Freshdesk vs Zendesk:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Zendesk had more branded searches than Freshdesk among AI customer support tools worldwide. Zendesk had about 304,000 branded searches, while Freshdesk had 91,800. Zendesk made up 48.1% of all AI customer support tool searches we track, and Freshdesk accounted for 14.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI customer support tools, Zendesk appeared in all five answers and Freshdesk in four. Zendesk was mentioned before Freshdesk in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Zendesk, about 3 searches for every 1 for Freshdesk
Who does AI mention more?
Zendesk, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Zendesk, named ahead of Freshdesk in 4 of 5 answers
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Top AI customer support tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Zendesk appeared in all five answers. Freshdesk was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Zendesk was listed before Freshdesk in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Zendesk1st
Intercom Fin2nd
Freshdesk3rd
Gorgias4th
Forethought5th
Ada6th
Tidio–
Kustomer–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Zendesk5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Freshdesk4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Gorgias3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Intercom Fin3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Ada1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Forethought1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tidio0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Kustomer0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI customer support tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI customer support tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI customer support tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI customer support tool for a support team?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“customer support ai”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai helpdesk software”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Freshdesk or Zendesk more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Freshdesk and Zendesk by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight AI customer support tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Zendesk, Freshdesk. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Zendesk | Gorgias | Freshdesk | Intercom Fin | Tidio | Kustomer | Ada | Forethought |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47.5% | 25.6% | 14.2% | 4.2% | 6.3% | 1.3% | 0.86% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 41.7% | 33.5% | 12.5% | 3.7% | 6.7% | 1.1% | 0.75% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 45.4% | 29.9% | 13.7% | 3.3% | 6% | 0.98% | 0.67% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 49% | 26.4% | 12.1% | 4.3% | 6.5% | 1.1% | 0.65% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 48.5% | 26.1% | 11.9% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 1% | 0.76% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 51.4% | 22.7% | 11.5% | 5.6% | 6.8% | 1.1% | 0.86% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.8% | 28.8% | 10.8% | 5.8% | 8.6% | 1.2% | 1% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 49.5% | 26.7% | 10% | 5.4% | 6.5% | 1.1% | 0.84% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 48.4% | 26.2% | 12% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 1% | 0.78% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.1% | 34.8% | 10.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.1% | 0.87% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 46% | 30.4% | 11.5% | 5% | 5% | 1.2% | 0.87% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.1% | 26.1% | 14.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 1% | 0.7% | <0.01% |
How has the Freshdesk and Zendesk comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Zendesk was ahead of Freshdesk in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Freshdesk’s share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide moved from 14.2% to 14.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 112K to 91.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zendesk’s share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide moved from 47.5% to 48.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 373K to 304K.
How did search popularity change for AI customer support tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Freshdesk gained share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide, from 11.5% to 14.5%.
In September 2026, Zendesk gained share of searches among AI customer support tools worldwide, from 46% to 48.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Freshdesk’s and Zendesk’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among AI customer support tools
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