BoldDesk vs FreeScout

Published:

10 mins read

Comparison	BoldDesk	FreeScout
Pricing	Paid plans starting at $25/user per month. Please refer the below page to know about the pricing details. Unlimited Agents - https://www.bolddesk.com/pricing/unlimited-agents Agent Based - https://www.bolddesk.com/pricing	Free and open source. You only need to pay for hosting or optional paid add-ons.
Hosting	Cloud-based (hosted by the vendor) SaaS Application.	Open-source and self-hosted, providing complete control over the server and data.
Customization & Extensibility	Offer comprehensive customization options for Multi-brand help desk Rebranding Custom Fields Custom Ticket Forms Email Templates Custom Domain Mapping Custom Agent Roles Custom Statuses and Agent Custom Status https://www.bolddesk.com/help-desk-customization	Offers basic UI customization with an ability to add more features via plugins and custom modules.
User Interface (UI)	Modern, intuitive UI designed for ease of use.	Clean but simpler UI, as it focuses on functionality. Can be customized, but the default UI is more basic than BoldDesk.
No Hidden Costs	With BoldDesk, you have a predictable subscription fee that covers all services, features, and support. This makes it easier to budget for your help desk solution.	FreeScout is free to use, but there may be hidden costs, such as hosting fees, plugin purchases, or hiring technical staff to manage and customize the system.
Features	Ticket Management: Powerful ticketing system with advanced features like automation, SLAs, and canned responses. https://www.bolddesk.com/help-desk-ticketing-system Multi-channel Support: Support for emails, web forms, and embedded widgets for ticket submission. Additionally, support omnichannel inbox such as live chat, WhatsApp, Facebook and Voice. https://www.bolddesk.com/omnichannel-inbox Multi-Brand Support: Custom branding for multi-departmental support. Multilingual Support: Support for multiple languages, allowing you to localize the help desk for different regions. Reporting & Analytics: Detailed reporting options to track team performance and customer satisfaction. https://www.bolddesk.com/reporting-analytics Automation & Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks such as assigning tickets, sending emails, and tagging based on triggers and conditions. https://www.bolddesk.com/automated-help-desk Customer Portal: Allows customers to track tickets and check knowledge base articles. https://www.bolddesk.com/customer-portal Integration with third-party apps: Integrations with various third-party tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Custom apps. https://www.bolddesk.com/integrations Ticket Tagging and Categorization: Add tags, categories, and custom statuses to tickets for better organization.	Ticket Management: Solid ticket management system with basic automation features. Multi-channel Support: Primarily focused on email ticketing. Can be extended for other channels through modules. Multi-Brand Support: Multi-brand support but requires configuration for each brand. Multilingual Support: Support for multiple languages, allowing you to localize the help desk for different regions. Reporting & Analytics: Limited built-in reporting, though additional reporting features can be added with modules. https://freescout.net/module/reports/ Automation & Workflows: Basic automation, but more can be added with custom modules. https://freescout.net/module/workflows/ Customer Portal: Can be added as a module, but not as sophisticated as BoldDesk’s built-in portal. https://freescout.net/module/end-user-portal/ Integration: Integrates with popular tools but often requires add-ons or manual setup. Email Piping: Converts emails directly into tickets via email piping or IMAP integration.
Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management	It includes SLA management tools, allowing you to define, monitor, and enforce SLAs for different customer groups or ticket types. It ensures that tickets are resolved within the agreed timeframes.	It doesn’t have native SLA management. You would need to implement or extend this functionality through plugins or custom development.
AI Copilot	Support AI features for Agent Copilot Chat AI Writing Assistant Summarize Tickets Translate your Reply Summarize KB Articles and SEO Attributes. These tools aim to improve productivity and enhance communication effectiveness. https://www.bolddesk.com/ai	Ticket translator option only available, not AI supported. https://freescout.net/module/ticket-translator/
Knowledge Base	Build and manage a public or private knowledge base with articles, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides. https://www.bolddesk.com/knowledge-base-software	Build a knowledge base for customer self-service with articles and FAQs. https://freescout.net/module/knowledge-base/
Security and Compliance	Regular security updates and vendor-hosted protection. Role-based access control, GDPR compliance, and audit logs. https://www.bolddesk.com/legal/security	Security depends on how you host it. You are responsible for updates and protecting your system. Tools to ensure GDPR compliance, such as data anonymization. https://freescout.net/module/gdpr/
Scalability	Easily scalable since it’s hosted and maintained by the vendor.	Scalable, but depends on your infrastructure and resources.
Support	Dedicated customer support through various channels.	Community-based support. For advanced support, you might need to rely on freelancers or developers.
Mobile App	BoldDesk offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android, allowing agents to manage support tickets, respond to customers, and track performance on the go. https://www.bolddesk.com/mobile-help-desk	FreeScout does not offer a dedicated mobile app, so mobile access would need to be managed through the web interface or custom development.
Use Case	Suitable for businesses of all sizes that want a cloud-based solution without handling technical details.	Ideal for companies looking for a cost-effective, customizable solution and have the resources to handle hosting and maintenance.