Freshdesk vs HubSpot:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, HubSpot had more branded searches than Freshdesk among self service portals worldwide. HubSpot had about 1.5 million branded searches, while Freshdesk had 91,800. HubSpot made up 28.9% of all self service portal searches we track, and Freshdesk accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about self service portals, HubSpot appeared in two of the five answers and Freshdesk in one. Freshdesk and HubSpot were each mentioned first in one of the two answers.
Who do people search for more?
HubSpot, about 16 searches for every 1 for Freshdesk
Who does AI mention more?
HubSpot, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Freshdesk in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.
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Top self service portals in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, HubSpot was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Freshdesk was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Freshdesk and HubSpot were each listed first in one of the two answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Zendesk1st
ServiceNow2nd- HubSpot3rd
Freshdesk3rd
ManageEngine3rd
Salesforce6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Zendesk3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Salesforce2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- HubSpot2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- ServiceNow1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Freshdesk1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- ManageEngine1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about self service portals
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which self service portal should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best self service portals?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best self service portal for customer support?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“self service portal”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“customer portal software”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Freshdesk or HubSpot more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Freshdesk and HubSpot by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six self service portals we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for HubSpot, Freshdesk. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Salesforce | HubSpot | ServiceNow | Zendesk | Freshdesk | ManageEngine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.3% | 30.4% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 2.3% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.5% | 30.2% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 52.2% | 26.3% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.4% | 30.8% | 9.2% | 7.6% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 53.4% | 27% | 9.9% | 6.7% | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 49.5% | 30.6% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 1.7% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 49.8% | 31.1% | 11.4% | 5.1% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| May 2026 | 52.1% | 26.6% | 12% | 6.6% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.1% | 30.7% | 11.3% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 53.9% | 27.6% | 10.2% | 5.6% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 54.9% | 28.2% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 55.3% | 28.9% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 1.8% | 1.1% |
How has the Freshdesk and HubSpot comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- HubSpot 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 self service portals worldwide moved from 2.3% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 112K to 91.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HubSpot’s share of searches among self service portals worldwide moved from 30.4% to 28.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for self service portals worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, HubSpot gained share of searches among self service portals worldwide, from 28.2% to 28.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Freshdesk worldwide fell 17.7% over 12 measured months, from 112K to 91.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Freshdesk’s and HubSpot’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 self service portals
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