kitio.aiZendesk vs Kayako
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Zendesk starts at $25/mo and Kayako 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
- Omnichannel ticketing
- Autonomous AI agents
- Agent copilot
- Zendesk QA
- Help center and community
- AI agent for ticket resolution
- Shared inbox and ticketing
- Knowledge base
- Live chat widget
- Automation rules
- Reporting and analytics
| Feature | Zendesk | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Help desk and AI agents for customer and employee service teams | Help desk with an AI agent that resolves tickets for you |
| Category | Customer support | Customer support |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Paid |
| Starting price | $25/mo | See pricing page |
| Free plan | No, 14-day trial | No |
| Made by | Zendesk | Kayako |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Zendesk starts at $25/mo and Kayako starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Support Team
$25/mo
- Per agent
- Email and ticketing
- Ticket routing
- Prebuilt dashboards
Suite Team
$69/mo
- Per agent
- AI agents
- Knowledge base
- Telephony
Suite Professional
$149/mo
- Per agent
- Admin copilot
- App Builder
- Advanced automation
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Custom workflows
- Advanced compliance
- Sandbox
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Zendesk
- Mature, widely supported ticketing
- Huge app marketplace
- Scales from small teams to enterprise
- Advanced AI costs extra
- Setup can get complex
- Per-agent pricing adds up fast
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
Which one should you choose?
Choose Zendesk if you want:
- Mature, widely supported ticketing
- Huge app marketplace
- Scales from small teams to enterprise
Watch out: advanced ai costs extra.
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.
Zendesk vs Kayako FAQ
What is the difference between Zendesk and Kayako?
Zendesk: Help desk and AI agents for customer and employee service teams. Kayako: Help desk with an AI agent that resolves tickets for you. Both are customer support tools.
Is Zendesk or Kayako cheaper?
Zendesk starts at $25/mo and Kayako starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Zendesk and Kayako have free plans?
Zendesk: No, 14-day trial. Kayako: No.
Who makes Zendesk?
Zendesk is made by Zendesk, based in United States.
Who makes Kayako?
Kayako is made by Kayako.
Which should I choose, Zendesk or Kayako?
Choose Zendesk if you value mature, widely supported ticketing and huge app marketplace. Choose Kayako if you value pay per resolution instead of per seat for the ai and onboarding handled by the vendor.