Groove vs Kayako: Complete Comparison (2026)
Choosing between Groove and Kayako is a common decision for customer support buyers in 2026. Kayako has been in the market since 2001, giving it a 11-year head start over Groove (founded 2012). Groove serves 12K+ orgs users while Kayako has 35K+ orgs users globally. Groove differentiates with shared inbox and knowledge base, while Kayako leads with unified customer view and live chat. In this head-to-head comparison, Groove earns a higher hiltonsoftware.co score of 90/100 — but the right choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and team size.
Quick Comparison
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Pros & Cons at a Glance
After comparing Groove and Kayako across features, pricing, and user satisfaction, Groove takes the lead with a score of 90/100 versus Kayako's 82/100. Groove's key advantages include "dead-simple to use" and "very affordable for small teams". That said, Kayako has its own strengths — particularly "good unified customer journey view" — making it a viable alternative for specific use cases.
Neither Groove nor Kayako offers a free plan. Groove starts at $4.80/user/mo and Kayako at $30/agent/mo. For the investment, Groove delivers shared inbox and knowledge base, while Kayako provides unified customer view and live chat.
Bottom line: Choose Groove if you need small businesses wanting a simple, affordable shared inbox help desk. Go with Kayako if your priority is smbs wanting affordable help desk with a unified customer interaction view. Both are strong customer support tools — we recommend trying a trial of each before committing.
Small businesses wanting a simple, affordable shared inbox help desk.
SMBs wanting affordable help desk with a unified customer interaction view.