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Help desk software · 13 alternatives

Gorgias alternatives: 13 compared

Sebastiaan Smits Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 22, 2026 · Updated October 22, 2026

Teams look past Gorgias when the bill follows ticket volume and AI interactions, when the business is not a Shopify-style online store, or when they want per-user pricing they can predict. Most go to Help Scout, Freshdesk or Front for a general helpdesk that still connects to Shopify, and to LiveAgent or Hiver when cost per seat matters most.

Short answer: The closest replacements for Gorgias in our help desk software ranking are Help Scout, Freshdesk and Front. Choose Help Scout if you want per-user pricing and a calm shared inbox with a free plan to start. All 13 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Help Desk Software in 2026, and each says where it differs from Gorgias and when Gorgias is still the better choice.

Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. The first three alternatives go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the established names follow in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure · editorial process.

Gorgias at a glance

  • Headquarters: United States
  • Pricing model: Per ticket volume
  • Pricing: Monthly plans sized by billable tickets, from a low entry plan, with per-ticket overage and AI agent interactions billed separately.
  • Free option: Free trial
  • Built for: Shopify and online retail brands
  • Wrong for: Software companies and service businesses should look at Help Scout or Freshdesk. Stores on less common commerce platforms should check integration depth before committing.
  • Place in our ranking: #9 of 14
  • Website: gorgias.com

Facts from our help desk software ranking, last checked October 22, 2026.

Why buyers look past Gorgias

  1. The bill follows volume, and so does the AI

    Plans are sized by tickets a month: Basic includes 300, Pro 2,000. Past the allowance, overage runs $40 per 100 tickets on Basic and $36 per 100 on Pro. AI Agent interactions are metered separately at $1.00 down to $0.85 each, depending on the plan.

  2. The product is written for online stores

    Gorgias describes its helpdesk as designed specifically for ecommerce and Shopify, and its pricing page names Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and WooCommerce. A software, services or marketplace team uses little of the order tooling that the price is built around.

  3. Plans only move one way inside a term

    The master agreement bars downgrades during a term and lets Gorgias raise fees at renewal on 60 days' notice. Cancellation needs 30 days' written notice even on a monthly plan. A volume spike that pushes you up a tier can stay on the invoice.

13 alternatives at a glance

Closest replacement first. The last column is our place in the full 14-product ranking.

#AlternativeHeadquartersPricingKey differenceSwitch ifOur rank
1Help ScoutUnited StatesPer user / month; free planEmail-first help desk that hides the ticket machineryyou want per-user pricing and a calm shared inbox with a free plan to start#3
2FreshdeskUnited StatesPer agent / month; free trialTicketing and automation at a moderate price, chat in Omniyou want a conventional helpdesk with published per-agent tiers and a Shopify order panel#2
3FrontUnited StatesPer seat / month; free trialCollaborative inbox for customer-facing teamsyou run several Shopify stores and want one collaborative inbox for the whole team#8
4LiveAgentSlovakiaPer agent / month; free trialLow-cost multichannel ticketing with a built-in call centeryou want AI included in the seat price instead of metered per interaction#13
5HiverUnited StatesPer user / month; free trialHelp desk that runs inside Gmailyour team lives in Gmail and wants order lookups without a volume-based bill#11
6ZammadGermanyOpen source + paid hosting; open sourceOpen-source help desk, self-hosted or hosted in Germanyyou want to own the ticket archive and can run or pay for the hosting#1
7IntercomUnited StatesPer seat + per outcome; free trialAI-first support desk built around the MessengerAI resolution in a messenger is the goal and you accept an outcome-based charge#4
8ZendeskUnited StatesPer agent / month; free trialThe most complete help desk suite, priced for scaleyou outgrow a store-focused desk and need phone, messaging and many integrations in one suite#5
9HappyFoxUnited StatesPer agent / month or flat; free trialTraditional ticketing with unlimited-agent plansyou want the vendor to run the migration and prefer a flat annual fee at larger team sizes#10
10Zoho DeskIndiaPer agent / month; free planLow-cost ticketing tied into the Zoho suiteyou want a low-cost per-user desk, a free start and the freedom to bring your own AI key#7
11DeskproUnited KingdomPer agent / month; noneHelp desk offered as cloud, private cloud or on-premisesyou need a chosen hosting region or an on-premises desk and have a team of ten or more#14
12HubSpot Service HubUnited StatesPer seat / month; free planTicketing that lives inside the HubSpot CRMyour marketing and sales data live in HubSpot and you want one customer record for support#6
13Salesforce Service CloudUnited StatesPer user / month; free trialEnterprise service platform on the Salesforce CRMyou already run Salesforce and need support cases tied to accounts and contracts#12

What each alternative does differently

1. Help Scout

Email-first help desk that hides the ticket machinery · United States

Priced per user from a free plan for five users, one Inbox and one Docs site, then $25, $45 and $75 listed per user. Its AI assistant, Envoy, is billed at $0.75 per resolution. Shopify appears in its integrations list, though we did not check what it shows beside a ticket.

Switch from Gorgias if you want per-user pricing and a calm shared inbox with a free plan to start.

Pricing: Free plan for five users and 100 contacts a month, then per-user tiers from about $25 a month, with AI Answers billed at $0.75 per resolution. (free plan)

Full review: #3 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Help Scout →

2. Freshdesk

Ticketing and automation at a moderate price, chat in Omni · United States

A ticket-first desk at $19, $55 and $89 per agent a month billed annually. Five hundred AI Agent sessions are included, then $49 per 100. Freshworks publishes a free Shopify app that shows a customer's recent orders inside Freshdesk, so the order sidebar need not be given up.

Switch from Gorgias if you want a conventional helpdesk with published per-agent tiers and a Shopify order panel.

Pricing: Per agent per month on published tiers, from $19 billed annually for email-centered Freshdesk or $29 for Freshdesk Omni with chat and social channels; 500 AI agent sessions are included once, then sold in packs of 100. (free trial)

Full review: #2 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Freshdesk →

3. Front

Collaborative inbox for customer-facing teams · United States

A team inbox where conversations are assigned and discussed internally. Its Shopify integration shows customer details, orders, refunds and addresses in the inbox and accepts several stores. Seats are $25, $65 and $105 a month billed annually, and Autopilot starts at $0.05 per conversation.

Switch from Gorgias if you run several Shopify stores and want one collaborative inbox for the whole team.

Pricing: Per seat per month on published tiers from $25 billed annually, with seat caps on the lower tiers, one channel type on Starter, and AI tools sold as add-ons except on Enterprise. (free trial)

Full review: #8 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Front →

4. LiveAgent

Low-cost multichannel ticketing with a built-in call center · Slovakia

Every plan includes AI and the pricing page says you never pay per resolution. Agents cost $19, $35 and a Business tier, with $15 to $29 shown when billed annually on the first two. The trial runs 30 days without a card, and a Shopify integration page covers chat, phone and orders.

Switch from Gorgias if you want AI included in the seat price instead of metered per interaction.

Pricing: Published per-agent tiers from about $15 a month billed annually for Small up to Enterprise, with social channels and call center depth reserved for upper tiers. (free trial)

Full review: #13 of 14 in our ranking · Visit LiveAgent →

5. Hiver

Help desk that runs inside Gmail · United States

Began in Gmail and now sells Hiver Omni at $25, $55 and $85 per user a month billed annually, with a two-seat minimum. Premium integrations, which include Shopify order and customer details, begin on Pro. AI agents and Copilot are part of the entry tier, not an extra meter.

Switch from Gorgias if your team lives in Gmail and wants order lookups without a volume-based bill.

Pricing: Per user per month on published tiers, from about $25 billed annually. (free trial)

Full review: #11 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Hiver →

6. Zammad

Open-source help desk, self-hosted or hosted in Germany · Germany

Open source under AGPL-3.0, with hosted plans from €7 per agent a month in German data centers. Optional AI costs €0.03 per call. Self-hosting is supported, with annual support plans from €2,999. We found no Shopify integration on the pages we read, so order data needs your own work.

Switch from Gorgias if you want to own the ticket archive and can run or pay for the hosting.

Pricing: Free to self-host under an open-source license; hosted plans per agent per month from under €10, published. (open source)

Full review: #1 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Zammad →

7. Intercom

AI-first support desk built around the Messenger · United States

Messenger-led rather than ticket-led, with seats at $29, $85 and $132 monthly and Fin AI Agent at $0.99 per outcome. Fin is also sold alone, without seats, in front of another helpdesk. That means a team can keep Gorgias for tickets in the interim and test the AI separately.

Switch from Gorgias if AI resolution in a messenger is the goal and you accept an outcome-based charge.

Pricing: Per helpdesk seat per month on published tiers, plus $0.99 per Fin AI outcome. (free trial)

Full review: #4 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Intercom →

8. Zendesk

The most complete help desk suite, priced for scale · United States

A broad support suite with a Shopify app whose sidebar shows customer data and processes refunds and cancellations. Suite Team is listed at $55, Growth at $89 and Professional at $115 per agent. AI agents are billed per automated resolution once the allowance in each plan is used.

Switch from Gorgias if you outgrow a store-focused desk and need phone, messaging and many integrations in one suite.

Pricing: Per agent per month on published Suite tiers, with AI agent resolutions billed beyond a small monthly allowance per agent, and Copilot, workforce management and quality tools sold as add-ons. (free trial)

Full review: #5 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Zendesk →

9. HappyFox

Traditional ticketing with unlimited-agent plans · United States

Help Desk starts at $24 per agent a month, or on flat unlimited-agent plans with a yearly ticket allowance that the vendor says pay off from roughly 20 to 25 agents. Annual subscriptions include free migration from another helpdesk. We found no Shopify integration page, so confirm that before buying.

Switch from Gorgias if you want the vendor to run the migration and prefer a flat annual fee at larger team sizes.

Pricing: Per agent per month from about $24, or flat unlimited-agent plans priced on volume, both published. (free trial)

Full review: #10 of 14 in our ranking · Visit HappyFox →

10. Zoho Desk

Low-cost ticketing tied into the Zoho suite · India

Has a free edition for three users, then Express, Standard, Professional and Enterprise tiers per user. Telephony, Zia AI and Blueprints begin on Professional, and live chat through Zoho SalesIQ on Enterprise. Generative features can use your own OpenAI key. We did not find a Shopify page on Zoho's site.

Switch from Gorgias if you want a low-cost per-user desk, a free start and the freedom to bring your own AI key.

Pricing: Free plan for a few agents, then low per-agent tiers billed annually, well under Zendesk at every level. (free plan)

Full review: #7 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Zoho Desk →

11. Deskpro

Help desk offered as cloud, private cloud or on-premises · United Kingdom

Cloud tiers of $39, $59 and $99 per agent a month with minimums of five, ten and twenty-five agents, and a Private edition for your own servers. Enterprise lets you pick among 22 AWS regions. Minimum seat counts make it a poor fit for a three-person store.

Switch from Gorgias if you need a chosen hosting region or an on-premises desk and have a team of ten or more.

Pricing: Published per-agent cloud tiers from $39 a month for Team through Enterprise, each with a minimum seat count, plus a separately quoted Private edition for on-premises or dedicated hosting and discounts for nonprofits and education. (none)

Full review: #14 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Deskpro →

12. HubSpot Service Hub

Ticketing that lives inside the HubSpot CRM · United States

Support tools attached to the HubSpot CRM, free for up to two users. Professional carries a $1,500 one-time onboarding fee and Enterprise $3,500. AI agents run on monthly HubSpot Credits that reset and do not roll over. Worth it mainly where marketing and sales already sit in HubSpot.

Switch from Gorgias if your marketing and sales data live in HubSpot and you want one customer record for support.

Pricing: Free tools, then per-seat Starter, Professional and Enterprise tiers, with a large step up at Professional. (free plan)

Full review: #6 of 14 in our ranking · Visit HubSpot Service Hub →

13. Salesforce Service Cloud

Enterprise service platform on the Salesforce CRM · United States

A CRM-based service platform sold per user, from Starter Suite at $25 and Pro Suite at $100 on a contract to service editions at $195 and up billed annually. Enhanced Messaging adds $75 per user a month. Built for case management against accounts, not for a small store.

Switch from Gorgias if you already run Salesforce and need support cases tied to accounts and contracts.

Pricing: Per user per month, from Starter Suite at $25 and Pro Suite at $100 on a contract to the Core, Advanced and Max service editions at $195 to $550 billed annually; AI agent use runs on Flex Credits except in Max. (free trial)

Full review: #12 of 14 in our ranking · Visit Salesforce Service Cloud →

When Gorgias is still the right choice

Gorgias is still the right choice when you sell through Shopify or a similar store and most tickets are about orders, shipping and returns. Seats are not billed per agent, so part-time and seasonal staff cost nothing extra, and the AI Agent is available on every plan. If your volume is steady and sits comfortably inside a tier, the metering rarely bites.

What to expect when you switch from Gorgias

  1. Export through the REST API, and pace it

    Gorgias documents endpoints to list tickets, list messages and download private files such as attachments. API keys are limited to 40 requests in a 20-second window, and a request over the limit returns a 429 error. Start the archive export early and respect the Retry-after header.

  2. Notice, and a 45-day data window

    Cancellation needs written notice at least 30 days before the end of the current term, through the product or billing@gorgias.com. If you ask, Gorgias makes customer data available for 45 days after termination. Keep the account live until the new helpdesk has imported the archive.

  3. Rebuild macros and rules by hand

    The API exposes macros and rules as objects, so you can read them out as a reference. A new helpdesk will not import them. Macros that insert order numbers or tracking links through Gorgias variables need rewriting with the new product's own placeholders.

Questions and answers

Can I export my tickets from Gorgias?

Yes, through the REST API, which has endpoints for tickets, ticket messages and file downloads. We did not find a one-click full export in the pages we could read. Plan for a scripted export, or hire a migration service, and check attachments separately.

How much notice does Gorgias need to cancel?

At least 30 days' written notice before the end of the current term, and this applies to monthly and annual subscriptions alike. Send it through the product or to billing@gorgias.com. Without notice the subscription renews for another term of the same length.

How long can I get my data after I cancel?

45 days after termination or expiry, if you ask for it, under section 8.2 of the master agreement. After that the agreement gives no further commitment to provide it. Run the API export while the account is live.

Can I move to a smaller Gorgias plan to save money?

Not during a term. The master agreement bars downgrades within the initial term and allows them at renewal. On a monthly term, a downgrade must be requested at least five days before the billing period ends.

Can Gorgias raise the price at renewal?

Yes, on at least 60 days' notice for any renewal term after the initial one. If you object, you must cancel before the first renewal term to which the increase applies. Otherwise the new fees are treated as accepted.

Will my Shopify order data show in another helpdesk?

Often, but check each one. Front, Hiver, Zendesk, Freshdesk and LiveAgent publish Shopify integrations, and Help Scout lists Shopify among its integrations. Gorgias also lets agents edit and refund orders from a ticket. Only Zendesk's listing mentions refunds, so test that action before signing.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts about Gorgias on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 22, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.

Who wrote this

Sebastiaan Smits Sebastiaan Smits, Founder, wrote, edited and fact-checked this page. Founder of The Interregnum and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page here; research and drafting are AI-assisted. Last reviewed October 22, 2026. How we review.