Groove
Kayako
| Feature | Groove | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $16/mo | From $30/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, startups, small-support-teams, saas-companies | ecommerce, saas-companies, support-teams, mid-size-companies |
| Founded | 2012 | 2001 |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Assignments | ✓ | ✗ |
| Collision Detection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Customer Journey | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Service | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sla Management | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Groove Pros
- Very simple to use
- Feels like email not a ticket system
- Good for small teams
- Knowledge base included
✗ Groove Cons
- Limited automation
- Basic reporting
- Not suitable for large teams
✓ Kayako Pros
- Unified customer view
- Good live chat
- Journey tracking
- Multichannel
✗ Kayako Cons
- Dated interface
- Limited integrations
- Slow development pace
The Verdict
Groove is built for small businesses and startups, with a focus on shared-inbox and knowledge-base. Kayako targets ecommerce and saas companies and leads with live-chat and ticketing.
On pricing, Groove is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $16/mo compared to $30/mo for Kayako. That $14/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
Groove edges out on user ratings (4.3 vs 3.9). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Both tools are a solid fit for saas companies — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Groove has a slight overall edge — but if unified customer view matters most to you, Kayako may still be the right call.