Freshdesk vs KnowledgeOwl:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Freshdesk had more branded searches than KnowledgeOwl among customer knowledge base platforms worldwide. Freshdesk had about 91,800 branded searches, while KnowledgeOwl had 1,000. Freshdesk made up 20% of all customer knowledge base platform searches we track, and KnowledgeOwl accounted for 0.22%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about customer knowledge base platforms, Freshdesk appeared in three of the five answers and KnowledgeOwl in one. Freshdesk was mentioned before KnowledgeOwl in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Freshdesk, about 92 searches for every 1 for KnowledgeOwl
Who does AI mention more?
Freshdesk, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, KnowledgeOwl in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Freshdesk, named ahead of KnowledgeOwl in 3 of 4 answers
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Top customer knowledge base platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Freshdesk was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. KnowledgeOwl was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Freshdesk was listed before KnowledgeOwl in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Zendesk1st
Document3602nd
Help Scout3rd
Intercom4th
Helpjuice5th
Freshdesk6th
KnowledgeOwl7th
ProProfs Knowledge Base7th
GitBook–
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
Document3604 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Freshdesk3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Help Scout3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Helpjuice3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Intercom3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
KnowledgeOwl1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
ProProfs Knowledge Base1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
GitBook0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about customer knowledge base platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which customer knowledge base platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best customer knowledge base platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best customer knowledge base platform for customer support documentation?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“knowledge base software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best knowledge base platform”
Not named in any answer:
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 KnowledgeOwl more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Freshdesk and KnowledgeOwl by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine customer knowledge base platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Freshdesk, KnowledgeOwl. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Zendesk | Freshdesk | GitBook | Help Scout | Document360 | Helpjuice | Intercom | KnowledgeOwl | ProProfs Knowledge Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 60.9% | 18.4% | 10.9% | 6.8% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.12% | 0.26% | 0.08% |
| Nov 2025 | 61% | 18.6% | 11.2% | 5.7% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 0.26% | 0.26% | 0.08% |
| Dec 2025 | 62% | 18.9% | 11.1% | 4.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.21% | 0.21% | 0.06% |
| Jan 2026 | 65.2% | 16.3% | 11.7% | 4.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.13% | 0.23% | 0.05% |
| Feb 2026 | 67.2% | 16.8% | 8.4% | 4.2% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.29% | 0.05% |
| Mar 2026 | 70.2% | 16% | 7.4% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.19% | 0.25% | 0.04% |
| Apr 2026 | 64.3% | 16.2% | 9.9% | 6% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.34% | 0.34% | 0.06% |
| May 2026 | 71.5% | 14.7% | 7.5% | 3.7% | 1.1% | 0.87% | 0.24% | 0.24% | 0.06% |
| Jun 2026 | 66.1% | 16.6% | 9.9% | 5.1% | 0.99% | 0.81% | 0.28% | 0.22% | 0.03% |
| Jul 2026 | 65.7% | 16.5% | 10.1% | 5.1% | 1.2% | 0.82% | 0.27% | 0.27% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 65% | 16.4% | 10% | 6.1% | 1.2% | 0.77% | 0.34% | 0.26% | 0.04% |
| Sep 2026 | 65.6% | 20% | 8.1% | 4.2% | 0.97% | 0.63% | 0.35% | 0.22% | 0.03% |
How has the Freshdesk and KnowledgeOwl comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Freshdesk was ahead of KnowledgeOwl in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Freshdesk’s share of searches among customer knowledge base platforms worldwide moved from 18.4% to 20%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 112K to 91.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KnowledgeOwl’s share of searches among customer knowledge base platforms worldwide moved from 0.26% to 0.22%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1K.
How did search popularity change for customer knowledge base platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Freshdesk gained share of searches among customer knowledge base platforms worldwide, from 16.4% to 20%.

Estimated monthly branded searches for KnowledgeOwl worldwide fell 37.5% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Freshdesk’s and KnowledgeOwl’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.
Freshdesk
2 branded search terms
- freshdesk
- freshdesk ticketing system
KnowledgeOwl
1 branded search term
- knowledge owl
Other head-to-heads among customer knowledge base platforms

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