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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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5 Best Gorgias Alternatives (2027): Help Desks for Online Stores
The best Gorgias alternative for most small stores is Help Scout: it's free for up to 5 users with a shared inbox and help center, and Standard costs $25 per user. Choose Freshdesk or Zendesk if one or two full-time agents handle high ticket volume ($19 per agent on annual billing), Crisp for flat-priced live chat ($45 a month for 4 seats) and Intercom for AI-first chat ($19 per seat plus $0.99 per AI outcome). Gorgias itself costs $10 a month for 50 tickets, $50 (annual) for 300 and $300 (annual) for 2,000.
- Best for small stores: Help Scout (free for 5 users)
- Best for high volume with few agents: Freshdesk (Growth $19/agent)
- Best omnichannel suite: Zendesk (Suite Team $55/agent)
- Best flat-priced chat: Crisp (Mini $45/month for 4 seats)
- Best AI-first chat: Intercom (Essential $19/seat + $0.99/outcome)
Why stores look for a Gorgias alternative
- Ticket-based pricing at high volume: 2,000 tickets cost $300 a month on Pro, which can be more than per-agent tools when a few agents handle everything.
- Seasonal peaks: holiday volume can push a store into a higher tier.
- Free plan: Gorgias has none; Help Scout and Crisp do.
- Non-Shopify needs: stores on other platforms or with mixed B2B support may want a general help desk.
Gorgias alternatives compared
| Tool | Free plan | Entry paid price | Pricing model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgias (reference) | No | Starter $10/month for 50 tickets | Per ticket | Shopify stores |
| Help Scout | 5 users, 1 inbox | Standard $25/user | Per user | Small stores, email |
| Freshdesk | Not listed | Growth $19/agent (annual) | Per agent | High volume, few agents |
| Zendesk | No | Support Team $19/agent (annual) | Per agent | Omnichannel, larger teams |
| Crisp | 2 seats | Mini $45/month for 4 seats | Per workspace | Live chat |
| Intercom | No | Essential $19/seat (annual) + $0.99/outcome | Per seat + outcome | AI-first chat |
When an alternative is cheaper than Gorgias
| Store situation | Gorgias | Cheaper alternative |
|---|---|---|
| 200 tickets, 3 people | Basic $50 | Help Scout Free ($0) |
| 1,500 tickets, 2 full-time agents | Pro $300 | Freshdesk Growth $38 |
| 1,500 tickets, 4 chat helpers | Pro $300 | Crisp Mini $45 |
| 300 tickets, 8 part-time helpers | Basic $50 | Gorgias is cheapest |
Gorgias stays the best value when many people share modest volume and order actions save time on every ticket.
1. Help Scout: best for small stores
Help Scout is free for up to 5 users with 1 inbox and 1 docs site; paid plans cost $25, $45 and $75 per user, and AI costs $0.75 per resolution. It integrates with store platforms to show order details.
Choose it if: you answer mostly by email and have 5 people or fewer. See Help Scout pricing.
2. Freshdesk: best for high volume with few agents
Freshdesk Growth costs $19 per agent on annual billing, Pro $55 and Enterprise $89. With two agents handling 1,500 tickets, Growth costs $38 a month.
Choose it if: a small full-time team handles many tickets.
3. Zendesk: best omnichannel suite
Zendesk Support Team costs $19 per agent (annual), Suite Team $55 and Suite Professional $115, with chat, messaging and voice on Suites and a large app marketplace with ecommerce integrations.
Choose it if: your support team is growing across channels. See Gorgias vs Zendesk.
4. Crisp: best flat-priced live chat
Crisp is free for 2 seats; Mini costs $45 a month for 4 seats, Essentials $95 for 10 and Plus $295 for 20+.
Choose it if: most conversations happen in website chat.
5. Intercom: best AI-first chat
Intercom's Fin AI agent resolves questions such as order status for $0.99 per outcome; Essential costs $19 per seat on annual billing.
Choose it if: you want AI to handle a large share of repetitive questions.
Start Help Scout free → Free for 5 users, no credit card · Affiliate link
Three real-world scenarios
A new store with 2 people and 150 tickets
Help Scout's free plan costs $0; Gorgias Basic would cost $50.
A brand with 2 full-time agents and 1,800 tickets
Freshdesk Growth costs $38 a month versus $300 for Gorgias Pro. Check whether order actions save enough time to justify Gorgias.
A brand with 10 part-time helpers and 300 tickets
Stay on Gorgias Basic ($50): per-agent tools would cost $190 or more.
How to choose a Gorgias alternative
- Count tickets in a normal month and your peak month.
- Count people who answer, full-time and part-time.
- Price per ticket vs per agent with your numbers.
- Check store integrations in each tool.
- Trial two tools during a normal week.
Migrating from Gorgias
Export tickets and macros, recreate saved replies and rules in the new tool, connect your store integration and forward your support address. Run both tools in parallel for a few days so no conversation is lost.
Terms explained
- Ticket: one customer conversation; Gorgias's billing unit.
- Agent: a paid support seat.
- Macro: a saved reply with actions.
- Order action: refunding or editing an order from the help desk.
What to look for in a Gorgias alternative
Gorgias's main advantage is store data inside every ticket, so first check how each alternative integrates with your store platform: can agents see orders, shipping status and customer history without switching tabs? Then compare pricing models with your real numbers: per ticket (Gorgias), per agent (Freshdesk, Zendesk, Help Scout, Intercom) or per workspace (Crisp). Finally, look at channels: if most conversations happen in chat or social messages, make sure those channels are included in the plan you'd buy, not sold as add-ons.
Features compared
| Feature | Gorgias | Help Scout | Freshdesk | Zendesk | Crisp | Intercom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per ticket | Per user | Per agent | Per agent | Per workspace | Per seat + outcome |
| Free plan | No | 5 users | Not listed | No | 2 seats | No |
| Store order actions in tickets | Built in | Via integration | Via integration | Via apps | Via integration | Via integration |
| Live chat | Yes | Beacon widget | Yes | Suite plans | Core feature | Core feature |
| AI resolution pricing | Check plan | $0.75 per resolution | Add-ons | Add-ons | Check plan | $0.99 per outcome |
Mistakes to avoid when switching
- Switching mid-project: move between projects or campaigns, not in the middle of one.
- Migrating everything: archive old data and move only what's active.
- Skipping a trial with real work: demo data hides the problems you'll actually meet.
- Ignoring seat or contact counts: price the plan for your real team or list in a year.
- Forgetting integrations: list every connected app before you cancel your current tool.
Our verdict
Help Scout is the best Gorgias alternative for small stores thanks to its free plan for 5 users. Freshdesk wins when a few full-time agents handle high volume, Zendesk for growing omnichannel teams, Crisp for chat-first stores and Intercom for AI-driven support. Gorgias remains the best value when many part-time helpers share modest volume.
How we compiled this page
Prices and limits come from each vendor's official pricing page, checked October 29, 2026. See also Gorgias pricing and best help desk software.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Gorgias?
Help Scout for small stores; Freshdesk for high volume with few agents; Zendesk for omnichannel teams.
Is there a free Gorgias alternative?
Yes: Help Scout (5 users) and Crisp (2 seats) have free plans.
Is Freshdesk cheaper than Gorgias?
When a few agents handle many tickets, yes. When many helpers share modest volume, Gorgias is often cheaper.
Do these alternatives work with Shopify?
Yes, all of them integrate with Shopify, though Gorgias's order actions are the most built-in.
Which alternative handles seasonal peaks best?
Per-agent tools (Freshdesk, Zendesk) don't charge more for extra tickets; you pay only for agents.
Can I move from Gorgias to Zendesk?
Yes, with import tools or a migration service.
Which Gorgias alternative is best for live chat?
Crisp for flat pricing; Intercom for AI-first chat; Zendesk Suite for chat bundled with other channels.
Sources
gorgias.com/pricing, helpscout.com/pricing, freshworks.com/freshdesk/pricing, zendesk.com/pricing, crisp.chat/en/pricing and intercom.com/pricing, checked October 29, 2026.
Related
- Freshdesk vs Gorgias (2027): Prices & Which to Pick
- Gorgias vs Zendesk (2027): Prices & Which Help Desk for Stores
- Gorgias Pricing 2027: Starter, Basic & Pro by Ticket Volume