Kayako vs Help Scout: Helpdesk Comparison (2026)

An independent side-by-side comparison of Kayako and Help Scout for helpdesk buyers — pricing, features, integrations, and how often each is cited by major AI engines.

AI Citation Scorecard

How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask helpdesk questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.

Too early to call — probes still building data.
ChatGPT
Kayako
Tracking…
No data yet
Help Scout
102 / 146 probes
70%
Excellent
Perplexity
Kayako
Tracking…
No data yet
Help Scout
73 / 362 probes
20%
Average
Gemini
Kayako
Tracking…
No data yet
Help Scout
57 / 146 probes
39%
Good
Claude
Kayako
Tracking…
No data yet
Help Scout
116 / 202 probes
57%
Excellent
Copilot
Kayako
Tracking…
No data yet
Help Scout
100 / 144 probes
69%
Excellent
Scale:NoneLowFairStrongExcellent

Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.

Pricing

Kayako
Starting price
$1/resolved ticket
Free tier
kayako.com
Help Scout
Starting price
$25/user/month
Free tier
Yes
helpscout.com

Key Features

Kayako
  • AI resolves issues end-to-end
  • No seat or setup fees
  • Transparent pricing per resolved ticket
  • Integrates with multiple platforms
Help Scout
  • Multiple Inboxes
  • Live chat, Instagram, & Messenger
  • Unlimited AI Drafts
  • Dedicated onboarding specialist
  • HIPAA compliance
  • Unlimited workflows
  • Group conversations by company
  • AI Inbox assistant

When to choose Kayako

Choose Kayako if your team prioritizes its strengths over Help Scout's. Full guidance populates as Kayako's feature data is indexed.

When to choose Help Scout

Choose Help Scout if your team prioritizes its strengths over Kayako's. Full guidance populates as Help Scout's feature data is indexed.

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