Software · head to head
Jivochat vs Kayako
Jivochat
Software
All-in-one communication platform for customer engagement
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Jivochat has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Jivochat the free plan keeps only 2 months of chat history and has no CRM; 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: Jivochat covers Phone integration, Kayako covers Unified inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Jivochat and Kayako actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Jivochat
- Phone integration
- Email support
- Chatbot builder
- CRM
- Telegram
- Viber
- Mobile app support
- IOS support
Only in Kayako
- Unified inbox
- Help center
- Customer journey
- Automation
- Reporting
- Salesforce
- Zapier
- Stripe
Both cover
- Live chat
- Slack
- Web support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Jivochat
- Live chat and messaging support across website and social channelsnot Kayako
- Handling customer conversations from one agent inboxnot Kayako
Kayako
- Help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge basenot Jivochat
- Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Jivochat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Jivochat
- The free plan keeps only 2 months of chat history and has no CRM
- The Chat API, chat routing and the mobile SDK are all Enterprise only, at $56 per agent per month billed annually
- The WhatsApp module is a $27 a month add on on every plan including Enterprise
- The Professional plan caps the account at 100 agents
- Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than conversation volume
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
Jivochat
Free- FreeFree
- Live chat
- 1 agent
- Basic features
- Lite$10/month
- Up to 5 agents
- Chat transcripts
- Pro$25/month
- Unlimited agents
- Phone support
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Custom features
- Dedicated support
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 Jivochat if
- You need phone integration.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
- You also want email support.
Choose Kayako if
- You need unified inbox.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want help center.
Questions people ask
- Is Jivochat or Kayako better?
- Neither clearly leads. Jivochat 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, Jivochat or Kayako?
- Jivochat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Jivochat and $30/month for Kayako.
- Does Jivochat or Kayako run on more platforms?
- Jivochat runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android. Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Jivochat for free?
- Yes. Jivochat has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kayako starts at $30/month.
- What is Jivochat best used for?
- Jivochat is most often used for live chat and messaging support across website and social channels, handling customer conversations from one agent inbox. Of those, live chat and messaging support across website and social channels and handling customer conversations from one agent inbox are not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
- What can Jivochat do that Kayako cannot?
- Jivochat covers Phone integration, Email support, Chatbot builder, CRM. Kayako covers Unified inbox, Help center, Customer journey, Automation. Both handle Live chat, Slack, Web support, Android support.