. These integrations allow you to add new functionalities and modify the UI.
Alongside this, you can also set permissions and view team metrics. Their on-premises version goes a step further, offering detailed customer data insights.
Winner:
Considering the depth of in-built customization and the innovative approach to user engagement, Freshdesk comes out ahead in this category.
Spiceworks or Freshdesk for automation
Freshdesk offers straightforward automation. Tickets can be easily routed based on keywords, and properties can be managed. What might appeal to you is the simplicity of establishing these automation processes.
Spiceworks, in contrast, provides tools to assign and route tickets by categories and priorities automatically. The software also has automated responses, reducing the repetitive task of typing similar replies. By setting up ticket rules, you can determine how tickets are categorized, prioritized, and assigned.
Winner:
Freshdesk has a slight advantage in the automation category.
AI features
Freshdesk brings Freddy, its AI bot, to the forefront of customer support. Freddy assists by addressing customer queries using insights from your knowledge base. Plus, you can fine-tune Freddy to ensure optimized responses and the linking of relevant solution articles.
On the other hand, Spiceworks doesn't come with any AI functionalities.
Winner:
Given the presence and capabilities of Freddy, Freshdesk clearly leads in the AI features category.
Reports and analytics
Freshdesk lets you dive deep into your support operations. The platform underscores unassigned tickets and empowers support managers to monitor first response times and ticket resolutions based on SLAs.
Crafting custom reports is made intuitive with drag-and-drop widgets to allow agents to tailor them to their needs.
On the other side, Spiceworks extends its functionality by providing you with a range of reporting options. You can choose the type of report (tickets or labor), set a specific timeframe, and pick your preferred report file format.
While, at first glance, Spiceworks' in-built reporting might seem more basic compared to Freshdesk, the game-changer is the integration with Microsoft Power BI.
By leveraging this connector, which is freely available on the Spiceworks website, you can tap into a world of advanced, visually engaging report generation. If you’re familiar with basic logic and report forms, you can easily produce comprehensive reports.
Winner:
Considering the robust and versatile capabilities offered by the Power BI integration, Spiceworks takes the lead in the reports and analytics category.
Is Freshdesk better than Spiceworks? Our conclusion
In our in-depth comparison, Freshdesk got 56 points while Spiceworks closely trailed with 51. While the numbers verify Freshdesk as the best solution overall, it doesn't automatically crown it as the universal best choice.
For smaller businesses on a tight budget, Spiceworks Cloud Help Desk, though basic, offers a reliable and cost-free solution for managing internal IT help desk requests. But, if this tool doesn’t fit your needs, feel free to check out Spiceworks alternatives for more options.
However, for more seasoned businesses or larger enterprises that can invest a bit more, Freshdesk's rich features, AI tools, and omnichannel support present an offering that justifies its price, giving it a slight advantage over Spiceworks.
In the end, it truly depends on what aligns best with your specific business requirements. And, if you're still on the fence or want to weigh more options, we recommend exploring our list of top CRM ticketing system options to see how Freshdesk and Spiceworks stack up against other industry players.
