Gladly vs Kustomer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gladly and Kustomer share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kustomer
CRM-style customer service platform with AI agents, sold via sales
Paid
Which one is for you
Pick Gladly if
- Fits if you run a retail or ecommerce brand with heavy chat, SMS and phone volume
- Works for teams that want service and sales handled by the same AI
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price, as none is published
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, because neither is listed
- Watch out: the pages are written for retail, so other industries get less detail
- Watch out: its resolution-rate figures come from customer examples, with no published method
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
| 2.0GPAGladlyFair | 2.0GPAKustomerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published, and the pricing address redirects to the home page. | 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; it routes you to a demo. | FNo free plan and no trial are on record, and the pages we read show nothing to try before paying. |
| Features | BOne customer record, AI for service and commerce, phone, routing and operations. 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. Rolled out with a demo and your commerce stack. | CNo store rating on record, and some configuration may need a statement of work and an implementation fee. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Shopify, Zendesk, Salesforce, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. iOS and Android are only SDKs. | BWeb only, with 5 listed integrations. No desktop or phone app on record. |
| Best for | one customer record across chat, SMS and phone | 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: Gladly and Kustomer. How we grade
Where they differ
- Gladly also covers live chat, sMS marketing and whatsApp messaging.
- Kustomer also covers reports and help center.
In commonWebShared inboxWorkflow automationHelp deskAI support agent
At a glance
| Gladly | Kustomer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Gladly Software, Inc. | Kustomer |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Gladly
- No prices are published; the site routes every visit to a demo request, and a /pricing address redirects to the home page.
- The pages are written for retail and ecommerce brands and mention Shopify integration, so other industries get less detail.
- The pages list no standalone desktop or phone apps for agents; iOS and Android are SDKs for adding chat to your own app.
- The vendor states its figures, such as resolution rates, from customer examples and does not publish a method.
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
Gladly
- One record per customer
- Every chat, email, text, call and social message lands on one lifelong customer profile with order history and preferences, so agents and AI start with the context.
- AI for service
- Gladly AI answers on chat, email, SMS and voice and works multi-step requests through, handing off to a person with the full conversation when needed.
- AI for commerce
- The commerce agent recommends products from a shopper's past orders and can take payment in the conversation through a secure card form.
- Phone and omnichannel
- A built-in phone system with IVR sits beside chat, SMS, email, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, with iOS and Android SDKs for in-app chat.
- Routing and operations
- People Match routing, tasks, quality assurance, workforce management, CSAT surveys and FAQ management are part of the workspace.
- Works beside other help desks
- The vendor says Gladly AI can run alongside an existing Zendesk or Salesforce help desk.
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
Gladly
Pricing could not be confirmed. See gladly.ai.
Kustomer
Pricing could not be confirmed. See kustomer.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gladly or Kustomer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gladly has no price we could confirm, and Kustomer has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Gladly or Kustomer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Gladly 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.