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Kayako is a customer service and helpdesk platform designed to help teams manage conversations across email, live chat, social, and self-service channels. It focuses on simplicity, fast performance, and a unified inbox that keeps customer context intact.
Kayako is commonly used by small to mid-sized teams seeking an easy-to-adopt support solution.
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Kayako One | $79/mo (Billed Monthly) |
| AI Resolved Tickets (Add-on) | +$1 per AI-resolved ticket |
Price details: https://kayako.com/pricing/
Competitor |
Pros |
|---|---|
| Zendesk | Compared to Zendesk, Kayako offers a simpler, more predictable pricing structure without forcing teams into multiple add-on tiers. Its AI triage and AI-drafted replies are implemented by experts, reducing setup effort. For mid-sized teams, Kayako can deliver faster time-to-value with less administrative complexity. |
| Freshdesk | Kayako’s AI-first approach goes beyond Freshdesk’s basic automation by focusing on backlog reduction and resolution quality. The phased AI rollout, combined with expert implementation, makes it easier for teams to see measurable CSAT and efficiency gains without manually configuring complex workflows or rules. |
| Intercom | Relative to Intercom, Kayako is more cost-efficient for support-heavy teams, especially those handling high ticket volumes. Kayako emphasizes ticket resolution and shared inbox workflows rather than conversational sales use cases, making it better suited for structured customer support and internal help desk operations. |
| Help Scout | While Help Scout focuses on simplicity, Kayako provides stronger AI-driven automation for triage, replies, and continuous learning. This makes Kayako more effective for scaling support without increasing headcount, particularly for teams experiencing growing backlogs and rising operational costs. |
| Zoho Desk | Compared to Zoho Desk, Kayako offers a more focused, premium support experience with less configuration overhead. Its AI is tightly integrated into real support workflows, and expert-led onboarding helps teams avoid the complexity often associated with Zoho’s broader but more fragmented ecosystem. |
Competitor |
Cons |
|---|---|
| Zendesk | Compared to Zendesk, Kayako has a smaller marketplace and fewer third-party integrations. Large enterprises that rely on extensive customization, bespoke workflows, or niche app integrations may find Zendesk more flexible for highly complex, global support environments. |
| Freshdesk | Freshdesk offers a wider range of lower-cost entry plans, which may appeal to very small teams or startups. Kayako’s $79 per-agent pricing can feel expensive for teams that do not yet need advanced AI automation or expert-led implementation. |
| Intercom | Intercom excels at real-time chat, in-app messaging, and customer engagement across marketing and sales. Kayako is more support-centric, so teams looking for a single platform covering lead generation, onboarding, and lifecycle messaging may find Intercom more comprehensive. |
| Help Scout | Help Scout is often easier to adopt for small, non-technical teams due to its minimal interface. Kayako’s AI-driven workflows and strategy-session onboarding may feel heavier than necessary for teams with very low ticket volumes or simple support needs. |
| Zoho Desk | Zoho Desk benefits from deep integration with the wider Zoho suite, including CRM and finance tools. Kayako lacks an equivalent all-in-one business ecosystem, which may be a limitation for organizations already standardized on Zoho products. |
