Freshdesk vs Hornbill Systems Supportworks comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Freshworks and Hornbill Systems are both solutions in the Help Desk Software category. Freshworks is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.1, while Hornbill Systems is ranked #33. Additionally, 93% of Freshworks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of Hornbill Systems users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 1, 2024

Freshdesk and Hornbill Systems Supportworks are competing customer support solutions. While Freshdesk is cost-effective with high-quality support, Hornbill Systems Supportworks stands out for its robust features.

Features: Freshdesk offers customizable ticketing, collaboration tools, and efficient automation. It is known for ease of use and scalability, appealing to businesses seeking straightforward solutions. Hornbill Systems Supportworks provides comprehensive IT service management capabilities, an advanced workflow engine, and extensive integration options, suited for organizations needing depth and complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Freshdesk is cloud-based with quick setup, paired with responsive customer service. Hornbill Systems Supportworks offers cloud and on-premise options, though more complex to implement, with thorough customer service requiring more effort.

Pricing and ROI: Freshdesk is valued for low setup costs and high ROI, making it economical. Hornbill Systems Supportworks has higher initial costs, but its extensive features can lead to a strong ROI for organizations utilizing its full range.

To learn more, read our detailed Freshdesk vs. Hornbill Systems Supportworks Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Freshdesk vs. Hornbill Systems Supportworks

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Automation Anywhere

Featured Reviews

Venkat Sivaprakash

Management Consultant at Accenture

Has significantly improved document-driven workflows and reduced processing time across finance and HR functions

Automation Anywhere has evolved significantly and upgraded itself to provide agentic AI and AI-based automation solutions for document automation. The product has matured considerably over time. We can create workflows that can call an API. We can include prompts in particular workflows for ChatGPT-related functions, connecting to an LLM and RAG to perform tasks. For document automation, modern features are available to train documents, ensuring high accuracy and repeatability over time. The system is very easy to use. I recently completed a course in document automation, typically designed for people involved in coding and technical aspects. Though I understand coding comprehensively, I don't do actual coding. The course was very accessible. Currently, extensive coding isn't necessary due to the hybrid model incorporating GenAI aspects, low-code, no-code capabilities, APIs, and numerous pre-built objects in Automation Anywhere. The features include GenAI-driven prompting methods and workflow creation capabilities. In these workflows, we can create decision boxes and call APIs without coding. We simply pull objects, drop them, connect them, and add minimal coding when needed. The most crucial aspect isn't coding but rather sizing the automation and fleshing out the details. Automation Co-pilot takes notes and performs automated analysis. It can extract details from videos, summarize conversations, and provide detailed information. During calls, it identifies instructions and performs tasks such as preparing reports and reconciliation. Automation Anywhere can also connect with Microsoft Co-pilot. Through Co-pilot, real-time operations can be executed, allowing direct interaction between vendors and automation through this component.

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Gauri Thakur

Director, Portfolio Projects at Microland Limited

Integrated support workflows have provided a unified view but need broader enterprise flexibility

Freshdesk's scalability could be improved for larger businesses across departments. Its intuitive interface is appealing for small to medium-sized businesses. However, when you look at larger enterprise levels, ServiceNow operates more efficiently. This scalability is an area where Freshdesk could expand its offerings. Additionally, I don't have too much hands-on experience with Freshdesk ticket routing. I need to check with the service desk team if they've used it. Similarly, for analytics capability, I haven't explored much on Freshdesk, but I have done it for ServiceNow. I have seen a lot on ServiceNow and the BMC Remedy, so I can speak better for them. I haven't had the chance to look at it so much that I can do a comparison. I haven't had much experience with Freshdesk's reporting. Within its paradigm of customer service management, Freshdesk is quite scalable. But I've said that inter-department and the interoperability is better off in ServiceNow than in Freshdesk.

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it_user1262703

Service Desk Team Leader at a healthcare company with 5,001-10,000 employees

Excels in call logging and call flows but is limited in terms of scalability

I'd advise others to map their processes out before starting with the solution. Hornbill has recently generated a new version of its product and it meets some of the requirements that we would have been looking for. It's a bit more scalable, a bit more responsive to a customer-focused model for support, and they've improved a lot of things like process flow and self-service. In terms of rating the solution, it's difficult to grade. It really depends on the size of the organization that's trying to use it as that tool. One of the reasons why we're looking to shift is because we've grown quite a bit over the years that we've had it, which makes it difficult for it to meet our demands. However, for an organization the size of what we were when we started our journey with it, I'd rate it ten out of ten. Where we are now, with our company size and needs, I'd rate it six out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Automation Anywhere helped our organization to get our training and implementation needs successful by providing both community edition and partner edition. Automation Anywhere seamlessly handed off exceptions to employees from Automation Anywhere bots."

"At run time, Automation Anywhere can let you know which line of code the bot is running and what it is doing. It is very clear."

"One thing I really like is the the recorder where you can connect with multiple systems. The OCR is also good."

"This solution allows for the letter generation to take place within seconds, improving the experience for the employees."

"Automation is going to become a new area we will certainly encourage a lot of people to pursue because of the lasting dividends it provides, including saving time and manpower."

"Having a cloud-based deployment provides more flexibility because we just need an internet connection for connecting the agent into the AA cloud."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the MetaBot, which gives you the power to add many DLLs and customize them for the automation."

"Automation Anywhere stands out because it has brought productivity to the organization, improved customer service, accelerated business growth, and allowed for faster innovation."

More Automation Anywhere pros

"Their knowledge base is phenomenal. The way that it learns from our users is awesome, and responses are really awesome as well. It does a pretty good job of picking up what's needed. The knowledge bases are great."

"It is quite easy to program custom apps and integrate them."

"It's easy to use and integrates with other tools. We can embed Jira into it, link Jira tickets with Freshdesk tickets, and use it for our knowledge base."

"There is the option to create different roles for specific users. We make use of groups for each customer service team which has been very effective. We are able to apply different sets of rules for each group which determines how they interact with customers and escalate issues."

"Ticket system - provides us with support tickets submitted by customers from various sources Sharing - team members can share progress of tickets"

"We have made use of the training academy and the technical support team from Freshdesk. Both have been very good resources."

"Freshdesk has positively impacted our organization by improving our customer relationships."

"Freshdesk significantly improved our customer issue resolution process. We can now easily record and track all customer requests, ensuring that no tickets are lost."

More Freshdesk pros

"We've definitely seen an ROI; we've had the system in place for eight years, and it's provided a solid platform for us to deliver our services during that period."

"The solution's business process flow is quite strong. Its reporting is quite good. The standard, basic ITSM functionality like call logging and call flow, for example, are areas the solution really excels in."

"It is quite user friendly to use and has a lot of very useful features that makes the analyst/technician's life easier."

Cons

"The product needs improvements in dealing with remote servers and providing more APIs that will be used with other systems."

"The product needs to catch up to the promise of known technology and apply more intelligent behaviors concerning AI or unstructured learning."

"However, maybe because this is a new version with a change in platform, it still has some bugs."

"My experience has been that if the person who codes the bot is not very well-trained, then they might create unstable bots. So, it's not the platform. It is just how somebody has coded the bots which can bring lot of instability to them. I recommend that when you are using a coder that the person well-trained and have a good amount of experience already working on bots. They shouldn't be newbie or beginner who comes in to code because that will impact the quality of the code itself."

"We had several issues when trying to connect the different components, due to our firewalls. They were eventually solved by our internal IT and the AA technical team."

"The first version would double our cost."

"I would like it to have AI and ML capabilities."

"It is negative right now. What we are expecting, for one bot creation, is a six-month turnaround for getting ROI, but that is only the developer man-hour versus actual time saved."

More Automation Anywhere cons

"Freshdesk's scalability could be improved for larger businesses across departments."

"There are issues with technical incidences, such as not being able to receive messages from certain email addresses."

"It should enhance its service and its reporting capabilities."

"I would like to see improvements in the account management aspect, having a customer portal for better visibility into my subscription, invoices, and trouble tickets."

"Freshdesk's major drawback is its limitation in integrating tools for App Store and Play Store reviews, and social channels like Twitter, which come with additional costs."

"Freshdesk I do not like as much. It's much more time-consuming; it's much more complicated."

"Freshdesk can be improved by addressing the lack of a custom dashboard, which would help design it to the client's requirement, and the API rate limit, which would be best if they provided an option to increase or remove the restriction with an additional fee."

"I think the main problem with Freshdesk is the deep settings, interface, and analytics."

More Freshdesk cons

"Customer Service: I'd rate it as a 5/10 or 6/10."

"It's worked well for us for a significant period of time. However, we are kind-of outgrowing it at the moment. We're struggling a bit with making it meet our requirements."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We were paying approximately $30,000 for a year license."

"UiPath is exceptionally more expensive than Automation Anywhere. UiPath is far ahead of its competition, but in terms of finances, Automation Anywhere offers better value and is more effective for organizations seeking cost-effective solutions."

"There is a free trial so that they can get an overview, and there are different licenses that are very affordable and can suit every business model."

"We're on a license package with Automation Anywhere (AA), paid yearly. What would be better is for them to have different packages for different types of organization."

"I think the solution's pricing is reasonable."

"Our company is investing a lot of money in Automation Anywhere. They have saved money wherever humans are working. They invest a lot of money in FTEs and other logistics, so the money saving is very pretty good with Automation Anywhere. While I don't know the exact figure, the tool is saving us millions of dollars as well as saving about 40,000 hours in the last year."

"I advise others that even as of right now, the setup cost and licensing cost to automate bots on Automation Anywhere is steep but it is worth the investment!"

"The pricing is a bit higher."

More Automation Anywhere pricing and cost advice

"It was definitely not expensive. It was two grand or maybe three grand total for a year. It has just straight and simple standard licensing fees. There is no additional fee."

"It is costly."

"The pricing is pretty manageable and acceptable."

"We use a licensing model only so we pay for the number of agents we have configured in the system only."

"The best system plan is enterprise. It costs basically 79 Euros per agent per month when it's billed annually and 95 Euros per agent per month when it's billed monthly."

"We use a combination of Freshdesk, Freshservice, and Freshchat. We use the whole suite. Weirdly enough, we pay more for Freshdesk than we do for Freshservice. I would rate it a three out of five in terms of pricing. You can get different bundles, and you can always move to different plans that are standard. Freshservice can go anywhere from $19 up to $120 per agent, per month. There is such a wide range, and it is very customizable to your needs."

"We pay approximately $70 per agent to use Freshdesk. We have 10 agents, which is approximately $700 or $800 per month. It is a fixed license, there are not any additional fees."

"The price could be better, but it's okay. Compared to ServiceNow and JIRA, Freshworks offers a competitive price. There are also additional licensing costs because you need Microsoft Outlook. Each new email account costs around $15 to $19."

More Freshdesk pricing and cost advice

"Our organization pays about $40,000 annually. There are ongoing consultancy costs and if we want to change anything, we're charged a day rate. Other than that, there are no other extra costs involved in working with the solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Outsourcing Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	161
Midsize Enterprise	82
Large Enterprise	558

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	13

No data available

Questions from the Community

How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It depends on your use case. Is it simply to automate a couple of processes? Is it to augment a human team? AA is ver...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

From my experience using AA tool, it depends on the applications that you want to automate, because there some applic...

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How good is Automation Anywhere for RPA processes?

It is a highly preferred RPA tool. You can check my Automation Anywhere Review to know more.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Freshdesk?

I think the main problem with Freshdesk is the deep settings, interface, and analytics. When you need complex cross-f...

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What is your primary use case for Freshdesk?

My main use case for Freshdesk is customer support tickets. A specific example of how my team uses Freshdesk for cust...

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What advice do you have for others considering Freshdesk?

My advice for others looking into using Freshdesk is to consider that compared to Zendesk or Salesforce, where the se...

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Comparisons

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Compared 11% of the time

Blue Prism vs Automation Anywhere

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Microsoft Power Automate vs Automation Anywhere

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Compared 3% of the time

Appian vs Automation Anywhere

Compared 2% of the time

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ServiceNow vs Freshdesk

Compared 10% of the time

Zendesk vs Freshdesk

Compared 6% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus vs Freshdesk

Compared 4% of the time

IFS Cloud Platform vs Freshdesk

Compared 3% of the time

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ServiceNow vs Hornbill Systems Supportworks

Compared 16% of the time

JIRA Service Management vs Hornbill Systems Supportworks

Compared 15% of the time

Zendesk vs Hornbill Systems Supportworks

Compared 5% of the time

BMC Helix ITSM vs Hornbill Systems Supportworks

Compared 5% of the time

Clarity SM vs Hornbill Systems Supportworks

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Automation Anywhere

September 2026

Download Automation Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

Freshdesk

September 2026

Download Freshdesk product report

Buyer's Guide

IT Service Management (ITSM)

September 2026

Download Hornbill Systems Supportworks product report

Also Known As

Automation Anywhere, Testing Anywhere, Automation Anywhere Enterprise, Agentic Process Automation System (Now Certified for WorkSpaces)

No data available

Supportworks

Interactive Demo

Automation Anywhere

Demo not available

Freshworks

Demo not available

Hornbill Systems

Overview

Automation Anywhere offers ease of use, robust system connectivity, and GenAI-driven document automation through a cloud-native platform, significantly enhancing productivity across multiple industries with advanced AI features.

Delivering a comprehensive suite of tools designed for easy integration and rapid deployment, Automation Anywhere drives efficiency by reducing costs and automating repetitive tasks. Its cloud-native platform supports broad industry adoption, including advanced AI features like process automation and Co-Pilot, streamlining complex workflows with minimal technical skills required. Users benefit from robust integration capabilities, which facilitate seamless interaction with multiple systems. However, there is room for improvement in areas such as user-friendliness for beginners, stability, flexible licensing, and enhanced OCR functionality. Organizations in sectors such as banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare gain from the improved operational efficiency and ROI Automation Anywhere offers.

What are the important features of Automation Anywhere?

Ease of Use: Simplifies automation tasks with a user-centric interface.
Robust Connectivity: Provides seamless integration with multiple systems.
GenAI-Driven Document Automation: Leverages AI to automate document management.
Process Automation & Co-Pilot: Enhances workflow automation with advanced AI.
Cloud-Native Platform: Enables rapid deployment and integration.

What benefits should be evaluated in reviews?

Time Savings: Automation drastically reduces manual processing time.
Cost Efficiency: Decreases overall operational costs by automating tasks.
Productivity Enhancement: Streamlines workflows with AI-driven tools.
Improved Integration: Enhances ability to work with multiple systems.
Scalability: Supports growth with a flexible cloud-native architecture.

In the insurance industry, Automation Anywhere is utilized for automating processes such as enrollment management and compliance checks. Its applications extend to supply chain management, financial transactions, and business performance monitoring across sectors like banking, finance, manufacturing, and healthcare, helping organizations to automate routine tasks, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

Automation Anywhere

Freshdesk enhances support operations with features like a centralized ticketing system, omnichannel communication, and seamless tool integration. It addresses customer queries and automates processes, driving efficiency and satisfaction.

Freshdesk offers robust capabilities for managing customer support, enhancing efficiency through automation and integration. Its streamlined ticketing system centralizes queries from multiple platforms, including email, chat, and social media. Features like a knowledge base help reduce repetitive inquiries, while its easy integration with tools such as Slack and Jira supports effective team collaboration. However, users seek improvements in customization flexibility, scalability, and pricing for advanced features. Performance issues may arise with high volumes, and there's room for improved API limits and cloud availability. Freshdesk's automation and communication abilities make it crucial for both internal IT and external customer service, ensuring seamless resolutions and SLA compliance.

What Features Stand Out in Freshdesk?

Ticketing System: Centralizes customer interactions for streamlined management.
Omnichannel Support: Integrates communication platforms for consistent service.
Automation: Reduces manual tasks, boosting efficiency.
Knowledge Base: Decreases repetitive inquiries with self-service resources.
Tool Integration: Connects seamlessly with platforms like Slack and Jira.
Analytics & Reporting: Tracks performance for informed decision-making.

What Benefits Should Users Look For?

Improved Efficiency: Automation and centralized systems enhance support speed.
Customer Satisfaction: Consistent and responsive service elevates user experience.
Scalability: Adapts to growing support needs with integrations and customization.
Reduced Manual Effort: Automates repetitive tasks, allowing focus on complex issues.

Freshdesk is widely adopted in industries like IT and customer service, where efficient issue resolution and communication are critical. By converting emails to tickets and automating assignments, companies enhance their response times and maintain SLA compliance. Its integration capabilities support diverse tools, facilitating a multi-channel approach for superior customer experiences.

Freshworks

Hornbill Systems Supportworks is a flexible IT service management tool designed to manage complex IT environments with ease.

Designed for IT service management, Hornbill Systems Supportworks facilitates efficient operation within complex environments. With customizable workflows and automation capabilities, it addresses detailed requirements for seamless process execution.

What are the standout features of Hornbill Systems Supportworks?

Customizable Workflow: Offers tailored workflows to fit precise IT management needs.
Automation Capabilities: Enhances efficiency through task automation, reducing manual intervention.
Integration Options: Supports integration with third-party applications, ensuring interoperability.
User Management: Streamlines user role assignments and access provisions.
Reporting Tools: Provides comprehensive reporting for data-driven decision-making.

What benefits can you expect when evaluating reviews of Hornbill Systems Supportworks?

Scalability: Adapts to growing business demands without performance issues.
Cost Efficiency: Lowers operational costs through automation and effective resource management.
Enhanced Productivity: Increases productivity by minimizing downtime and improving process flows.
Improved Service Delivery: Elevates the quality of IT services with enhanced management tools.
Time Savings: Reduces time spent on troubleshooting and routine tasks.

Hornbill Systems Supportworks is implemented across industries such as finance, healthcare, and education, where streamlined operations and reliable service management are critical. Its adaptability ensures it meets sector-specific compliance and operational challenges effectively.

Hornbill Systems

Sample Customers

Google, Linkedin, Cisco, Juniper Networks, DellEMC, Comcast, Mastercard, Quest Diagnostics

Honda, 3M, Hugo Boss, Petronas, Sony Pictures, The Atlantic, goodreads, Clear Channel Radio, Penn University of Pennsylvania, unicef, Kuoni, Movember

Aylesbury Vale District Council

Buyer's Guide

Freshdesk vs. Hornbill Systems Supportworks

September 2026

Free Report: Freshdesk vs. Hornbill Systems Supportworks

Find out what your peers are saying about Freshdesk vs. Hornbill Systems Supportworks and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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We monitor all Help Desk Software reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.