Freshdesk vs Kayako
Freshdesk and Kayako, side by side across AI, pricing, channels, security, and seven more categories. We pull every figure from public sources and don’t pick a winner.
Last updated:
Compare a different pair
vs
Freshdesk
Omnichannel customer service platform with built-in AI.
Best for SMB to enterprise ticketing; strong for ecommerce.
2010 · San Mateo, USA
Kayako
AI-first support platform. Kay AI agent positioned as an autonomous resolver, tagline "Scale Support Not Headcount."
Best for Mid-market to enterprise (retail/ecommerce, SaaS, financial services, healthcare) wanting managed, expert-led AI.
2001 (Jalandhar, India, by Varun Shoor). · London, UK (plus Gurgaon and Singapore).
Claimed: from the vendor, not independently verified.
3rd-party: sourced elsewhere, not on the vendor's site.
Everything else: from the vendor's own pages and verifiable.
Pricing
List prices, seat rules, trials, and pricing transparency.
- Pricing model
- FreshdeskPer agent/month. AI billed separately.
- KayakoHybrid: flat platform fee (Kayako One) plus $1 per AI-resolved ticket.
- Free plan
- FreshdeskFree tier for up to 2 agents
- KayakoNot offered
- Free trial / guarantee
- Freshdesk14 days, no card
- Kayako90-day AI Agent Pilot with refund guarantee; 14-day trial also cited.(3rd-party)source
- Price
- Freshdesk$19/agent/mo (Growth); $29 Omni · $55/agent/mo (Pro); $79 Omni · $89/agent/mo (Enterprise); $119 Omni
- Kayako$79/mo flat (Kayako One). · Single platform tier. · Enterprise/custom via sales.(3rd-party)source
- Unlimited agents
- FreshdeskNo. Priced per agent.
- KayakoKayako One flat fee implies unlimited agents, though not stated explicitly.(claimed)source
- Implementation fee
- FreshdeskNot disclosed
- KayakoWhite-glove onboarding included.
- Transparency
- FreshdeskHigh for plans; services not disclosed
- KayakoLow. No plan prices listed publicly; directs to Talk to an Expert. The $1/resolution rate is the only public figure.
- Pricing last verified
- Freshdesk2026-06-02
- Kayako2026-06-02
Channels
Where each tool can talk to customers.
- FreshdeskNative
- KayakoNative
- Live chat
- FreshdeskNative (Freshchat, Omni plans)
- KayakoNative
- In-app messenger
- FreshdeskNative (Freshchat widget)(claimed)source
- KayakoNative (mobile SDK).(claimed)source
- Voice
- FreshdeskAdd-on (Freshcaller, a separate product)
- KayakoListed as a channel (native voice is contested).
- SMS
- FreshdeskVia integration (Twilio and others)
- KayakoListed as a channel (native SMS is contested).
- Social
- FreshdeskNative (Facebook, Instagram, X)
- KayakoNative. X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn.(claimed)source
Voice & Telephony
Native voice vs telephony integrations.
- Native vs via integration
- FreshdeskAdd-on. Freshcaller is a separate product.
- KayakoVoice channel listed; native voice/IVR is contested (Twilio suggested as an alternative).
- Voice AI / transcription
- FreshdeskYes. Transcription and summaries (via Freshcaller).
- KayakoNot disclosed
- Telephony billed separately
- FreshdeskYes. Freshcaller is billed separately.
- KayakoNot disclosed
AI & Automation
Autonomous resolution, agentic actions, models, and how AI is priced.
- Autonomous AI agent
- FreshdeskYes. Freddy AI Agent resolves tickets end to end.(claimed)source
- KayakoYes. Kay triages, drafts, processes refunds, updates shipping, creates users, and closes cases.(claimed)source
- Copilot / Assist mode
- FreshdeskYes. Freddy Copilot drafts replies, summarizes, and translates.(claimed)source
- KayakoYes. Response suggestions, sentiment coaching, auto-translation, duplicate detection, field autofill.(claimed)source
- Claimed automation rate
- FreshdeskUp to 80% of queries(claimed)source
- Kayako80%+ of repetitive tickets resolved within 90 days; 68% AI resolution rate.(claimed)source
- AI channel coverage
- FreshdeskEmail, chat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram(claimed)source
- KayakoEmail, chat, voice, social (X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, WhatsApp), SMS.(claimed)source
- Agentic actions (API) vs answer-only
- FreshdeskTakes actions like refunds and order updates(claimed)source
- KayakoActions via API. Refunds, shipping updates, and user creation through external APIs.(claimed)source
- Knowledge sources
- FreshdeskHelp articles, web pages, uploaded files, custom Q&A. Not past tickets.
- KayakoKnowledge base, ticket history and resolution data, company docs, customer profile data.(claimed)source
- Underlying model
- FreshdeskAzure OpenAI (GPT-3.5 and GPT-4)
- KayakoNot disclosed
- Trains on past tickets
- FreshdeskNo. On the roadmap.
- KayakoYes. Continuous Learning trains on resolved tickets.(claimed)source
- Pre-deploy simulation / sandbox
- FreshdeskNot disclosed
- KayakoNo named simulation mode. No-code builder tests rules against historical data.
- Multilingual
- FreshdeskYes. 60+ languages.(claimed)source
- KayakoYes. Multi-language with auto-translation.(claimed)source
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- FreshdeskNative to Freshdesk only
- KayakoBoth. Kay can layer onto Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, or Kayako's own helpdesk.(claimed)source
- AI pricing model
- FreshdeskPer session for the AI Agent (a 72-hour window). Copilot is a per-agent add-on.
- KayakoPer resolved ticket (counts only when Kay solves without a human).
- AI unit price
- FreshdeskFirst 500 sessions free, then $49 per 100
- Kayako$1 per AI-resolved ticket.
How Open.cx compares
Open.cx runs on top of Freshdesk or Kayakoas an AI layer, or works as its own helpdesk. Here's where it lands on the same questions.
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- Both. Add it on top of the helpdesk you already run, or use it as your own inbox. Works with Zendesk, Intercom, Front, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365, Twilio Flex, and Creatio.
- Autonomous AI agent
- Yes. Autopilot resolves tickets end to end on its own, across every channel.
- AI pricing model
- Per resolution, so you pay for outcomes. Escalations to a human are free.
- Claimed automation rate
- 77% average automation; up to 80% (Trunkrs)(claimed)source
Security & Compliance
Certifications, data residency, and access controls.
- SOC 2 Type II
- FreshdeskYes. SOC 2 Type II.
- KayakoAWS infrastructure holds SOC 1/2/3; Kayako does not claim its own SOC 2 certification.
- GDPR
- FreshdeskYes. EU-US DPF certified.
- KayakoGDPR referenced; certified under EU-US DPF, UK Extension, and Swiss-US DPF.
- HIPAA / PCI
- FreshdeskYes. BAA, on Enterprise.
- KayakoListed as an evaluation criterion, not a confirmed certification.
- SSO / SAML
- FreshdeskYes. SAML SSO.
- KayakoSSO supported; SAML SSO via connectors; 2FA.
- Data residency
- FreshdeskYes. US, EU, UAE, India, Australia.
- KayakoNot disclosed (data may be stored in the EEA, US, or other countries).
Integrations
Marketplace breadth, APIs, and developer tooling.
- Marketplace / integrations (approx.)
- Freshdesk1,000+ apps in the marketplace
- KayakoNo native marketplace; hundreds via Zapier (Integrately lists 554). Native connectors: Salesforce, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Shopify, Stripe, Jira, GitHub.
- Shopify depth
- FreshdeskFree Shopify app. Orders, refunds, cancellations, multi-store.
- KayakoPre-built connector syncing order and customer data into the SingleView timeline; bi-directional.(claimed)source
- Open / public API
- FreshdeskYes. REST API.
- KayakoYes. RESTful API plus webhooks (developer.kayako.com).
- Developer SDK / MCP
- FreshdeskYes. Serverless SDK.
- KayakoDev docs exist; no dedicated SDK package named.
Automation & Workflows
Builders, triggers, routing, and SLAs.
- Workflow builder
- FreshdeskYes. Low-code rule builder.
- KayakoYes. No-code builder: describe rules in natural language, AI drafts them, test on historical data, approval gates.(claimed)source
- Triggers / automations
- FreshdeskYes. Time and event triggers.
- KayakoYes. Triggers/monitors with conditions, time-based, and AI-triggered (e.g. sentiment drop escalates).(claimed)source
- Routing
- FreshdeskYes. Skill-based, round-robin, load-balanced.
- KayakoYes. AI triage auto-classifies and routes; custom SLAs per channel.(claimed)source
- Macros / canned responses
- FreshdeskYes. Canned responses and templates.
- KayakoYes. Prewritten responses and macros.(claimed)source
- SLA management
- FreshdeskYes. Multiple SLA policies.
- KayakoYes. Custom SLAs per channel; performance across intents, channels, and regions.(claimed)source
Collaboration
How support teams work a queue together.
- Collision detection
- FreshdeskYes (Growth+). $5/agent/mo add-on.
- KayakoYes. Helps prevent duplicate effort.(claimed)source
- Side conversations
- FreshdeskYes. Threads, plus external collaborators on Pro+.
- KayakoNo named feature; collaboration with experts/vendors referenced.
Self-Service & Knowledge
Knowledge base, help center, and deflection.
Reporting & Analytics
Dashboards, custom reports, and CSAT.
- Dashboards
- FreshdeskYes. Prebuilt and custom.
- KayakoYes. Prebuilt dashboards (volume, handle time, FCR, CSAT/NPS, deflection, SLA).(claimed)source
- Custom reports
- FreshdeskYes. Custom reports.
- KayakoCustom-report builder not confirmed (legacy product had 100+ reports).
- Included in lowest tier
- FreshdeskPrebuilt from Free; custom from Pro.
- KayakoPrebuilt reports in the Kayako One base.(claimed)source
- CSAT surveys
- FreshdeskYes. CSAT plus AI impact metrics.
- KayakoYes. CSAT tracked (76%-90% in a case study).(claimed)source
Onboarding & Support
Implementation, CSM tiers, and partners.
- Onboarding
- Freshdesk5 paid onboarding tiers, plus advisory.
- KayakoWhite-glove, expert-led onboarding included; phased 2-4 week implementation; 90-day AI Pilot with refund guarantee.(claimed)source
- Support channels
- Freshdesk24/7 email; 24/5 phone and chat(claimed)source
- KayakoHelp center (support.kayako.com), Talk to an Expert, email; reviews note responsiveness gaps.(claimed)source
- Dedicated CSM
- FreshdeskOn Enterprise/Premium.
- KayakoYes. CSM as a single point of contact (appears standard).(claimed)source
- Implementation partners
- FreshdeskYes. Solution partner program.
- KayakoNo partner directory; ESW/Trilogy implies internal services only.