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The best Gorgias alternatives for Shopify stores in 2026

Gorgias is the deepest Shopify helpdesk, and for many stores it’s the right choice. Teams usually look elsewhere because of the bill: tickets, overage and an AI fee for each interaction. Here are the alternatives worth a look, starting with ours, and who each one suits.

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Updated 11 October 2026. Competitor prices checked on each vendor’s own site.

  1. 1. Hobson

    Best for Shopify stores that want AI on every conversation and a flat bill.

    Hobson drafts every reply, a person approves it, and each category sends on its own only after it has a track record. Order actions such as refunds and cancellations are proposed with the reply and run when approved. Plans start at £49 a month for 300 conversations with unlimited seats and no per-resolution fees. It runs in shadow mode on your live Gorgias traffic before you switch. It has no voice, SMS, WhatsApp or help centre.

    Hobson vs Gorgias · How switching works

  2. 2. Richpanel

    Best for: Shopify brands that want a self-service portal, a returns add-on and a resolution guarantee.

    Price
    $99 per seat a month billed annually, $119 monthly
    AI fee
    About $0.20 per conversation, bought as credits, with a $200 a month minimum
    Strengths
    A self-service portal and a returns add-on. Hobson has neither. A guarantee of 50% resolution in 30 days or your money back. More time in the market, and 4.7 from 122 reviews on the Shopify App Store.
    Shopify
    Built for Shopify brands, with a returns add-on from $99

    Hobson vs Richpanel

  3. 3. Zendesk

    Best for: Larger teams that need deep customisation, detailed reporting, voice and enterprise compliance.

    Price
    Support Team £20 per agent a month (£15 billed annually). Suite Team £59 (£45 annually)
    AI fee
    £1.30 per automated resolution on a committed volume, US$2.00 pay as you go. 5 included per agent a month on Team, 10 on Professional
    Strengths
    Customisation, workflow depth and reporting. Voice and a wider set of channels. A large marketplace of apps. Enterprise compliance and scale.
    Shopify
    Through an app integration. Order actions need set-up or extra apps

    Hobson vs Zendesk

  4. 4. eDesk

    Best for: Sellers on Amazon, eBay and other marketplaces as well as Shopify. eDesk is the better choice there.

    Price
    Essential $39, Growth $89, Professional $119 per user a month, billed annually
    AI fee
    $0.99 per resolution
    Strengths
    Amazon, eBay and other marketplaces in one inbox. A strong base in the UK and Ireland.
    Shopify
    Shopify alongside Amazon, eBay and other marketplaces

  5. 5. Re:amaze

    Best for: Very small stores, where the $59 Starter plan with 500 conversations is hard to beat.

    Price
    Basic $29, Pro $49, Plus $69 per seat a month. Starter $59 flat for 500 conversations with unlimited agents
    AI fee
    $0.85 per resolution after 5, 10 or 20 included per user
    Strengths
    The Starter plan is cheaper than Hobson at small volumes. A longer track record.
    Shopify
    Shopify integration

  6. 6. Help Scout

    Best for: Small teams that want a simple shared inbox and a public knowledge base, or a free plan.

    Price
    Free for up to 5 users. Standard $25, Plus $45 and Pro $75 per user a month
    AI fee
    $0.75 per AI Answers resolution, with an optional spending cap
    Strengths
    A free plan for up to 5 users. Docs, a public knowledge base. Hobson has no help centre. A simple, long-established shared inbox. An optional spending cap on AI Answers.
    Shopify
    No refund or cancellation actions listed on the pricing page

    Hobson vs Help Scout

  7. 7. Intercom Fin

    Best for: SaaS and B2B teams that want a mature autonomous AI agent and are comfortable with per-outcome billing.

    Price
    Essential $29 per seat a month, Advanced $85, Expert $132
    AI fee
    $0.99 per outcome. An outcome includes a resolution, a customer who stops replying after Fin answers, or a completed workflow including a handoff
    Strengths
    Fin is a mature autonomous agent, with procedures for multi-step answers. Voice, and a deep ecosystem for SaaS products. A well-known brand with a long track record.
    Shopify
    A general helpdesk aimed mainly at SaaS and B2B teams

    Hobson vs Intercom Fin

  8. Or keep Gorgias and add an AI layer

    Tools such as Siena AI add AI on top of Gorgias for $750 a month platform fee plus $0.90 per automated ticket. You keep Gorgias’s channels and pay for both. Hobson’s shadow mode lets you see whether one flat bill could replace both before you decide.

Costs side by side

Three example stores on monthly billing at list prices. Each competitor figure counts its seats and its fee for each conversation its AI resolves, on the plan shown. Drafting add-ons are left out, which favours the competitors. US dollar prices are converted at £1 = $1.33. Hobson’s AI drafting pauses at your plan limit, and you’re never billed overage.

Small store

300 conversations, 2 agents, 30% (90) resolved by AI

Hobson Starter
£49
Gorgias Basic plan
≈ £90.23
  • Basic plan, 300 tickets includedUS$60
  • 60 AI Agent interactions × $1.00 (30 included)US$60
Richpanel Per seat
≈ £329
  • 2 seats × $119US$238
  • AI at about $0.20 per conversation ($200 minimum)US$200
Zendesk Suite Team
£222
  • 2 agents × £59£118
  • 80 automated resolutions × £1.30 (10 included)£104
Change the numbers

Growing store

1,000 conversations, 3 agents, 40% (400) resolved by AI

Hobson Growth
£149
Gorgias Basic plan
≈ £414
  • Basic plan, 300 tickets includedUS$60
  • 300 extra tickets × $0.40US$120
  • 370 AI Agent interactions × $1.00 (30 included)US$370
Richpanel Per seat
≈ £419
  • 3 seats × $119US$357
  • AI at about $0.20 per conversation ($200 minimum)US$200
Zendesk Suite Team
£678
  • 3 agents × £59£177
  • 385 automated resolutions × £1.30 (15 included)£501
Change the numbers

Busy store

3,000 conversations, 8 agents, 50% (1,500) resolved by AI

Hobson Scale
£349
Gorgias Pro plan
≈ £1,256
  • Pro plan, 2,000 tickets includedUS$360
  • 1,310 AI Agent interactions × $1.00 (190 included)US$1,310
Richpanel Per seat
≈ £1,167
  • 8 seats × $119US$952
  • AI at about $0.20 per conversation ($200 minimum)US$600
Zendesk Suite Team
£2,370
  • 8 agents × £59£472
  • 1,460 automated resolutions × £1.30 (40 included)£1,898
Change the numbers

Questions

Sources

  1. Gorgias pricing, checked 11 October 2026
  2. Gorgias on the Shopify App Store (4.3 from 705 reviews), checked 11 October 2026
  3. Richpanel pricing (updated 28 July 2026), checked 28 July 2026
  4. Zendesk UK pricing, checked 11 October 2026
  5. eDesk pricing, checked 11 October 2026
  6. Re:amaze pricing, checked 11 October 2026
  7. Help Scout pricing, checked 11 October 2026
  8. Intercom pricing, checked 11 October 2026
  9. Macha, Gorgias complaints, checked 11 October 2026
  10. Shopify App Store reviews, checked 11 October 2026
  11. Intercom community feedback, checked 11 October 2026
  12. Siena AI pricing, checked 11 October 2026

Prices are list prices excluding VAT, voice, SMS and add-ons unless shown, and can change at any time. Check the vendor’s own page before you decide. Gorgias, Richpanel, Zendesk, eDesk, Re:amaze, Help Scout, Intercom Fin and Siena AI are trade marks of their owners. Hobson is not affiliated with them. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@hobson.support and we’ll correct it.

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