Kayako vs Kustomer

Converge Converge Team

Side-by-side comparison for 2026

Feature Kayako Kustomer
Starting Price From $79/seat/mo From $89/seat/mo
Best For Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support Enterprise teams needing CRM-integrated customer service
Standout Feature Comprehensive knowledge base with customer portal Unified customer timeline with CRM data integration
Free Plan
G2 Rating 4.2 4.4/5

Kayako and Kustomer represent two different philosophies in customer support software. Kayako offers a straightforward helpdesk solution starting at $15 per agent monthly, while Kustomer positions itself as an enterprise CRM platform with pricing from $89 per user monthly.

The choice between these platforms often comes down to budget constraints and feature requirements, with Kayako serving smaller teams and Kustomer targeting larger organizations with complex customer data needs.

Feature Comparison

Kayako excels at traditional ticketing with email, live chat, and phone support integration. Its interface prioritizes simplicity, making it easy for new agents to get productive quickly.

Kustomer takes a customer-centric approach, displaying complete interaction histories and enabling agents to see the full customer journey. This comprehensive view comes with more complexity but provides deeper insights.

Both platforms handle multi-channel support, but Kustomer's unified customer profiles give it an edge for businesses prioritizing customer relationship management over pure ticket resolution.

Pricing Comparison

The pricing gap is substantial: Kayako ranges from $15-$35 per agent monthly, while Kustomer starts at $89 per user monthly and can reach $139 for advanced features.

For a 10-agent team, Kayako costs $150-$350 monthly versus Kustomer's $890-$1,390. This 3-5x price difference makes Kayako attractive for cost-conscious businesses, while Kustomer's pricing reflects its enterprise positioning.

Kayako

Pros

  • Comprehensive multi-channel support
  • Strong knowledge base functionality
  • Good reporting capabilities

Cons

  • Per-agent pricing gets expensive
  • Limited social media integrations
  • Complex setup for advanced features

Kustomer

Pros

  • Strong CRM features
  • Customer timeline view
  • Good AI capabilities

Cons

  • Per-seat pricing
  • Complex setup
  • Enterprise-focused

Verdict

Choose Kayako if you need affordable, reliable helpdesk functionality without enterprise complexity. Choose Kustomer if you require advanced CRM features and customer timeline views, and budget allows for premium pricing.

Choose Kayako if: You need reliable helpdesk functionality at an affordable price point and don't require advanced CRM features.

Choose Kustomer if: You have the budget for premium pricing and need comprehensive customer relationship management capabilities.

For teams seeking modern customer support without enterprise complexity or pricing, consider Converge at $49 monthly flat rate - offering advanced features without per-agent fees.

Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Kayako comparisons and all Kustomer comparisons.

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