Live Chat & Chatbots · head to head
Zendesk Chat vs Kayako
Zendesk Chat
Live Chat & Chatbots
Live chat software from Zendesk
- From
- $49/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; 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: Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging, Kayako covers Unified inbox.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Zendesk Chat and Kayako actually diverge.
| Attribute | Zendesk Chat | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $49/month | $30/month |
| Founded | 2007 | 2001 |
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 Zendesk Chat
- Web messaging
- Mobile messaging
- Chatbots
- Proactive chat
- Analytics
- Triggers
- Zendesk Support
- WordPress
Only in Kayako
- Unified inbox
- Live chat
- Help center
- Customer journey
- Automation
- Reporting
- Slack
- Stripe
Both cover
- Salesforce
- Shopify
- Zapier
- SOC2
- GDPR
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Zendesk Chat
- Support teams wanting live chat bundled with ticketing rather than a standalone chat widgetnot Kayako
Kayako
- Help desk ticketing with a unified inbox and knowledge basenot Zendesk Chat
- Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Zendesk Chat
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
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
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 Zendesk Chat if
- You need web messaging.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want mobile messaging.
Choose Kayako if
- You need unified inbox.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want live chat.
Questions people ask
- Is Zendesk Chat or Kayako better?
- Neither clearly leads. Zendesk Chat starts at $49/month and Kayako at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Zendesk Chat or Kayako?
- Zendesk Chat starts at $49/month and Kayako at $30/month.
- Does Zendesk Chat or Kayako run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Zendesk Chat best used for?
- Zendesk Chat is most often used for support teams wanting live chat bundled with ticketing rather than a standalone chat widget. Of those, support teams wanting live chat bundled with ticketing rather than a standalone chat widget is not what Kayako is typically brought in for.
- What can Zendesk Chat do that Kayako cannot?
- Zendesk Chat covers Web messaging, Mobile messaging, Chatbots, Proactive chat. Kayako covers Unified inbox, Live chat, Help center, Customer journey. Both handle Salesforce, Shopify, Zapier, SOC2.