I
IAI customer agent that resolves support, sales and ecommerce conversations
From $49.50/mo
Kayako vs Zendesk AI
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
K
Choose Kayako if…
- you're in its core audience: customer support teams, e-commerce and retail businesses
Z
Choose Zendesk AI if…
- you want to trial it before paying
- you're in its core audience: customer support teams, contact centres
Side by side
Feature Kayako Zendesk AI
Pricing modelPaidFree trial
Starting price——
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
Security and complianceSOC 2 Type II, GDPRSOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, HIPAA
AI voice/phone agent—
Omnichannel inbox
Human handoff—
AI takes actions
Shopify/ecommerce data—
Help center/portal
HIPAA compliant—
PlatformsWebWeb
CategoryCustomer SupportCustomer Support
CompanyESW Operations, LLCZendesk, Inc.
Based inUnited StatesUnited States
Founded2001—
Part of——
Key features
K Kayako
- AI agent that drafts replies and closes tickets
- Takes actions like refunds and account creation
- Omnichannel inbox for email, chat, social and voice
- No-code routing, assignment and escalation workflows
- Knowledge base with semantic search and help center
- SLA management and support analytics
- Works on top of Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, Salesforce
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, SSO/SAML and audit logs
Z Zendesk AI
- Autonomous AI agents for multi-step requests across channels
- Copilot that suggests next-best actions to agents
- AI knowledge base built from a knowledge graph
- AI action builder for connected business systems
- AI quality assurance with coaching recommendations
- Intelligent triage and auto assist on Enterprise
- Omnichannel routing for chat, messaging, email and voice
- 1,800+ apps and integrations in the marketplace
Plans and prices
From each vendor's site. Prices change — confirm before buying.
Kayako
Kay (AI support agent)$1 per resolved ticket
Kayako OneCustom
Zendesk AI
Support Team£15/agent/mo billed yearly (£20 monthly)
Suite Team£45/agent/mo billed yearly (£59 monthly)
Suite Professional£89/agent/mo billed yearly (£115 monthly)
Suite Enterprise + CopilotCustom
Copilot add-on£40/agent/mo billed yearly
Strengths and limitations
Kayako
- Kay is billed only for tickets it resolves without a human
- No seat or setup fees for Kay
- Works on top of existing help desks, so no migration is needed
- Lists SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and SSO/SAML support
- Kayako One pricing is only available through sales
- No free trial mentioned
- No public API is described on the site
Zendesk AI
- 14-day free trial of Suite Professional with Copilot included
- AI agents included from the Suite Team plan
- Eligible startups can use Zendesk free for up to 2 years
- Marketplace of 1,800+ apps and integrations
- Copilot costs extra (£40/agent/month, billed yearly)
- Automated resolutions beyond the included allowance are billed per resolution
- Enterprise pricing is only available through sales
- No free plan
More comparisons
Other options to consider
II
From $49.50/mo
I
AI customer agent that resolves support, sales and ecommerce conversations
Customer SupportAPI
T
TT
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T
AI customer service and live chat that answers questions and drives store sales
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GG
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F
FHelpdesk ticketing with AI agents and agent copilot for customer service teams
From $19/mo
F
From $19/mo
F
Helpdesk ticketing with AI agents and agent copilot for customer service teams
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S
SS
From $750/mo
R
RR
From $12/mo
Built from each vendor's public website; we haven't tested them hands-on. Editorial policy