Gorgias is one of the leading help desk software options available on the market. Primarily tailored for e-commerce businesses, this tool efficiently manages tickets, centralizes customer communication via a shared inbox, and automates numerous routine tasks.
One of Gorgias’s greatest assets is its robust integration with the e-commerce platform Shopify. This integration not only allows support teams to view customers’ purchase history from within a ticket but also to perform actions such as creating orders and issuing refunds.
Overall, Gorgias checks off all the boxes when it comes to an e-commerce help desk software. However, it falls short of providing end-to-end customer service solutions.
Gorgias features a relatively complex user interface, making navigation difficult and requiring staff to undergo training to adopt the platform fully. Additionally, while the tool is primarily built for online retailers with stores on Shopify, its core functionalities may only partially meet the needs of enterprise businesses.
Lastly, Gorgias charges based on ticket volume rather than by license. This pricing model benefits smaller businesses with moderate ticket volumes, but it may not be suitable for companies seeking to scale and handle a large volume of tickets daily.
Why Look for a Gorgias Alternative?
Many users perceive Gorgias as a niche player in the customer support software segment, and in many respects, it is.
Here are some aspects users appreciate about Gorgias:
- Built specifically for Shopify – Gorgias serves as a Shopify help desk at its core. It integrates deeply with Shopify, enabling users to access detailed order information without leaving the Gorgias dashboard.
- Flexible pricing – Unlike many companies that charge on a per-seat or per-month basis, Gorgias offers a unique billing model based on the number of tickets processed per month.
- Easy-to-navigate interface – Gorgias simplifies ticket management by consolidating all tickets in one place.
- Robust Ticket Management – Gorgias excels in ticket management, providing agents with efficient tools for handling, managing, and closing tickets.
- AI Integration – Gorgias has introduced features such as autocomplete AI responses and automated workflows.
However, despite these advantages, Gorgias has a few significant drawbacks. Here are some of them:
Technical complexity and bugs
Gorgias is excellent for agents due to its email-like interface for ticket response and management. However, it may not be as suitable for managers. There’s a learning curve involved with Gorgias that managers and owners must overcome to fully utilize the tool.
One user described Gorgias as an innovative platform that is hard to navigate: “It can be hard to navigate the Macros in Gorgias. It would be great to have a ‘help center essentially’ but for Macros, so our agents can peruse”. They also criticized the app, “We’re having some issues with the Gorgias app on Android where it crashes randomly.”
Another user, who gave a 4-star rating, complained about the abundance of menu options within menus. A Redditor faced similar issues with the iOS app and ranted: “The iOS app is garbage. I used to request fixes but have given up because they clearly don’t care at all. I can’t log in today on desktop as I get an nginx error.”
In the current era, where mobility is key, users require a dependable e-commerce help desk app. The instability experienced with Gorgias’ offering is prompting many users to seek alternatives.
Narrow focus on e-commerce
Despite its power, Gorgias is limited by its narrow focus. Paul Ferrill, giving it a 3.0/5.0 rating, noted that “Its core feature set is solid, and it has a good catalog of compatible apps. But if you’re looking for anything outside an e-commerce scope, you’ll want to skip Gorgias and check out broader solutions”.
SaaS businesses typically extend beyond e-commerce brands, encompassing more sophisticated requirements. This complexity is particularly present in sectors such as health, aviation, manufacturing, and others. Users within these industries often explore alternative solutions to Gorgias.
Lack of certain features
Compared to its competitors, Gorgias offers a limited set of features.
In its product tour section, users are presented with three main products: Gorgias Helpdesk, Gorgias Automate, and Gorgias Convert. Although each product has several sub-products, they remain limited.
For instance, it lacks functionality for creating or modifying SLAs (Service Level Agreements), requiring users to resort to third-party apps for this purpose. Additionally, its knowledge hub or Help Center is relatively basic.
The absence of essential features compels users to seek alternatives to Gorgias.
Reporting and analytics
Like most customer service software, Gorgias includes an in-built reporting and analytics feature. However, it is rather basic in comparison to its alternatives.
In Gorgias, the majority of reporting occurs under the Statistics category. Users can access reports in various formats, including overviews or segmented by channels, agents, macros, satisfaction, and revenue. Gorgias also offers a basic built-in graphical data visualization feature to present the data.
As a user has pointed out on G2: “Reporting functionality is still in its infancy and integrations seem limited compared to other helpdesk options out there.”
Another user wrote, “The reporting feature within Gorgias only allows for historical data within 90 days, so building a more robust reporting feature would be extremely helpful.”
Heavily data-driven organizations may find Gorgias’ reporting insufficient. One such organization shared, “We are an analytical and statistics-driven company, and as such, we would like to have more ability to create custom reports based on the interactions our agents and customers are having within Gorgias.”
Pricing Model
Gorgias offers flexible pricing based on ticket volume, which some users appreciate but not everyone finds favorable.
This is particularly challenging for SaaS businesses dealing with a high volume of monthly tickets. With each additional ticket raised, the monthly bill increases, potentially resulting in high costs. Consequently, planning becomes more unpredictable.
Furthermore, Gorgias charges additional fees for add-ons. A user on G2 complained, “A little on the higher price point when it comes to the Automation add-ons.”
Top 17 Gorgias Competitors on the Market
- Kustomer
- Freshdesk
- Help Scout
- Zendesk
- Re:amaze
- Zoho Desk
- Hubspot Service Hub
- Front
- Intercom
- HappyFox
- Kayako
- ProProfs
- Gladly
- Lyro
- Salesforce Service Cloud
- LiveAgent
- GrooveHQ
1. Kustomer
Kustomer emerges as one of the best Gorgias alternatives, offering a suite of superior functionality and features.
- With Kustomer, you can do much more than simply view all your customer data in one place – you can store, manage, and take action on it effectively.
- Automatically route conversations to the right agent by determining intent, prioritizing conversations, and routing support requests based on needs and capacity.
- Maximize support team efficiency with CRM chatbots and intelligent automation, coordinating personalized automation across the entire customer journey.
- Lastly, with a robust analytics and reporting system, track your team’s performance, discover trends, and fine-tune your processes. Whether measuring team or individual rep performance or monitoring handle times, SLAs, and customer sentiment, Kustomer allows you to drill down into any customer data to identify areas for improvement.
- Benefit from transparent pricing models that include basic features and integrations without additional costs. Get fundamental support features like permission sets, team management, and satisfaction surveys included by default on any plan, along with essential integrations such as Shopify and Magento.
Why Switch to Kustomer?
Unlike Gorgias, which caters only to small to mid-size e-commerce businesses with Shopify stores, Kustomer is a data-driven customer support tool suitable for businesses from various industries and with various needs.
Here’s why Kustomer surpasses Gorgias in customer service excellence:
- Complete omnichannel helpdesk: Kustomer integrates with email, chat, SMS, voice, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter. In contrast, Gorgias lacks integration with several channels, such as WhatsApp and Twitter.
- Customer-centric platform: Unlike Gorgias, which is primarily ticket-centric, Kustomer is exclusively customer-centric, providing agents with comprehensive customer data, including orders, interactions, browsing history, and more.
- Intelligent automated ticket assignment: Kustomer offers robust AI features like automated ticket assignment and routing, significantly optimizing support reps’ time and performance. Conversely, Gorgias only provides a rule-based ticket management system.
- Better value for your money: While Gorgias charges based on ticket volume, starting from $60 a month for 350 tickets with unlimited agents, Kustomer offers a fixed monthly fee of $89, regardless of the ticket volume, providing better value for money.
Notable Kustomer Case Studies
- Discover why Kustomer is ThirdLove’s preferred CX solution and how it has enabled them to track the entire customer journey, empowering agents to deliver personalized support at scale.
- Discover how Kustomer helped Away expedite its response time to customer inquiries and deliver a better customer experience.
2. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a versatile customer support software that caters primarily to SMBs, offering a comprehensive suite of tools to streamline customer interactions.
Freshdesk, often compared to Zendesk, is perhaps best known for its user-friendly interface and scalability. It combines multi-channel support, automation, and intuitive features, allowing companies to enhance customer satisfaction while efficiently managing support operations.
The pricing starts at $15 per month, which is quite attractive to small SaaS startups.
3. Help Scout
Help Scout is a customer support platform known for its simplicity and effectiveness in managing customer interactions. With a focus on collaboration and personalized support, Help Scout equips businesses with the tools needed to streamline communication and enhance customer satisfaction.
Its unique selling point (USP) lies in the ‘Shared Inbox’ feature, which consolidates customer communications from various channels such as email, social media, and live chat. This ensures that support teams have a unified view of customer interactions, leading to streamlined response times.
Furthermore, agents can personalize the experience for end users by compiling customer information into detailed profiles. This provides support agents with a comprehensive understanding of each customer.
Suitable for industries across the board, Help Scout emphasizes a human touch in customer interactions.
4. Zendesk
Zendesk is a versatile customer service platform known for its comprehensive tools designed to enhance customer support. The platform includes essential features such as a ticketing system, knowledge base, live chat, automated chatbots, and omnichannel support, making it a comprehensive solution for customer service needs.
In addition to customer support functionalities, Zendesk offers tools for sales and customer engagement, providing businesses with an integrated approach to managing the entire customer lifecycle within a single platform. This versatility makes Zendesk particularly suitable for businesses seeking a unified approach to customer relationship management, support, sales, and engagement.
However, Zendesk tends to be relatively pricier and may not be the most suitable option for startups or small teams due to its steep learning curve.
💡 Recommended Read: The Biggest Zendesk Pros & Cons
5. Re:amaze
Re:amaze is a good option for businesses seeking a straightforward customer support platform, especially those who prioritize simplicity, collaboration, and ease of use. Its intuitive design reduces the learning curve, enabling support agents to start effectively right away.
Small to medium-sized businesses, in particular, can benefit from Reamaze’s user-friendly interface and seamless management of customer conversations across various channels.
Key features include shared inbox, live chat, automated workflows, and robust reporting tools.
If simplicity is a priority for you, consider Reamaze as an alternative to Gorgias
6. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk stands out as one of the most comprehensive support tools on the market, offering a highly competitive pricing model. It caters to businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations, seeking a versatile and scalable customer support solution.
With Zoho Desk, you have access to a wide range of tools, including ticket systems and multi-channel support. Its integration with other Zoho applications enhances its versatility, making it a valuable asset for businesses aiming to streamline customer service operations. Effortless integration with Zoho CRM and Zoho Analytics, two standout products, further solidifies Zoho Desk’s appeal.
If you’re already a Zoho user or plan to sign up for its suite of products, Zoho Desk may be a good option for you.
7. HubSpot Service Hub
Similar to Zoho, HubSpot offers a suite of software products, including the HubSpot Service Hub as an extension of its offerings. It’s particularly suitable for those who appreciate the HubSpot ecosystem or value the simplicity provided by the American cloud-based company.
HubSpot is primarily utilized by inbound marketers who highly value its free CRM tool, email tool, and blog software. The main selling point of HubSpot Service Hub lies in its seamless integration with HubSpot’s comprehensive CRM and marketing tools, allowing for unified customer data across sales, marketing, and service and providing businesses with a holistic view of their customers.
If you’re already using HubSpot, it also makes sense to consider exploring HubSpot Service Hub.
8. Front
Front does not directly compete with Gorgias. While Gorgias focuses on e-commerce and sales, Front prioritizes collaboration to resolve issues.
Its unique approach to team collaboration, paired with powerful features, makes Front a valuable asset for businesses aiming to improve customer communication and teamwork.
Front’s primary selling point is its emphasis on team collaboration within the context of customer communication. By transforming email into a collaborative platform, it enables teams to work together, streamline responses, and effectively manage customer interactions.
This collaborative approach sets Front apart from traditional email management systems and is particularly beneficial for industries where customer communication requires collaboration, such as customer support, sales, and project management.
9. Intercom
Intercom understands every customer interaction is an opportunity to deliver value. Therefore, its customer support software is designed to facilitate personalized communication at every stage of the customer lifecycle.
It combines messaging, support, and marketing functionalities, offering businesses a unified platform to engage with customers throughout their journey. The emphasis on targeted, context-aware communication distinguishes Intercom in the customer engagement space.
Intercom is well-suited for industries prioritizing personalized and real-time communication with their users or customers.
SaaS (Software as a Service), e-commerce, technology, and other service-oriented industries benefit from Intercom’s capabilities to engage users at different stages of their journey.
10. HappyFox
HappyFox is a customer support and help desk software to simplify and streamline customer interactions. With a focus on efficiency and user-friendly features, HappyFox offers a comprehensive solution for managing customer queries, tickets, and support workflows.
It combines ticketing, automation, knowledge base, and reporting features, providing businesses with a holistic solution to manage customer inquiries and enhance overall support efficiency.
HappyFox’s Smart Rules feature allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks and create conditional actions based on specific triggers for smart routing. This enhances efficiency in handling support tickets.
So, if you’re looking for a simple and affordable help desk solution, look into HappyFox.
Pricing starts at $29 per month per agent.
11. Kayako
Kayako is a customer service tool with a strong focus on simplicity and efficiency, stemming from its roots and guiding philosophy. Originating in 2001, Kayako emerged during a time when customer support tools were often cumbersome and ineffective. Fast forward to 2024, and Kayako is now utilized by over 131,000 agents across bootstrapped startups and Fortune 500 companies.
Kayako’s primary unique selling proposition (USP) lies in its dedication to streamlining customer support processes through collaboration and automation. The platform integrates features such as shared inboxes, automation rules, and self-service options to deliver a seamless and efficient customer support experience.
Moreover, Kayako provides valuable insights into customer journeys, empowering businesses to comprehend the entire customer experience and tailor their support accordingly. This functionality proves particularly beneficial for service-oriented industries, including SaaS, ecommerce, telecommunications, and technology.
12. ProProfs
Thanks to its forever-free plan, ProProfs help desk software is an appealing option for freelancers or small startups. The free plan includes unlimited tickets, ticket history, automated responses, and advanced reporting, making it a solid choice for any company seeking to establish its customer service department.
Designed for scalability, the platform provides a straightforward yet powerful solution for managing customer support, catering to both small and large enterprises.
13. Gladly
Gladly is a customer-centric support platform with a user-friendly interface and native solutions for managing multiple customer channels, such as email, chat, social, and more, in one place.
Gladly has a unique timeline that consolidates all communications from different channels in one place, making it easy to switch between channels or reference historical customer data.
It integrates seamlessly with Shopify and supports native payments through messaging channels. However, its premium features come at a price, starting at $150 per user per month with a 10-seat minimum, making it less accessible for smaller businesses.
14. Lyro
Lyro is an AI chatbot for SMBs. They position themselves as an all-in-one customer service solution with a live chat feature, plus conversational AI chatbots for ecommerce automation. It features NLP for enhanced customer experience and context understanding. Main features include self-training software, bot templates, and Claude LLM integration.
Lyro offers a free plan, while more advanced plans cost $394 per month.
15. Salesforce Service Cloud
Salesforce Service Cloud is renowned for delivering exceptional customer service while reducing operational costs. It facilitates personalized support across digital channels and in-field interactions, enabling the creation of branded help centers and freeing agents from repetitive tasks.
Key features include chatbot development, asset performance monitoring, customer self-scheduling, unified customer data, and mobile-responsive customer portals.
Pricing starts at $25 per month.
16. LiveAgent
LiveAgent is a customer service tool that is a great choice for automating repetitive tasks and obtaining data-driven insights for better decision-making. Notably, it automates ticket distribution to manage team workload efficiently and features a powerful live chat function for personalized customer engagement and lead generation.
Key features include customizable contact forms, role-based access control, automated email notifications, ticket merging, and predefined answers. It supports image pasting in tickets and agent time tracking, making it suitable for startups and small to mid-sized businesses.
Pricing starts at $15 per agent per month.
17. GrooveHQ
GrooveHQ is a versatile customer service platform that centralizes customer inquiries from various channels like email, live chat, and knowledge base. It also offers integrations with automation tools, CRMs, and e-commerce platforms to streamline agent workflows.
Despite its benefits, users have reported performance issues, particularly with handling large volumes of customer data. Additionally, some basic features, such as the ability to unsend emails and highlight text in the email body, are lacking, which may inconvenience users accustomed to more robust email interfaces.
Pricing starts from $20 a month per user.
What to Look for in a Gorgias Alternative?
Before we explore alternative options to Gorgias, it’s important to understand the key features to prioritize. This will help in selecting the most suitable solution.
At a minimum, a customer support tool should encompass the following features:
Ticket Management System
Efficient ticket management and help desk functionality are vital to ensure organized, prioritized, and timely resolution of customer inquiries and issues.
Real-Time Messaging
Real-time messaging capability enables immediate interaction with customers, fostering quick response times and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
Omnichannel Support
Omnichannel support ensures seamless communication across various channels, enabling consistent and integrated customer experiences regardless of the platform or device used.
Automation & Bots
Automation and bots streamline repetitive tasks, enhance efficiency, and scale customer support efforts, ultimately reducing workload and improving response times.
Knowledge Base & Self-Service
A comprehensive knowledge base empowers customers to find answers to FAQs independently, reducing the need for agent intervention and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
Reporting & Analytics
Robust reporting and analytics provide valuable insights into customer service performance, enabling businesses to track metrics, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve performance.
Mobile Support
Mobile app support enables agents to provide assistance on the go, ensuring responsiveness and flexibility in addressing customer needs from any location.
E-commerce Integration
Seamless integration with e-commerce platforms is essential for businesses selling products or services online, enabling streamlined communication and support processes for customers purchasing through these channels.
API & Third-Party Integration
API and third-party integration capabilities allow for customization, interoperability with existing systems, and expansion of functionality through integration with other tools and applications.
Pricing
Pricing is crucial to consider because it directly impacts the long-term financial sustainability and feasibility of adopting the new software solution.
Team Collaboration
Team collaboration ensures streamlined communication and problem-solving across different departments, improving efficiency and ensuring comprehensive customer support.
This feature facilitates collaboration among service team members and external vendors on support tickets, which is particularly valuable when multiple departments (such as tech and sales) are involved in issue resolution.
Social Media Integration
Social media integration expands the reach of customer support efforts to platforms where users are active, enhancing engagement and enabling prompt resolution of issues raised on social media channels.
This feature allows businesses to provide seamless support across multiple communication channels, meeting customers where they are and improving overall satisfaction.
Training and Educational Support
Training and educational support materials assist users in effectively utilizing the help desk software, reducing the learning curve and maximizing the software’s potential benefits.
This feature ensures that users have access to resources that enhance their understanding of the software, leading to increased proficiency and productivity in customer support operations.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
IAM (Identity and Access Management) features control user access to sensitive information and resources within the help desk system, ensuring security and preventing unauthorized access. This functionality restricts access to authorized personnel only, maintaining the confidentiality of customer information.
The software you opt for should include IAM features along with other security measures like 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) and SSO (Single Sign-On).
SLA Management
SLA management ensures timely resolution of customer issues and adherence to predefined service standards, enhancing customer satisfaction and maintaining service level agreements. This feature enables organizations to effectively track and manage service level agreements, ensuring accountability and reliability in customer support operations.
