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Software · head to head

Kayako vs Freshchat

Kayako logo

Kayako

Software

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Freshchat logo

Freshchat

Software

Modern messaging for customer engagement

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshchat 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; Freshchat the free plan covers up to 10 agents and omits social messengers, SMS and reporting
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Freshchat covers Chatbots.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kayako and Freshchat actually diverge.

Attributes where Kayako and Freshchat differ
AttributeKayakoFreshchat
Starting price$30/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20012010

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 Kayako

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

Only in Freshchat

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

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Slack
  • Shopify
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • 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 Freshchat
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Freshchat

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

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

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

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

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

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 Freshchat if

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

Questions people ask

Is Kayako or Freshchat better?
Neither clearly leads. Kayako starts at $30/month and Freshchat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kayako or Freshchat?
Freshchat has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $30/month for Kayako and Free for Freshchat.
Does Kayako or Freshchat 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 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 Freshchat is typically brought in for.
What can Kayako do that Freshchat cannot?
Kayako covers Unified inbox, Help center, Customer journey, Automation. Freshchat covers Chatbots, Campaigns, WhatsApp, Instagram. Both handle Live chat, Slack, Shopify, SOC2.
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Related pages

More on Kayako

More on Freshchat

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