What is the difference between Gleap and Kayako?

Gleap is best for Product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support, while Kayako is best for Support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking. Gleap starts at $25/mo and Kayako starts at $15/agent/mo.

Is Gleap or Kayako cheaper?

Gleap starts at $25/mo with a free tier. Kayako starts at $15/agent/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Kayako?

Yes, Gleap offers a free tier (Free for 1 project).

Gleap vs Kayako

Gleap is customer feedback and bug reporting tool with visual annotations and live chat, while Kayako is help desk platform with journey-based customer support and multichannel inbox. Kayako comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Gleap is built for product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support, whereas Kayako targets support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking.

At a glance

	Gleap	Kayako
Best for	Product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support	Support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking
Starting price	$25/mo	$15/agent/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Bug Reports	✓	—
Collaborators	—	✓
Feedback	✓	—
Journey Tracking	—	✓
Live Chat	✓	✓
Shared Inbox	—	✓
Surveys	✓	—

Gleap

Strengths

Includes Bug Reports as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Includes Live Chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Free for 1 project — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes feedback alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ticket volume can quickly overwhelm small teams without triage automation
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Gleap → Full review

Kayako

Strengths

Includes Journey Tracking as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Includes Live Chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Pricing starts at $15/agent/mo, which includes the full customer support feature set
Established product with 25+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $15/agent/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ticket volume can quickly overwhelm small teams without triage automation
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Kayako → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Gleap starts at $25/mo. Kayako starts at $15/agent/mo. Kayako is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Gleap offers Bug Reports, Feedback and Surveys that Kayako lacks. Kayako brings Collaborators, Journey Tracking and Shared Inbox that Gleap does not have. Both share Live Chat.

Team fit: Gleap is geared toward small teams teams, while Kayako is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Gleap's biggest strengths are: includes bug reports as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. Kayako's biggest strengths are: includes journey tracking as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows. includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows.

Watch out for: With Gleap, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Kayako, the main complaint is that starts at $15/agent/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users.

Choose Gleap if...

You need a tool built for product teams wanting visual bug reporting + support
You specifically need Bug Reports and Feedback
You care about includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Gleap is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for 1 project

Choose Kayako if...

You need a tool built for support teams wanting unified customer journey tracking
You want to save on per-user costs — Kayako is $10.00/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need Collaborators and Journey Tracking
You care about includes live chat as a core feature, purpose-built for customer support workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Kayako is designed for