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  1. Compare
  2. Chatwoot vs Kayako

ChatwootvsKayako

Unbiased side-by-side comparison of verified reviews, user ratings, features, and pros/cons to help you decide which software fits your business needs.

Chatwoot
Chatwoot
🥈High Performer
4.4
(200 reviews)
View Profile ↗
Kayako
Kayako
4.5
(5 reviews)
View Profile ↗

Quick answer: Chatwoot vs Kayako

In our 2026 comparison of Chatwoot and Kayako, Chatwoot comes out ahead overall (weighted score 86% vs 68% for Kayako). Chatwoot is rated 4.4/5 from 200 user reviews; Kayako is rated 4.5/5 from 5 user reviews. Chatwoot has a free plan; Kayako starts at $15/month.

Last updated November 3, 2026

Key facts: Chatwoot vs Kayako
At a glanceChatwootKayako
CategoryHelp Desk & TicketingHelp Desk & Ticketing
User rating4.4/5 (200 reviews)4.5/5 (5 reviews)
Starting priceFree plan$15/mo
Listed features20—
Integrations524
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOSWeb
Ease of use4.3/54.4/5
Customer support4.3/54.8/5
Chatwoot:OverviewReviewsPricingAlternatives
Kayako:OverviewReviewsPricingAlternatives
Chatwoot

Chatwoot

4.4
(200)

Starting Price

Freemium

Community Pulse

70%
Would Buy Again
87%
Good Value

Advanced Ratings

Usability
8.7
Performance
8.7
Support
8.7

Pros

  • Open-source and completely free to self-host, offering full data ownership and unlimited agent seats without per-user licensing costs.
  • Unified inbox across email, chat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram, providing omnichannel support in a single interface.
  • Built-in automation with conversation assignment rules, canned responses, and labels for efficient ticket management.

Cons

  • Self-hosting requires technical expertise for deployment, server maintenance, updates, and security patching—not plug-and-play.
  • Limited official support channels; primarily community-driven help, which may not be sufficient for mission-critical enterprise use.
  • Smaller integration ecosystem than commercial competitors; fewer pre-built connectors for CRMs and marketing tools.
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Kayako

Kayako

4.5
(5)

Starting Price

Starting at $15.00/month

Community Pulse

20%
Would Buy Again
92%
Good Value

Advanced Ratings

Usability
8.8
Performance
9.2
Support
9.6

Pros

  • Easy ticket assignment and smooth handoffs between departments.
  • Internal notes make team collaboration and follow-ups much easier.
  • Keeps customer conversations organized in one central support inbox.

Cons

  • Reporting tools lack flexibility when creating customized reports and analytics.
  • Some users experience slow ticket loading and occasional interface issues.
  • Initial setup and advanced administration can take time to learn.
View Full Profile
Swipe to compare

Product Overview

What each platform does and who it's for

Chatwoot
Chatwoot
Chatwoot is a massively powerful, incredibly robust open-source customer engagement platform and deeply omnichannel digital help desk explicitly engineered to perfectly unify highly complex customer conversations. It fundamentally operates as a deeply viable, highly customizable open-source alternative to massive proprietary platforms like Intercom, flawlessly aggregating incredibly scattered emails, massive WhatsApp messages, and deeply complex Twitter DMs into a perfectly unified digital inbox. The platform heavily distinguishes itself through its absolute, uncompromising commitment to deeply critical data sovereignty. Because it is completely open-source, highly secure organizations can seamlessly deploy the entire massive platform directly onto their absolute proprietary internal servers. It heavily features an incredibly brilliant digital agent workspace, flawlessly allowing support teams to completely collaborate on highly complex customer issues in absolute real-time. Operating on a highly unique freemium open-source model, Chatwoot generously provides its absolutely massive core software completely for free for self-hosted community deployments. The highly premium enterprise cloud edition seamlessly unlocks absolutely crucial corporate features, including highly advanced digital automation rules, deeply complex reporting dashboards, and absolute professional technical support, making it an incredibly vital digital support infrastructure.
Kayako
Kayako
Kayako's current website positions Kay as an AI support agent that can resolve selected customer issues by taking actions in connected systems. It is aimed at organizations seeking outcome-based automation alongside existing support operations; buyers should confirm the current platform scope and commercial fit.

Primary Category

The main classification for each product

Chatwoot
Chatwoot
Help Desk & Ticketing
Kayako
Kayako
Help Desk & Ticketing

Editorial Quality Rating

Independent expert panel ratings and quality validations

Chatwoot

Chatwoot

Expert Score

Standard
N/A
Editorial score pending audit
Kayako

Kayako

Expert Score

Elite Choice
4.5/ 5.0
Verified Editorial Score

Integration Ecosystem

Compare supported third-party apps and services

Chatwoot

Chatwoot Integrations

5 supported apps
Slack integration logo
Slack
WhatsApp integration logo
WhatsApp
Telegram integration logo
Telegram
Line integration logo
Line
Dialogflow integration logo
Dialogflow
Kayako

Kayako Integrations

24 supported apps
Shopify integration logo
Shopify
Salesforce integration logo
Salesforce
Zapier integration logo
Zapier
Stripe integration logo
Stripe
Facebook integration logo
Facebook
Slack integration logo
Slack
GitHub integration logo
GitHub
HubSpot integration logo
HubSpot
Twitter integration logo
Twitter
Jira integration logo
Jira
Mailchimp integration logo
Mailchimp
Trello integration logo
Trello
Microsoft Teams integration logo
Microsoft Teams
WhatsApp integration logo
WhatsApp
MySQL integration logo
MySQL
+9 more integrations available

Platform Support

Supported platforms across each product

Chatwoot logo

Chatwoot

6 Platforms
Windows
macOS
Linux
Android
iOS
Web
Kayako logo

Kayako

1 Platform
Web

Sentiment & Feedback

Real-world pros and cons from verified users

Chatwoot

Chatwoot Feedback

User sentiment analysis

High Praise
  • Open-source and completely free to self-host, offering full data ownership and unlimited agent seats without per-user licensing costs.
  • Unified inbox across email, chat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram, providing omnichannel support in a single interface.
  • Built-in automation with conversation assignment rules, canned responses, and labels for efficient ticket management.
  • Active community development with regular updates, plus hosted cloud option available for teams preferring managed service.
Common Gripes
  • Self-hosting requires technical expertise for deployment, server maintenance, updates, and security patching—not plug-and-play.
  • Limited official support channels; primarily community-driven help, which may not be sufficient for mission-critical enterprise use.
  • Smaller integration ecosystem than commercial competitors; fewer pre-built connectors for CRMs and marketing tools.
Kayako

Kayako Feedback

User sentiment analysis

High Praise
  • Easy ticket assignment and smooth handoffs between departments.
  • Internal notes make team collaboration and follow-ups much easier.
  • Keeps customer conversations organized in one central support inbox.
  • Self-service portal helps customers find answers without contacting agents.
  • Automated responses reduce repetitive work and speed up ticket handling.
Common Gripes
  • Reporting tools lack flexibility when creating customized reports and analytics.
  • Some users experience slow ticket loading and occasional interface issues.
  • Initial setup and advanced administration can take time to learn.

Feature Comparison

Detailed side-by-side capability checklist

Chatwoot

Chatwoot

18/18 features

Leader
Workflow Automation
  • Automated workflows
  • Integrations
Mobile & Remote Access
  • Mobile app
Streaming & Entertainment
  • Multi-channel conversations
General & Miscellaneous
  • Open-source
Security & Compliance
  • Open-source flexibility
CRM & Sales Automation
  • CRM integration
Customer Experience (CX) & Support
  • AI-powered customer support automation
  • Canned Responses
  • Customer support
  • Knowledge base
  • Live Chat
  • Omni-channel Support (Email, Chat, Phone)
  • Omni-channel Ticketing System
  • Ticketing System
Productivity & Office
  • Agent collaboration
  • Collaboration
  • Real-time collaboration
Kayako

Kayako

0/18 features

Workflow Automation
  • Automated workflows
  • Integrations
Mobile & Remote Access
  • Mobile app
Streaming & Entertainment
  • Multi-channel conversations
General & Miscellaneous
  • Open-source
Security & Compliance
  • Open-source flexibility
CRM & Sales Automation
  • CRM integration
Customer Experience (CX) & Support
  • AI-powered customer support automation
  • Canned Responses
  • Customer support
  • Knowledge base
  • Live Chat
  • Omni-channel Support (Email, Chat, Phone)
  • Omni-channel Ticketing System
  • Ticketing System
Productivity & Office
  • Agent collaboration
  • Collaboration
  • Real-time collaboration

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Pricing & Plans

Compare plans, features, and starting points side-by-side

Chatwoot

Chatwoot Pricing

Paid
Starting Price
$19/mo
Hacker
Current price: $0/lifetime

Free basic cloud plan.

Up to 2 support agents
Basic web live chat widget
Standard email inbox integration
Startups
Current price: $19/mo

For growing support teams.

Automated conversation routing
Advanced reporting dashboards
Unlimited basic integrations
Business
Current price: $39/mo

Advanced enterprise capabilities.

Service Level Agreement (SLA) policies
Custom roles and permissions
Advanced API rate limits
Kayako

Kayako Pricing

SUBSCRIPTION
Starting Price
$15/mo
Per Resolved Ticket
Current price: Contact us

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Community Intelligence

Real-time crowdsourced comparison feedback and buyer signals.

Community Matchup Voting

Real-time crowdsourced buyer signals

0 votes
Who wins this matchup?
50% Chatwoot50% Kayako
Feature & Dimension Voting
0 / 7 Voted
Better Pricing & Plans
More Powerful Features
Faster Customer Support
Simpler Ease of Use
Overall Value for Money
Better for Startups / SMB
Better for Enterprise

Community vs. Editorial Alignment

Agreement between algorithmic rating & user voting

0 Votes Cast
Editorial Choice
Chatwoot

Chatwoot

Calculated by features, pricing, support & ratings.

Community Choice

Awaiting Votes

Cast your vote above to update results.

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Head-to-Head Winner Analysis

Data-backed performance comparisons across pricing, features, usability, and support

Matchup Scoreboard

At-a-glance scorecard results

Chatwoot
Chatwoot
4 Wins
VS1 Tie
Kayako
Kayako
1 Win

Weighted Overall Scorecard

Normalized composite performance scores

Recommended
Chatwoot
86%
Kayako
68%

Smart Recommendation Matrix

Head-to-head decision matrix based on your business workflow

Chatwoot
Choose Chatwoot if…
Free / FreemiumEasy Onboarding
  • Teams seeking a zero-cost or freemium entry tier for Chatwoot
  • Users wanting a streamlined, user-friendly workspace interface
  • Teams looking for native integration with core workflow tools
Kayako
Choose Kayako if…
Best Price ValueEasy Onboarding
  • Budget-conscious teams seeking competitive entry pricing ($15/mo)
  • Users wanting a streamlined, user-friendly workspace interface
  • Teams looking for native integration with core workflow tools
Chatwoot

Chatwoot

Dimension scorecard

Multi-Dimension Performance
⭐User Satisfaction88%
🖱️Ease of Use4.3 / 5 (87%)
💰Value for Money4.4 / 5 (87%)
🎧Support Quality4.3 / 5 (87%)
📊Market Trust200 (100%)
🔌Integration Ecosystem5 apps (21%)
🏅Expert Editorial ScoreNo data
👍Would Recommend70% (70%)
⚙️Feature Richness20 features (100%)
💸Pricing & Accessibility55%
💬Sentiment Balance4 Pros / 3 Cons (55%)
💻Platform Support6 Platforms (100%)
Winner Breakdown & Analysis
Overall Performance
Winner

Chatwoot wins overall with a weighted score of 86% based on user rating, pricing, features, usability, and support.

Pricing & Value
Winner

Chatwoot has the most accessible pricing ($19/mo (No Free Trial)).

Feature Completeness
Winner

Chatwoot lists the most features (20 features).

Usability & Design
Tied

Strong usability with a user rating of 4.3/5 stars.

Customer Support
Runner-up

Decent support with a user rating of 4.3/5 stars.

Platform Support
Winner

Widest platform availability (6 Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android +2 more).

Kayako

Kayako

Dimension scorecard

Multi-Dimension Performance
⭐User Satisfaction85%
🖱️Ease of Use4.4 / 5 (88%)
💰Value for Money4.6 / 5 (92%)
🎧Support Quality4.8 / 5 (96%)
📊Market Trust5 (34%)
🔌Integration Ecosystem24 apps (100%)
🏅Expert Editorial Score4.5 / 5 (90%)
👍Would Recommend20% (33%)
⚙️Feature Richness0 features (0%)
💸Pricing & Accessibility20%
💬Sentiment Balance5 Pros / 3 Cons (58%)
💻Platform Support1 Platform (17%)
Winner Breakdown & Analysis
Overall Performance
Runner-up

Kayako is a runner-up with a composite score of 68%.

Pricing & Value
Runner-up

Pricing: $15/mo (No Free Trial), a less accessible entry point than the leader.

Feature Completeness
Runner-up

Offers 0 features (fewer than the category leader).

Usability & Design
Tied

Strong usability with a user rating of 4.4/5 stars.

Customer Support
Winner

Ranked #1 for support with a user rating of 4.8/5 stars.

Platform Support
Runner-up

Available on 1 Platform: Web, fewer than the leader.

AI-Powered Decision Intelligence

Final Verdict:
Chatwoot
Chatwoot

Chatwoot scores higher across 4 of 11 key dimensions with a 18-point lead in our weighted analysis.

Analysis Quality
high
Based on rich data across all key dimensions.
Weighted Composite Analysis · Updated November 2026
high Confidence Level
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Frequently asked questions: Chatwoot vs Kayako

Which is better: Chatwoot or Kayako?

Chatwoot scores higher across 4 of 11 key dimensions with a 18-point lead in our weighted analysis. The best choice still depends on your team's workflow, budget and required integrations — use the side-by-side sections above to check the details that matter to you.

How do users rate Chatwoot and Kayako?

Chatwoot is rated 4.4/5 from 200 user reviews. Kayako is rated 4.5/5 from 5 user reviews. Ratings come from approved user reviews on SoftwareHope.

How much do Chatwoot and Kayako cost?

Chatwoot has a free plan. Kayako starts at $15/month. Kayako has the lower entry price. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor's site, as plans change.

Do Chatwoot and Kayako offer a free plan or free trial?

Chatwoot offers a free plan; Kayako does not list a free plan or trial.

Which platforms do Chatwoot and Kayako support?

Chatwoot supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Web; Kayako supports Web.

Which is easier to use, Chatwoot or Kayako?

Chatwoot has an ease-of-use rating of 4.3/5, Kayako has an ease-of-use rating of 4.4/5. The difference is small, so both are similarly easy to adopt.

Most Helpful Reviews

Community-voted helpful feedback from verified users

Chatwoot

Chatwoot intuitive dashboard interface enables real time execution

by Holly J.
100% Helpful

After testing several alternatives, Chatwoot proved to be the most dependable option. The intuitive user interface makes team onboarding fast with minimal training required. Furthermore, overall, it is a highly capable platform that delivers great value for our organization.

Pros:Responsive customer support team with helpful documentation and guides.
Cons:Some advanced configuration settings require time to master initially.
Was this review helpful?
Chatwoot

Chatwoot intuitive dashboard interface enables productive workspace

by Ruby R.
100% Helpful

Our team adopted Chatwoot to centralize our key project workflows. Robust core functionality handles heavy operational workloads without stability issues. Recommended for any team seeking a dependable, modern software solution.

Pros:Reliable core performance with high uptime and fast feature execution.
Cons:Pricing tiers could offer more flexibility for growing mid-sized teams.
Was this review helpful?
Chatwoot

Chatwoot analytics tracking manager connects cloud data access

by Brianna R.
100% Helpful

We have been using Chatwoot to streamline our daily operations. The intuitive user interface makes team onboarding fast with minimal training required. Furthermore, a solid investment that continues to improve our team productivity every month.

Pros:Responsive customer support team with helpful documentation and guides.
Cons:Mobile application interface could benefit from additional feature parity with desktop.
Was this review helpful?
Chatwoot

Chatwoot analytics tracking manager secures performance results

by Lily R.
100% Helpful

Our experience with Chatwoot has been consistently solid across departments. Seamless integration options allow easy connection with our existing software tools. Furthermore, recommended for any team seeking a dependable, modern software solution.

Pros:Flexible customization options and seamless third-party app integrations.
Cons:Pricing tiers could offer more flexibility for growing mid-sized teams.
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