The best Gorgias alternatives for small Shopify stores differ mainly in how they bill. Gorgias charges by billable ticket, so a store at 400 tickets a month pays for volume it cannot control. Seven tools below use per-agent, per-conversation or per-resolution pricing, and the model matters more than the sticker price.
Key takeaways
- Per-ticket billing punishes growth and seasonal spikes; per-agent and per-resolution models behave differently.
- Compare four things: pricing model, Shopify order actions, channel coverage, AI drafting vs resolving.
- Heylio bills per AI resolution, from €0 to €99/mo.
- Always verify competitor prices before you decide.
Why do Shopify stores leave Gorgias?
Most stores leave Gorgias because per-ticket pricing climbs quickly once volume passes a few hundred tickets a month. Every ticket counts toward the plan, including order-status questions and spam. A store that doubles its sales during a holiday sale also doubles its help desk bill.
The pattern is predictable. A founder picks a starter plan at 50 tickets a month. Six months later, the store sits at 400 tickets and overage fees appear on the invoice.
Common reasons stores switch:
- Overage charges when a campaign or shipping delay spikes volume.
- Paying for repetitive tickets such as where-is-my-order (WISMO) questions that a bot could close.
- Seats and features built for large teams, not a founder and one part-timer.
- AI as an add-on billed on top of the base plan.
Check Gorgias's current pricing page before comparing, because plans and overage rates change.
What should you compare in a Shopify helpdesk?
Compare four factors: pricing model, native Shopify order actions, channel coverage, and AI approach. A tool that fails on one of them costs hours each week. A store handling 400 tickets a month spends roughly 20 to 30 hours on replies if nothing is automated, so these four choices decide where that time goes.
Citation capsule: A Shopify helpdesk comparison should start with the billing unit. Per-ticket plans charge for every inbound conversation, per-agent plans charge for each human seat, and per-resolution plans charge only when the AI closes a conversation alone. For a small store with one or two people and spiky volume, the billing unit determines whether the monthly bill is predictable. Next, check native Shopify actions: can the tool cancel an order, refund, change an address or apply a discount without opening the Shopify admin? Then check channels, especially Instagram DMs and WhatsApp, where many small stores get a large share of questions. Finally, separate AI that drafts replies for a human to approve from AI that resolves conversations on its own. Drafting saves minutes per ticket. Resolving removes the ticket from the queue entirely.
Pricing model
Per-ticket, per-agent and per-resolution models each favor a different store. Per-agent suits stable volume with a real team. Per-resolution suits volume that swings.
Drafting vs resolving
Drafting AI still needs a person to press send. Resolving AI closes the conversation, so it matters most for repetitive questions like order status and returns.
How do the 7 help desks compare?
The table compares seven Gorgias alternatives on billing, Shopify actions, social channels and AI. Details are directional, based on each vendor's public positioning. Check current pricing and feature lists on each vendor's site before buying.
| Tool | Pricing model | Native Shopify order actions | Instagram / WhatsApp | AI approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heylio | Per AI resolution (€0 to €99/mo) | Order lookup, cancel, refund, discounts, address changes, gift cards | Both | Resolves and drafts from KB and playbooks |
| Zendesk | Per agent; check current pricing | Via apps and integrations | Both, depending on plan | Add-on AI agents |
| Freshdesk | Per agent; check current pricing | Via Shopify app | Both via channel setup | Freddy AI, tiered by plan |
| Tidio | Plan plus conversation-based AI; check current pricing | Shopify integration | Both | Chatbot flows plus AI agent |
| Re:amaze | Per agent; check current pricing | Shopify integration | Instagram; WhatsApp varies | Automation rules plus AI features |
| Help Scout | Per user; check current pricing | Shopify integration | Limited native social | AI-assisted drafting |
| Richpanel | Per agent or plan; check current pricing | Shopify actions in-app | Both | AI automation for order tasks |
Treat any cell marked 'check current pricing' as unverified. Vendors revise tiers often.
Which alternative fits which store size?
Stores under 100 tickets a month fit a free or low-cost tool. Stores between 100 and 500 tickets need automation for repetitive questions. Stores above 500 tickets with several agents need a full ticketing workflow. These ranges are rules of thumb, not vendor limits.
- Under 100 tickets, solo founder: Heylio Free (25 lifetime AI resolutions) or a free chat tool tier for testing.
- 100 to 500 tickets, one or two people: a per-resolution tool like Heylio, or Tidio if chatbot flows suit you.
- 500+ tickets, three or more agents: Zendesk, Freshdesk or Richpanel, which suit shared inboxes, roles and reporting.
- Email-first, low automation need: Help Scout, for a clean shared inbox.
- Social-heavy sales: confirm Instagram and WhatsApp support before anything else.
What does a 400-ticket month actually cost?
A store with 400 tickets a month should model cost under each billing unit. The assumption: 55% of tickets are repetitive (WISMO, returns, cancellations), which is 220 tickets. Your mix will differ, so adjust the percentages.
Citation capsule: Take a Shopify store with 400 tickets a month and two people handling support. Under per-ticket billing, all 400 tickets count, so cost scales with volume. Under per-agent billing, two seats are charged whether the month brings 150 tickets or 600. Under per-resolution billing, only conversations the AI closes alone are charged. If 55% of tickets are repetitive and the AI closes about 220 of them, that fits Heylio's Growth plan at €49/mo, which includes 250 AI resolutions, with handovers to a human free. A quiet month of 60 resolutions drops to Starter at €15/mo. A holiday spike can be covered with a credit pack instead of a plan upgrade. Competitor totals depend on seats, add-ons and overage rates, so check current pricing for each.
| Model | Billing unit at 400 tickets | Monthly estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Heylio | About 220 AI resolutions | €49 (Growth) |
| Gorgias | 400 billable tickets | Check current pricing |
| Zendesk / Freshdesk | 2 agent seats plus AI add-ons | Check current pricing |
| Tidio / Re:amaze / Help Scout / Richpanel | Seats or plan tier | Check current pricing |
The 220 figure is an assumption. If the AI closes only 120, Starter's 60 is too small and Growth still fits.
Where does Heylio fit, and where does it not?
Heylio fits stores with spiky volume because it bills per AI resolution, not per ticket or seat. Plans run Free €0 (25 lifetime AI resolutions), Starter €15/mo (60), Growth €49/mo (250) and Scale €99/mo (600). Handing a conversation to a human costs nothing.
What it does:
- Connects Gmail, Outlook, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp and an embedded chat widget.
- Drafts replies from your knowledge base and playbooks for FAQ, WISMO, refunds, returns and cancellations.
- Acts in Shopify: order lookup, cancellations, refunds, discounts, address changes and gift cards.
- Tracks agent corrections and suggests knowledge base and playbook updates.
- Runs as a Shopify embedded app or standalone.
Where it is not the best fit: teams that need a heavy multi-agent ticketing workflow, with complex routing, SLAs and deep reporting. Zendesk, Freshdesk or Richpanel suit that better.
How to choose your next step
Pick the billing model that matches your volume pattern, then verify Shopify actions and channels in a trial. Export your last 90 days of tickets, tag the repetitive share, and cost each tool against that number. If volume swings, start with a free plan, run 25 real conversations, and compare the result with your current invoice.