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Software · head to head

Freshchat vs Kayako

Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Software

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kayako logo

Kayako

Software

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshchat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting; 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: Freshchat covers Chatbots, Kayako covers Unified inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshchat and Kayako actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshchat and Kayako differ
AttributeFreshchatKayako
Starting priceFree$30/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20102001

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Freshchat

  • Chatbots
  • Campaigns
  • WhatsApp
  • Instagram
  • Apple Business Chat
  • Freshdesk
  • Freshsales
  • Zendesk

Only in Kayako

  • Unified inbox
  • Help center
  • Customer journey
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Salesforce
  • Zapier
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Shopify
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Freshchat

  • Live chat on a website or in an appnot Kayako
  • Shared inbox across chat, email and social messengersnot Kayako
  • Chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agentnot Kayako
  • Routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiersnot Kayako

Kayako

  • Help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge basenot Freshchat
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Freshchat

Where each one falls short

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

Freshchat

  • The free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting
  • Reporting and social channels need Growth at $19 per agent per month billed annually
  • Intelligent routing, multilingual support and custom dashboards require Pro at $49 per agent per month
  • Skill-based routing, audit logs and IP whitelisting are Enterprise only at $79 per agent per month
  • Freddy AI is charged on top of the seat price, at $49 per 100 agent sessions and $29 per agent per month for Copilot

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

Freshchat

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 100 contacts
    • Chatbot
    • Inbox views
  • Growth$19/month
    • 2000 contacts
    • WhatsApp
    • Instagram
  • Pro$49/month
    • 5000 contacts
    • Auto-resolve
    • Advanced routing
  • Enterprise$79/month
    • Unlimited contacts
    • Custom bots
    • User authentication

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 Freshchat if

  • You need chatbots.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want campaigns.
Freshchat review

Choose Kayako if

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

Questions people ask

Is Freshchat or Kayako better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshchat 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, Freshchat or Kayako?
Freshchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshchat and $30/month for Kayako.
Does Freshchat or Kayako run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Freshchat for free?
Yes. Freshchat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kayako starts at $30/month.
What is Freshchat best used for?
Freshchat is most often used for live chat on a website or in an app, shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers, chatbot deflection before a conversation reaches an agent, routing conversations by skill or language on the higher tiers. Of those, live chat on a website or in an app and shared inbox across chat, email and social messengers are not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
What can Freshchat do that Kayako cannot?
Freshchat covers Chatbots, Campaigns, WhatsApp, Instagram. Kayako covers Unified inbox, Help center, Customer journey, Automation. Both handle Live chat, Shopify, Slack, SOC2.
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Related pages

More on Freshchat

More on Kayako

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