Freshworks is one of the best-known software companies founded in India. It started as a cheaper, simpler alternative to Zendesk, then expanded into IT service management with Freshservice, which is now its largest growth engine. The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California, while much of its product and engineering work happens in Chennai and Bengaluru.
Freshworks sells subscriptions, mostly priced per agent or per user, across tiered plans (Growth, Pro, Enterprise). Revenue comes from two segments: employee experience (Freshservice for IT service management, IT asset management via the 2024 Device42 acquisition, and service management for HR and facilities) and customer experience (Freshdesk ticketing, Freshchat messaging and Freshsales CRM). Freddy AI copilot and AI agent features are sold as paid add-ons. Small customers often start with free trials or self-serve plans; larger mid-market and enterprise deals go through a direct sales team and channel partners. Growth comes from adding seats, upgrading tiers and cross-selling Freshservice to Freshdesk customers.