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Customer Support · head to head

Freshworks Customer Service Suite vs Kayako

Freshworks Customer Service Suite logo

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Customer Support

Unified customer service powered by AI

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshworks Customer Service Suite separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams; 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: Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers AI-powered chatbot, Kayako covers Live chat.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshworks Customer Service Suite and Kayako actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshworks Customer Service Suite and Kayako differ
AttributeFreshworks Customer Service SuiteKayako
Starting priceFree$30/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Web, Ios, Android
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat
Founded20102001

Identical on both: 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 Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • AI-powered chatbot
  • Ticketing system
  • Self-service portal
  • Analytics
  • Microsoft Teams
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA
  • Api support

Only in Kayako

  • Live chat
  • Help center
  • Customer journey
  • Reporting
  • Stripe
  • SSL

Both cover

  • Unified inbox
  • Automation
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • Shopify
  • Zapier
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Customer supportnot Kayako
  • Help desknot Kayako
  • Self-servicenot Kayako

Kayako

  • Help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge basenot Freshworks Customer Service Suite
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Where each one falls short

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams
  • Add-ons and renewal uplifts typically increase real costs 30-50% above published pricing
  • Customization beyond default configurations requires significant training and consulting fees

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

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshworks Customer Service Suite 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 Freshworks Customer Service Suite if

  • You need ai-powered chatbot.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want ticketing system.
Freshworks Customer Service Suite review

Choose Kayako if

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

Questions people ask

Is Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Kayako better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshworks Customer Service Suite 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, Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Kayako?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshworks Customer Service Suite and $30/month for Kayako.
Does Freshworks Customer Service Suite or Kayako run on more platforms?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Freshworks Customer Service Suite for free?
Yes. Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kayako starts at $30/month.
What is Freshworks Customer Service Suite best used for?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite is most often used for customer support, help desk, self-service. Of those, customer support and help desk are not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
What can Freshworks Customer Service Suite do that Kayako cannot?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers AI-powered chatbot, Ticketing system, Self-service portal, Analytics. Kayako covers Live chat, Help center, Customer journey, Reporting. Both handle Unified inbox, Automation, Slack, Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshworks Customer Service Suite: What products are included in Freshworks Customer Service Suite?

The suite includes Freshdesk for support ticketing, Freshchat for live chat and messaging, and Freshsales for CRM. Pricing varies per product based on features and user count.

Source
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
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks offer a free tier?

Yes. Freshdesk offers a free plan for 1-2 agents for 6 months. Paid plans start at $19/agent/month for Growth tier.

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
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks integrate with Slack?

Yes. Freshworks offers official Slack integration via the Freshdesk and Freshservice Slack apps, enabling ticket creation, notifications, and agent messaging directly in Slack.

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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