Kayako
Alternatives & Competitors (free & paid) for 2025

Kayako is a customer service software company that provides a help desk and live chat platform for businesses to better communicate with and support their customers. The platform allows businesses to manage customer inquiries, provide self-service options, and collaborate internally to resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently. Kayako aims to help companies build stronger customer relationships by providing a seamless and personalized customer service experience.

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Who are Kayako's main competitors?

Kayako's main competitors include several customer service and support platforms that offer similar features and functionalities. Some of the prominent ones are:

Examples:

  1. HelpDesk
  2. Zendesk
  3. Freshdesk
  4. Help Scout
  5. HappyFox

Top Kayako Alternatives for 2025

Looking for alternatives to Kayako for your customer service needs? Here are some top free and paid options to consider:

HelpDesk app

HelpDesk

HelpDesk is a customer service software that enables businesses to provide personalized customer support. It offers features such as ticket management, automation, reporting, and integrations with other tools like LiveChat or ChatBot. HelpDesk aims to streamline customer communications and improve satisfaction through its user-friendly interface and customizable workflows. The platform is designed to help companies promptly manage and resolve customer inquiries and issues.

Key Features

Key HelpDesk features are ticket management, AI-powered tools, intuitive workflows, end-to-end system personalization, and customizable reporting features.

Pros of HelpDesk

The most important advantages of this tool are a user-friendly interface, seamless integration with other systems, and exceptional customer support.

Pricing

HelpDesk offers a 14-day free trial. After that, you can choose one of its plans.

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Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer service software company that provides a cloud-based customer service platform designed to help businesses build better customer relationships. Their platform includes tools for customer support like help desk ticketing or live chat. Zendesk aims to make it easy for companies to support their customers across multiple channels, including email, phone, chat, and social media. Their software is scalable and customizable to fit the needs of businesses of all sizes. Additionally, Zendesk offers analytics and reporting tools to help companies track and improve their customer service performance.

Key Features

Zendesk's key functionalities include multichannel support, AI-powered automation, workforce management, and customizable reporting and analytics tools.

Pros of Zendesk

The most important advantages of this tool are its ease of use, customizable options, and ability to centralize customer interactions for seamless customer service management.

Pricing

Zendesk offers a free trial of their customer service software for startups. Pricing information can be found at https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/.

Freshdesk

Freshworks is a cloud-based customer support software that assists businesses in managing customer interactions across various channels such as email, phone, chat, and social media. The Freshdesk platform equips businesses with tools to streamline and automate customer support procedures, enhancing efficiency and customer satisfaction. Freshworks provides a wide range of features, including ticketing, self-service portals, knowledge base management, and analytics, all designed to help businesses deliver personalized and effective customer support on a large scale.

Key Features

Key Freshworks features are ticketing system, automation, collaboration, reporting, and self-service options to streamline customer support operations.

Pros of Freshdesk

The most important advantages of this tool include its easy-to-use interface, powerful features, and seamless integrations with various platforms.

Pricing

Freshworks offers a free trial for their tools. For pricing information, visit: https://www.freshworks.com/pricing/

Help Scout

HelpScout is a customer service software that offers businesses tools to provide personalized and efficient customer support. The platform allows teams to collaborate on customer inquiries, streamline customer communication, and gain valuable insights through reporting and analytics. HelpScout focuses on a customer-centric approach, aiming to help companies build stronger relationships with their customers and enhance overall satisfaction. With features like live chat, email integration, and self-service options, HelpScout aims to simplify and improve the customer support experience.

Key Features

Key HelpScout features are its shared inbox, help center, and reporting tools designed to improve customer communication and support.

Pros of Help Scout

This tool stands out thanks to its user-friendly interface, customizable features, and exceptional customer support.

Pricing

HelpScout offers a free trial. For pricing information, please visit: https://www.helpscout.com/pricing/

HappyFox

HappyFox is a customer support software company offering a help desk platform to streamline and automate customer service processes. It allows businesses to manage customer inquiries, tickets, and feedback from multiple channels in one centralized platform. Features include ticket management, automation, knowledge base management, reporting and analytics, and integration with other business tools. HappyFox aims to improve efficiency, reduce response times, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Key Features

Key HappyFox features are ticket management, live chat support, and knowledge base creation for seamless customer support.

Pros of HappyFox

The most important advantages of this tool include streamlining customer support workflows, providing a centralized platform for managing tickets, and offering robust reporting and analytics features to improve customer service efficiency.

Pricing

HappyFox offers a demo and free trial. For pricing information, visit their website at: https://www.happyfox.com/pricing/

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Why are businesses looking for alternatives to Kayako?

Businesses are looking for Kayako alternatives for several reasons, including more customizable features, better integration options, and more affordable pricing plans.

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What are the weaknesses of Kayako?

Here are the primary disadvantages of Kayako, as reported by users:

  1. Limited customization options: Although Kayako supports multiple departments, the changes that can be made are only global. For independent department-specific queues, the process can be confusing and labor-intensive​
  2. Buggy performance: Users have reported that Kayako can be buggy, with issues such as response errors not being recorded properly and missed SLA due to these errors. Additionally, performance problems like slow loading times and occasional inability to log in have been highlighted as significant drawbacks​.
  3. High cost: Many users consider the support and upgrade charges for existing customers overpriced. These high costs can deter businesses from maintaining or upgrading their systems regularly.
  4. Limited reporting capabilities: Users have found the reporting functionality difficult and need to be more user-friendly. There is a need for more straightforward, more intuitive reporting tools that do not require special language skills to generate reports​
  5. Limited automation features: Kayako may need more advanced automation features to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
Looking for real Kayako alternative? Try HelpDesk!

The 10+ Best Customer Service Software and Apps in 2025

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How to transition smoothly to a HelpDesk tool

Transitioning to a new helpdesk tool can be challenging, but with careful planning and execution, you can ensure a smooth migration of your tickets and data.

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HelpDesk tickets that are created with Shopify, Salesforce, LiveChat, and Messenger

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