Intercom vs Kayako
Intercom 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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Intercom
AI-first helpdesk built around an autonomous AI agent (Fin).
Best for Mid-market and enterprise SaaS/tech teams wanting a unified AI agent plus human helpdesk.
2011 · San Francisco, CA.
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
- IntercomPer-seat (Full seats) plus per-outcome Fin AI. Lite seats free on Advanced/Expert.
- KayakoHybrid: flat platform fee (Kayako One) plus $1 per AI-resolved ticket.
- Free plan
- IntercomNo
- KayakoNot offered
- Free trial / guarantee
- Intercom14 days, no credit card.
- Kayako90-day AI Agent Pilot with refund guarantee; 14-day trial also cited.(3rd-party)source
- Price
- IntercomEssential: $29/seat/mo (annual); $39 monthly. · Advanced: $85/seat/mo (annual); incl. 20 free Lite seats. · Expert: $132/seat/mo (annual); incl. 50 free Lite seats.
- Kayako$79/mo flat (Kayako One). · Single platform tier. · Enterprise/custom via sales.(3rd-party)source
- Unlimited agents
- IntercomNo. Per-seat (Lite seats limited-function, free on higher tiers).
- KayakoKayako One flat fee implies unlimited agents, though not stated explicitly.(claimed)source
- Implementation fee
- IntercomNot disclosed. Premier Onboarding is a paid add-on (contact sales).
- KayakoWhite-glove onboarding included.
- Transparency
- IntercomSeat and Fin per-outcome prices public; Premier/services require sales.
- KayakoLow. No plan prices listed publicly; directs to Talk to an Expert. The $1/resolution rate is the only public figure.
- Pricing last verified
- Intercom2026-06-02
- Kayako2026-06-02
Channels
Where each tool can talk to customers.
- IntercomNative
- KayakoNative
- Live chat
- IntercomNative
- KayakoNative
- In-app messenger
- IntercomNative (web, Android, iOS Messenger).
- KayakoNative (mobile SDK).(claimed)source
- Voice
- IntercomNative (Intercom Phone; also AWS Connect, Talkdesk, Twilio Flex, Zoom Phone via SIP).
- KayakoListed as a channel (native voice is contested).
- SMS
- IntercomNative (2-way; per-message charges).
- KayakoListed as a channel (native SMS is contested).
- Social
- IntercomNative Instagram and Facebook DMs; X no longer supported.
- KayakoNative. X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn.(claimed)source
Voice & Telephony
Native voice vs telephony integrations.
- Native vs via integration
- IntercomBoth. Native Intercom Phone plus 3rd-party (AWS Connect, Talkdesk, Twilio Flex, Zoom Phone).
- KayakoVoice channel listed; native voice/IVR is contested (Twilio suggested as an alternative).
- Voice AI / transcription
- IntercomYes. Full transcription, AI call summaries, recordings.
- KayakoNot disclosed
- Telephony billed separately
- IntercomYes. Voice priced in Order Form, not in seat price.
- KayakoNot disclosed
AI & Automation
Autonomous resolution, agentic actions, models, and how AI is priced.
- Autonomous AI agent
- IntercomYes. Fin AI Agent resolves conversations end to end.
- KayakoYes. Kay triages, drafts, processes refunds, updates shipping, creates users, and closes cases.(claimed)source
- Copilot / Assist mode
- IntercomYes. Copilot add-on, $29/agent/mo.
- KayakoYes. Response suggestions, sentiment coaching, auto-translation, duplicate detection, field autofill.(claimed)source
- Claimed automation rate
- IntercomUp to 65% end to end. Fin 2 averaged 66% across 6,000+ customers.(claimed)source
- Kayako80%+ of repetitive tickets resolved within 90 days; 68% AI resolution rate.(claimed)source
- AI channel coverage
- IntercomChat, email, voice/phone, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Slack, Discord.
- KayakoEmail, chat, voice, social (X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, WhatsApp), SMS.(claimed)source
- Agentic actions (API) vs answer-only
- IntercomBoth. Fin Tasks, Procedures (NL plus data connectors and conditional logic), and 3rd-party actions (refunds, cancellations).
- KayakoActions via API. Refunds, shipping updates, and user creation through external APIs.(claimed)source
- Knowledge sources
- IntercomHelp Center, internal content, PDFs, external URLs, past conversations, Zendesk imports, Google Docs/Notion SOPs.
- KayakoKnowledge base, ticket history and resolution data, company docs, customer profile data.(claimed)source
- Underlying model
- IntercomFin Apex 1.0. Proprietary post-trained model (replaced GPT/Claude Sonnet 4.0 as of Mar 2026).
- KayakoNot disclosed
- Trains on past tickets
- IntercomPast conversations are a knowledge source. Fin Guidance uses human instructions; no disclosed active retraining.
- KayakoYes. Continuous Learning trains on resolved tickets.(claimed)source
- Pre-deploy simulation / sandbox
- IntercomYes. Fin Flywheel Test phase: fully simulated conversations plus batch test before go-live.
- KayakoNo named simulation mode. No-code builder tests rules against historical data.
- Multilingual
- IntercomYes. 43+ languages (AI Answers); Fin Voice 28 languages; real-time translation.
- KayakoYes. Multi-language with auto-translation.(claimed)source
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- IntercomBoth. Native on Intercom or standalone on Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Freshdesk, Dixa, Front, Zoho Desk, Sprinklr.
- KayakoBoth. Kay can layer onto Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, or Kayako's own helpdesk.(claimed)source
- AI pricing model
- IntercomPer-outcome (resolution). $0.99 per resolved conversation; 50 outcome/mo minimum when standalone.
- KayakoPer resolved ticket (counts only when Kay solves without a human).
- AI unit price
- Intercom$0.99 per outcome (all plans).
- Kayako$1 per AI-resolved ticket.
- Copilot / Assist price
- Intercom$29/agent/mo (unlimited usage).
- KayakoBundled into the platform.
How Open.cx compares
Open.cx runs on top of Intercom 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
- IntercomSOC 2 Type II (via Trust Center on request).
- KayakoAWS infrastructure holds SOC 1/2/3; Kayako does not claim its own SOC 2 certification.
- GDPR
- IntercomYes. DPA available.
- KayakoGDPR referenced; certified under EU-US DPF, UK Extension, and Swiss-US DPF.
- HIPAA / PCI
- IntercomYes. Annual attestation; BAA available.
- KayakoListed as an evaluation criterion, not a confirmed certification.
- SSO / SAML
- IntercomYes. SAML SSO (Expert plan); new SP cert required by Dec 2026.
- KayakoSSO supported; SAML SSO via connectors; 2FA.
- Data residency
- IntercomUS, EU, or Australia. Advanced/Expert annual only; new workspace required.
- KayakoNot disclosed (data may be stored in the EEA, US, or other countries).
Integrations
Marketplace breadth, APIs, and developer tooling.
- Marketplace / integrations (approx.)
- Intercom~250–450 apps (one aggregator lists 565).(3rd-party)source
- KayakoNo native marketplace; hundreds via Zapier (Integrately lists 554). Native connectors: Salesforce, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Shopify, Stripe, Jira, GitHub.
- Shopify depth
- IntercomDeep native. Bidirectional order/customer sync, order events, and agent actions (refund, edit shipping, draft orders). Shopify Plus partner.
- KayakoPre-built connector syncing order and customer data into the SingleView timeline; bi-directional.(claimed)source
- Open / public API
- IntercomYes. REST API with OpenAPI spec on GitHub; webhooks.
- KayakoYes. RESTful API plus webhooks (developer.kayako.com).
- Developer SDK / MCP
- IntercomYes. Developer Platform; Messenger and Inbox app framework.
- KayakoDev docs exist; no dedicated SDK package named.
Automation & Workflows
Builders, triggers, routing, and SLAs.
- Workflow builder
- IntercomYes. Visual no-code Workflows builder.
- KayakoYes. No-code builder: describe rules in natural language, AI drafts them, test on historical data, approval gates.(claimed)source
- Triggers / automations
- IntercomYes. Event/condition triggers across chat, email, WhatsApp, IG, FB, SMS, Slack.
- KayakoYes. Triggers/monitors with conditions, time-based, and AI-triggered (e.g. sentiment drop escalates).(claimed)source
- Routing
- IntercomYes. Assignment rules, team prioritization, workload mgmt, auto-unassign.
- KayakoYes. AI triage auto-classifies and routes; custom SLAs per channel.(claimed)source
- Macros / canned responses
- IntercomYes. Macros supported.
- KayakoYes. Prewritten responses and macros.(claimed)source
- SLA management
- IntercomYes. SLA rules via workflows/settings.
- KayakoYes. Custom SLAs per channel; performance across intents, channels, and regions.(claimed)source
Collaboration
How support teams work a queue together.
- Collision detection
- IntercomYes. Teammates presence prevents simultaneous editing.(3rd-party)source
- KayakoYes. Helps prevent duplicate effort.(claimed)source
- Side conversations
- IntercomYes. Email or Slack side conversations on parent threads.
- KayakoNo named feature; collaboration with experts/vendors referenced.
- Shared inbox
- IntercomYes. Central shared workspace plus team inboxes.
- KayakoYes. Multi-team shared inboxes.(claimed)source
Self-Service & Knowledge
Knowledge base, help center, and deflection.
- Knowledge base
- IntercomYes. Knowledge Hub: articles, snippets, folders, bulk mgmt, audience targeting.
- KayakoYes. Semantic search, freshness scoring, content gaps, multilingual.(claimed)source
- Help center
- IntercomYes. Native, multiple Help Centers, customizable branding.
- KayakoYes. Public help center in Kayako One.(claimed)source
- Community forum
- IntercomIntercom runs its own user forum; not a deployable end-user forum feature.
- KayakoNot offered
- AI answers from knowledge base
- IntercomYes. Fin and Copilot resolve from Knowledge Hub content.
- KayakoYes. AI drafts KB articles from resolved tickets; AI chat widget; 80%+ deflection claimed.(claimed)source
Reporting & Analytics
Dashboards, custom reports, and CSAT.
- Dashboards
- IntercomYes. 12 pre-built reports; real-time dashboards.
- KayakoYes. Prebuilt dashboards (volume, handle time, FCR, CSAT/NPS, deflection, SLA).(claimed)source
- Custom reports
- IntercomYes. Drag-and-drop (9 chart types); Advanced and Expert only.
- KayakoCustom-report builder not confirmed (legacy product had 100+ reports).
- Included in lowest tier
- IntercomEssential: pre-built only; custom plus advanced CSAT on Advanced/Expert.
- KayakoPrebuilt reports in the Kayako One base.(claimed)source
- CSAT surveys
- IntercomYes. On close (all plans); Fin CSAT; advanced attrs Advanced/Expert only.
- KayakoYes. CSAT tracked (76%-90% in a case study).(claimed)source
Onboarding & Support
Implementation, CSM tiers, and partners.
- Onboarding
- IntercomSelf-serve (14-day trial); Premier Onboarding (paid add-on, contact sales).
- KayakoWhite-glove, expert-led onboarding included; phased 2-4 week implementation; 90-day AI Pilot with refund guarantee.(claimed)source
- Support channels
- IntercomMessenger/email; Premier Support (<1hr urgent); Rapid Response (~10 min, dedicated POC).
- KayakoHelp center (support.kayako.com), Talk to an Expert, email; reviews note responsiveness gaps.(claimed)source
- Dedicated CSM
- IntercomPremier Rapid Response includes a dedicated point of contact; a named ongoing CSM is not documented.
- KayakoYes. CSM as a single point of contact (appears standard).(claimed)source
- Implementation partners
- IntercomYes. Solution Partner Program (certified implementation partners).
- KayakoNo partner directory; ESW/Trilogy implies internal services only.