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Customer Support · head to head

8x8 Contact Center vs Kayako

8x8 Contact Center logo

8x8 Contact Center

Customer Support

Integrated cloud communications and contact center

From
$85/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 8x8 Contact Center listed on G-Cloud 14 directly by 8x8 UK Limited (not a reseller) at £0.68 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Contact Centre; Kayako the AI agent is billed at $1 per resolved ticket, so support cost scales with ticket volume rather than being a fixed subscription
  • They diverge on capability: 8x8 Contact Center covers Voice, Kayako covers Unified inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 8x8 Contact Center and Kayako actually diverge.

Attributes where 8x8 Contact Center and Kayako differ
Attribute8x8 Contact CenterKayako
Starting price$85/month$30/month
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded19872001

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 8x8 Contact Center

  • Voice
  • Digital channels
  • IVR
  • ACD
  • WFM
  • Quality management
  • Analytics
  • Microsoft Teams

Only in Kayako

  • Unified inbox
  • Live chat
  • Help center
  • Customer journey
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

8x8 Contact Center

  • Unified communicationsnot Kayako
  • Contact centernot Kayako
  • Remote worknot Kayako
  • Customer supportnot Kayako

Kayako

  • Help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge basenot 8x8 Contact Center
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot 8x8 Contact Center

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

8x8 Contact Center

  • Listed on G-Cloud 14 directly by 8x8 UK Limited (not a reseller) at £0.68 to £113.40 per user per month for 8x8 Contact Centre

Kayako

  • The AI agent is billed at $1 per resolved ticket, so support cost scales with ticket volume rather than being a fixed subscription
  • A resolution counts when the AI solves the issue without human involvement, so the definition of a billable event is set by the vendor's own system
  • No per agent monthly price is published for the full Kayako One platform
  • Full platform pricing requires talking to an expert

Pricing, plan by plan

8x8 Contact Center

$85/month
  • X6$85/month
    • Voice contact center
    • ACD
    • IVR
  • X7$110/month
    • X6 + Digital channels
    • Quality management
  • X8$140/month
    • X7 + WFM
    • Speech analytics
    • Advanced AI

Kayako

$30/month
  • Inbox$30/month
    • Email & live chat
    • Help center
    • Basic automation
  • Growth$60/month
    • Everything in Inbox
    • Customer journey
    • SLA management
  • Scale$100/month
    • Everything in Growth
    • Advanced reporting
    • Custom roles

Which should you pick?

Choose 8x8 Contact Center if

  • You need voice.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital channels.
8x8 Contact Center review

Choose Kayako if

  • You need unified inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want live chat.
Kayako review

Questions people ask

Is 8x8 Contact Center or Kayako better?
Neither clearly leads. 8x8 Contact Center starts at $85/month and Kayako at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 8x8 Contact Center or Kayako?
8x8 Contact Center starts at $85/month and Kayako at $30/month.
Does 8x8 Contact Center or Kayako run on more platforms?
8x8 Contact Center runs on Web, Desktop, Ios, Android. Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is 8x8 Contact Center best used for?
8x8 Contact Center is most often used for unified communications, contact center, remote work, customer support. Of those, unified communications and contact center are not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
What can 8x8 Contact Center do that Kayako cannot?
8x8 Contact Center covers Voice, Digital channels, IVR, ACD. Kayako covers Unified inbox, Live chat, Help center, Customer journey. Both handle Salesforce, SOC2, GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kayako: How much does Kayako charge?

Kayako uses results-based pricing where customers pay $1 per resolved ticket when Kay AI Agent solves the issue without human intervention. There are no seat fees or setup fees. Kayako One helpdesk platform pricing requires contacting sales.

Source
Kayako: What counts as a resolved ticket for Kayako pricing?

A resolution occurs when Kay solves the customer's issue without human agent involvement, whether by taking action or providing an answer the customer confirms solves their problem. Escalations to humans and simple deflections do not count.

Source
Kayako: What is Kayako's AI resolution rate?

Kayako reports a 68 percent AI resolution rate for Kay AI Agent. The platform claims a cost advantage of $1 per resolution versus $4.60 for competitors, with reported CSAT improvement of 14 points.

Source
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