Kayako vs Zendesk

Both Kayako and Zendesk, in their own peculiar way, offer a somewhat similar service: they help businesses talk to customers without the whole "sending a pigeon" approach. They're both ticketing systems, only one might think they're the modern-day equivalent of a highly organized version of the late, lamented "lost-and-found" department at your local department store. You can reach out to them via email, chat or even social media—because why not throw in everything and the kitchen sink? Both offer automation that seems like magic, tracking metrics so you can gaze at dashboards instead of dealing with irate customers.

Kayako, on the other hand, takes a distinctly more modest approach. It's been around since 2001, which is like the customer service equivalent of a dinosaur in tech years, hailing from the UK—where people drink tea and complain about things. Its simplicity could almost be its charm, designed for small to medium-sized businesses, avoiding all the unnecessary bells and whistles you never actually use anyway. With its built-in live chat and shared inboxes, it seems to say, "Let’s just keep it simple, shall we?" and let support agents feel like they’re part of a collaborative team instead of overwhelmed by a sea of customer tickets.

Now, Zendesk, arriving in 2007 from the land of endless tech startups—otherwise known as the United States—has a more ambitious flair about it. It’s the solution that tries to do everything for everyone, particularly if you’re a big, sprawling enterprise with the need for a bit more customization than your average small business. With its AI bots, extensive reporting and self-service portals, Zendesk could easily be mistaken for a hyper-efficient space station control room. It’s clearly built for those who want their customer service to scale faster than you can say "integration," offering tools that sync with pretty much everything in the known galaxy of CRM systems.

See also: Top 10 Helpdesk software