Help Scout vs Kayako
Help Scout 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.
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Help Scout
The most intuitive customer support platform.
Best for SMB and mid-market across SaaS, ecommerce, education, and healthcare.
2011 · Boston, MA (fully remote).
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
- Help ScoutPer seat monthly; AI Answers billed separately per resolution.
- KayakoHybrid: flat platform fee (Kayako One) plus $1 per AI-resolved ticket.
- Free plan
- Help ScoutYes. Up to 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site.
- KayakoNot offered
- Free trial / guarantee
- Help Scout15-day (Standard and Plus); 3-month unlimited AI Answers for new accounts.
- Kayako90-day AI Agent Pilot with refund guarantee; 14-day trial also cited.(3rd-party)source
- Price
- Help ScoutStandard $25/user/mo (monthly); about $21 annual. · Plus $45/user/mo; about $38 annual. · Pro $75/user/mo; about $63 annual.
- Kayako$79/mo flat (Kayako One). · Single platform tier. · Enterprise/custom via sales.(3rd-party)source
- Seat minimum
- Help ScoutPro: 10 users minimum; others none beyond Free's 5.
- KayakoNone stated (legacy Cloud 5, On-Prem 10).(3rd-party)source
- Unlimited agents
- Help ScoutYes. Pro (10-seat minimum).
- KayakoKayako One flat fee implies unlimited agents, though not stated explicitly.(claimed)source
- Implementation fee
- Help ScoutNot disclosed; onboarding specialist is a paid add-on; Pro incl. account manager.
- KayakoWhite-glove onboarding included.
- Transparency
- Help ScoutHigh. All prices public.
- KayakoLow. No plan prices listed publicly; directs to Talk to an Expert. The $1/resolution rate is the only public figure.
- Pricing last verified
- Help Scout2026-06-02
- Kayako2026-06-02
Channels
Where each tool can talk to customers.
- Help ScoutNative
- KayakoNative
- Live chat
- Help ScoutNative (Beacon)
- KayakoNative
- In-app messenger
- Help ScoutNative (Beacon iOS and Android SDK)
- KayakoNative (mobile SDK).(claimed)source
- Voice
- Help ScoutVia integration (Aircall, CloudTalk, JustCall, Talkdesk, Ringover)
- KayakoListed as a channel (native voice is contested).
- SMS
- Help ScoutVia integration (Aircall)
- KayakoListed as a channel (native SMS is contested).
- Social
- Help ScoutNative (Instagram confirmed; others implied)
- KayakoNative. X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn.(claimed)source
Voice & Telephony
Native voice vs telephony integrations.
- Native vs via integration
- Help ScoutVia integration only. No native telephony.
- KayakoVoice channel listed; native voice/IVR is contested (Twilio suggested as an alternative).
- Voice AI / transcription
- Help ScoutNot offered natively (depends on partner).
- KayakoNot disclosed
- Telephony billed separately
- Help ScoutYes. Billed by the integration partner.
- KayakoNot disclosed
AI & Automation
Autonomous resolution, agentic actions, models, and how AI is priced.
- Autonomous AI agent
- Help ScoutYes. AI Answers resolves in Beacon and escalates to a human.
- KayakoYes. Kay triages, drafts, processes refunds, updates shipping, creates users, and closes cases.(claimed)source
- Copilot / Assist mode
- Help ScoutYes. AI Assist (tone, grammar, translate), AI Drafts, and AI Summarize.
- KayakoYes. Response suggestions, sentiment coaching, auto-translation, duplicate detection, field autofill.(claimed)source
- Claimed automation rate
- Help Scout73.19% average resolution with AI Answers.(claimed)source
- Kayako80%+ of repetitive tickets resolved within 90 days; 68% AI resolution rate.(claimed)source
- AI channel coverage
- Help ScoutBeacon (web and mobile chat); AI Drafts and Assist in email, chat, and Docs.
- KayakoEmail, chat, voice, social (X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, WhatsApp), SMS.(claimed)source
- Agentic actions (API) vs answer-only
- Help ScoutAnswer and resolution only. No external API actions.
- KayakoActions via API. Refunds, shipping updates, and user creation through external APIs.(claimed)source
- Knowledge sources
- Help ScoutDocs sites, public URLs, PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs and Sheets, and Improvements snippets.
- KayakoKnowledge base, ticket history and resolution data, company docs, customer profile data.(claimed)source
- Underlying model
- Help ScoutOpenAI API (version undisclosed); does not train its own model.
- KayakoNot disclosed
- Trains on past tickets
- Help ScoutNo. Never uses your data to train models.
- KayakoYes. Continuous Learning trains on resolved tickets.(claimed)source
- Pre-deploy simulation / sandbox
- Help ScoutYes. Run AI Answers through any scenario.(claimed)source
- KayakoNo named simulation mode. No-code builder tests rules against historical data.
- Multilingual
- Help ScoutYes. AI Answers in 50+ languages; AI Assist translates 13.
- KayakoYes. Multi-language with auto-translation.(claimed)source
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- Help ScoutNative only.
- KayakoBoth. Kay can layer onto Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, or Kayako's own helpdesk.(claimed)source
- AI pricing model
- Help ScoutPay-per-resolution add-on ($0.75); Assist, Drafts, and Summarize on Plus and Pro; 3-month free trial.
- KayakoPer resolved ticket (counts only when Kay solves without a human).
- AI unit price
- Help Scout$0.75 per AI resolution; prepay for up to 33% savings.
- Kayako$1 per AI-resolved ticket.
- Copilot / Assist price
- Help ScoutIncluded on Plus and Pro (not Standard or Free).
- KayakoBundled into the platform.
How Open.cx compares
Open.cx runs on top of Help Scout 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
- Help ScoutSOC 2 Type 2.
- KayakoAWS infrastructure holds SOC 1/2/3; Kayako does not claim its own SOC 2 certification.
- GDPR
- Help ScoutYes. EU and UK GDPR, Swiss FADP; DPA; DPF participant.
- KayakoGDPR referenced; certified under EU-US DPF, UK Extension, and Swiss-US DPF.
- HIPAA / PCI
- Help ScoutYes. Pro plan; BAA required.
- KayakoListed as an evaluation criterion, not a confirmed certification.
- SSO / SAML
- Help ScoutYes. SAML SSO (Pro).
- KayakoSSO supported; SAML SSO via connectors; 2FA.
- Data residency
- Help ScoutNo. AWS US only; no EU or regional hosting.
- KayakoNot disclosed (data may be stored in the EEA, US, or other countries).
Integrations
Marketplace breadth, APIs, and developer tooling.
- Marketplace / integrations (approx.)
- Help Scout100+ apps.
- KayakoNo native marketplace; hundreds via Zapier (Integrately lists 554). Native connectors: Salesforce, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Shopify, Stripe, Jira, GitHub.
- Shopify depth
- Help ScoutNative. Order status, refunds, and order management in the inbox; Shopify App Store.
- KayakoPre-built connector syncing order and customer data into the SingleView timeline; bi-directional.(claimed)source
- Open / public API
- Help ScoutYes. Inbox API, Docs API, Chat API, and Webhooks.
- KayakoYes. RESTful API plus webhooks (developer.kayako.com).
- Developer SDK / MCP
- Help ScoutCustom Apps framework; Beacon iOS and Android SDK; no server-side SDK.
- KayakoDev docs exist; no dedicated SDK package named.
Automation & Workflows
Builders, triggers, routing, and SLAs.
- Workflow builder
- Help ScoutYes. If/then workflow builder.
- KayakoYes. No-code builder: describe rules in natural language, AI drafts them, test on historical data, approval gates.(claimed)source
- Triggers / automations
- Help ScoutYes. Condition-triggered workflows (run once per conversation).
- KayakoYes. Triggers/monitors with conditions, time-based, and AI-triggered (e.g. sentiment drop escalates).(claimed)source
- Routing
- Help ScoutYes. Auto-assign via workflow rules.
- KayakoYes. AI triage auto-classifies and routes; custom SLAs per channel.(claimed)source
- Macros / canned responses
- Help ScoutYes. Saved Replies.
- KayakoYes. Prewritten responses and macros.(claimed)source
- SLA management
- Help ScoutYes. 1 policy on Standard, 2 on Plus, unlimited on Pro; NRT tracking.
- KayakoYes. Custom SLAs per channel; performance across intents, channels, and regions.(claimed)source
Collaboration
How support teams work a queue together.
- Collision detection
- Help ScoutYes. Built in on all plans (yellow and red indicators).
- KayakoYes. Helps prevent duplicate effort.(claimed)source
- Side conversations
- Help ScoutNot offered (notes and splits instead).
- KayakoNo named feature; collaboration with experts/vendors referenced.
Self-Service & Knowledge
Knowledge base, help center, and deflection.
- Knowledge base
- Help ScoutYes. Docs; 1 site on Free and Standard, extra at $20/mo.
- KayakoYes. Semantic search, freshness scoring, content gaps, multilingual.(claimed)source
- Help center
- Help ScoutYes. Docs, embeddable in Beacon.
- KayakoYes. Public help center in Kayako One.(claimed)source
- Community forum
- Help ScoutNot offered.
- KayakoNot offered
- AI answers from knowledge base
- Help ScoutYes. AI Answers from Docs; tracks search gaps.
- KayakoYes. AI drafts KB articles from resolved tickets; AI chat widget; 80%+ deflection claimed.(claimed)source
Reporting & Analytics
Dashboards, custom reports, and CSAT.
- Dashboards
- Help ScoutYes. 7 built-in reports.
- KayakoYes. Prebuilt dashboards (volume, handle time, FCR, CSAT/NPS, deflection, SLA).(claimed)source
- Custom reports
- Help ScoutNo. Not native; raw data via Inbox API.
- KayakoCustom-report builder not confirmed (legacy product had 100+ reports).
- Included in lowest tier
- Help ScoutReporting on all paid plans, including Standard.
- KayakoPrebuilt reports in the Kayako One base.(claimed)source
- CSAT surveys
- Help ScoutYes. Happiness report (post-conversation surveys).
- KayakoYes. CSAT tracked (76%-90% in a case study).(claimed)source
Onboarding & Support
Implementation, CSM tiers, and partners.
- Onboarding
- Help ScoutSelf-serve; onboarding specialist (paid add-on); Pro incl. dedicated onboarding.
- KayakoWhite-glove, expert-led onboarding included; phased 2-4 week implementation; 90-day AI Pilot with refund guarantee.(claimed)source
- Support channels
- Help ScoutEmail on all paid plans (priority); no customer phone support.
- KayakoHelp center (support.kayako.com), Talk to an Expert, email; reviews note responsiveness gaps.(claimed)source
- Dedicated CSM
- Help ScoutStrategic account manager on Pro.
- KayakoYes. CSM as a single point of contact (appears standard).(claimed)source
- Implementation partners
- Help ScoutNot disclosed. No partner directory.
- KayakoNo partner directory; ESW/Trilogy implies internal services only.