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Kayako alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Kayako: smaller ecosystem than leading help desks, and pricing centres on AI; plain help desk costs need a sales call. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Kayako, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Intercom currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Intercom logoIntercomPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 466.5
2Zendesk logoZendeskPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 462.6
3Freshdesk logoFreshdeskPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 459.6
4Richpanel logoRichpanelPaidNoWeb3 of 357.2
  1. Intercom logo

    1. IntercomTop pick

    Best for: SaaS and app businesses that want AI-first, chat-led support

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kayako

    Leading AI agent with per-outcome pricing and a polished help desk.

    Pros

    • Fin AI agent resolves many questions without a human
    • Polished Messenger for websites and mobile apps
    • Help desk, help centre and outbound messages in one place

    Cons

    • Seat fees plus per-resolution AI charges are hard to forecast
    • Expensive for small teams once add-ons stack up
    • Less suited to email-heavy, traditional ticket queues
    Visit Intercom Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Intercom a good Kayako alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $29 per seat/month ($19 for new customers)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI agent pricing
    From $0.99 per Fin outcome
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days, no card required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Fin on other help desks
    Works with Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot and more
    Checked Oct 25, 2026intercom.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Zendesk logo

    2. Zendesk

    Best for: Mid-sized and large support teams that need a configurable, proven help desk

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kayako

    Larger, more established help desk with AI agents.

    Pros

    • Mature ticket routing, SLAs, macros and triggers
    • Very large marketplace of apps and integrations
    • Covers email, chat, voice, help centre and AI in one suite

    Cons

    • Costs climb quickly with Suite tiers and AI add-ons
    • Admin setup and upkeep take real effort
    • Entry plan is thin compared with the Suite
    Visit Zendesk Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zendesk a good Kayako alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $19 per agent/month, billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Suite Team
    $55 per agent/month, billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days, no card required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Marketplace
    1,800+ apps, partners and integrations
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zendesk.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Freshdesk logo

    3. Freshdesk

    Best for: SMB and mid-market support teams wanting full help desk features at a moderate price

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kayako

    Mainstream help desk with AI agent sessions as add-ons.

    Pros

    • Full ticketing, automation and knowledge base features
    • Usually cheaper than comparable Zendesk plans
    • Connects with Freshsales and other Freshworks products

    Cons

    • AI agent sessions are billed as add-ons
    • Interface can feel cluttered
    • Key features such as advanced routing sit on higher tiers
    Visit Freshdesk Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Freshdesk a good Kayako alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $19 per agent/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026freshworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    $55 per agent/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026freshworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026freshworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI add-on
    $49 per 100 AI agent sessions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026freshworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Richpanel logo

    4. Richpanel

    Best for: Growing DTC ecommerce brands that want self-service and AI to deflect order questions

    PaidWeb

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kayako

    Help desk with low per-conversation AI pricing for ecommerce.

    Pros

    • Self-serve returns, exchanges and cancellations
    • No per-ticket fees on the help desk plan
    • Low per-conversation AI pricing

    Cons

    • Higher per-seat price than SMB help desks
    • Returns and exchanges are a paid add-on
    • Built only for ecommerce
    Visit Richpanel Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Richpanel a good Kayako alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Help desk price
    $99 per seat/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026richpanel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI agents
    About $0.20 per AI-handled conversation
    Checked Oct 25, 2026richpanel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Returns add-on
    From $99/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026richpanel.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Kayako alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Intercom logo

Best Kayako alternative for most people

Intercom

Leading AI agent with per-outcome pricing and a polished help desk.

Zendesk logo

Best Kayako alternative for iPhone and Android

Zendesk

Larger, more established help desk with AI agents.

Freshdesk logo

Best Kayako alternative for working in the browser

Freshdesk

Mainstream help desk with AI agent sessions as add-ons.

Kayako alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Kayako?

Intercom ranks first right now. Leading AI agent with per-outcome pricing and a polished help desk. Zendesk and Freshdesk follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Kayako?

None of the 4 alternatives we track has a free plan; all are paid, though some offer trials.

Is there an open-source alternative to Kayako?

None of the 4 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Kayako?

The complaints we hear most: smaller ecosystem than leading help desks; pricing centres on AI; plain help desk costs need a sales call; total cost depends on ticket volume.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Kayako, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.