ActiveQ as a Freshservice alternative
Freshservice versus ActiveQ comes down to the CMDB. If you need one, along with formal change management, Freshservice is the full IT service management (ITSM) product and ActiveQ isn’t; if what you need is tickets, SLAs and client portals for an IT team or MSP, ActiveQ is the lighter desk.
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Start with the CMDB question
Freshworks describes Freshservice as ITSM software with a CMDB.2 Its pricing page lists four plans, Starter, Growth, Pro and Enterprise, priced per agent, and on those plans it lists problem, change and release management, project portfolio management and IT asset management units.1 It also lists a service catalog from Growth, and Freddy AI Copilot as an add-on with other Freddy AI features on Enterprise. If you need any of that in the same tool as your tickets, or an auditor or your own process expects ITIL-style tooling, choose Freshservice. ActiveQ has no asset management or CMDB, and light ITSM means incidents, requests, approvals and tasks, with problem and change as ticket types you link to other tickets.
If you run client support, compare the MSP side
Both products can serve several clients. Freshservice lists an MSP mode from the Growth plan up,1 and Freshworks publishes a page about Freshservice for managed service providers.3 We built ActiveQ around many client organizations in one workspace from the start: each one gets its own portal branding, forms, sign-in method and SLA policy, and one workspace can also run your employee support. Employees and clients can reach you by portal and email; there is no asset database to maintain.
Cost is the last piece. Freshservice prices each agent by plan, with SLA management from Growth and problem and change management from Pro. ActiveQ charges $79.99 a month for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8 and $19.99 for each agent above 8, with every feature in the one plan. ActiveQ AI assist runs only when a staff member clicks, and a person reviews each result.
Row by row, as of 2026-10-12
| Topic | ActiveQ | Freshservice |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $79.99 a month for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8, and $19.99 for each agent above 8, in US dollars before tax. Customers, contacts and portal users are free. See pricing. | Priced per agent, by plan (Starter, Growth, Pro and Enterprise), with a monthly or annual billing toggle. Enterprise pricing is by quote. Check Freshworks for current prices. Source: Freshservice pricing page1 |
| SLAs | Response and resolution targets by priority, with policies per team or client organization, a live countdown on each ticket, and business hours or calendar hours. The clock pauses while a ticket waits on the customer. | SLA management is listed from the Growth plan up, not on Starter. Source: Freshservice pricing page1 |
| Problem and change | Problem and change are ticket types you add and link to other tickets. There is no change calendar or advisory board workflow. | Problem, change and release management are listed on the Pro and Enterprise plans. Source: Freshservice pricing page1 |
| Assets and CMDB | None. ActiveQ has no asset management or CMDB. | Freshworks describes Freshservice as an ITSM platform with a CMDB, and its pricing page lists IT asset management units. Source: Freshservice2 Source: Freshservice pricing page1 |
| Service catalog and approvals | Request forms, plus approvals that run as a visible chain with a decision and comment at each step. | A service catalog is listed from the Growth plan up. Check Freshworks for how approvals are offered on each plan. Source: Freshservice pricing page1 |
| Multiple clients (MSP) | Built around many client organizations in one workspace, each with its own portal branding, forms, sign-in method and SLA policy. | The pricing page lists an MSP mode from Growth up, described as creating multiple support portals for different clients and managing all client tickets from a single solution, and Freshworks has a Freshservice page for MSPs. Source: Freshservice pricing page1 Source: Freshservice for MSPs3 |
| Projects | No project management. | Project portfolio management is listed on the Pro and Enterprise plans. Source: Freshservice pricing page1 |
| AI | AI assist runs only when a staff member clicks, and a person reviews every result. Summaries, triage, translation, polish and resolution notes come from included runs; reply and help-article drafts use credits. | Freddy AI Copilot is listed as an add-on on Pro and Enterprise, and Freddy AI Agent and Freddy AI Insights on Enterprise. Source: Freshservice pricing page1 |
| Trial | 14-day trial with every feature and no card required. There is no permanent free tier. | The pricing page FAQ describes a 14-day free trial with unrestricted access to the features in Freshservice. Source: Freshservice pricing page, FAQ1 |
Common questions
Is ActiveQ cheaper than Freshservice?
It depends on how many agents you have and which Freshservice plan you compare with. As of 2026-10-12, the Freshservice pricing page priced Starter, Growth and Pro per agent and listed Enterprise as custom. ActiveQ costs $79.99 a month for 1 to 3 agents, $149.99 for 4 to 8 and $19.99 for each agent above 8, in US dollars before tax. Check Freshworks’ current prices against your own agent count, or use the help desk cost calculator.
Does ActiveQ have a CMDB or asset management like Freshservice?
No. ActiveQ covers incidents, requests, approvals and tasks, with problem and change as ticket types you link to other tickets, and it does not try to be a full ITSM suite. The ITSM lite guide explains when that is enough.
Can I try ActiveQ before moving off Freshservice?
Yes. Every ActiveQ workspace starts with a 14-day trial with every feature and no card required. CSV import covers contacts and organizations; tickets from your old tool are not imported, so they stay where they are.
Next steps
If you only used a fraction of Freshservice, the trial will show you quickly if ActiveQ covers it. Pricing, ActiveQ for MSPs and the help desk cost calculator have the numbers, and about ActiveQ says who we are. Other comparisons: Freshdesk, Jira Service Management and HaloPSA, or all of them.
Sources
- Freshworks, Freshservice pricing page and FAQ. Last verified 2026-10-12.
- Freshworks, Freshservice. Last verified 2026-10-12.
- Freshworks, Freshservice for MSPs. Last verified 2026-10-12.