HelpDeskThe ticketing platform inside Text. Manage customer conversations in one queue.
vs
KayakoAI help desk and customer support platform
Comparison · Help Desk · weekly run Nov 3
HelpDesk vs Kayako
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
HelpDesk is the stronger AI pick in Help Desk: it has a visibility score of 19.5 versus 0 for Kayako.
Choose HelpDesk if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (19.5 vs 0)
- You need SOC 2 or PCI DSS (SAQ A) or CCPA or Data Privacy Framework coverage
- You prefer a larger, established vendor (201–500 employees)
- Per seat pricing suits your budget better than usage-based
Choose Kayako if…
- You want a lower entry price ($1 vs $19)
- You need SOC 2 Type II coverage
- Usage-based pricing suits your budget better than per seat
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | HelpDesk | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 19.5% | 0% |
| Change vs last week | down−1.1% | no change0% |
| Rank in Help Desk | #9 | #37 |
| Share of voice | 5.4% | 0% |
| Mentions this run | 31 | 0 |
| Positive in AI answers | 61% | — |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
HelpDesk −1.1000000000000014pp · Kayako 0pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
HelpDesk leads on 3 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
HelpDeskKayako
Head to head in AI answers
0 engine answers name both brands
0HelpDesk ranked higher
0Kayako ranked higher
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | HelpDesk | Kayako |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per seat | Usage-based |
| Entry price | $19 per seat / mo | $1 / mo |
| Free plan | No · 14-day trial | No |
| Deployment | Cloud (browser-based, with desktop apps for Mac and Windows) | Cloud |
| Compliance | SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS (SAQ A), CCPA, Data Privacy Framework | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR |
| Support | 24/7/365 support, Live chat, Free migration assistance, Dedicated Account Manager (Enterprise) | Help center, White-glove onboarding, Dedicated success manager |
| Founded | — | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Boston, MA, United States | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Employees | 201–500 | 51–200 |
| Funding | — | Acquisition by ESW Capital |
| Best for | Small businesses, SaaS, IT help desk and enterprise support teams wanting multichannel ticketing with AI. | 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
HelpDesk
Essential$19user / month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly)
Growth$79user / month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly)
EnterpriseCustomcustom, contact sales
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
HelpDesk
- Free 14-day trial without a credit card required
- Straightforward, low-cost pricing from $19 per user per month
- Built-in AI resolutions and shared inbox included
- Recommended for small teams and startups
Kayako
Profile in progress.
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “HelpDesk vs Kayako”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/helpdesk-vs-kayako, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.