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Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head

Kayako vs Zendesk Chat

Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat & Chatbots

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk Chat logo

Zendesk Chat

Live Chat & Chatbots

Live chat software from Zendesk

From
$49/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; Zendesk Chat messaging and live chat require at least the Suite Team plan at $55/agent/month paid yearly; the base Support Team plan at $19/agent/month does not include chat at all
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kayako and Zendesk Chat actually diverge.

Attributes where Kayako and Zendesk Chat differ
AttributeKayakoZendesk Chat
Starting price$30/month$49/month
Founded20012007

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Live Chat & Chatbots).

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
  • Slack
  • Stripe

Only in Zendesk Chat

  • Web messaging
  • Mobile messaging
  • Chatbots
  • Proactive chat
  • Analytics
  • Triggers
  • Zendesk Support
  • WordPress

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Zapier
  • 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 Zendesk Chat
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Zendesk Chat

Zendesk Chat

  • Support teams wanting live chat bundled with ticketing rather than a standalone chat widgetnot 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

Zendesk Chat

  • Messaging and live chat require at least the Suite Team plan at $55/agent/month paid yearly; the base Support Team plan at $19/agent/month does not include chat at all
  • Enterprise-grade chat features (Admin Copilot, skills-based routing) require Suite Professional at $115/agent/month or higher

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

Zendesk Chat

$49/month
  • Suite Team$49/month
    • Messaging
    • Help center
    • Basic bots
  • Suite Growth$79/month
    • Team + Multiple brands
    • Custom fields
  • Suite Professional$99/month
    • Growth + AI
    • Custom analytics

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 Zendesk Chat if

  • You need web messaging.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want mobile messaging.
Zendesk Chat review

Questions people ask

Is Kayako or Zendesk Chat better?
Neither clearly leads. Kayako starts at $30/month and Zendesk Chat at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kayako or Zendesk Chat?
Kayako starts at $30/month and Zendesk Chat at $49/month.
Does Kayako or Zendesk Chat run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Zendesk Chat is typically brought in for.
What can Kayako do that Zendesk Chat cannot?
Kayako covers Unified inbox, Live chat, Help center, Customer journey. Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging, Mobile messaging, Chatbots, Proactive chat. Both handle Salesforce, Zapier, Shopify, SOC2.
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