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Kayako vs Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Kayako logo

Kayako

Live Chat

Effortless customer service

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations logo

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Live Chat

Omnichannel messaging and customer engagement platform

From
On request
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 Sunshine Conversations cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • They diverge on capability: Kayako covers Unified inbox, Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers SMS messaging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kayako and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations actually diverge.

Attributes where Kayako and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations differ
AttributeKayakoZendesk Sunshine Conversations
Starting price$30/monthOn request
Founded20012015

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
  • Help center
  • Customer journey
  • Automation
  • Reporting
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • Shopify

Only in Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • SMS messaging
  • Facebook Messenger
  • WhatsApp integration
  • Zendesk Support
  • API
  • Mobile app support
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Live chat
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • 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 Zendesk Sunshine Conversations
  • Resolving support tickets automatically with an AI agentnot Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

Zendesk Sunshine Conversations

  • Customer engagementnot Kayako
  • Lead generationnot Kayako
  • Customer supportnot Kayako
  • Sales automationnot 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 Sunshine Conversations

  • Cannot be purchased standalone; requires expensive Zendesk Suite Professional or higher plans
  • Low included monthly active users (1,000 MAU) and notifications (1,000) necessitate paid add-ons for most businesses
  • Custom implementations require developer resources for webhooks and API configuration

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 Sunshine Conversations

On request
  • Team$19/month
    • Chat + messaging
    • Basic features
    • Limited agents
  • Growth$49/month
    • Omnichannel
    • Advanced automation
    • Routing
  • Professional$99/month
    • All features
    • Custom workflows
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Kayako if

  • You need unified inbox.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want help center.
Kayako review

Choose Zendesk Sunshine Conversations if

  • You need sms messaging.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want facebook messenger.
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations review

Questions people ask

Is Kayako or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations better?
Neither clearly leads. Kayako starts at $30/month and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kayako or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?
Kayako starts at $30/month and Zendesk Sunshine Conversations at On request.
Does Kayako or Zendesk Sunshine Conversations run on more platforms?
Kayako runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Sunshine Conversations is typically brought in for.
What can Kayako do that Zendesk Sunshine Conversations cannot?
Kayako covers Unified inbox, Help center, Customer journey, Automation. Zendesk Sunshine Conversations covers SMS messaging, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp integration, Zendesk Support. Both handle Live chat, Slack, Salesforce, Web 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
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: Can I buy Zendesk Sunshine Conversations standalone?

No. Sunshine Conversations is only available with Zendesk Suite Professional, Enterprise, or Enterprise Plus plans. It cannot be purchased as a standalone product.

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
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What messaging channels does Sunshine Conversations support?

Sunshine Conversations connects 15+ messaging channels including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, SMS, and provides a Web Widget for on-site chat.

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
Zendesk Sunshine Conversations: What are the usage limits on Zendesk Sunshine Conversations?

The base includes 1,000 Monthly Active Users and 1,000 notifications per month. Additional usage requires $50 add-ons for each 2,500 MAU pack or $50 for each 25,000 notification pack.

Source
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