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Kayako vs Smartsupp

Kayako logo

Kayako

Software

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smartsupp logo

Smartsupp

Software

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 plan is capped at 1 operator and 25 conversations per month
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kayako and Smartsupp actually diverge.

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

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
  • 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 plan is capped at 1 operator and 25 conversations per month
  • Solo and Plus plans cap AI reply assists at 50 and 250 per month, with Expert capped at 500
  • Monthly billing costs more than annual: Plus is $35/month monthly versus $25/month annual, and Expert is $117/month monthly versus $83/month annual

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
    • Live chat
    • 1 agent
    • Basic features
  • Professional$30/month
    • Unlimited agents
    • Co-browsing
  • Business$60/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Priority 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.
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