Kayako vs Zendesk
Converge Team
Side-by-side comparison for 2026
| Feature | Kayako | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $79/seat/mo | From $89/seat/mo |
| Best For | Traditional businesses focused on email and phone support | Large enterprises needing comprehensive ticketing with compliance requirements |
| Standout Feature | Comprehensive knowledge base with customer portal | Industry-leading ticketing system with 1000+ integrations |
| Free Plan | ✗ | ✗ |
| G2 Rating | 4.2 | 4.3/5 |
Kayako and Zendesk are both established customer support platforms with different strengths and pricing approaches. Kayako (G2 4.2/5) focuses on traditional email and phone support with affordable pricing, while Zendesk (G2 4.3/5) offers extensive integrations and enterprise features.
This comparison examines their features, pricing models, and ideal use cases to help you choose the right platform for your support team.
Feature Comparison
Kayako excels at traditional support channels with good ticketing capabilities and a simple interface. It's best suited for teams focused on email and phone support without complex integration needs.
Zendesk offers over 1000 integrations and enterprise-grade compliance (HIPAA/SOC2), making it powerful for complex workflows. However, its interface can be overwhelming and setup is more complex.
The key difference: Kayako prioritizes simplicity and core functionality, while Zendesk emphasizes extensibility and advanced features.
Pricing Comparison
Kayako costs $15-$35 per agent per month, making it significantly more affordable for most teams. Its straightforward pricing model is easy to predict and budget for.
Zendesk ranges from $55-$169 per agent per month, with per-agent pricing that can become expensive as teams grow. The higher cost reflects its extensive feature set and integrations.
For larger teams, the per-agent model of both platforms can become costly compared to flat-rate alternatives.
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
Zendesk
Pros
- ✓ Industry-leading ticketing system with mature workflows
- ✓ Massive integration ecosystem with 1000+ apps
- ✓ Enterprise-grade security and compliance (HIPAA, SOC2)
Cons
- ✗ Per-agent pricing scales with team size
- ✗ Complex setup and configuration
- ✗ AI features require additional costs
Verdict
Choose Kayako if you need affordable, straightforward ticketing for traditional support channels and prefer simple setup. Choose Zendesk if you require extensive integrations, compliance features, and don't mind higher per-agent costs.
Choose Kayako if: You need affordable, reliable ticketing for traditional support channels and prefer simplicity over advanced features.
Choose Zendesk if: You require extensive integrations, compliance features, and have budget for higher per-agent costs.
Alternative: Consider Converge at $49/month flat rate with up to 15 agents - no per-agent fees and modern features without the complexity.
Looking for more options? Browse all 750+ platform comparisons, or see all Kayako comparisons and all Zendesk comparisons.