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Software · head to head

Kayako vs Crisp

Kayako logo

Kayako

Software

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Crisp logo

Crisp

Software

Customer messaging platform for startups and SMBs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Crisp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Kayako the AI agent is billed at $1 per resolved ticket, so support cost scales with ticket volume rather than being a fixed subscription; Crisp free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Crisp covers Shared inbox.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kayako and Crisp actually diverge.

Attributes where Kayako and Crisp differ
AttributeKayakoCrisp
Starting price$30/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidCloud-based SaaS
Founded20012015

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 Kayako

  • Unified inbox
  • Help center
  • Customer journey
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Salesforce
  • Stripe
  • SOC2

Only in Crisp

  • Shared inbox
  • Chatbots
  • Knowledge base
  • Video calls
  • CRM
  • WordPress
  • Segment
  • 2FA

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • Shopify
  • GDPR
  • SSL
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Kayako

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

Crisp

  • Growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with AI automationnot Kayako
  • Teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagramnot Kayako

Where each one falls short

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

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

Crisp

  • Free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
  • Free tier customer profile limit of 100; higher limits require upgrade
  • Omnichannel support and workflow automation excluded from Free and Mini tiers
  • White labelling only available in Plus tier ($295+/month)

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Crisp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Crisp review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Kayako if

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

Choose Crisp if

  • You need shared inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want chatbots.
Crisp review

Questions people ask

Is Kayako or Crisp better?
Neither clearly leads. Kayako starts at $30/month and Crisp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kayako or Crisp?
Crisp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $30/month for Kayako and Free for Crisp.
Does Kayako or Crisp run on more platforms?
Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android. Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
Can I use Crisp for free?
Yes. Crisp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Kayako starts at $30/month.
What is Kayako best used for?
Kayako is most often used for help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge base, resolving support tickets automatically with an ai agent. Of those, help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge base and resolving support tickets automatically with an ai agent are not what Crisp is typically brought in for.
What can Kayako do that Crisp cannot?
Kayako covers Unified inbox, Help center, Customer journey, Automation. Crisp covers Shared inbox, Chatbots, Knowledge base, Video calls. Both handle Live chat, Slack, Zapier, Shopify.
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Related pages

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