Alternatives
Best Kayako alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best Kayako alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/kayako
7 direct alternatives to Kayako, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- ServiceNow is the top alternative to Kayako on our list, followed by Zendesk and Intercom.
- 1 of the 7 alternatives has a free plan, starting with Jira Service Management.
- Highest rated: Gorgias, 4.6 out of 5 from 716 ratings, Sep 2026.
- 7 alternatives
- 1 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to Kayako
ServiceNow
#1 Top pickDigitize and automate workflows for IT, HR, and customer service
Pricing
Contact sales
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,341 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Best overall
Zendesk
#2Complete customer service solution
Starting price
From $19 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.3 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 11,165 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Most affordable
Intercom
#3AI-first customer service platform
Starting price
From $29 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.5 /5 on G2 · 3,906 ratings, Aug 2026
Kayako vs 7 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Nov 2026) | Free plan | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Price: $1/mo | Free plan: No | 4.1 out of 5, from 403 ratings across G2 and Capterra (403) |
| Price: Contact sales | Free plan: No | 4.5 out of 5, from 2,341 ratings across G2 and Capterra (2,341) |
| Price: $19/mo | Free plan: No | 4.3 out of 5, from 11,165 ratings across G2 and Capterra (11,165) |
| Price: $29/mo | Free plan: No | 4.5 out of 5, from 3,906 ratings on G2 (3,906) |
 | Price: $19/mo | Free plan: No | 4.4 out of 5, from 3,771 ratings on G2 (3,771) |
 | Price: $40/mo | Free plan: No | 4.6 out of 5, from 716 ratings across G2 and Capterra (716) |
 | Price: $21/mo | Free plan: Yes | 3.9 out of 5, from 1,956 ratings across G2, Capterra and SourceForge (1,956) |
 | Price: $25/mo | Free plan: No | 4.4 out of 5, from 431 ratings on G2 (431) |
Why people consider alternatives to Kayako
Kayako takes a different approach to customer support by focusing on creating a unified view of every customer interaction.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- Pricing at scale as usage or premium tiers add up.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in customer support.
The 7 alternatives below cover the same core job (customer support) with different trade-offs.
Kayako by the numbers
Toolradar data: Kayako's entry paid plan ($1/mo) ranks #1 of 8 for price among the Help Desk tools with a verified entry price and no stated unit, where the median is $29.50/mo. It is listed as an alternative to 12 other tools on Toolradar, ranking #7 of 31 in Help Desk. As of Nov 2026.
| Metric | Kayako | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $1/mo | $29.50/mo | #1 of 8 tools with no stated price unit, verified price |
| Free plan | No | 7 of 31 have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 12 tools | 2 | #7 of 31 |
| User rating | 4.1/5 (across the web, 403 ratings) | 4.4/5 | #19 of 22 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
Listed as an alternative to: #7 on 2026-10-16 to #7 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 31 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. A lower entry price ranks higher; prices are read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis. All Help Desk data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Kayako by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Customer Support leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Customer Support tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 89 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scout by Fini | $0.69/mo |
| 2 | Kayako | $1/mo |
| 2 | Twilio Flex | $1/mo |
| 4 | Siteground | $2.99/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | Deskcord.chat | $4/mo, billed monthly |
Lowest entry price, per-user plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 42 tools priced per user, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ClaimXperience | $5/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | Easy8 | $6.90/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | Klaus | $13/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | EngageBay | $14.99/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | Dialpad | $15/user/mo, billed monthly |
Lowest entry price, per-agent plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 15 tools priced per agent, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zammad | $5/agent/mo, billed yearly |
| 2 | osTicket | $12/agent/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | Mojo Helpdesk | $14/agent/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | Freshcaller | $15/agent/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | Desku | $19/agent/mo, billed monthly |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 168 of 290 Customer Support tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Customer Support leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Customer Support statistics.
7 alternatives to Kayako
Ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review, plus how directly they replace Kayako.
- 1
ServiceNow
Paid Higher rated by usersDigitize and automate workflows for IT, HR, and customer service
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,341 ratings, Sep 2026
Price not published
- 2
Zendesk
Paid Higher rated by usersComplete customer service solution
4.3 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 11,165 ratings, Sep 2026
From $19/mo, billed monthly
- 3
Intercom
Paid Higher rated by usersAI-first customer service platform
4.5 /5 on G2 · 3,906 ratings, Aug 2026
From $29/mo, billed monthly
- 4
Freshdesk
Paid Higher rated by usersScale support with smart ticketing, automation, and AI
4.4 /5 on G2 · 3,771 ratings, Sep 2026
From $19/agent/mo, billed monthly
- 5
Gorgias
Paid Higher rated by usersCustomer support built for e-commerce, with deep store integration
4.6 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 716 ratings, Sep 2026
From $40/mo, billed monthly
- 6
Jira Service Management
Free plan Cheaper than KayakoUnite teams on a single AI-powered platform to deliver service at scale.
3.9 /5 across G2, Capterra and SourceForge · 1,956 ratings, Sep 2026
From $21/agent/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 7
Help Scout
Paid Higher rated by usersCustomer support for growing teams
4.4 /5 on G2 · 431 ratings, Sep 2026
From $25/user/mo, billed monthly
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Kayako?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Kayako are ServiceNow, Zendesk, Intercom. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Kayako?
There is no fully free alternative in this list. Jira Service Management is freemium: a permanent free tier plus paid plans (Unite teams on a single AI-powered platform to deliver service at scale).
Why do people look for Kayako alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Kayako: pricing that scales aggressively, missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in customer support. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with different trade-offs.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Kayako versus each alternative.
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