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Kayako vs Pure Chat

Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat

Effortless customer service

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

Pure Chat

Live Chat

Simple and affordable live chat for any business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pure Chat 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; Pure Chat growth plan limited to 1 website and 100 SMS notifications
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Pure Chat covers Live chat widget.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kayako and Pure Chat differ
AttributeKayakoPure Chat
Starting price$30/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile app, IOS, Android
Founded20012011

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
  • Slack
  • Stripe

Only in Pure Chat

  • Live chat widget
  • Visitor information
  • Chat transcripts
  • Department routing
  • HubSpot
  • API
  • Mobile app support
  • IOS support

Both cover

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

Pure Chat

  • Customer support chatnot Kayako
  • Website engagementnot Kayako
  • Lead capturenot Kayako
  • Sales chatnot 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

Pure Chat

  • Growth plan limited to 1 website and 100 SMS notifications
  • Additional operators cost extra: $13-$15/month per operator depending on plan and billing
  • Growth plan has significantly lower limits than PRO

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

Pure Chat

Free
  • Growth$49/month
    • 4 users/operators
    • 1 website
    • 100 SMS notifications
  • Growth Annual$39/month
    • Annual billing saves 20% off monthly rate
  • PRO$99/month
    • 10 users/operators
    • Unlimited websites
    • 1,000 SMS notifications
  • PRO Annual$79/month
    • Annual billing saves 20% off monthly rate

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 Pure Chat if

  • You need live chat widget.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android.
  • You also want visitor information.
Pure Chat review

Questions people ask

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

PureChat's Growth plan costs $49/month (or $39/month annually) with 4 users and 1 website. The PRO plan is $99/month (or $79/month annually) with 10 users and unlimited websites.

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
Pure Chat: Does PureChat offer a free trial?

Yes, PureChat offers a free 30-day trial of the PRO plan to prospective customers.

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
Pure Chat: What is the difference between Growth and PRO plans?

Growth includes 4 users and 1 website with 100 SMS notifications per month. PRO includes 10 users, unlimited websites, and 1,000 SMS notifications. Additional operators can be added for $8-$15/month.

Source
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