Switching from Zendesk to Freshdesk
Freshdesk ships a native “Import data from Zendesk” tool, so this is one of the more straightforward helpdesk migrations — tickets, agents, and custom fields move in one pass. But knowledge base articles are not part of that tool, and a handful of field-mapping quirks trip people up. Here is exactly what transfers, what you’ll rebuild by hand, and how to avoid the most common import errors.
Reviewed by Quick verdict: Freshdesk’s built-in Zendesk importer (tucked at the bottom of Admin → Account Settings) handles the bulk of the heavy lifting — tickets, users, agents, attachments, notes, and custom fields all move in one pass. The two things it won’t do for you: bring over your knowledge base articles (that’s a manual, support-assisted CSV process), or migrate call recordings (Freshdesk’s own calling product, Freshcaller, handles those separately). Clean up any Zendesk custom-field picklists before you start — mismatched values are the single most common import failure.
Why teams move from Zendesk to Freshdesk
Lower entry and AI pricing
Both start around $19/agent/mo (Zendesk Support Team vs. Freshdesk Growth), but the AI billing models diverge: Zendesk charges per resolution (roughly $1.20–$1.50 each, contract-dependent) on top of a seat, while Freshdesk bundles a set number of AI sessions per agent, then charges $49 per 100 extra — a flatter, easier bill to forecast for teams with unpredictable ticket-deflection volume.
A native import path exists at all
Most helpdesk switches in either direction rely on third-party migration tools. Moving from Zendesk into Freshdesk is the rarer case where the destination vendor built and maintains its own one-click importer.
Simpler self-serve setup
Freshdesk is generally regarded as faster to configure for small-to-mid support teams that don’t need Zendesk’s deeper workflow/automation customization.
How the migration actually works
Unlike most helpdesk-to-helpdesk moves, this direction has a first-party tool built by the destination vendor — you don’t need a third-party migration service unless you want one.
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1. Clean up Zendesk custom fields | Before importing, check that ticket custom-field values in Zendesk match an allowed picklist value. The most common import error is a field rejected with “It should be one of these values” — fixing mismatches beforehand avoids re-runs. |
| 2. Open the importer | In Freshdesk, go to Admin, scroll to the bottom of the page to Account Settings, and click “Import data from Zendesk.” |
| 3. Connect your Zendesk account | Authenticate the importer against your live Zendesk instance so it can read your data directly — no manual CSV export needed for this part. |
| 4. Choose what to import | The tool pulls tickets, users, agents, attachments, notes, and custom fields as a structured set. |
| 5. Run the import and review errors | Freshdesk’s support team recommends reviewing their Zendesk migration guide first; expect to revisit a handful of tickets that fail on custom-field or call-recording data (see limitations below). |
| 6. Migrate your knowledge base separately | Export your Zendesk Help Center articles to CSV and email the file to support@freshdesk.com. A Freshdesk support agent reviews the data and imports it on your behalf — there is no self-service knowledge base importer. |
| 7. Move call recordings if needed | Freshdesk doesn’t natively store call recordings the way Zendesk Talk does. If you use Zendesk’s calling features, plan to adopt Freshcaller or migrate recordings as file attachments through a third-party tool instead. |
What this path doesn’t do for you:
Knowledge base articles require a manual, support-assisted CSV import — there’s no bulk self-service tool for it. Tickets containing call recordings can fail to import outright since Freshdesk has no native equivalent to Zendesk Talk’s recordings. And because the importer is a one-time pull rather than a live sync, anything created in Zendesk after you run it needs a follow-up pass or manual entry.
Pricing side by side
| Plan | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Entry tier | Support Team — $19/agent/mo | Growth — $19/agent/mo |
| Mid tier | Suite Team — $55/agent/mo | Pro — $55/agent/mo |
| Top self-serve tier | Suite Professional — $115/agent/mo | Enterprise — $89/agent/mo |
| AI pricing model | Per resolution, roughly $1.20–$1.50 each (contract-dependent), plus a $50/agent Copilot add-on | Bundled sessions per agent, then $49 per 100 extra sessions, plus a $29/agent Copilot add-on |
Feature parity check
| Capability | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|
| Ticketing & shared inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Knowledge base / self-service | Yes | Yes |
| Native call recording | Yes, via Zendesk Talk | No — requires Freshcaller add-on |
| AI billing model | Per-resolution / credit-based | Bundled sessions + overage |
| Native migration tooling | Third-party marketplace apps only | Native importer for tickets/users/agents |
| Multi-brand / multi-product support | Yes, mature | Yes |
Going the other direction, or want the full comparison first?
Read the Zendesk vs Freshdesk comparison Switching from Freshdesk to Zendesk instead?Frequently Asked Questions
Does Freshdesk have a native Zendesk import tool?
Yes. It’s located at Admin → Account Settings → “Import data from Zendesk,” and it pulls tickets, users, agents, attachments, notes, and custom fields directly from a connected Zendesk account.
What doesn’t come over automatically?
Knowledge base articles are not included in the native importer — you export them as CSV and email support@freshdesk.com for a manual, support-assisted import. Tickets containing call recordings can also fail, since Freshdesk has no built-in equivalent to Zendesk Talk.
Why do some tickets fail to import with a field-value error?
The most common cause is a Zendesk custom-field value that doesn’t match an allowed picklist option in Freshdesk. Cleaning up field values in Zendesk before running the import avoids most of these errors.
Can I import my knowledge base myself?
Not through a self-service tool today. Freshdesk’s support team reviews a CSV export of your existing knowledge base and imports it on your behalf.
What happens to call recordings?
Freshdesk doesn’t store call recordings natively the way Zendesk Talk does. Teams typically adopt Freshcaller or migrate recordings as file attachments through a third-party migration tool.