Kayako

A veteran help desk relaunched around an AI agent that is billed per resolved ticket.

PaidCustomer support and live chat software

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Kayako

Kayako is one of the older help desk brands, now relaunched around AI. Its current offer centres on Kay, an AI agent that answers customers and takes actions such as refunds, exchanges and account updates, and is charged only when a ticket is fully resolved, with no fee for escalations to humans. Kayako One bundles the full help desk, including shared inbox, live chat, a knowledge base and reporting, with the AI agent included. The pay-per-resolution model makes AI costs track results, but the total bill depends on ticket volume and the help desk itself has a smaller ecosystem and community than leading competitors. Pricing is quoted per resolution plus help desk fees, with sales calls for setup. It runs in the browser. It suits teams that want an AI agent priced on outcomes and are open to a smaller vendor.

Best for: Teams that want an AI support agent billed only on resolved tickets.

What works

AI agent charged only on full resolution
AI can take actions like refunds and exchanges
Help desk, chat and knowledge base bundled

Why people leave

Smaller ecosystem than leading help desks
Pricing centres on AI; plain help desk costs need a sales call
Total cost depends on ticket volume

Top Kayako alternatives

See all 4

1
Intercom
Leading AI agent with per-outcome pricing and a polished help desk.
66.5
2
Zendesk
Larger, more established help desk with AI agents.
62.6
3
Freshdesk
Mainstream help desk with AI agent sessions as add-ons.
59.6
4
Richpanel
Help desk with low per-conversation AI pricing for ecommerce.
57.2

Why people left Kayako

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Kayako: common questions

Is Kayako free?

No, Kayako is a paid product.

Is Kayako open source?

No, Kayako is not open source.

What platforms does Kayako run on?

Kayako is available for Web.

What are the best alternatives to Kayako?

The highest-ranked Kayako alternatives right now are Intercom, Zendesk and Freshdesk. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 Kayako alternatives

Kayako facts

3 of 3 verified

AI pricing: $1 per resolved ticket; Checked Oct 25, 2026kayako.com(opens source in a new tab); “$ 1 Per Resolved Ticket An AI agent that doesn't just respond.”
Escalations: No charge; Checked Oct 25, 2026kayako.com(opens source in a new tab); “3 You Pay $1 Only when the ticket is fully resolved. No charge for escalations or partial resolutions.”
Bundle: Kayako One full help desk with AI included; Checked Oct 25, 2026kayako.com(opens source in a new tab); “Kayako One Full helpdesk platform with AI built in.”