Software · head to head
Smartsupp vs Kayako
Smartsupp
Software
Live chat with advanced visitor tracking and co-browsing
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Smartsupp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Smartsupp free plan is capped at 1 operator and 25 conversations per month; Kayako the AI agent is billed at $1 per resolved ticket, so support cost scales with ticket volume rather than being a fixed subscription
- They diverge on capability: Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging, Kayako covers Unified inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Smartsupp and Kayako actually diverge.
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 Smartsupp
- Live chat messaging
- Co-browsing
- Visitor tracking
- Heatmaps
- API
- Mobile app support
- IOS support
Only in Kayako
- Unified inbox
- Live chat
- Help center
- Customer journey
- Automation
- Reporting
- Salesforce
- Stripe
Both cover
- Shopify
- Zapier
- Slack
- Web support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Smartsupp
- Small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume AI agent starting under $20/monthnot Kayako
Kayako
- Help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge basenot Smartsupp
- Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Smartsupp
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Smartsupp
Free- FreeFree
- Live chat
- 1 agent
- Basic features
- Professional$30/month
- Unlimited agents
- Co-browsing
- Business$60/month
- Advanced analytics
- Priority support
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
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Kayako if
- You need unified inbox.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want live chat.
Questions people ask
- Is Smartsupp or Kayako better?
- Neither clearly leads. Smartsupp starts at Free and Kayako at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Smartsupp or Kayako?
- Smartsupp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Smartsupp and $30/month for Kayako.
- Does Smartsupp or Kayako run on more platforms?
- Smartsupp runs on Web, Mobile app, IOS, Android. Kayako runs on Web, 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 Smartsupp best used for?
- Smartsupp is most often used for small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume ai agent starting under $20/month. Of those, small teams wanting a bundled live chat and low-volume ai agent starting under $20/month is not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
- What can Smartsupp do that Kayako cannot?
- Smartsupp covers Live chat messaging, Co-browsing, Visitor tracking, Heatmaps. Kayako covers Unified inbox, Live chat, Help center, Customer journey. Both handle Shopify, Zapier, Slack, Web support.