Intercom
Kayako
| Feature | Intercom | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $39/mo | From $30/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Best For | saas-companies, startups, product-led-growth, tech-companies | ecommerce, saas-companies, support-teams, mid-size-companies |
| Founded | 2011 | 2001 |
| Ai Agent | ✓ | ✗ |
| Messenger | ✓ | ✗ |
| Inbox | ✓ | ✗ |
| Help Center | ✓ | ✗ |
| Product Tours | ✓ | ✗ |
| Outbound Messages | ✓ | ✗ |
| Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Live Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ticketing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Customer Journey | ✗ | ✓ |
| Self Service | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collaboration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sla Management | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Intercom Pros
- Fin AI Agent resolves issues autonomously
- Beautiful messenger widget
- Powerful product tours and onboarding
- Unified inbox across all channels
✗ Intercom Cons
- Very expensive for growing teams
- Per-resolution pricing for AI can add up
- Complex pricing structure
✓ Kayako Pros
- Unified customer view
- Good live chat
- Journey tracking
- Multichannel
✗ Kayako Cons
- Dated interface
- Limited integrations
- Slow development pace
The Verdict
Intercom is built for saas companies and startups, with a focus on ai-agent and messenger. Kayako targets ecommerce and saas companies and leads with live-chat and ticketing.
On pricing, Kayako is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $30/mo compared to $39/mo for Intercom. That $9/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.
Intercom edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 3.9). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Intercom 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: Intercom has a slight overall edge — but if unified customer view matters most to you, Kayako may still be the right call.