FreeScoutFree self-hosted open source help desk and shared mailbox
vs
KayakoAI help desk and customer support platform
Comparison · Help Desk · weekly run Nov 3
FreeScout vs Kayako
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
FreeScout is the stronger AI pick in Help Desk: it has a visibility score of 0.7 versus 0 for Kayako.
Choose FreeScout if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (0.7 vs 0)
- Recommended as a self-hosted help desk option
- Recommended for free or self-hosted use
Choose Kayako if…
- You need SOC 2 Type II or GDPR coverage
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | FreeScout | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 0.7% | 0% |
| Change vs last week | up+0.4% | no change0% |
| Rank in Help Desk | #31 | #37 |
| Share of voice | 0.4% | 0% |
| Mentions this run | 2 | 0 |
| Positive in AI answers | 67% | — |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
FreeScout +0.39999999999999997pp · Kayako 0pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
FreeScout leads on 2 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
FreeScoutKayako
Head to head in AI answers
0 engine answers name both brands
0FreeScout ranked higher
0Kayako ranked higher
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | FreeScout | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | — | Usage-based |
| Entry price | — | $1 / mo |
| Free plan | — | No |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Cloud |
| Compliance | — | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR |
| Support | GitHub issues, Wiki/FAQ documentation, Hire developer | Help center, White-glove onboarding, Dedicated success manager |
| Founded | — | 2001 |
| Headquarters | — | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Employees | — | 51–200 |
| Funding | — | Acquisition by ESW Capital |
| Best for | Teams that want a free, self-hosted Zendesk or Help Scout alternative with unlimited agents and mailboxes | Support teams that want AI ticket automation deployed for them, either on a new help desk or on top of their existing one |
Plans side by side
FreeScout
Pricing not available.
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
FreeScout
- Recommended as a self-hosted help desk option
- Recommended for free or self-hosted use
Kayako
Profile in progress.
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “FreeScout vs Kayako”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/freescout-vs-kayako, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.