Five9 vs Kayako: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Five9 and Kayako side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Kayako leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Five9
Intelligent cloud contact center
Best for you if:
- • You want leverages AI (Five9 Genius AI) for agentic CX, enabling seamless, personalized, and effortless customer experiences
Kayako
Unified customer service platform for modern support teams
Best for you if:
- • You want great context across conversations
| At a Glance | ||
|---|---|---|
Starts at | From $119/mo, billed monthly Digital plan | From $1/mo Kay plan |
Category | Customer Support Call Center | Customer Support Live Chat |
Rating | 4.1/5 G2 4.1 · Capterra 4.2 1,109 reviews | 4.1/5 G2 4.1 · Capterra 4.0 403 reviews |
Free plan | No | No |
Choose Five9 or Kayako?
Choose Five9 if
- You want leverages AI (Five9 Genius AI) for agentic CX, enabling seamless, personalized, and effortless customer experiences
- You want intelligent cloud contact center
Choose Kayako if
- You want great context across conversations
- You want collaborative agent features
- Budget matters ($1/mo vs $119/mo, billed monthly)
In-Depth Analysis
Five9
Intelligent cloud contact center
Five9's pricing, starting at $119/month for Digital and $159/month for Core, is on the higher end for cloud contact center solutions, especially considering the Digital tier lacks voice.
Strengths
- Pro: Leverages AI (Five9 Genius AI) for agentic CX, enabling seamless, personalized, and effortless customer experiences.
- Pro: Offers a highly flexible and scalable platform with five distinct solution packages (Digital, Core, Plus, Pro, Enterprise) to cater to diverse business needs and growth.
- Pro: Provides comprehensive omnichannel support including voice, chat, email, SMS/MMS, and social messaging.
- Pro: Integrates with popular CRM (Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dynamics, Zendesk, Oracle) and UC (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, RingCentral, ATT Office@hand) platforms.
- Pro: Includes robust Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) solutions with options for Five9's own WEM or integration with partners like Verint (VCS) or Calabrio.
Weaknesses
- Con: Pricing for 'Plus', 'Pro', and 'Enterprise' packages requires direct sales contact, lacking transparent upfront costs for advanced features.
- Con: Some features, such as WhatsApp integration and additional usage-based pricing for certain functionalities, are noted as coming soon or may incur extra costs.
- Con: A minimum of 50 seats is required for concurrent user pricing, which might be a barrier for very small businesses.
Key features
Kayako
Unified customer service platform for modern support teams
It's best suited for businesses prioritizing a unified platform and willing to pay a premium for comprehensive features.
Strengths
- Pro: Great context across conversations
- Pro: Collaborative agent features
- Pro: Clean interface
Weaknesses
- Con: Pricing can add up with larger teams
- Con: Mobile app could be better
- Con: Limited customization options
Key features
Plans and prices: Five9 vs Kayako
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Five9 |
| five9.com read Oct 11, 2026 |
| Kayako |
| kayako.com/pricing read Nov 2, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Five9 pricing and Kayako pricing.
Key Takeaways
Five9
- Choose if you want intelligent cloud contact center
Kayako
- Lower entry price: $1/mo vs $119/mo, billed monthly
What the data shows
On the data below, Kayako leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.1/5 from 1,109 reviews for Five9, 4.1/5 from 403 reviews for Kayako).
- Kayako has the lower entry price: $1/mo (Kay) against $119/mo, billed monthly (Digital) for Five9.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Five9 and Kayako compare in 2026?
On the data below, Kayako leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.1/5 from 1,109 reviews for Five9, 4.1/5 from 403 reviews for Kayako). Kayako has the lower entry price: $1/mo (Kay) against $119/mo, billed monthly (Digital) for Five9.
What are Five9 and Kayako used for?
Five9: Intelligent cloud contact center. Kayako: Unified customer service platform for modern support teams.
What does Five9 cost vs Kayako?
Five9's cheapest paid plan is Digital at $119/mo, billed monthly. Kayako's cheapest paid plan is Kay at $1/mo. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 2, 2026.
What's the main difference between Five9 and Kayako?
Five9's main strength: leverages AI (Five9 Genius AI) for agentic CX, enabling seamless, personalized, and effortless customer experiences. Kayako's main strength: great context across conversations.