Kayako vs Zoho SalesIQ
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Kayako | Zoho SalesIQ |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $79/seat/mo | From $39/seat/mo |
| Best For | Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support | Zoho ecosystem users wanting integrated live chat and visitor tracking |
| Standout Feature | Comprehensive knowledge base with customer portal | Deep Zoho CRM integration with lead scoring and visitor intelligence |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✓ |
| G2 Rating | 4.2 | 4.4/5 |
Kayako and Zoho SalesIQ both offer multi-channel customer support but with different focuses. Kayako provides unified inbox management across channels, while SalesIQ specializes in live chat with advanced visitor intelligence and CRM integration.
The choice depends on whether you need comprehensive multi-channel ticket management (Kayako) or chat-focused engagement with visitor tracking (SalesIQ).
Feature Comparison
Kayako excels at unified inbox management, combining email, social media, live chat, and phone support in one interface. Its customer journey tracking and collaboration tools help teams manage complex multi-channel conversations.
Zoho SalesIQ focuses on real-time engagement with visitor tracking, lead scoring, chatbots, and screen sharing. It provides detailed visitor analytics and seamless integration with Zoho's business suite.
Kayako is channel-agnostic while SalesIQ is chat-optimized, making them suitable for different support strategies.
Pricing Comparison
Kayako costs $15/agent monthly (Inbox) to $35/agent (Growth), with most features in the $25/agent Grow plan. Zoho SalesIQ starts free for 3 operators, then $12-20/operator monthly.
For a 5-person team, Kayako costs $75-175 monthly while SalesIQ costs $60-100 monthly, making SalesIQ more affordable for chat-focused operations.
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
Zoho SalesIQ
Pros
- ✓ Very competitive pricing
- ✓ Excellent Zoho ecosystem integration
- ✓ Good visitor tracking and lead scoring
Cons
- ✗ Interface feels dated
- ✗ Best value within Zoho ecosystem
- ✗ Limited integrations outside Zoho
Verdict
Choose Kayako if you need unified multi-channel support with strong email, social, and phone integration. Choose Zoho SalesIQ if live chat, visitor intelligence, and cost-effectiveness are your priorities.
Choose Kayako if: You need unified multi-channel support, handle complex customer journeys across various touchpoints, and want strong collaboration features.
Choose Zoho SalesIQ if: You prioritize live chat, visitor intelligence, lead generation capabilities, and want lower costs with excellent CRM integration.
Alternative: Consider Converge at $49/month flat rate for teams wanting modern chat features without the complexity of per-agent pricing models.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Kayako comparisons and all Zoho SalesIQ comparisons.