What is the best Kayako alternative in 2026?

LiveAgent is the best Kayako alternative for small and mid-sized teams that want a Kayako-style omnichannel experience with a built-in call center, more predictable pricing and a self-hosted option. LiveAgent serves 7,000+ companies including Forbes, NASCAR, and eSky, starts at $15 per agent per month, and includes a built-in call center with IVR, unlimited call recording and a self-hosted deployment option.

How does LiveAgent compare to Kayako?

LiveAgent matches Kayako's ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, customer journey view and team collaboration and adds a built-in call center with IVR, unlimited call recording, broader social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber), customer forum and a self-hosted option. The features comparison table on this page shows the full side-by-side breakdown.

Is LiveAgent cheaper than Kayako?

Yes. LiveAgent's plans start at $15 per agent per month with predictable per-agent pricing. Kayako's paid plans typically start higher per seat and require their classic on-premise tier for self-hosting. For a 10-agent team that is roughly $150/month with LiveAgent. LiveAgent offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.

Why switch from Kayako to LiveAgent?

Teams switch from Kayako to LiveAgent for three main reasons: (1) a lower per-agent price point with the same omnichannel coverage; (2) a built-in call center with IVR - Kayako does not include native voice; (3) a self-hosted option without jumping to a separate product line. LiveAgent also includes a customer self-service portal and forum out of the box.

Can I migrate my data from Kayako to LiveAgent?

Yes. LiveAgent provides a free Kayako migration with assisted onboarding - your existing tickets, customer records, conversation history, knowledge base articles, and team configuration are imported into LiveAgent. The migration team supports the cutover so customer-facing support continues uninterrupted. Most migrations complete within a few days depending on data volume.

Does LiveAgent offer a free trial as a Kayako alternative?

Yes. LiveAgent offers a 30-day free trial with full access to all features and no credit card required, so you can directly compare the experience against your existing Kayako setup before committing. The trial includes ticketing, live chat, the call center, knowledge base, integrations, and the migration tools.

Looking for a Kayako alternative?

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Migrate from Kayako to LiveAgent in minutes. We offer an assisted Kayako migration that will import all your data from Kayako to LiveAgent. It's free and takes only 5 minutes.

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3 Reasons Why Companies Switch to LiveAgent

Find out how LiveAgent stands out from other alternatives

Improved Satisfaction: LiveAgent increases customer satisfaction & improves conversion rates.
Increased Productivity: Decrease the work time of your agents and solve more customer queries thanks to our universal inbox.
Full of Useful Features: With more than 179 help desk features, providing support will be a piece of cake.

Powerful Kayako Alternative

Getting the best value for your money is crucial when you’re looking for a great help desk software. Kayako offers three different core packages. LiveAgent offers 4 competitively priced core packages as well as add-on features such as social media integrations. If you’re looking for a fully-featured Kayako alternative, consider LiveAgent. We’ve got a hybrid ticket stream, unified omni-channel inbox, reporting and analysis features, automation, gamification and much more! With LiveAgent, you get more for less. Try LiveAgent today. Try our free 30-day trial today, no credit card required.

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quick quality customer service through live chat

Fastest Chat Widget

If you’re looking for a Kayako alternative and speed is a metric that’s important to you, LiveAgent might be what you’re looking for. When you compare LiveAgent vs Kayako’s chat widget overall performance, you’ll notice that LiveAgent’s chat widget displays in just 2.5 seconds, which is incredibly fast.

A fast chat widget is the way to go if you want to effectively convert a website visitor into a customer. According to an eMarketer report, 35% of website visitors made an online purchase after using live chat.

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We're Multilingual

Our software is multilingual. LiveAgent is available in 43 different language translations (some partial) and supports language adaptable widgets. Don’t let foreign languages create a barrier between you and your customers. We’ve got you covered.

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Why Settle for Less?

LiveAgent is the most reviewed and #1 rated help desk software for SMB. That’s why it’s a great alternative to Kayako. LiveAgent saves you time and money, so you can focus on what’s important — building meaningful relationships with your customers.

LiveAgent vs. Kayako Comparison

Check out how we compare to Kayako based on customer reviews on Capterra

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Frequently asked questions

: LiveAgent is the best Kayako alternative for small and mid-sized teams that want a Kayako-style omnichannel experience with a built-in call center, more predictable pricing and a self-hosted option. LiveAgent serves 7,000+ companies including Forbes, NASCAR, and eSky, starts at $15 per agent per month, and includes a built-in call center with IVR, unlimited call recording and a self-hosted deployment option.
: LiveAgent matches Kayako's ticketing, live chat, knowledge base, customer journey view and team collaboration and adds a built-in call center with IVR, unlimited call recording, broader social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber), customer forum and a self-hosted option. The features comparison table on this page shows the full side-by-side breakdown.
: Yes. LiveAgent's plans start at $15 per agent per month with predictable per-agent pricing. Kayako's paid plans typically start higher per seat and require their classic on-premise tier for self-hosting. For a 10-agent team that is roughly $150/month with LiveAgent. LiveAgent offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.
: Teams switch from Kayako to LiveAgent for three main reasons: (1) a lower per-agent price point with the same omnichannel coverage; (2) a built-in call center with IVR - Kayako does not include native voice; (3) a self-hosted option without jumping to a separate product line. LiveAgent also includes a customer self-service portal and forum out of the box.
: Yes. LiveAgent provides a free Kayako migration with assisted onboarding - your existing tickets, customer records, conversation history, knowledge base articles, and team configuration are imported into LiveAgent. The migration team supports the cutover so customer-facing support continues uninterrupted. Most migrations complete within a few days depending on data volume.
: Yes. LiveAgent offers a 30-day free trial with full access to all features and no credit card required, so you can directly compare the experience against your existing Kayako setup before committing. The trial includes ticketing, live chat, the call center, knowledge base, integrations, and the migration tools.