Gorgias

Gorgias is a helpdesk for ecommerce support teams that need customer conversations and store context in the same workflow. It is strongest for stores using Shopify, where agents can see order details and act on them from a ticket; teams that rely on phone support or rich mobile replies should look elsewhere.

Overview

Email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook messages share one inbox. Routing, prioritization, automation Rules, and SLA management give teams ways to organize queues and repeat work, while a customer portal and help center support self-service. The AI Agent is available on every plan, but charges apply when it resolves a conversation, making usage volume relevant to the total cost.

For Shopify stores, a ticket can include customer, product, and order information. Agents can cancel orders, apply discounts, or upsell within the conversation. That makes Gorgias particularly practical for support teams handling routine order changes, rather than teams whose work is mostly unrelated to ecommerce. Its app directory connects more than 100 apps, including BigCommerce, Loop Returns, Yotpo, Recharge, and Attentive; HTTP integrations can also fetch data through third-party APIs or trigger actions in external systems.

Key features

• Ticket workflows: Routing, prioritization, Rules, and SLA management help teams direct work and standardize recurring tasks. These controls are useful as queues grow, though the core value remains tied to customer support rather than broad project or IT service management.
• AI Agent: Included across plans, with a charge for each conversation it resolves. Teams should account for resolution volume instead of treating the feature as cost-free simply because it is available on every tier.
• Security and access: User roles, permissions, action and conversation history, and two-factor authentication support controlled access. Google and Microsoft single sign-on are available on all Helpdesk plans; custom SSO is reserved for Advanced and Enterprise. Gorgias also lists SOC 2 Type II certification, HIPAA compliance, TLS-encrypted connections, and encrypted backups.
• Support resources: Academy courses and Help Center materials provide self-guided help, with email and chat support options described according to business size.

Pricing

Gorgias is paid software with a 30-day free trial, and a free plan is also offered. Helpdesk plans scale from 50 to 5,000 tickets per month and are not priced per agent, so ticket volume—not seat count—is the key published constraint for teams comparing tiers. Voice and SMS are add-ons on any plan, priced according to call and text volume. The AI Agent’s per-resolved-conversation charge is another usage cost to factor in.

A new Helpdesk account starts with a 30-day trial, but trial accounts cannot create a help center and have limits on outbound email. That makes the trial useful for evaluating ticket workflows, but not a complete rehearsal of a public self-service setup or unrestricted outbound messaging. Check the applicable ticket allowance and add-on usage against expected demand before choosing a plan.

Platforms

Gorgias is available on web, iOS, Android, and as an extension, with API access. The mobile apps provide push notifications and can create email tickets, but cannot make or receive calls, or send images and links in messages. They suit monitoring and basic email handling better than agents who need full phone or rich-media workflows while away from a desk.

Who it's for

Gorgias fits ecommerce customer experience teams, particularly Shopify stores that want support agents to see order context and take common order actions without leaving a conversation. Stores handling inquiries across social and messaging channels can also benefit from the unified inbox. It is a weaker fit for teams that depend on mobile calling, image- or link-rich mobile replies, or support work outside ecommerce.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Shopify order, customer, and product data appears inside tickets, and agents can cancel orders, discount, or upsell there—useful for resolving store-related questions in the same workflow.
• Pro: Email, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook converge in one inbox, with routing and Rules to manage recurring work.
• Pro: Plans scale by monthly ticket volume rather than agent count, which avoids a per-agent pricing model as support staffing changes.
• Con: The trial restricts help-center creation and outbound email, so it does not expose every workflow before commitment.
• Con: Mobile apps cannot make or receive calls or send images and links, limiting their usefulness for agents handling phone and richer messaging work.
• Con: AI resolution charges and volume-priced voice and SMS add-ons make usage an important part of budgeting.

Alternatives

For a broader scan of the category, browse Help desk software. Teams prioritizing automated service can compare AI Customer Service Software or AI Customer Service Agents; stores focused on social channels can explore Social Media Customer Service Software, while self-service-led teams can browse Customer Self-Service Software.

• Freshdesk is worth comparing if a free option for 1–2 agents over six months or a published Growth tier at $19 a month billed annually better matches the team’s scale and budget.
• Help Scout may suit a small team seeking a free tier capped at five users, one inbox, one Docs site, and 100 contacts per month.
• Zoho Desk is an alternative for teams looking for a free plan for three users or paid annual tiers priced in INR.
• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a more relevant comparison for IT help desks, with published Standard and Professional monthly plans.
• Whatfix is another paid option with a free plan and broad platform availability.
• Kustomer, Pega Customer Service, and Decagon are other paid alternatives to consider.

Verdict

Choose Gorgias if your ecommerce support team needs a shared multichannel inbox tied closely to Shopify orders and actions. The customer and order context is its clearest reason to choose it; look elsewhere if mobile calling and full-featured mobile messaging are central, or if you need predictable costs without usage-based AI and channel add-ons.