JivoChat vs Kayako
JivoChat is omnichannel business messenger for customer communication. Best suited for small businesses wanting affordable live chat with voice integration and built-in CRM. Known for its built-in telephony and CRM with pipeline management alongside multi-channel messaging.
Kayako is customer service software that scales with your business. Best suited for traditional businesses focused on email and phone support. Known for its comprehensive knowledge base with customer portal.
JivoChat KayakoJivoChat and Kayako represent different approaches to customer support technology. JivoChat emphasizes real-time communication and multi-channel messaging, while Kayako focuses on comprehensive help desk functionality with advanced automation and customer journey tracking.
The decision between these platforms depends on whether you prioritize immediate customer engagement or sophisticated support workflow management.
What features does JivoChat offer?
JivoChat's feature set is built around its target customer base, a key differentiator against Kayako. It uses a per seat pricing model starting at From $28/seat/mo, a different approach from Kayako's usage-based structure. The features split across channel coverage, automation depth, AI tooling, and team management. Converge ($49/month flat for up to 15 agents) covers all of these in its base subscription.
What features does Kayako offer?
Kayako's feature set is built around its target customer base, a key differentiator against JivoChat. It uses a usage-based pricing model starting at From $1/mo, a different approach from JivoChat's per seat structure. The features split across channel coverage, automation depth, AI tooling, and team management. Converge ($49/month flat for up to 15 agents) covers all of these in its base subscription.
How do JivoChat and Kayako compare on features?
JivoChat and Kayako compete in the same category but tune their feature sets for different team profiles. The material differences cluster around channel coverage, automation depth, reporting, and team management. The side-by-side below draws on aggregated G2 and Capterra reviews. A flat-rate alternative like Converge ($49/month for up to 15 agents) may sidestep the trade-off entirely.
JivoChat excels in real-time communication with live chat, phone calls, social media integration, and mobile app support. Its unified inbox approach simplifies agent workflows by consolidating all customer interactions in one interface.
Kayako provides comprehensive help desk functionality with advanced ticket management, customer journey mapping, and sophisticated automation rules. It offers detailed analytics, custom fields, and integration capabilities designed for complex support operations.
JivoChat's strength is in immediate response and channel diversity, while Kayako excels in structured support processes and detailed customer relationship tracking.
How much do JivoChat and Kayako cost?
JivoChat starts at From $28/seat/mo (per seat); Kayako starts at From $1/mo (usage-based). Converge is $49/month flat for up to 15 agents with all channels and AI included.
JivoChat offers transparent pricing starting with a free plan for up to 5 agents, then $19/month per agent for professional features. All communication channels are included without additional fees.
Kayako uses tiered pricing starting at $15/month per agent for basic features, scaling to $45/month per agent for advanced functionality. Enterprise features require custom pricing discussions.
JivoChat provides better value for teams focused on real-time communication, while Kayako's pricing reflects its comprehensive help desk capabilities and enterprise features.
JivoChat Pricing
Kayako Pricing
What are JivoChat's strengths and limitations?
JivoChat's biggest strengths cluster around what reviewers consistently single out as its standout capability, which is what makes it a strong fit for small businesses wanting affordable live chat with voice integration and built-in crm. Its limitations cluster around pricing-model fit at smaller team sizes and around channel coverage gaps relative to a messaging-first inbox. The detailed lists below come from aggregated G2 and Capterra reviews plus our own internal customer-pipeline reports — teams that are using JivoChat today as their primary inbox, plus teams that evaluated and ultimately rejected it during their selection process. Read them carefully side-by-side with Kayako's breakdown lower on this page to decide which of the two platforms fits where your team is heading next quarter — or whether a flat-rate alternative like Converge ($49/month, up to 15 agents, all channels and AI included) is a better path entirely, sidestepping both vendors.
Strengths
- Free tier with 5 agents for basic live chat
- Broad channel support including Viber and Apple Business Chat
- Built-in CRM with pipeline management
- Telephony/voice integration at Professional tier
Limitations
- Per-agent pricing escalates quickly with larger teams
- WhatsApp costs $25/mo extra on top of per-agent fees
- No Discord or Zalo support
- Video calls are a separate $21/agent/mo add-on
What are Kayako's strengths and limitations?
Kayako's biggest strengths cluster around what reviewers consistently single out as its standout capability, which is what makes it a strong fit for traditional businesses focused on email and phone support. Its limitations cluster around pricing-model fit at smaller team sizes and around channel coverage gaps relative to a messaging-first inbox. The detailed lists below come from aggregated G2 and Capterra reviews plus our own internal customer-pipeline reports — teams that are using Kayako today as their primary inbox, plus teams that evaluated and ultimately rejected it during their selection process. Read them carefully alongside JivoChat's breakdown earlier on this page to decide which of the two platforms fits where your team is heading next quarter — or whether a flat-rate alternative like Converge ($49/month, up to 15 agents, all channels and AI included) is a better path entirely, sidestepping both vendors.
Strengths
- No seat fees in 2026 (Kay AI pricing pivot)
- Strong knowledge base functionality
- SingleView customer journey timeline across channels
- Good reporting capabilities
Limitations
- AI resolution fees scale linearly with ticket volume
- Platform pricing beyond Kay AI is quote-only
- Limited social media integrations
- No native WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or Zalo support
JivoChat or Kayako: which should you pick?
Pick JivoChat if your primary need maps to its standout capability and its pricing model works at your team size. Pick Kayako if your team profile maps to its strengths instead. If neither fits — for example, a 3-15 agent team handling messaging channels (WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Discord, Zalo) wanting flat-rate pricing — Converge is $49/month flat for up to 15 agents, with all channels and AI tooling included.
Choose JivoChat if you need real-time multi-channel communication with simple setup and affordable pricing. Choose Kayako if you require advanced help desk features, detailed customer journey tracking, and enterprise-level automation.
When should you choose JivoChat or Kayako?
Choose JivoChat if: You prioritize real-time customer engagement, need multi-channel communication, and want straightforward pricing with quick implementation.
Choose Kayako if: You need advanced help desk features, detailed customer journey tracking, and have complex support workflows requiring sophisticated automation.
For businesses seeking comprehensive support features with predictable costs, Converge at $49/month flat rate provides professional customer support tools without per-agent fees or feature limitations.
Looking for more options? Browse all platform comparisons, or see all JivoChat comparisons and all Kayako comparisons.
Frequently Asked Questions
JivoChat is best for Small businesses wanting affordable live chat with voice integration and built-in CRM. Kayako is best for Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support. JivoChat's standout feature is Built-in telephony and CRM with pipeline management alongside multi-channel messaging, while Kayako offers Comprehensive knowledge base with customer portal.
JivoChat starts at From $28/seat/mo. Kayako starts at From $1/mo. JivoChat offers a free plan. For flat-rate pricing, consider Converge at $49/month for up to 15 agents.
JivoChat offers a free plan. Kayako does not offer a free plan. Both are established platforms in the customer support space.
JivoChat pros: Free tier with 5 agents for basic live chat; Broad channel support including Viber and Apple Business Chat. Kayako pros: No seat fees in 2026 (Kay AI pricing pivot); Strong knowledge base functionality. Each platform has distinct strengths depending on your use case.
Choose JivoChat for Small businesses wanting affordable live chat with voice integration and built-in CRM. Choose Kayako for Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support. If you need messaging-first support with flat pricing, consider Converge as an alternative at $49/month for up to 15 agents.
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