KayakovsosTicket
Unbiased side-by-side comparison of verified reviews, user ratings, features, and pros/cons to help you decide which software fits your business needs.
Quick answer: Kayako vs osTicket
In our 2026 comparison of Kayako and osTicket, osTicket comes out ahead overall (weighted score 87% vs 72% for Kayako). Kayako is rated 4.5/5 from 5 user reviews; osTicket is rated 4.5/5 from 4 user reviews. Kayako starts at $15/month; osTicket has a free plan.
Last updated
| At a glance | Kayako | osTicket |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Help Desk & Ticketing | Help Desk & Ticketing |
| User rating | 4.5/5 (5 reviews) | 4.5/5 (4 reviews) |
| Starting price | $15/mo | Free plan |
| Listed features | — | 21 |
| Integrations | 24 | 5 |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Windows, Linux, macOS |
| Ease of use | 4.4/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Customer support | 4.8/5 | 5.0/5 |
Kayako
Starting Price
Starting at $15.00/month
Community Pulse
Advanced Ratings
Pros
- Automated responses reduce repetitive work and speed up ticket handling.
- Easy ticket assignment and smooth handoffs between departments.
- Internal notes make team collaboration and follow-ups much easier.
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.
osTicket
Starting Price
Free open-source self-hosted version available; cloud-hosted services and support available through partners.
Community Pulse
Advanced Ratings
Pros
- Easy deployment
- Customizable workflows
- Strong community support
Cons
- Limited modern UI
- Fewer native integrations
- Advanced features require customization
Product Overview
What each platform does and who it's for
Primary Category
The main classification for each product
Editorial Quality Rating
Independent expert panel ratings and quality validations
Kayako
Expert Score
osTicket
Expert Score
Integration Ecosystem
Compare supported third-party apps and services
Kayako Integrations
osTicket Integrations
Platform Support
Supported platforms across each product
Kayako
osTicket
Sentiment & Feedback
Real-world pros and cons from verified users
Kayako Feedback
User sentiment analysis
- Automated responses reduce repetitive work and speed up ticket handling.
- 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.
- 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.
osTicket Feedback
User sentiment analysis
- Easy deployment
- Customizable workflows
- Strong community support
- Free open-source software
- Limited modern UI
- Fewer native integrations
- Advanced features require customization
Feature Comparison
Detailed side-by-side capability checklist
Kayako
0/21 features
- Custom fields
- Customizable
- Nonprofits
- Open-source
- Workflow rules
- AI-powered customer support automation
- Agent management
- Canned Responses
- Customer Portal
- Customer service
- Customer support
- Email ticketing
- Help topics
- Knowledge base
- Omni-channel Support (Email, Chat, Phone)
- Omni-channel Ticketing System
- SLA Management
- Ticket management
- Ticketing System
- Reporting
- Agent collaboration
osTicket
21/21 features
- Custom fields
- Customizable
- Nonprofits
- Open-source
- Workflow rules
- AI-powered customer support automation
- Agent management
- Canned Responses
- Customer Portal
- Customer service
- Customer support
- Email ticketing
- Help topics
- Knowledge base
- Omni-channel Support (Email, Chat, Phone)
- Omni-channel Ticketing System
- SLA Management
- Ticket management
- Ticketing System
- Reporting
- Agent collaboration
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Pricing & Plans
Compare plans, features, and starting points side-by-side
Kayako Pricing
SUBSCRIPTIONosTicket Pricing
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Community Intelligence
Real-time crowdsourced comparison feedback and buyer signals.
Community Matchup Voting
Real-time crowdsourced buyer signals
Community vs. Editorial Alignment
Agreement between algorithmic rating & user voting
osTicket
Calculated by features, pricing, support & ratings.
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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
Weighted Overall Scorecard
Normalized composite performance scores
Smart Recommendation Matrix
Head-to-head decision matrix based on your business workflow
- Users wanting a streamlined, user-friendly workspace interface
- Teams looking for native integration with core workflow tools
- Teams seeking a zero-cost or freemium entry tier for osTicket
- Users wanting a streamlined, user-friendly workspace interface
- Teams looking for native integration with core workflow tools
Kayako
Dimension scorecard
Multi-Dimension Performance
Winner Breakdown & Analysis
Kayako is a runner-up with a composite score of 72%.
Pricing: $15/mo (No Free Trial), a less accessible entry point than the leader.
Offers 0 features (fewer than the category leader).
Strong usability with a user rating of 4.4/5 stars.
Reliable support with a user rating of 4.8/5 stars.
Available on 1 Platform: Web, fewer than the leader.
osTicket
Dimension scorecard
Multi-Dimension Performance
Winner Breakdown & Analysis
osTicket wins overall with a weighted score of 87% based on user rating, pricing, features, usability, and support.
osTicket has the most accessible pricing ($0/mo (No Free Trial)).
osTicket lists the most features (21 features).
Strong usability with a user rating of 4.5/5 stars.
Reliable support with a user rating of 5.0/5 stars.
Widest platform availability (4 Platforms: Web, Windows, Linux, macOS).
Final Verdict:osTicket
osTicket scores higher across 2 of 11 key dimensions with a 15-point lead in our weighted analysis.
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Frequently asked questions: Kayako vs osTicket
Which is better: Kayako or osTicket?
osTicket scores higher across 2 of 11 key dimensions with a 15-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 Kayako and osTicket?
Kayako is rated 4.5/5 from 5 user reviews. osTicket is rated 4.5/5 from 4 user reviews. Ratings come from approved user reviews on SoftwareHope.
How much do Kayako and osTicket cost?
Kayako starts at $15/month. osTicket has a free plan. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor's site, as plans change.
Do Kayako and osTicket offer a free plan or free trial?
Kayako does not list a free plan or trial; osTicket offers a free plan.
Which platforms do Kayako and osTicket support?
Kayako supports Web; osTicket supports Web, Windows, Linux and macOS.
Which is easier to use, Kayako or osTicket?
Kayako has an ease-of-use rating of 4.4/5, osTicket has an ease-of-use rating of 4.5/5. The difference is small, so both are similarly easy to adopt.
Most Helpful Reviews
Community-voted helpful feedback from verified users
Kayako provides a straightforward, dependable solution that integrated smoothly into our operational stack. Uptime is consistent and user adoption across the team was immediate.
We have been using Kayako across our departments and appreciate the simplicity and stability of the system. It handles core workflows without unnecessary bloat.
The platform has streamlined our daily operations, providing reliable tools and responsive support. Configuration was quick and the feature set aligns well with our requirements.
A well-built tool that delivers consistent value. The interface is clean, performance is snappy, and our operational workflows run smoothly.
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