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Technology · head to head

Intercom vs Kayako

Intercom logo

Intercom

Technology

The only AI customer service solution you need

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Intercom has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Intercom pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult; 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: Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Kayako covers Unified inbox.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Intercom and Kayako actually diverge.

Attributes where Intercom and Kayako differ
AttributeIntercomKayako
Starting priceFree$30/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
CategoryTechnologyLive Chat
Founded20112001

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Intercom

  • AI-powered inbox
  • Chatbots
  • Product tours
  • Customer data platform
  • Mobile SDKs
  • HubSpot
  • Jira
  • Segment

Only in Kayako

  • Unified inbox
  • Customer journey
  • Reporting
  • Zapier
  • SSL
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Help center
  • Automation
  • Salesforce
  • Slack
  • Stripe
  • Shopify
  • SOC2
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Intercom

  • Customer supportnot Kayako
  • Lead generationnot Kayako
  • User onboardingnot Kayako
  • Product adoptionnot Kayako
  • Customer engagementnot Kayako

Kayako

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

Where each one falls short

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

Intercom

  • Pricing is high and unpredictable with confusing per-seat, per-feature, and usage-based structure that makes cost estimation difficult
  • API rate limited to 1,000 calls per minute, which may constrain integrations for high-volume data users
  • Does not support multiple language versions of knowledge base articles, requiring creation of duplicate articles for each language

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

Intercom

Free
  • Essential$29/month
    • Fin AI Agent
    • Messenger
    • Shared inbox
  • Advanced$85/month
    • Multiple team inboxes
    • Workflow automation
    • Round robin assignment
  • Expert$132/month
    • SSO
    • HIPAA support
    • SLAs

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 Intercom if

  • You need ai-powered inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want chatbots.
Intercom review

Choose Kayako if

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

Questions people ask

Is Intercom or Kayako better?
Neither clearly leads. Intercom 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, Intercom or Kayako?
Intercom has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Intercom and $30/month for Kayako.
Does Intercom or Kayako run on more platforms?
Intercom runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Intercom for free?
Yes. Intercom has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kayako starts at $30/month.
What is Intercom best used for?
Intercom is most often used for customer support, lead generation, user onboarding, product adoption. Of those, customer support and lead generation are not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
What can Intercom do that Kayako cannot?
Intercom covers AI-powered inbox, Chatbots, Product tours, Customer data platform. Kayako covers Unified inbox, Customer journey, Reporting, Zapier. Both handle Live chat, Help center, Automation, Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Intercom: Is there a free tier and what are the limitations?

Intercom offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required and access to all features and add-ons. After trial, Essential plan starts at $29/seat/month. Free Lite seats are available on paid plans: 20 with Advanced, 50 with Expert.

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
Intercom: Does Intercom support single sign-on (SSO)?

Yes, Intercom supports SAML SSO with identity provider integration, but it is only available on the Expert plan ($132+/seat/month). SSO also works with Intercom's mobile apps on iOS and Android.

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
Intercom: Can I export my data from Intercom?

Yes. You can export conversations in CSV format via the Data Export feature in Reports, apply filters to refine exports, and use the REST API to programmatically access conversation and customer data.

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
Intercom: What would a team of 10 cost on Intercom?

Minimum cost would be $290/month for 10 Essential seats at $29/seat/month. Advanced plan costs $850/month for 10 seats. Prices increase with additional add-ons like Fin AI ($0.99 per resolution), SMS, WhatsApp, or email campaigns.

Source
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