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Switching from Freshdesk: export first, because cancelling suspends you in 24 hours
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Run Freshdesk's account export first: it gives tickets, knowledge base articles, forums and customers as XML and can take up to 10 business days. Cancelling suspends the account 24 hours after the request and deletes the data 14 days later. Zoho Desk migrates Freshdesk data free through Zwitch, Help Scout imports it free up to 500,000 records, and Gorgias names no Freshdesk importer, pointing to email import or a partner service.
The steps
- Step 1 · Written notice at least 30 days before your term ends · Fees are non-refundable
Check your renewal date
Freshdesk plans renew automatically unless you give written notice at least 30 days before the term ends. Fees are non-refundable.
source - Step 2 · Up to 10 business days · not stated on its pages
Start the full account export
In Admin > Account > Account Details, export your account data before you cancel. The export can take up to 10 business days.
source - Step 3 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Check what the XML holds
The account export contains tickets, solutions (knowledge base articles), forums and customers as XML. Freshdesk suggests developers convert it into a readable form.
source - Step 4 · not stated on its pages · not stated on its pages
Export tickets, contacts and companies as CSV
Export tickets, contacts and companies as CSV or Excel. This export leaves out full conversations and archived tickets.
source - Step 5 · not stated on this page · not stated on this page
Or move to Gorgias by email import or a partner
Gorgias's pages name no Freshdesk importer. For help desks other than Zendesk, they point to email import or a partner service such as Help Desk Migration, which quotes a cost after a free demo. Above 500 tickets a month, Gorgias sales can help. Articles import by CSV.
source - Step 6 · A minimum of two weeks; raise the request well within your Freshdesk subscription · not stated on this page
Or import into Zoho Desk
Request a Freshdesk migration in Zwitch, Zoho Desk's built-in migration tool. Tickets linked to deleted contacts don't migrate, and everything lands in a single department. Zoho's Zwitch page says 'move within two weeks' and calls the migration free; we use this article's longer reading.
source - Step 7 · not stated on its pages · Free up to 500,000 records; $500 per 500,000 records above that
Or import into Help Scout
Freshdesk is on the list for Help Scout's built-in import, run by Import2; you get a sample import first. Knowledge base articles don't come across.
source - Step 8 · Account suspended 24 hours after the request · not stated on its pages
Request cancellation last
Request cancellation only after your import is checked.
source - Step 9 · Suspended after 24 hours; account and data deleted 14 days after the request · not stated on its pages
Know the deletion window
Freshdesk's cancellation article gives 14 days from the request before the account and its data are deleted; its deletion article counts the 14 days from your subscription end date. We use the earlier date.
source
Carries over
- One XML account export holds tickets, knowledge base articles, forums and customers.
- Tickets, contacts and companies also export as CSV or Excel.
- Zoho Desk has a named Freshdesk migration in Zwitch, which its Zwitch page calls free.
- Help Scout's Import2 migration is free up to 500,000 records.
What you lose
- The CSV export leaves out full conversations and archived tickets.
- Worse reading of Freshdesk's pages: suspended 24 hours after you request cancellation.
- Worse reading: data is deleted 14 days after the cancellation request, and fees aren't refunded.
- Gorgias names no Freshdesk importer, and Help Scout's import can't bring knowledge base articles.
Where to switch to
| Destination | Price from | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgias No affiliate relationship | $10 per month | Visit GorgiasOn gorgias.com |
| Zoho Desk No affiliate relationship | $0 per month | Visit Zoho DeskOn zoho.com |
| Help Scout No affiliate relationship | $0 per month | Visit Help ScoutOn helpscout.com |
Leaving Freshdesk is quick to start and easy to get wrong. One cancellation article says the account is suspended 24 hours after you ask, and the full export can take up to 10 business days. So export first, import second, and cancel last. Everything here comes from the companies' own pages, read Oct 1, 2026.
Leaving Freshdesk
Getting your data out. Admins can export tickets, contacts and companies as CSV or Excel files. That export does not include whole ticket conversations or archived tickets. For those, you need the account export under Admin > Account > Account Details > Export data. It holds your tickets, solutions (knowledge base articles), forums and customer list as XML. Freshdesk suggests getting developers to turn that XML into something readable. Only an Account Administrator can reach it.
How long the export takes. Freshdesk's account deletion article says the export can take up to 10 business days. Start it well before you plan to leave.
When you can cancel. Freshdesk's pages conflict. The pricing page FAQ says there are no cancellation fees, and a cancellation only takes effect at the end of your term. The cancellation article says you have 24 hours before the account is suspended, and 14 days before the account and its data are deleted. We use the stricter reading: assume you lose access a day after you request cancellation. Under the Freshworks terms, plans renew automatically unless you give written notice at least 30 days before the term ends, and fees are non-refundable.
Your data after cancelling. The deletion article says Freshdesk deletes the account and its data 14 days after your subscription end date; the cancellation article counts the 14 days from your request. We use the earlier date. The terms also give a 14-day window to export after the account closes. Don't count on either; finish your exports first.
Where to go
Gorgias names no Freshdesk importer on its pages. For help desks other than Zendesk, it points to email import or a service such as Help Desk Migration. If you have more than 500 tickets a month, Gorgias sales can help you migrate. The Help Desk Migration app is built by a partner and runs a free demo before quoting a price. Gorgias's onboarding page says that if you come from another help desk, it will handle the migration so you're up and running within a week. Its help docs are narrower, and we use their reading: below 500 tickets a month, plan on email import or the paid partner service. Your knowledge base comes over as a CSV import; customers can't be imported from a file.
Zoho Desk has a named Freshdesk migration through Zwitch. Tickets linked to deleted contacts don't migrate, and everything lands in a single department. Zoho's pages differ on time: this article says the migration might take a minimum of two weeks, while the Zwitch page says "move within two weeks". We use the longer reading, so raise the request well before your Freshdesk term ends. The Zwitch page calls the migration free.
Help Scout lists Freshdesk in its built-in import, run by its partner Import2, on the Standard, Plus and Pro plans. It brings over emails or tickets with customer profiles and tags. Imports of 500,000 records or fewer cost nothing; above that, Help Scout bills $500 for every 500,000 records. The tool can't import knowledge base or help center data. For articles, Help Scout points to its Docs API, which needs coding. No timeline is given.
Who should move, and who should wait
If your knowledge base matters, Help Scout's import can't take it and its Docs API needs coding. Gorgias and Zoho Desk both import articles from CSV files, so plan to convert Freshdesk's XML. If you mostly need ticket history and customers, Help Scout's import is free up to 500,000 records, and Zoho's Zwitch is free too.
Timing matters more than the destination. Run the account export, wait for it, and import into the new help desk while Freshdesk is still live. Request cancellation only when the import is checked. Give written notice 30 days before your renewal so the plan doesn't roll over. Compare the options on our help desk ranking, and see how we score them in the methodology.