kitio.aiKayako vs Owlish
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Kayako starts at See pricing page and Owlish starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- AI agent for ticket resolution
- Shared inbox and ticketing
- Knowledge base
- Live chat widget
- Automation rules
- Reporting and analytics
- Answers with citations
- Website and file knowledge base
- Human handoff
- Multi-channel inbox
- Sentiment and intent tagging
| Feature | Kayako | Owlish |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Help desk with an AI agent that resolves tickets for you | AI support agent that cites sources and hands off to your team |
| Category | Customer support | Customer support |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | See pricing page | See pricing page |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Made by | Kayako | Owlish |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
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Pricing compared
Kayako starts at See pricing page and Owlish starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- 25 chat sessions a month
- 1 team member
- Lite models
Starter
$39/mo billed yearly
- 100 chat sessions a month
- 2 team members
- 30-day retention
Growth
$119/mo billed yearly
- 400 chat sessions a month
- 4 team members
- Human handoff
Scale
$359/mo billed yearly
- 1,000 chat sessions a month
- 8 team members
- Sentiment and intent detection
Prices in USD, checked Nov 5, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Kayako
- Pay per resolution instead of per seat for the AI
- Onboarding handled by the vendor
- Kay can run on top of an existing help desk
- No self-serve plans or prices listed
- Resolution counts decide the AI bill
- Few integrations named on the homepage
Owlish
- Shows sources for answers
- Free plan without a card
- Many chat channels supported
- Free plan has only 25 sessions
- Most channels need Growth or higher
- Monthly-billed prices not shown
Which one should you choose?
Choose Kayako if you want:
- Pay per resolution instead of per seat for the AI
- Onboarding handled by the vendor
- Kay can run on top of an existing help desk
Watch out: no self-serve plans or prices listed.
Choose Owlish if you want:
- Shows sources for answers
- Free plan without a card
- Many chat channels supported
Watch out: free plan has only 25 sessions.
Kayako vs Owlish FAQ
What is the difference between Kayako and Owlish?
Kayako: Help desk with an AI agent that resolves tickets for you. Owlish: AI support agent that cites sources and hands off to your team. Both are customer support tools.
Is Kayako or Owlish cheaper?
Kayako starts at See pricing page and Owlish starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Kayako and Owlish have free plans?
Kayako: No. Owlish: Yes.
Who makes Kayako?
Kayako is made by Kayako.
Who makes Owlish?
Owlish is made by Owlish.
Which should I choose, Kayako or Owlish?
Choose Kayako if you value pay per resolution instead of per seat for the ai and onboarding handled by the vendor. Choose Owlish if you value shows sources for answers and free plan without a card.