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Help Desk Comparison

Deskpro vs. Kayako

Kayako has pivoted to being an AI-first customer support platform with resolution-based pricing. Their help desk is now their secondary offering, and its capabilities are limited compared to its top competitors.

Deskpro is a modern help desk that offers a full range of ticket management capabilities, highly configurable automations, omnichannel support, predictable pricing, and the option to connect any AI model. Learn more about how Deskpro and Kayako compare below.

Our customers choose Deskpro for its:

  • AI flexibility, including the option to bring your own model

  • Native omnichannel support capabilities
  • Built-in and customizable reports
  • Flexible deployment options
  • Top-rated customer service

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See how Deskpro and Kayako compare

KayakoDeskpro
AI flexibility
Deskpro lets you choose the model that powers its AI features, including Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Mistral, and switch when your needs change. On Deskpro Private you can also run a self-hosted model so data stays in your environment. Kayako runs a single proprietary agent, Kay, in its own cloud, with no model choice and no self-hosted option.
AI configuration options
Deskpro lets you select which knowledge sources ground its AI and control what it can draw on. Kayako's Kay learns from your knowledge base and past tickets by default to improve its responses, with a narrower, less configurable set of sources and no documented option to exclude your data from that training.
Full omnichannel support
Email, chat, phone, SMS, social, WhatsApp, Slack, and Teams are native to Deskpro. Kayako leans on email, chat, and social, with voice and SMS typically requiring third-party tools.
Reporting & analytics
Deskpro includes 150+ built-in reports plus the ability to build custom reports and dashboards based on any field. Kayako offers reporting, but customers repeatedly cite limited customization.
Transparent pricing
Deskpro offers predictable seat-based pricing, with our AI features built into our plan. Kayako's $1-per-AI-resolution model is transparent per unit but scales unpredictably with volume, and its platform pricing isn't public.
Flexible deployment
While Kayako ended support for its on-premise offering in 2017, Deskpro is committed to providing flexible help desk deployment options, including cloud, VPC, private cloud, sovereign cloud, and on-premise.
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Why our customers choose Deskpro

atlantech

"We picked Deskpro because of its speed and feature set. We set up a wide range of escalations, SLAs, and triggers easily, which has turned our customer support team into a high-performance machine."

Eric Van Tol, Director of Engineering and Support, Atlantech

creative-networks

"It was important that we had an on-premise solution. We needed something that was very customizable and easy to gather reports on."

Azeem Jared, Director of Engineering, Creative Networks

vairkko

"We looked at all the major players in the industry and none of them could come close to Deskpro in price, functionality, or customer service."

Brian Polackoff, VP of Sales and Client Relations, VAIRRKO

FEATURES

Support under control: The Deskpro difference

Automation

Automation

Workflows that fit the ways you work

  • Build unlimited automations off any field or custom condition, with multi-step workflows that support branching, escalations, and approvals across departments.
  • Set automatic ticket prioritization and trigger deadline reminders, so Service Level Agreement (SLA) targets hold as volume grows.
  • Report on any field, including custom ones, with easy-to-build dashboards.
Learn more about workflow automation
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AI

AI

AI you choose, not a black box

  • Connect the AI model your organization already trusts, including Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, or Llama, and switch models when your policies or costs change.
  • Ground AI in your knowledge base, processes, and ticket history, and turn on only the features you want, from agent assistance to an AI chatbot.
  • On Deskpro Private, run a self-hosted model so customer data never leaves your infrastructure.
Learn about Deskpro AI
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Deployment

Deployment

Deployment options to future-proof your support operations

  • One workspace, deployed the way your security team needs it: cloud, virtual private cloud (VPC), private cloud, sovereign cloud, or fully on-premise.
  • On-premise is a first-class, fully supported deployment option, not a legacy mode left to wind down.
  • Change environments as your requirements change, so a new data-residency or compliance rule doesn't force another vendor search.

Learn about Deskpro security
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Pricing

Pricing

Pricing and a vendor you can plan around

  • Predictable per-agent pricing with AI features built into your plan, so your bill doesn't climb with every busy month.
  • No hidden add-ons for advanced features, customer support, or security.
  • More than 20 years of experience supporting cloud and on-premise help desk customers.
Learn about pricing
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See if Deskpro is the right Kayako alternative for you.

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Customer support

In-house support from a team that runs on Deskpro

Kayako's done-for-you implementation can get AI live quickly, but reviewers report slow responses on billing and technical issues once setup is done. Deskpro gives you an in-house support team that runs on Deskpro every day, included on every plan, with a 99% average monthly CSAT.

support_agent

Onboarding

We shape onboarding around your specific setup and goals rather than running you through a fixed script.

stethoscope

Health checks

Our Enterprise plan includes quarterly reviews your automations and routing so your help desk keeps pace as your team grows.

acute

Support SLA

With Enterprise Support, we offer a 1-hour Service Level Agreement (SLA) to ensure prompt responses to your inquiries.

Uptime SLA

We offer an Uptime SLA of 99.9% for our Cloud server.

Migration

We make it easy to switch from Kayako to Deskpro

Already on Kayako? Our migration specialists can run the move from Kayako to Deskpro so your team can keep resolving requests without disruption.

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Kayako migration

Choose exactly which Kayako data to bring across. Our team is experienced in Kayako migrations and will handle the transfer for you.

security

Secure transfer

We conduct all Deskpro migrations securely over HTTPS encryption. Compliant with ISO 27001 and GDPR standards.

map

Data mapping

We make sure all your fields, including custom ones, map to the right destination in Deskpro so your team keeps all the context they need.

Customer stories

See how leading support teams are using Deskpro

creative-networks

Technology

Creative Networks wanted an alternative on-premise help desk

Creative Networks chose Deskpro to power its business IT support after Kayako dropped its on-premise option.

atlantech

Technology

Atlantech keeps its customers connected with Deskpro

After finding Kayako slow and difficult to manage, Atlantech switched to Deskpro to improve agent productivity and automate workflows.

airbus-oneweb

Aerospace

Airbus chooses a ticketing system that's out of this world

Airbus OneWeb launched its global micro-satellite project to provide affordable internet around the world and needed a help desk to scale its internal support.

Frequently asked questions

Can Deskpro migrate my existing data from Kayako?

Yes. Our migration team runs the transfer for you using a purpose-built Kayako importer, so you don't need internal IT resources. You pick which data to bring across, including tickets, contacts, and custom fields, and we map everything to the right place in Deskpro with your full history preserved. This covers both Kayako Cloud and stranded Kayako Classic (on-premise) setups, and each transfer runs over HTTPS encryption following ISO 27001 and GDPR standards.

Can I choose which AI model powers Deskpro?

Yes. Deskpro lets you connect the model you trust, including Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or Mistral, and switch when your needs change. With Deskpro Private, you can run a self-hosted model so data stays inside your security perimeter. Kayako's AI is a single proprietary agent, Kay, running in Kayako's cloud, with no option to choose the underlying model, bring your own, or self-host.

How does Deskpro's pricing compare to Kayako's?

Kayako prices its AI at $1 per ticket Kay resolves, which is clear per unit but scales unpredictably with volume, and its platform pricing isn't public. Deskpro uses predictable per-agent pricing with AI features included in the plan, so you can forecast costs as ticket volume rises instead of watching them track every busy period.

What kind of customer support can I expect from Deskpro?

Deskpro's in-house support team runs on Deskpro itself and is included on every plan, and we maintain an average 99% monthly customer satisfaction score. Enterprise Support adds a one-hour SLA for urgent issues. Kayako customers frequently report slow responses on technical and billing questions, so ongoing support responsiveness is worth weighing alongside its done-for-you setup.

Can I run Deskpro on-premise or in a private environment?

Yes. Deskpro can be deployed in a public cloud, virtual private cloud (VPC), sovereign cloud, private cloud, or fully on-premise, so teams with data-residency or compliance requirements have a path that meets their needs. Kayako retired its on-premise product in 2017 and is cloud-only today, which is one of the most common reasons Kayako users move to Deskpro.