Gorgias is a helpdesk built for online stores, and many Shopify owners start there because it is made for order questions. The pricing page I reviewed says the helpdesk scales from 50 to 5,000 tickets a month and is never priced per agent, with an AI Agent on every plan. It does not show plan names or dollar amounts in the text I could load, which makes it hard to budget before a demo. I run my own stores and teach high-ticket dropshipping at Ecommerce Paradise, and I look at support tools through the eyes of a store owner who answers questions about expensive products.
Everything below comes from each vendor’s own page as I reviewed it. Where a page does not show a number, I write “not shown” instead of guessing. Prices change, so confirm them before you buy. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
If you are still working out what to sell, start with my guide to what high-ticket dropshipping is. Then come back and pick the support tool that fits it.
Gorgias Alternatives at a Glance
| Tool | Starting price | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidio | Free, Starter at $24.17 a month | Yes, 50 conversations | New stores that want chat and a bot at a low price |
| Help Scout | Free, Standard at $25 per user | Yes, up to 5 users and 100 contacts a month | Small teams that want a shared inbox |
| eDesk | $49 per agent monthly, $39 annual | 14-day trial | Sellers on Shopify, Amazon, eBay and other marketplaces |
| Re:amaze | $29 per team member monthly, $26 annual | 14-day trial | Stores that want chat, email and social in one place |
| Richpanel | $119 per seat monthly, $99 annual, plus AI usage | Free trial not shown | Stores that want AI to handle a share of conversations |
Support tools only matter once you have customers. If you want a high-ticket store built for you, start here. See the done-for-you store build →
What Gorgias Does and Where It Falls Short
The Gorgias pricing page describes a helpdesk that scales from 50 to 5,000 tickets a month. It says the AI Agent comes on every plan and you pay only when it resolves a conversation. Voice and SMS are sold as add-ons, with pricing that scales with call and text volume.
The text I loaded did not name the Starter, Basic, Pro, Advanced, or Enterprise tiers, and it showed no prices, ticket counts per plan, overage costs, or free trial. An Enterprise page is linked but shows no details. For exact numbers, open the live pricing page or book a demo.
The main drawback for a small store is planning. When price depends on ticket volume, you need a guess at your busiest month before you can compare tools. Count how many questions you get in a normal week, then think about what happens after a sale or a holiday.
If you want my full take on the tool itself, read my Gorgias review. It covers who the helpdesk fits and where it gets expensive.
How to Pick a Support Tool
Start with channels. Decide whether you answer email only, or also live chat, social messages, and text. Each extra channel adds cost on some tools and comes free on others.
Next, think about who answers. A solo owner needs a simple shared inbox, while a team needs assignment rules and reports. Per-agent pricing is cheap with one person and expensive with ten.
Finally, look at AI. Several of these tools charge per resolved or handled conversation, so a busy month can raise the bill. Read how each tool counts usage before you turn the bot on.
1. Tidio
Tidio lists a Free plan with 50 billable conversations, which includes tickets. Starter is $24.17 a month with 100 conversations, and Growth starts at $49.17 a month with up to 2,000 conversations. Plus starts at $300 a month plus usage, and Premium is contact for pricing.
The page has a Monthly or Annually toggle, with “2 months free” shown for annual billing. It does not label which billing cycle the displayed figures use, so check at checkout. Free, Starter, and Growth list 10 seats, and Starter and Growth show a 7-day trial.
The Lyro AI Agent starts at $32.50 a month from 50 conversations, and Flows starts at $24.17 a month from 2,000 visitors. The Growth card says “From 250” conversations while the comparison table says “Up to 2,000,” so confirm the limit before you buy. Tidio suits new stores that want chat and a bot without a big bill.
For a head-to-head look, read my guide to Gorgias AI vs Tidio. It compares the two on AI support.
2. Help Scout
Help Scout lists a Free plan for up to 5 users and 100 contacts a month. Standard is $25 per user a month for up to 25 users, Plus is $45 per user for up to 50 users, and Pro is $75 per user with a minimum of 10 users. Standard and Plus list unlimited contacts and a 15-day trial with no credit card.
The page has a Monthly or Annual toggle with a “-16%” badge, but it shows one price per plan and does not say which cycle it is. Standard adds multiple inboxes, live chat and SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger channels, and an AI Inbox assistant. Plus adds advanced workflows, a customer portal, round robin routing, and integrations with Salesforce, Jira, and HubSpot.
Ticket limits are not shown. The Envoy AI add-on is $0.75 per resolution, with a 3-month free trial. Help Scout suits small teams that want a clean shared inbox, and I compare it with Gorgias in my Help Scout vs Gorgias guide.
3. eDesk
eDesk lists Essential at $49 per agent a month on monthly billing or $39 on annual billing. Growth is $115 monthly or $89 annual, and Professional is $149 monthly or $119 annual. Enterprise is custom.
Essential connects 1 store or marketplace, Growth connects 5, and Professional connects 10 and includes 2 free read-only users. The page lists Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Shopware, Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Mirakl, Cdiscount, and Kaufland “and more.” It does not say which integrations come with each plan, and ticket limits are not shown.
The trial is 14 days with full features and no credit card. During the trial, eDesk runs in Safe Mode, so messages are not stored or sent until you turn it off. eDesk suits sellers who answer questions from several marketplaces and want them in one inbox. I wrote a full eDesk vs Gorgias comparison if you want a direct match-up.
4. Re:amaze
Re:amaze lists Basic at $29 per team member a month, or $26 on annual billing. Pro is $49 monthly or $44 annual, and Plus is $69 monthly or $62 annual. The page also lists a Starter plan at $59 flat per month, limited to 500 responded conversations a month.
Basic includes unlimited email inboxes, live chat, social channels, a public and internal FAQ, macros, chatbots, and basic reporting. Pro adds multiple brands, a live view of site visitors, advanced reporting, and SMS and voice channels. Plus adds live screensharing, departments, staff performance reporting, and customer satisfaction ratings.
The Re:amaze AI Agent includes 5 resolutions per user a month on Basic, then $0.85 each. Pro includes 10 and Plus includes 20. The trial is 14 days with no credit card and includes all Plus features. Re:amaze suits stores that want chat, email, and social messages in one place at a modest per-seat price.
5. Richpanel
Richpanel shows one plan priced by component rather than named tiers. A helpdesk seat is $119 a month, or $99 on annual billing. AI usage is $0.60 per credit monthly or $0.50 annually, which the page describes as about $0.20 per AI-handled conversation, with a $200 monthly AI minimum.
A Starter bundle with 1 seat and the AI minimum is $299 a month on an annual commitment. A Returns and Exchanges add-on starts at $99 a month. The page lists email, chat, social, SMS, and WhatsApp in one inbox, plus order and subscription updates by AI agents.
It also offers a money-back guarantee if 50% of eligible conversations are automated by day 30, subject to terms. A free trial and ticket limits are not shown. Richpanel suits stores that want AI to handle a large share of repeat questions and are ready to pay for a seat plus usage.
What Each Option Costs Per Year
Here is the yearly math for one person. Tidio Starter at $24.17 is about $290 a year if that is the monthly rate, and Growth from $49.17 is about $590. Help Scout Standard at $25 per user is $300 a year for one user at the listed price. These totals are my own math from the listed figures.
eDesk Essential is $588 a year on monthly billing and $468 on annual billing for one agent. Re:amaze Basic is $348 monthly or $312 annual, and Pro is $588 monthly or $528 annual. Richpanel is $1,428 a year for one seat on monthly billing or $1,188 on annual billing, before AI usage, and the annual Starter bundle is $3,588. Gorgias prices are not shown on the page I reviewed.
Other Tools Worth a Look
If you want a larger helpdesk, my Zendesk alternatives guide compares seven options by price and free plans. For a chat-first tool with AI, read my guide to Intercom alternatives. Both pages cite prices from each vendor’s own site.
Support for a High-Ticket Store
High-ticket buyers ask more questions before they order. They want to know about delivery, warranty, financing, and returns, and they expect a real answer. A fast reply can decide a sale worth thousands of dollars.
Set up saved replies for the questions you get most. Write them in plain language and update them when a supplier changes a policy. Keep a short list of facts about each product so any helper can answer correctly.
A CRM keeps pre-sale conversations from going cold. I recommend HubSpot for tracking each buyer from first message to sale. A shared inbox in Google Workspace can also work while your volume is small.
Hiring Help for Support
Support is one of the first jobs to hand off. A virtual assistant from OnlineJobs.ph can answer routine questions from a written guide. Include examples of good replies so they match your tone.
Give new helpers a limited role at first. Let them draft replies and send them for your review before they answer on their own. Per-agent pricing means every helper adds a seat, so count that cost before you hire.
Connecting Support to Your Store and Email
Support works best when it sits next to your orders. I run my stores on Shopify, and I check which tools list a Shopify connection before I commit. Order data in the helpdesk saves time on every ticket.
After a good support exchange, follow up by email. A tool like Omnisend can send order and abandoned cart messages from the same store data. Keep the tone consistent between support and email.
Costs to Watch as You Grow
The first cost is per-agent pricing. A tool at $49 per agent costs $147 a month for three people, so a small team adds up. Compare the price for the team you will have in a year, not today.
The second cost is AI usage. Richpanel’s page lists a $200 monthly AI minimum, Re:amaze charges $0.85 per resolution above the included amount, and Help Scout lists $0.75 per resolution on its AI add-on. Estimate how many conversations the bot will handle in a busy month.
The third cost is add-ons. Gorgias lists voice and SMS as add-ons, Richpanel lists returns and exchanges from $99 a month, and Help Scout charges for extra inboxes. Ask what your must-have features cost on top of the plan.
Moving Away From Gorgias Safely
Before you cancel, export your ticket history and your saved replies. Write down your rules, tags, and automations so you can rebuild them. Keep a copy of your customer notes in a spreadsheet.
Set up the new tool and connect your store first. Send test messages from your own email and from your store contact form. Run both tools side by side for a week so no customer message is missed.
Cancel only when the new tool is answering real customers well. Check Gorgias’s current terms first, since the pricing page I loaded did not show cancellation details. Tell your helpers which tool to use from the switch date.
When Gorgias Is Still the Right Pick
Switching is not always the right call. If your store answers hundreds of order questions a month and you want the helpdesk built for that work, Gorgias is made for it. The page also says it is never priced per agent, which helps if you have a large team and low volume.
If your support volume is small, a simple shared inbox or a free plan can do the job. If your volume is large and repetitive, an AI-first tool may cut your workload. Match the tool to your real ticket count and avoid paying for features you will not use.
Common Mistakes With Support Tools
The first mistake is picking a tool by price per seat alone. Ticket volume, AI usage, and add-ons can change the bill. The second mistake is switching in the middle of a holiday rush.
The third mistake is buying support software before your business is set up. If you have not formed your company, read my guide to business formation for high-ticket dropshipping. To start a company quickly, Bizee is one option I recommend for LLC filings.
The fourth mistake is answering questions for a product you cannot source. Pick a niche from my high-ticket niches list first. My guide to finding suppliers for high-ticket dropshipping covers the sourcing side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free Gorgias alternative?
Tidio lists a Free plan with 50 conversations, and Help Scout lists a Free plan for up to 5 users and 100 contacts a month. Pick Tidio for chat and a bot, and Help Scout for a shared inbox.
How much does Gorgias cost?
The pricing page I loaded did not show plan prices. It says the helpdesk scales from 50 to 5,000 tickets a month and is never priced per agent. Check the live pricing page or book a demo for current numbers.
Which Gorgias alternative works with marketplaces?
eDesk lists Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and several other marketplaces, along with Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, and WooCommerce. The page does not say which integrations come with each plan, so ask before you buy.
Do I need a helpdesk for a high-ticket store?
Not on day one. A shared inbox can handle early questions, and a helpdesk becomes useful when several people answer or when you want order data next to each message. Fast, accurate replies matter more than the tool.
Will my ticket history transfer to another tool?
Not always. Export your tickets and saved replies, write down your rules, and rebuild them in the new tool. Run both side by side for a week before you cancel.
Final Verdict on Gorgias Alternatives
Tidio is the best pick for a low-cost chat and bot start, Help Scout fits small teams that want a clean shared inbox, eDesk suits marketplace sellers, Re:amaze gives a modest per-seat price with chat and social channels, and Richpanel fits stores that want AI to carry more of the load. Gorgias is still worth a demo if you want a helpdesk built for online store orders.
Start with a free plan or a trial, answer real customer questions in it, and confirm current pricing on the vendor page before you pay for anything. Then spend your attention on the store itself, because good support only matters once buyers can find and trust the page.
Want a high-ticket store ready for real customers and real questions? Let my team build it for you. Get your store built →
Prefer to learn the model yourself? Start with my free mini course, or go deeper in the masterclass and coaching. Free mini course → Masterclass → Coaching →
Related Articles
If you found this useful, these guides go deeper on related topics:
- Gorgias Review 2026: Worth It for Ecommerce Support?
- eDesk vs Gorgias: Which Ecommerce Helpdesk Wins in 2026?
- Help Scout vs Gorgias in 2026: Shared Inbox Simplicity or Ecommerce-Native Order Editing
- 6 Best Tidio Alternatives in 2026: Gorgias, Intercom, and More Compared
- Zendesk Alternatives 2026: 7 Help Desks Compared by Price, Free Plan and Fit
Trevor Fenner is an ecommerce entrepreneur and world traveler from Seattle, Washington, and the founder of Ecommerce Paradise, a platform focused on helping entrepreneurs build and scale profitable high-ticket ecommerce and dropshipping businesses. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Trevor specializes in high-ticket dropshipping strategy, niche and product selection, supplier recruiting and onboarding, Google & Bing Shopping ads, ecommerce SEO, and systems-driven automation and scaling. Through Ecommerce Paradise, he provides free education via in-depth guides like How to Start High-Ticket Dropshipping, advanced training through the High-Ticket Dropshipping Masterclass, and fully done-for-you turnkey ecommerce services for entrepreneurs who want a faster, more hands-off path to growth. Trevor is known for emphasizing sustainable, real-world ecommerce models over hype-driven tactics, helping store owners build scalable, sellable, and location-independent brands.
He maintains homes in Seattle and Bali, spends most of the year overseas, and usually returns to Seattle for about a month each summer.
