Kayako vs Salesforce Starter

Zoho CRM

Zendesk Suite

Freshdesk

NetSuite

Bigin by Zoho CRM

Olark

Compare Kayako and Salesforce Starter based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

Salesforce Sales Cloud

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application from Salesforce. The platform combines human sales professionals with AI-powered automation, data, and intelligence. This integrated solution is designed to help businesses of all sizes and industries.

Zendesk offers an AI-powered service platform that unifies conversations from multiple channels. It features AI agents for resolving inquiries, ticketing for support requests, and analytics for tracking service quality. Its Resolution Learning Loop technology enhances automation by integrating AI, human agents, and knowledge resources on one platform.

LiveChat

LiveChat is a customer service software that enables businesses to communicate with website visitors in real time through chat functionality. The platform includes AI-based chatbots for automating routine inquiries, customizable chat widgets, and proactive chat invitations to engage visitors. It offers integration capabilities with various third-party applications including CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and marketing tools.

Kayako - Customer Support Software made personal and simple with a unified customer service platform that helps you build closer relationships.

Access Controls/Permissions

Activity Tracking

AI Copilot

Alerts/Escalation

Alerts/Notifications

Application Management

Asset Tracking

Automated Routing

Autoresponders

Availability Management

Call Center Management

Capacity Management

Change Management

Chat/Messaging

Collaboration Tools

Communication Management

Configurable Workflow

Configuration Management

Contract/License Management

Customer Database

Customizable Branding

Customizable Fields

Customizable Forms

Customizable Reports

Dashboard

Data Visualization

Email Management

Email Templates

Event Triggered Actions

Feedback Management

Help Desk Management

Incident Management

Interaction Tracking

Issue Auditing

Issue Management

Knowledge Base Management

Live Chat

Mobile Access

Monitoring

Multi-Channel Communication

Multi-Language

Offline Form

Performance Metrics

Problem Management

Project Management

Queue Management

Real-Time Chat

Real-time Consumer-facing Chat

Real-Time Data

Real-Time Monitoring

Recurring Issues

Release Management

Reporting/Analytics

Reporting & Statistics

Role-Based Permissions

Rules-Based Workflow

Search/Filter

Self Service Portal

Service Catalog

Service Level Agreement (SLA) Management

Single Sign On

Social Media Integration

Support Ticket Management

Surveys & Feedback

Tagging

Third-Party Integrations

Ticket Management

Website Integration

Workflow Management

Some users say Kayako offers reasonable pricing and appreciate the included features, while reviewers indicate the per-user cost is value-friendly. However, many users report price increases, unexpected billing issues, and dissatisfaction with subscription fees and extra charges.

Value for money

By industry, Kayako reviewers are most commonly professionals in computer software (23%). The most frequent use case for Kayako cited by reviewers is customer support (68% of reviewers).

Kayako

Web-based

Windows

iPad

Android

Linux

iPhone

ESSENTIAL

ENTERPRISE

Staff Software Engineer

I was able to resolve a customer issue quickly by tracking their ticket and providing a solution, all in one platform.

Senior Director of Advertising and eCommerce

This enables efficient organization and tracking, while facilitating multi-channel customer engagement.

Senior Field Technician

The main interface is clunky, sometimes tickets are slow to load in and notifications were easy to miss.

Kayako has streamlined our customer service operations by providing a scalable and customizable solution.

Director of Operations

Setting up the automations can be a bit difficult when you are first learning the program.

Automation of messaging with the customers.

Software engineer

For example, navigating through all the features and setting up.

Engineer

I like how quickly my issues have been resolved using this platform.

Manager Operations

The thing I liked the most is its on going monitoring of tickets, once a ticket cross a specified time defined, that ticket has got highlighted which means an overdue ticket requires you immediate attention.

Adding notes to the users and on current tickets is one of the great features of this software which allows the other users to understand the user and help them accordingly.

It allows to make different sections and sub section which helps for better management of your tickets.

Systems administrator 

Renewals are fraught with misleading comments and empty promises.  

Sometime the keyboard stops responding and despite the typing nothing has been going to write on the answer section of the ticket which sometimes is very annoying.

It keep the track of all tickets, open, in progress and closed ones.

I can managed unassigned tickets easily by assigning it to relevant persons.

Software Trainee

The Database management and queue management is the thing I lile best about this software.

Partner Relations Manager

I found Kayako to be an easy-to-use product.

Freelance Web Developer

The support for a JWT-based sign in for customers into the help centre means that people have a single account to sign in to everything, rather than creating separate accounts like you'd have to do with Zendesk or similar, and it just makes life a whole lot easier overall.

Naturopathic Doctor

Very helpful to start-up business as it provides total help desk and customer support in a more efficient manner.

I also find the notifications it provides are very iffy, sometimes not being delivered - and for some infuriating reason, there's no option to deliver emails for replies only when you're not already online!

Owner

A few days ago I received an email from kayako requesting that I contact them about my renewal. When I did, they informed me they would be increasing their pricing by 600% for this year, and an additional 25% each year thereafter.

IT Dept. Manager

I'm trying out the software, the documentations does not cover all possible scenarios.

many features do not work as in the documentation.

running and maintain requires a software development background.

I have used kayako as a knowledge base for my software.

Really easy and streamlined customer experience.

Customer Support

Knowledge Base

Features

Customer Tracking

Communication

Bugs and Issues

Pricing

Ease of Use

Freelancers

Small Business

Large Enterprises

Mid-size Business

Some users say Kayako offers reasonable pricing compared to alternatives and appreciate the features included at its price point. Reviewers indicate the per-user cost is value-friendly for their needs, and some find the functionality better than similarly priced competitors. However, many users report significant price increases over time, unexpected billing issues, and dissatisfaction with the shift from perpetual licenses to subscription-based fees. Some reviewers feel the software is now too expensive for the features provided and dislike the additional charges for support and upgrades. Users think the discontinuation of free plans reduces overall value.

Aurea

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM is a lead management solution that helps businesses with recording calls, logging emails and managing customer data. It has been designed from the ground up and is ready to eliminate manual work and actually help sales teams. It was built ready for the modern world to help users get running and start selling.

Zoho CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) solution that helps businesses of all sizes close deals smarter, better and faster. The solution lets businesses reach customers through every channel, including telephone, email, social media, and live chat.

Salesforce Starter is an all-in-one CRM suite designed to help growing businesses organize data, manage customer relationships, and gain valuable insights. The solution brings together marketing, sales, service, and commerce tools in a single platform.

Kayako vs Salesforce Starter Comparison (2026)

Kayako

Salesforce Starter

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives