Crisp vs Kayako
Crisp is all-in-one business messaging platform with live chat, chatbot, help desk, and CRM, while Kayako is help desk platform with journey-based customer support and multichannel inbox. The biggest difference up front: Crisp is free, while Kayako starts at $15/agent/mo. Crisp is built for startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk, whereas Kayako targets support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking.
| Feature | Crisp | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | ✓ | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| CRM | ✓ | — |
| Chatbot | ✓ | — |
| Collaborators | — | ✓ |
| Help Desk | ✓ | — |
| Journey Tracking | — | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shared Inbox | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing: Crisp is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Kayako starts at $15/agent/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Crisp offers CRM, Chatbot and Help Desk that Kayako lacks. Kayako brings Collaborators and Journey Tracking that Crisp does not have. Both share Live Chat and Shared Inbox.
Team fit: Crisp is geared toward small teams teams, while Kayako is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: Crisp's biggest strengths are: generous free tier for basic live chat. much cheaper than intercom. Kayako's biggest strengths are: includes journey tracking as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows.
Watch out for: With Crisp, users commonly note that less powerful ai than intercom's fin. With Kayako, the main complaint is that starts at $15/agent/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users.
choose Crisp if
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk
- Budget is a hard constraint — Crisp is free, Kayako is not
- You specifically need CRM and Chatbot
- You care about much cheaper than intercom
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Crisp is designed for
choose Kayako if
- You need a tool built for support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking
- You specifically need Collaborators and Journey Tracking
- You care about includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
- Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Kayako is designed for
frequently asked
What is the difference between Crisp and Kayako?
Crisp is all-in-one business messaging platform with live chat, chatbot, help desk, and CRM, while Kayako is help desk platform with journey-based customer support and multichannel inbox. The biggest difference up front: Crisp is free, while Kayako starts at $15/agent/mo. Crisp is built for startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk, whereas Kayako targets support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking.
Should I use Crisp or Kayako?
Crisp is the free option; Kayako charges $15/agent/mo but may offer more polish. Here is how they compare.
When should I choose Crisp over Kayako?
Choose Crisp if Your profile matches its sweet spot: startups and small businesses that want affordable live chat + help desk; Budget is a hard constraint — Crisp is free, Kayako is not; You specifically need CRM and Chatbot; You care about much cheaper than intercom; Your team size fits the small teams profile Crisp is designed for.
When should I choose Kayako over Crisp?
Choose Kayako if You need a tool built for support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking; You specifically need Collaborators and Journey Tracking; You care about includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows; Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Kayako is designed for.
related comparisons
Intercom vs Crisp · Crisp vs Zendesk · Crisp vs Freshdesk · Crisp vs Help Scout · Crisp vs Chatwoot · Crisp vs Tidio · Crisp vs Olark · Crisp vs Gleap