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Kayako vs Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat logo

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

Live Chat

Live chat integrated with Salesforce Service Cloud

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Salesforce Service Cloud Chat entry-level pricing of $25 per user per month is relatively expensive for small businesses
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Salesforce Service Cloud Chat covers Live chat messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kayako and Salesforce Service Cloud Chat actually diverge.

Attributes where Kayako and Salesforce Service Cloud Chat differ
AttributeKayakoSalesforce Service Cloud Chat
Starting price$30/month$25/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile apps
Founded20011999

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat).

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
  • Live chat
  • Help center
  • Customer journey
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Salesforce
  • Zapier

Only in Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

  • Live chat messaging
  • CRM integration
  • Agent desktop integration
  • Visitor tracking
  • Salesforce ecosystem
  • Gmail
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Mobile app support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web 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 Salesforce Service Cloud Chat
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

  • Customer engagementnot Kayako
  • Lead generationnot Kayako
  • Customer supportnot Kayako
  • Sales automationnot 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

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

  • Entry-level pricing of $25 per user per month is relatively expensive for small businesses
  • Requires Salesforce CRM setup and integration for full functionality
  • Limited standalone capability outside of Salesforce ecosystem
  • Complex configuration required for advanced features

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

Salesforce Service Cloud Chat

$25/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Salesforce Service Cloud Chat review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Kayako if

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

Choose Salesforce Service Cloud Chat if

  • You need live chat messaging.
  • You work on Web, Mobile apps.
  • You also want crm integration.
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat review

Questions people ask

Is Kayako or Salesforce Service Cloud Chat better?
Neither clearly leads. Kayako starts at $30/month and Salesforce Service Cloud Chat at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kayako or Salesforce Service Cloud Chat?
Kayako starts at $30/month and Salesforce Service Cloud Chat at $25/month.
Does Kayako or Salesforce Service Cloud Chat run on more platforms?
Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android. Salesforce Service Cloud Chat runs on Web, Mobile apps.
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 Salesforce Service Cloud Chat is typically brought in for.
What can Kayako do that Salesforce Service Cloud Chat cannot?
Kayako covers Unified inbox, Live chat, Help center, Customer journey. Salesforce Service Cloud Chat covers Live chat messaging, CRM integration, Agent desktop integration, Visitor tracking. Both handle Slack, Web support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat: What is Salesforce Service Cloud Chat?

Salesforce Chat is a real-time customer engagement tool enabling businesses to connect with customers through personalized live chat interactions embedded in apps and on websites, with AI-powered chatbot support.

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
Salesforce Service Cloud Chat: What is the pricing for Salesforce Service Cloud Chat?

Salesforce Service Cloud entry-level pricing starts at $25 per user per month, with multiple tiers available and add-ons ranging from $50 to $75 depending on required features.

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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