Help Scout
Kayako
| Feature | Help Scout | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $25/mo | From $30/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Best For | small-businesses, saas-companies, remote-teams, customer-focused-brands | ecommerce, saas-companies, support-teams, mid-size-companies |
| Founded | 2011 | 2001 |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Knowledge Base | ✓ | ✗ |
| Beacon | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Customer Profiles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Customer Journey | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Service | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sla Management | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Help Scout Pros
- Feels like email to customers (no ticket numbers)
- Excellent knowledge base (Docs)
- Beacon widget for contextual help
- Simple and fast — minimal training needed
✗ Help Scout Cons
- Limited automation compared to Zendesk
- No built-in phone or video support
- Reporting less advanced on lower plans
✓ Kayako Pros
- Unified customer view
- Good live chat
- Journey tracking
- Multichannel
✗ Kayako Cons
- Dated interface
- Limited integrations
- Slow development pace
The Verdict
Help Scout is built for small businesses and saas companies, with a focus on shared-inbox and knowledge-base. Kayako targets ecommerce and saas companies and leads with live-chat and ticketing.
On pricing, Help Scout is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $25/mo compared to $30/mo for Kayako. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Help Scout has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Kayako requires a paid subscription from day one.
Help Scout edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 3.9). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Help Scout offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Kayako takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
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: Help Scout has a slight overall edge — but if unified customer view matters most to you, Kayako may still be the right call.