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Kayako vs Smartsupp

Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartsupp logo

Smartsupp

Live Chat

Live chat with advanced visitor tracking and co-browsing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Smartsupp 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; Smartsupp free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Smartsupp 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 Smartsupp actually diverge.

Attributes where Kayako and Smartsupp differ
AttributeKayakoSmartsupp
Starting price$30/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile app, IOS, Android
Founded20012012

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
  • Stripe

Only in Smartsupp

  • Live chat messaging
  • Co-browsing
  • Visitor tracking
  • Heatmaps
  • API
  • Mobile app support
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Zapier
  • Shopify
  • 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 Smartsupp
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Smartsupp

Smartsupp

  • Small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume AI agent starting under $20/monthnot 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

Smartsupp

  • Free tier limited to 25 conversations per month and 14-day history
  • Annual billing required for best pricing (up to 30% savings)
  • Operator limits scale with plan tier

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

Smartsupp

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 operator
    • 25 conversations per month
    • 14-day conversation history
  • Solo$17/month
    • 1 operator
    • Unlimited conversations
    • All channels including email
  • Plus$25/month
    • 3 operators
    • Unlimited conversations
    • Automation workflows
  • Expert$83/month
    • 5+ operators
    • Unlimited conversations
    • Premium support

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 Smartsupp if

  • You need live chat messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
  • You also want co-browsing.
Smartsupp review

Questions people ask

Is Kayako or Smartsupp better?
Neither clearly leads. Kayako starts at $30/month and Smartsupp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kayako or Smartsupp?
Smartsupp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $30/month for Kayako and Free for Smartsupp.
Does Kayako or Smartsupp run on more platforms?
Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android. Smartsupp runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
Can I use Smartsupp for free?
Yes. Smartsupp 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 Smartsupp is typically brought in for.
What can Kayako do that Smartsupp cannot?
Kayako covers Unified inbox, Live chat, Help center, Customer journey. Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging, Co-browsing, Visitor tracking, Heatmaps. Both handle Slack, Zapier, Shopify, Web 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
Smartsupp: How much does Smartsupp cost?

Smartsupp offers a free plan for up to 25 conversations monthly. Paid plans start at $17/month for Solo (annual: $204/year), $25/month for Plus, and $83/month for Expert. Enterprise plans start at $280/month with custom features and annual billing offers up to 30% savings.

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
Smartsupp: What is included in Smartsupp's free tier?

Smartsupp's free tier includes 1 operator, up to 25 conversations per month, 14-day conversation history, and basic channel support. All paid plans offer unlimited conversations and advanced features including AI-powered reply assists.

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
Smartsupp: What payment options and currencies does Smartsupp support?

Smartsupp accepts monthly or annual billing with annual subscriptions providing up to 30% savings. The platform supports multiple currencies including CZK, EUR, USD, and PLN. A 14-day free trial is available for paid plans with no credit card required initially.

Source
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