Gorgias markets its helpdesk as scaling from 50 to 5,000 tickets a month, never priced per agent, with an AI Agent that charges only when it resolves a conversation. Ticket-based billing suits some stores and punishes others. We compared six Gorgias alternatives on seat price, AI fees, and Shopify fit. This guide supports our AI customer service software guide.
We read each vendor’s pricing page on October 31, 2026. Gorgias plan cards did not load in our fetch, so we cite only what its page states.
Quick Comparison: 6 Gorgias Alternatives
| Tool | Best for | Published pricing | AI fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Re:amaze | Small Shopify stores | Basic $29/seat; Starter $59 flat | $0.85 per extra resolution |
| eDesk | Marketplace sellers | Essential $45/seat annual | $0.99 per outcome |
| Richpanel | High ticket volume | $99/seat annual | About $0.20 per AI conversation |
| Zendesk | Scaling support teams | Support Team $19/agent annual | Per automated resolution |
| Help Scout | Simple shared inbox | Standard $25/user | $0.75 per resolution |
| Tidio | Chat-first stores | Starter $24.17/mo | Lyro from $32.50/mo |
Why Do Stores Look for Gorgias Alternatives?
Stores leave Gorgias over ticket-tier billing and AI resolution fees. A helpdesk priced by monthly ticket volume costs more as the store grows, even when the team stays the same size.
Seat-priced tools reverse that trade. A two-person team with 8,000 tickets pays less on a per-seat plan. A ten-person team with 600 tickets pays less on a ticket plan. Count both numbers before you switch.
Best Gorgias Alternatives for Small Stores
1 Re:amaze: Best for small Shopify stores
Re:amaze starts at $29 per team member. Its pricing page lists Basic at $29 ($26 annual), Pro at $49 ($44), and Plus at $69 ($62). Starter is $59 flat with unlimited team members and 500 responded conversations a month.
What it does well. The AI Agent includes 5, 10, or 20 resolutions per user a month by tier, then $0.85 per extra resolution. It offers a Shopify app and month-to-month terms.
Best for: Stores with two to five agents.
Limitations. Included AI resolutions are low. Heavy AI use adds cost fast.
2 Tidio: Best for chat-first stores
Tidio has a free plan and paid plans from $24.17 a month. The pricing page lists Starter with 100 billable conversations and Growth from $49.17 a month with 250.
What it does well. The Lyro AI Agent starts at $32.50 a month with 50 AI conversations. The first 50 Lyro conversations are free for life. Starter and Growth include 10 seats.
Best for: Live chat with light email support.
Limitations. Plus starts at $300 a month plus usage. Premium is contact-only. The page does not label the billing cycle for the lower tiers.
3 Help Scout: Best for a simple shared inbox
Help Scout charges per user. The pricing page lists Standard at $25, Plus at $45, and Pro at $75. A Free plan covers 5 users and 1 inbox.
What it does well. The Envoy AI add-on costs $0.75 per resolution with a monthly spend cap. New accounts get three months of free, unlimited AI Answers resolutions.
Best for: Teams that want email-style support. Read our Help Scout alternatives guide for the reverse comparison.
Limitations. The page does not mention Shopify.
Best Gorgias Alternatives for Growing Stores
4 eDesk: Best for marketplace sellers
eDesk starts at $45 per agent a month on annual billing. The pricing page lists Essential at $45, Growth at $99, and Professional at $129. Monthly billing costs $55, $125, and $159.
What it does well. Plans connect 1, 5, or 10 stores, and Enterprise is unlimited. Shopify is on the connector list. The AI Agent costs $0.99 per outcome.
Best for: Sellers on several channels.
Limitations. Add-ons such as AI Assist ($39 per agent) raise the bill.
5 Richpanel: Best for high ticket volume
Richpanel charges $99 per seat a month on annual billing, with no per-ticket fees. Monthly commitment costs $119 per seat. Its pricing page shows AI at about $0.20 per handled conversation.
What it does well. AI has a $200 monthly minimum with $100 top-up blocks. One seat plus the AI minimum is $299 a month annually. Returns and Exchanges starts at $99 a month.
Best for: Stores with high volume and a small team.
Limitations. The AI minimum makes it costly for low-volume stores.
6 Zendesk: Best for scaling support teams
Zendesk Support Team costs $19 per agent a month annually ($25 monthly). Suite Team is $55 ($69), and Suite Professional is $115 ($149), per its pricing page.
What it does well. AI Agents are included in every plan and billed by automated resolution. The Copilot add-on is $50 per agent a month.
Best for: Teams that expect headcount and channel growth. Our Zendesk alternatives guide covers the other direction.
Limitations. Suite Enterprise is quote-only, and Shopify support is not stated in the page text.
How Should You Choose a Gorgias Alternative?
Choose by agent count, monthly ticket volume, and AI use. Multiply seats by the per-seat price, then add expected AI resolutions at the vendor’s per-resolution rate.
- Few agents, many tickets: Richpanel or Re:amaze Starter.
- Chat-heavy store: Tidio.
- Several marketplaces: eDesk.
- Large team: Zendesk.
Compare chat tools in our AI ecommerce chatbots guide and the Intercom alternatives guide.
How We Evaluated These Tools
We read each vendor’s published pricing page on October 31, 2026 and recorded plans, prices, AI fees, and Shopify mentions. We did not run hands-on tests. Gorgias plan cards did not load, so we omit its prices. Zendesk and Tidio pages were only partly readable. Confirm current rates before you buy.
The Bottom Line
Re:amaze is the cheapest published Gorgias alternative for small stores, and Richpanel fits high-volume stores. Run your own seat and ticket math before you switch. Start with our AI customer service software guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Gorgias alternative?
Re:amaze is the best Gorgias alternative for small Shopify stores. Richpanel suits high-volume stores that want no per-ticket fees.
Is Gorgias priced per agent?
No. Gorgias states its helpdesk scales from 50 to 5,000 tickets a month and is never priced per agent.
Which Gorgias alternative has no per-ticket fees?
Richpanel states “No per-ticket fees” and charges $99 per seat a month on annual billing.
Is there a free Gorgias alternative?
Yes. Tidio has a free plan, and Help Scout has a Free plan for 5 users and 1 inbox.
Which alternative works with Shopify?
Re:amaze offers a Shopify app, and eDesk lists Shopify as a connector. Verify Shopify support on other vendors’ pages.
David Austin is a technology writer and software analyst at DeployHyre, where he covers AI tools, SaaS platforms, cloud hosting, and business automation. He focuses on hands-on comparisons of pricing, features, and real-world performance so teams can pick the right software with confidence.