Kayako Pricing 2026
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.
Kayako offers 1 pricing plan, ranging from $1 per AI-resolved ticket to $1 per AI-resolved ticket. Kayako uses usage-based pricing starting at $0/month for Kayako One ($1 per AI-resolved ticket, no seat fees (2026 model)). Additional costs for add-ons and premium features may apply beyond the base plan price.
What features does Kayako offer?
Kayako's feature set is intentionally built around what its target customer base values most, which is also its biggest single differentiator against other platforms in the same product category. It uses a usage-based pricing model, starting at From $1/mo for the most relevant tier — a fundamentally different cost structure from a flat-rate alternative like Converge, which is $49/month for up to 15 agents with all channels and AI included. The feature grid below shows what matters most when evaluating Kayako for a unified-inbox use case. The features typically split across four practical dimensions teams care about: channel coverage (WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Instagram, Discord, Zalo, live chat, email), automation depth (auto-routing, SLA tracking, quick replies, macros, triggers), AI tooling (reply suggestions, message translation), and team management (roles, internal notes, assignment rules, working hours).
What does each Kayako plan include?
What each tier includes and costs
Kayako offers 1 plan, starting at From $1/mo on a usage-based model. Each tier gates different features — higher tiers typically unlock advanced automation, premium support, integrations, and analytics. Pay close attention to which channels and capabilities are gated behind upgrade tiers or sold as paid add-ons — those gating decisions usually determine the costs that surprise teams after signup. The breakdown below lists features and monthly price for every tier.
How much does Kayako cost by team size?
Estimated costs on Kayako's Kayako One
Kayako's pricing on the Kayako One plan stays flat regardless of how many agents are on the team because the platform uses tier-based pricing rather than per-seat pricing, which means the monthly cost is determined by which tier you select rather than by your current headcount. The detailed cost breakdown table directly below walks through the math at every common team-size milestone, from a tiny 3-agent shop through a fully-loaded 15-agent support organization, so you can find your team's actual monthly and annual cost at the row that matches your current headcount today. For comparison, Converge charges $49/month flat for up to 15 agents at every row in the table, regardless of team size or channel count.
Kayako charges a flat rate per tier. Shown alongside a flat-rate alternative for context. Note: $1 per AI-resolved ticket, no seat fees (2026 model).
What are Kayako's hidden costs and additional fees?
What you may pay beyond the listed price
Hidden costs on Kayako most often come from per-tier add-ons that gate specific features behind upgrade decisions, premium support tiers sold separately from the base plan, and feature-gated upgrades that activate only after switching to a higher subscription level. These additional costs are documented in Kayako's public pricing pages plus aggregated real-world user reports from G2, Capterra, and our own customer-pipeline data, and they frequently catch teams by surprise during the first one or two quarters of active use under real production conditions. The detailed list directly below walks through the specific hidden-cost items reported, sorted by how often they actually show up in real production subscriptions today, so you can plan a realistic budget rather than relying on the listed starting price alone when estimating annual cost.
The base plan price is the starting point. These are documented additional costs and considerations reported by users and found in Kayako's pricing details.
How does Kayako's pricing model work?
How the pricing works
Kayako uses a usage-based pricing model, which is the underlying structural decision that determines how the total subscription cost actually scales as your support team grows over time. Understanding the model is essential before committing, because the same listed starting price can produce wildly different total annual costs depending on which model the vendor chose and how your specific team uses the platform in production. The detailed implications grid directly below covers the four most important practical consequences of this specific pricing model for a typical small support team, drawn from our customer-pipeline data plus public pricing pages. In particular, monthly costs vary based on actual usage. For comparison, Converge sidesteps the model question entirely by charging $49/month flat for up to 15 agents regardless of team size, channel count, or usage volume.
Kayako uses usage-based pricing, where costs are tied to volume metrics like conversations, messages, or API calls.
What this means in practice
- Monthly costs vary based on actual usage
- Overage fees apply when limits are exceeded
- Costs can spike during busy periods
- Budgeting requires forecasting usage volume
$1 per AI-resolved ticket, no seat fees (2026 model)
How does Kayako's pricing compare to alternatives?
How pricing compares in the same category
Kayako starts at From $1/mo on a usage-based pricing model. Same-category direct alternatives — including Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom — use broadly similar pricing structures, meaning the underlying cost-scaling dynamics are essentially the same across the category and the differences between them are mostly about tier-level feature gating rather than fundamentally different commercial models. Converge sits at $49/month flat for up to 15 agents on a per-company rather than per-seat basis, which makes it the cheapest option at virtually any team size above one active agent on the platform today. The side-by-side comparison table directly below shows the starting price and underlying pricing model for each option in a single row so you can quickly evaluate the trade-offs in one place without having to cross-reference multiple vendor pricing pages.
Prices shown are starting prices. Actual costs vary based on team size, selected tier, and add-ons.
Is Kayako worth the price?
An honest evaluation
Kayako is worth the price if your team specifically needs whatever reviewers consistently single out as its standout capability and if your team profile sits within its target customer base. Once the total monthly cost crosses Converge's $49/month flat rate (which on a typical per-seat plan happens at around 2-3 active agents), most messaging-first support teams running under 15 agents end up doing better on a flat-rate alternative — the per-seat cost-scaling dynamic compounds quickly past that breakeven point and consumes budget that could otherwise fund premium features, AI tooling, or expanded channel coverage. The strengths and limitations breakdown directly below walks through where the platform actually delivers value today.
Kayako's core strength is comprehensive knowledge base with customer portal. It is best suited for Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support.
Strengths
- No seat fees in 2026 (Kay AI pricing pivot)
- Strong knowledge base functionality
- SingleView customer journey timeline across channels
- Good reporting capabilities
Drawbacks
- 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
Bottom line: Kayako delivers strong value for teams that need mid-size businesses. For smaller teams (under 15 people) that primarily need messaging across WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and other channels, a flat-rate alternative like Converge ($49/month) may be more cost-effective.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kayako pricing starts at From $1/mo. Plans range from Kayako One ($1 per AI-resolved ticket) to Kayako One ($1 per AI-resolved ticket).
No, Kayako does not offer a permanent free plan. The lowest paid tier starts at From $1/mo. Kayako does offer a free trial for evaluation.
Kayako's Kayako One plan includes: Shared inbox & ticketing, Kay AI agent (resolves tickets end-to-end), Pre-built reports, Public help center, Multiple team inboxes, Multilingual help center. Note: No seat fees and no setup fees as of 2026; full platform pricing beyond AI resolutions is quote-only — contact Kayako sales. Higher tiers add more advanced features.
Kayako offers both monthly and annual billing options. Annual billing usually provides a discount.
Kayako is best for Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support. Strengths include: No seat fees in 2026 (Kay AI pricing pivot); Strong knowledge base functionality. Downsides: AI resolution fees scale linearly with ticket volume; Platform pricing beyond Kay AI is quote-only. The value depends on your team size, required features, and budget.
Common additional costs include: No seat fees and no setup fees as of 2026; full platform pricing beyond AI resolutions is quote-only — contact Kayako sales.
Kayako starts at From $1/mo with tiered pricing. Alternatives in the same category range from free tiers to $150+/agent/month. Flat-rate options like Converge ($49/month for up to 15 agents) can be more cost-effective for smaller teams.
Most Kayako plans can be upgraded at any time. Downgrades and cancellations typically take effect at the end of the current billing cycle. Check Kayako's terms of service for specific cancellation policies and whether mid-term changes are allowed.
As of early 2026, Kayako consolidated its tiers into a single Kayako One plan priced at $1 per ticket fully resolved by its Kay AI agent. Per Kayako's official pricing page (kayako.com/pricing), there are no seat fees and no setup fees — you only pay when Kay resolves a ticket end-to-end. Platform access beyond Kay (full helpdesk, knowledge base, reporting) is no longer published as a per-seat number and is described by Kayako as a sales conversation. Eesel AI's May 2026 Kayako review confirms the pivot: 'Gone are the days of paying $30 or $60 per agent. Kayako has consolidated into a single tier called Kayako One, with a pure resolution-based model.'
Kayako has no CSV export in its UI. You have two paths: (1) Request a full MySQL data dump by submitting a 'Contact Us' form on help.kayako.com — provide your instance name and billing email, choose database-only, attachments-only, or both. The download link expires in 1–7 days. (2) Use the REST API: GET /api/v1/cases.json for cases (staff accounts only), GET /api/v1/conversations.json for conversations (customer accounts can also access). Pagination defaults to 10 per page — add ?limit=100 for up to 100 results. Authentication is Basic Auth.
Yes, through the API and Custom Reports. For cases, use GET /api/v1/cases.json (requires a staff-role account). Add &archived=1 to include cases closed 30+ days ago — without this flag, archived cases are excluded. For CSV exports, go to the agent area > Insights > Custom Reports > New Report, set your filter criteria, and export. Custom Reports require the 'Can access insights' permission. Knowledge base articles are also retrievable via the API in JSON format.
Yes. Kayako's REST API supports data extraction for migration. Key endpoints: GET /api/v1/cases.json (cases with metadata, staff only), GET /api/v1/conversations.json (conversation details, accessible to customer accounts too), GET /api/v1/users?include=*&fields=full_name,role,emails,organization.json (users with field selection), and GET /api/v1/organizations.json (organizations). All endpoints use Basic Auth. Pagination defaults to 10 per page with a maximum of 100 via ?limit=100.
The switch itself is free — most platforms offer free trials. Budget 1–3 days for migration. The main cost is the overlap period running both platforms. Request your data dump from Kayako early since it depends on their support team's availability. Under Kayako's 2026 model, monthly cost is driven by Kay AI resolution volume rather than seats: a team resolving 300 tickets/month via Kay pays $300/month plus whatever Kayako quotes for platform access. Switching to a flat-rate inbox at $49/month for up to 15 agents (with AI suggestions included) caps that volume risk and is predictable regardless of ticket count.
Ready to try Converge?
$49/month flat. Up to 15 agents. 7-day free trial, no credit card required.
Start Free Trial