Five9 vs Kustomer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Kustomer grades higher than Five9: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kustomer grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Five9
Cloud contact center for voice and digital channels, sold in bundles
Kustomer
CRM-style customer service platform with AI agents, sold via sales
Which one is for you
Pick Five9 if
- Fits if you run a contact centre with 50 or more concurrent seats
- Works for teams that want voice and digital on one platform
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have fewer than 50 seats, as that is the minimum
- Watch out: Plus, Pro and Enterprise are quote-only
- Watch out: usage charges may apply, including SMS and AI minutes beyond the bundled ones
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, because neither is listed
Pick Kustomer if
- Fits if you want every conversation tied to a single customer record
- Works for mid-size and larger teams that expect a sales conversation first
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price from the site, as none is published
- Skip it if you're a very small team, as the pricing flow asks for company size and volume and hands you to sales
- Watch out: voice, SMS and WhatsApp are pay as you go, not part of a package
- Watch out: the HIPAA subscription and implementation are add-ons, and some setup may need an implementation fee
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAFive9Weak | 2.0GPAKustomerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$119 per concurrent seat for Digital and $159 for Core, with a 50-seat minimum, so about $5,950 a month at the floor. | CNo price is published: the pricing page asks for company details and volume, then connects you with sales, so nothing sets it against the category's $29 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial is listed on the pricing page. | FNo free plan and no trial are on record, and the pages we read show nothing to try before paying. |
| Features | BVoice and digital channels, AI for agents, virtual agents, workforce engagement and CRM adapters. Nothing in the listing is missing. | BChat, email, text, voice, Slack and forms land on one profile, with AI agents and workflows. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work, though voice, SMS and WhatsApp are pay as you go. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Enterprise rollout with adapters to connect. | CNo store rating on record, and some configuration may need a statement of work and an implementation fee. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dynamics, Zendesk, Oracle, Teams, Zoom and RingCentral. | BWeb only, with 5 listed integrations. No desktop or phone app on record. |
| Best for | a contact centre with voice and digital channels | every channel on one customer profile |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Five9 and Kustomer. How we grade
Where they differ
- Five9 also covers live chat and business phone line.
- Kustomer also covers shared inbox, help desk and help center.
At a glance
| Five9 | Kustomer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $119 per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Five9, Inc. | Kustomer |
| Price read from | five9.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Five9
- Prices are per concurrent user with a 50-seat minimum, and usage-based charges may apply, including SMS and AI minutes beyond the bundled ones.
- Only Digital and Core show a price; Plus, Pro and Enterprise are by quote, and the page asks for a form to show a customized figure.
- Workforce engagement is offered on a named-user basis; extra named seats beyond the concurrent seats sold are add-ons.
- WhatsApp is described as coming soon in the voice bundle notes.
Kustomer
- No prices are published; the pricing page asks for company details and conversation volume, then connects you with sales for an exact quote.
- Voice, SMS and WhatsApp are pay as you go rather than part of a package, according to the pricing page.
- HIPAA-enabled subscription and implementation are add-ons, and some configuration may need a statement of work and an implementation fee.
- The pages describe a browser-based service and list no desktop apps.
Key features
Five9
- Voice and digital channels
- Voice, chat, email, SMS and MMS, and social messaging, with blended inbound and outbound, a dialer and call recording.
- AI for agents
- AI summaries, live transcription, insights, agent assist and knowledge are listed on the bundles, with 3,000 AI minutes per bundled seat plus usage charges.
- Intelligent virtual agents
- Self-service virtual agents for web, chatbot, voice, SMS or WhatsApp, which can sit alongside an existing on-premises contact center.
- Workforce engagement
- Quality management, workforce management and analytics, from Five9 or partners Verint and Calabrio, on the Pro and Enterprise bundles.
- CRM and UC adapters
- Adapters listed are Salesforce, ServiceNow, Dynamics, Zendesk or Oracle for CRM, and Microsoft Teams, Zoom, RingCentral and AT&T Office@hand for UC.
- Geo redundancy and 24/7 support
- Geo redundancy and 24/7 support are listed as part of the bundles.
Kustomer
- Omnichannel messaging
- Chat, email, text, voice, Slack and online forms are listed, along with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Business and TikTok Shop channels on the pricing page.
- Customer profiles and CRM
- Conversations sit on a customer record with custom objects, custom attributes and an insights pane that can be customized.
- AI assistants
- The pricing page lists Kustomer Concierge, Architect, Envoy and Data Explorer, plus workflow, automation, knowledge base and observability assistants.
- Routing and workflows
- Queue-based routing, SLA management, smart routing, business rules and customer workflows, with webhooks and an MCP server.
- Reporting
- Conversation and customer reports, a Command Center view and custom insights are part of the package listings.
- Security options
- SAML SSO, SCIM, custom permission sets and data redaction are listed, and the vendor lists SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR among its compliance claims.
Plans
Five9
Digital$119
per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum
Digital channels only, with a quote request on the page. The bundle grid lists AI summaries, insights and agent assist, with recording and a dialer on the other tiers.
Core$159
per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum
All channels including voice, SMS and social messaging, with essential AI, recording, dialer, a choice of CRM or UC adapter and 24/7 support.
PlusCustom
All channels with advanced AI. Contact sales for flexible pricing.
ProCustom
All channels with essential AI and workforce engagement management. Contact sales for flexible pricing.
EnterpriseCustom
All channels with advanced AI and workforce engagement management. Contact sales for flexible pricing.
Kustomer
Pricing could not be confirmed. See kustomer.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Five9 or Kustomer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Five9 starts at $119 per concurrent seat / month, 50-seat minimum, and Kustomer has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Five9 or Kustomer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Five9 nor Kustomer has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.