Quick Comparison
| Feature | HelpShelf | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free — 50 credits/mo (Pro from $49/mo) | Free tier; paid plans per agent |
| AI Agent Pricing | Credits included in every plan | Freddy AI (paid add-on) |
| Citations on Answers | Every confident answer cites sources | Via Freddy AI (add-on) |
| Human Escalation | One tap via Telegram, Slack, or email — free | Agent seats (per-agent pricing) |
| Legible to AI Agents | llms.txt, llms-full.txt + public MCP endpoint | |
| Born from Your Codebase | npx helpshelf scans your repo | |
| Setup Time | Minutes — one command or one script tag | Days to weeks |
| Best For | Product teams, SaaS, indie builders | SMB support teams |
Why teams switch from Freshdesk
Resolution with proof, not ticket management
Freshdesk was built to manage tickets. HelpShelf is built to resolve questions before they become tickets — and every confident answer carries citations to your real sources. If it can't cite, it escalates.
Escalation is one tap, not another agent seat
When the agent is unsure, it messages you on Telegram, Slack, or email with the question and its draft. Approve and send, or take over — one tap, no per-agent fees, and escalations never consume credits.
Freddy AI is a paid add-on
Freshdesk's AI assistant requires an upgrade. HelpShelf includes credits in every plan, including free — 1 credit equals 1 AI-resolved conversation, and multi-turn chats still count once.
Legible to the AI agents your buyers use
HelpShelf publishes llms.txt, llms-full.txt, and a public MCP endpoint for your site, so ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI assistants can read — and recommend — your product with verifiable claims.
Pricing comparison
Pay for resolved conversations, not agent seats and add-ons
Migration is easy
Switch from Freshdesk to HelpShelf in three simple steps
Connect Freshdesk
HelpShelf imports your published Freshdesk solution articles directly — categories and folders included.
Add your sources
Run npx helpshelf to scan your codebase, or paste URLs. Everything lands in one knowledge base.
Go live
Add one line of code to your site. Your agent answers with citations from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Freshdesk's free tier is a basic ticket system. HelpShelf's free plan is an AI agent: 50 credits a month, citations on every confident answer, and one-tap human escalation. If your goal is resolving questions rather than filing them, HelpShelf is the better fit.
HelpShelf qualifies and resolves conversations before they need a human. When something does need you, it escalates with a drafted reply you can approve in one tap — on Telegram, Slack, or email. Escalations and unanswered items never consume credits.
HelpShelf covers the widget, your public help center, and connected email. If you need phone and social channels in one console, Freshdesk may fit better — but most SaaS teams find cited self-service plus one-tap escalation removes the need for those channels.
Yes. HelpShelf connects to Freshdesk and imports your published solution articles directly, preserving categories and folders. Imported content is treated as curated (human-reviewed) and ranks highest in answers.
Yes — the Free plan includes 50 credits per month, citations on every answer, and one-tap human escalation. No credit card required.