Kayako
LiveAgent
| Feature | Kayako | LiveAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $30/mo | Free / from $9/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 3.9 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | ecommerce, saas-companies, support-teams, mid-size-companies | small-businesses, ecommerce, support-teams, call-centers |
| Founded | 2001 | 2006 |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ticketing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customer Journey | ✓ | ✗ |
| Self Service | ✓ | ✗ |
| Collaboration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sla Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Call Center | ✗ | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✗ | ✓ |
| Social Media Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Kayako Pros
- Unified customer view
- Good live chat
- Journey tracking
- Multichannel
✗ Kayako Cons
- Dated interface
- Limited integrations
- Slow development pace
✓ LiveAgent Pros
- Feature-rich
- Affordable
- Built-in call center
- Fast live chat
✗ LiveAgent Cons
- Interface feels busy
- Setup takes time
- Mobile app limited
The Verdict
Kayako is built for ecommerce and saas companies, with a focus on live-chat and ticketing. LiveAgent targets small businesses and ecommerce and leads with ticketing and live-chat.
On pricing, LiveAgent is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $9/mo compared to $30/mo for Kayako. That $21/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
LiveAgent 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.
LiveAgent 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 ecommerce, support teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: LiveAgent has a slight overall edge — but if unified customer view matters most to you, Kayako may still be the right call.