Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head
Botpress vs Kayako
Botpress
Live Chat & Chatbots
Open-source chatbot platform and framework
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Botpress has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Botpress managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure; 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: Botpress covers Visual bot builder, Kayako covers Unified inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Botpress and Kayako actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat & Chatbots).
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 Botpress
- Visual bot builder
- NLU integration
- Multi-channel support
- Analytics
- Teams
- Messenger
- On-premise support
Only in Kayako
- Unified inbox
- Live chat
- Help center
- Customer journey
- Automation
- Reporting
- Salesforce
- Zapier
Both cover
- Slack
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Botpress
- Development teams building chatbots and conversational AI using MIT-licensed open-source frameworknot Kayako
- Organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via SDK/CLInot Kayako
Kayako
- Help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge basenot Botpress
- Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Botpress
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Botpress
- Managed cloud version (Botpress Cloud) availability and pricing not accessible; open-source deployment requires managing infrastructure
- Dependent on OpenAI integration; users must provide and manage OpenAI API keys and costs
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
Botpress
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Botpress review.
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 Botpress if
- You need visual bot builder.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud).
- You also want nlu integration.
Choose Kayako if
- You need unified inbox.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want live chat.
Questions people ask
- Is Botpress or Kayako better?
- Neither clearly leads. Botpress starts at Free and Kayako at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Botpress or Kayako?
- Botpress has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Botpress and $30/month for Kayako.
- Does Botpress or Kayako run on more platforms?
- Botpress runs on Open-source (self-hosted), Cloud-managed (Botpress Cloud). Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Botpress for free?
- Yes. Botpress has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kayako starts at $30/month.
- What is Botpress best used for?
- Botpress is most often used for development teams building chatbots and conversational ai using mit-licensed open-source framework, organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via sdk/cli. Of those, development teams building chatbots and conversational ai using mit-licensed open-source framework and organisations needing custom conversational interfaces with programmatic control via sdk/cli are not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
- What can Botpress do that Kayako cannot?
- Botpress covers Visual bot builder, NLU integration, Multi-channel support, Analytics. Kayako covers Unified inbox, Live chat, Help center, Customer journey. Both handle Slack.