Cheaper Gorgias Alternatives in 2026: Ecommerce Help Desks Compared by Price
Seven help desks priced for a 3-agent store answering 1,000 tickets a month, with each yearly bill set against Gorgias's ticket-based price.
The cheapest Gorgias alternatives for a Shopify store in 2026 are Re:amaze, at $87/mo for three agents on Basic with monthly billing, and Zendesk Support Team or Freshdesk Growth, both $57/mo for three agents billed yearly. Gorgias prices by ticket, so 1,000 tickets a month costs $340/mo on monthly billing (Basic plus overage) or $300/mo on yearly billing (Pro).
That gap is about $3,000 a year for a three-person team. Help Scout Standard at $75/mo billed yearly adds chat and social channels, eDesk suits Amazon and eBay sellers, and Zoho Desk's free plan covers three agents on email alone. Prices were read on each vendor's pricing page in October 2026.
Key facts7 tools compared: Re:amaze, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, eDesk, Zoho Desk, Richpanel
- 7 tools compared: Re:amaze, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, eDesk, Zoho Desk, Richpanel
- Zendesk (best for: Email-first stores that want a mature ticketing system at the lowest per-agent price): Support Team $19/agent/mo billed yearly, $25 monthly. Suite Team $55 yearly. 14-day trial.
- Freshdesk (best for: Stores that want ticketing, a shared inbox and a customer portal at the lowest yearly price): Growth $19/agent/mo billed yearly; Pro $55. No free plan. 14-day trial.
- Help Scout (best for: Stores that answer customers across email, chat, SMS and Instagram and want a simple inbox): Standard $25/user/mo billed yearly; Plus $45. Free: 5 users, 100 contacts/mo. 15-day trial.
Gorgias is cheap when the team is big and the inbox is quiet, and expensive the other way around. It bills by monthly tickets, never by agent, so a small store with a busy inbox pays for volume it cannot avoid. Per-seat help desks flip that logic: three agents cost the same whether they answer 300 tickets or 3,000.
Toolradar data: Toolradar, the software directory we run, evaluates 30 help desk tools in its help desk ranking, updated October 22, 2026, and Gorgias sits eighth in its top ten, behind Zendesk first and Freshdesk second. Directory profiles: Gorgias, Re:amaze, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, eDesk, Zoho Desk and Richpanel.
How we ranked: seven help desks a store owner would shortlist when the Gorgias bill grows, ordered by how much of an ecommerce support workflow each keeps per dollar for three agents and 1,000 tickets a month. USD list prices were read on each vendor's pricing page in October 2026, the yearly totals are our arithmetic, and nothing was tested hands-on. Every tier and overage rule is in our Gorgias pricing breakdown.
Top Picks
Based on features, real-world fit, and value for money.
The closest cheaper swap for a small Gorgias team: ecommerce help desk, live chat and AI, billed per agent.
Basic $29/agent/mo monthly ($26.10 yearly); Starter $59/mo flat to 500 conversations. 14-day trial.
Shopify stores that want chat, social and email in one ecommerce inbox for a per-agent price
Support Team $19/agent/mo billed yearly, $25 monthly. Suite Team $55 yearly. 14-day trial.
Email-first stores that want a mature ticketing system at the lowest per-agent price
Matches Zendesk's entry price on yearly billing and adds a one-time bank of AI sessions to try.
Growth $19/agent/mo billed yearly; Pro $55. No free plan. 14-day trial.
Stores that want ticketing, a shared inbox and a customer portal at the lowest yearly price
| Tool | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Re:amaze | Basic $29/agent/mo monthly ($26.10 yearly); Starter $59/mo flat to 500 conversations. 14-day trial. | Shopify stores that want chat, social and email in one ecommerce inbox for a per-agent price |
| Zendesk | Support Team $19/agent/mo billed yearly, $25 monthly. Suite Team $55 yearly. 14-day trial. | Email-first stores that want a mature ticketing system at the lowest per-agent price |
| Freshdesk | Growth $19/agent/mo billed yearly; Pro $55. No free plan. 14-day trial. | Stores that want ticketing, a shared inbox and a customer portal at the lowest yearly price |
| Help Scout | Standard $25/user/mo billed yearly; Plus $45. Free: 5 users, 100 contacts/mo. 15-day trial. | Stores that answer customers across email, chat, SMS and Instagram and want a simple inbox |
| eDesk | Essential $39/agent/mo yearly, $49 monthly; Growth $89 yearly. 14-day trial, no card. | Sellers who answer Amazon, eBay and webstore messages from one inbox |
| Zoho Desk | Free for 3 users, email only. Paid plans per user, 15-day trial; check the current price on Zoho's site. | Founder-run stores with up to three people answering email who want no software bill |
| Richpanel | $99/seat/mo on an annual commitment, $119 monthly. AI has a $200/mo minimum. | Stores that expect AI to resolve most order questions and want no per-ticket fee |
Pricing read from each vendor's own pricing page, checked Nov 2026. Every vendor here publishes a price.
Re:amaze
The closest cheaper swap for a small Gorgias team: ecommerce help desk, live chat and AI, billed per agent.
- Pricing
- Basic $29/agent/mo monthly ($26.10 yearly); Starter $59/mo flat to 500 conversations. 14-day trial.
Best for: Shopify stores that want chat, social and email in one ecommerce inbox for a per-agent price
Pros
- Three agents on Basic cost $87 a month on monthly billing, against $340 for Gorgias at 1,000 tickets.
- Starter is $59 a month for unlimited team members, a fit for stores under 500 responded conversations.
- Extra AI resolutions cost $0.85 each, against $0.90 per automated interaction on Gorgias Basic and Pro.
Cons
- Basic includes only 5 AI resolutions per agent a month, so AI-heavy stores pay overage early.
- SMS, voice and multi-brand accounts start on the Pro plan, which costs more per agent.
Zendesk
The cheapest name-brand ticketing desk, as long as your customers write in by email.
- Pricing
- Support Team $19/agent/mo billed yearly, $25 monthly. Suite Team $55 yearly. 14-day trial.
Best for: Email-first stores that want a mature ticketing system at the lowest per-agent price
Pros
- Three agents on Support Team cost $57 a month billed yearly, or $684 for the year.
- Routing, automations, triggers and prebuilt dashboards are included on Support Team.
- The 14-day trial opens the Suite Professional feature set, so you can test AI and chat before choosing.
Cons
- Support Team has no live chat, messaging or social channels; those start on Suite Team at $55 an agent yearly.
- AI resolutions beyond the included 5 per agent cost $2.00 each pay-as-you-go, more than Gorgias's $0.90 per automated interaction on Basic and Pro.
Freshdesk
Matches Zendesk's entry price on yearly billing and adds a one-time bank of AI sessions to try.
- Pricing
- Growth $19/agent/mo billed yearly; Pro $55. No free plan. 14-day trial.
Best for: Stores that want ticketing, a shared inbox and a customer portal at the lowest yearly price
Pros
- Three agents on Growth come to $57 a month on yearly billing.
- Every paid plan includes 500 Freddy AI Agent sessions once per account, enough to test automation.
- Extra AI sessions cost $49 per 100, which works out to $0.49 a session in our arithmetic.
Cons
- The pricing page shows yearly prices only, so a store wanting month-to-month terms has to ask.
- The AI Copilot for agents is a separate $29 per agent a month on Pro and Enterprise.
Help Scout
A multichannel inbox at a flat per-user price, with pay-per-resolution AI.
- Pricing
- Standard $25/user/mo billed yearly; Plus $45. Free: 5 users, 100 contacts/mo. 15-day trial.
Best for: Stores that answer customers across email, chat, SMS and Instagram and want a simple inbox
Pros
- Standard includes live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, and contacts are unlimited.
- Three users on Standard cost $75 a month billed yearly, or $900 for the year.
- The Envoy AI add-on costs $0.75 a resolution and comes with a 3-month free trial.
Cons
- The free plan caps you at 100 contacts a month, far below a 1,000-ticket store.
- Monthly billing costs more: the yearly toggle shows a 16% discount.
eDesk
A help desk built for marketplace sellers, with AI billed only on outcomes.
- Pricing
- Essential $39/agent/mo yearly, $49 monthly; Growth $89 yearly. 14-day trial, no card.
Best for: Sellers who answer Amazon, eBay and webstore messages from one inbox
Pros
- Three agents on Essential cost $117 a month billed yearly, still about $2,200 a year under Gorgias.
- The AI Agent is included on every plan at $0.99 per outcome, charged once per ticket.
- Growth connects 5 stores or marketplaces and adds performance reporting and CSAT surveys.
Cons
- Essential connects only one online store or marketplace, so multichannel sellers need Growth.
- AI Assist for agents is a paid add-on at $30 per agent a month, and Translate is extra too.
Zoho Desk
The only free plan on this list that covers a three-agent team.
- Pricing
- Free for 3 users, email only. Paid plans per user, 15-day trial; check the current price on Zoho's site.
Best for: Founder-run stores with up to three people answering email who want no software bill
Pros
- The free plan includes three user licenses at no cost.
- Workflows, direct assignment and multi-level escalations are available on the free tier.
- Express adds social channels such as Instagram, Facebook and X plus web forms.
Cons
- The free plan handles email only, with no live chat or social inbox.
- A fourth agent forces the whole team onto a paid, per-user plan.
Richpanel
Not cheaper for a small human team, but cheaper per AI conversation than Gorgias's per-interaction rate.
- Pricing
- $99/seat/mo on an annual commitment, $119 monthly. AI has a $200/mo minimum.
Best for: Stores that expect AI to resolve most order questions and want no per-ticket fee
Pros
- There are no per-ticket fees, and email, chat, social, SMS and WhatsApp are included.
- AI conversations cost about $0.60 each on a monthly commitment, under Gorgias's $0.90 per automated interaction on Basic and Pro.
- Richpanel says it guarantees 50% AI automation within 30 days or your money back.
Cons
- Three seats cost $357 a month on monthly billing, more than Gorgias at 1,000 tickets.
- The smallest account the pricing page lists is $299 a month, one seat plus the AI minimum.
What it is
A cheaper Gorgias alternative is a help desk that handles store email, chat or social messages in one shared inbox and bills less for the same team and volume. Most charge per agent, so the savings depend on your headcount more than on your ticket count.
Here is the bill you are comparing against. Gorgias Basic is $60/mo for 300 tickets on monthly billing, Pro $360/mo for 2,000 and Advanced $900/mo for 5,000. Tickets above Basic's allowance bill at $40 per 100, so a store at 1,000 tickets pays $280 in overage on top of Basic. Yearly billing lowers Pro to $300/mo, which already covers that volume.
How it works
Start by sorting your tickets by channel. If almost everything arrives by email, a ticketing-only plan such as Zendesk Support Team or Zoho Desk's free tier does the job for the least money. If chat, Instagram and WhatsApp carry a real share, you need a plan that includes them, such as Re:amaze Basic or Help Scout Standard.
Then count how many of your tickets are order questions. Gorgias earns its price on Shopify order actions such as cancelling or editing an order from the inbox, compared side by side in our Gorgias vs Zendesk breakdown. A store whose tickets are mostly "where is my order" should price the order lookup in each alternative before moving, or cut those tickets at the source with the tools in our returns management guide.
Shopify also ships its own free chat app, Shopify Inbox, which some stores pair with a cheap email help desk instead of buying an all-in-one tool.
Why it matters
For three agents at 1,000 tickets a month, each paid pick except Richpanel saves roughly $2,200 to $3,200 a year. We priced each tool at list price for that store. Gorgias's cheapest fit is $4,080 a year on monthly billing or $3,600 a year on yearly billing, our arithmetic on its published tiers.
On monthly billing, Zendesk Support Team comes to $900 a year and Re:amaze Basic to $1,044, so the saving is $3,180 and $3,036. On yearly billing, Freshdesk Growth and Zendesk Support Team both come to $684 a year, a saving of $2,916 against Gorgias Pro. eDesk Essential, the priciest per-seat pick here, still saves $2,196 a year on yearly billing.
The per-seat math reverses as the team grows. At 15 agents, Re:amaze Basic on monthly billing would run $435 a month, while Gorgias's price stays tied to tickets, so a large team with a modest inbox can be cheaper on Gorgias. Run your own headcount before you trust any ranking, ours included.
Key features to look for
Pricing
The cheapest move depends on how many people answer tickets. Per-agent desks win for small teams with busy inboxes, and Gorgias wins back ground as headcount climbs, because its price ignores seats. For our three-agent store, every pick except Richpanel cuts the bill by more than half.
Compare like with like. Freshdesk's pricing page shows yearly prices only, Help Scout's default view is yearly, and Zendesk, Re:amaze and eDesk print both. Gorgias's yearly price applies to Basic, Pro and Advanced; Starter is monthly only. Zoho Desk prices its paid plans per user, so check the current price on Zoho's site before you budget past the free tier.
Prices were checked in October 2026 on Gorgias pricing, Re:amaze pricing, Zendesk pricing, Freshdesk pricing, Help Scout pricing, eDesk pricing, Zoho Desk pricing and Richpanel pricing.
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgias Basic, monthly | $60/mo | 300 tickets, extra tickets $40 per 100 |
| Gorgias Pro, monthly | $360/mo | 2,000 tickets, revenue analytics |
| Gorgias Pro, yearly | $300/mo | Same Pro allowance on a yearly term |
| Re:amaze Basic, monthly | $29/agent/mo | Email, live chat, social, 5 AI resolutions per agent |
| Re:amaze Pro, monthly | $49/agent/mo | Adds SMS, voice and multiple brands |
| Re:amaze Starter | $59/mo flat | Unlimited team members, 500 responded conversations |
| Zendesk Support Team, yearly | $19/agent/mo | Email ticketing, routing, triggers |
| Zendesk Suite Team, yearly | $55/agent/mo | Adds messaging, live chat, knowledge base |
| Freshdesk Growth, yearly | $19/agent/mo | Ticketing, shared inbox, customer portal |
| Help Scout Standard, yearly | $25/user/mo | Chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, up to 25 users |
| eDesk Essential, yearly | $39/agent/mo | One store or marketplace, live chat, automations |
| Zoho Desk Free | Free | Three users, email channel only |
| Richpanel Helpdesk, annual commitment | $99/seat/mo | No per-ticket fees, all messaging channels |
The bottom line
Re:amaze is the cheaper Gorgias alternative for most small Shopify teams: an ecommerce inbox with chat and social, billed per agent, at about a quarter of Gorgias's cost for three agents at 1,000 tickets. Zendesk Support Team and Freshdesk Growth are cheapest on yearly billing if email is your main channel, and Help Scout covers the most channels on its entry plan.
eDesk suits marketplace sellers, Zoho Desk's free plan suits a founder-run team of three, and Richpanel only pays off when AI handles most of the volume. For the wider field see the AI customer service tools for ecommerce, the Gorgias review, the best Shopify apps and our guide to an AI chatbot for ecommerce. Founders trimming the rest of the stack can start with cheaper Shopify alternatives and the best free Shopify apps. Our criteria are on how we rate.
Cite this: Retailpresso, "Cheaper Gorgias Alternatives in 2026", October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Gorgias alternative in 2026?
Zoho Desk is the cheapest: its free plan covers three users on email. Among paid help desks, Zendesk Support Team and Freshdesk Growth share the lowest per-agent price on yearly billing. For a Shopify store that needs chat and social too, Re:amaze Basic is $29 per agent on monthly billing.
How much does Gorgias cost for 1,000 tickets a month?
On monthly billing, Basic at $60 plus 700 extra tickets at $40 per 100 comes to $340 a month, which is cheaper than Pro at $360. On yearly billing, Pro at $300 a month covers 2,000 tickets. These totals are our arithmetic on Gorgias's published prices, read in October 2026.
Is Re:amaze cheaper than Gorgias?
For small teams, yes. Three agents on Re:amaze Basic cost $87 a month on monthly billing, against $340 for Gorgias at 1,000 tickets. The gap narrows as agents are added, since Re:amaze bills per team member and Gorgias does not.
Does Gorgias charge per agent?
No. Gorgias charges by monthly tickets, and its plans from Basic up include up to 500 user seats; Starter allows 3. That is why it can cost less than a per-agent help desk for a large team with a modest ticket volume.
Which Gorgias alternative is cheapest for AI resolutions?
Freshdesk sells extra AI Agent sessions at $49 per 100, about $0.49 each by our arithmetic. Richpanel lists about $0.60 a conversation on a monthly commitment, and Help Scout charges $0.75 a resolution. Gorgias lists $0.90 per automated interaction on Basic and Pro.
Is there a free alternative to Gorgias?
Zoho Desk's free plan covers three users with email ticketing and basic workflows. Help Scout's free plan allows five users but only 100 contacts a month. Gorgias's pricing page lists no free plan: its cheapest plan is Starter at $10 a month for 50 tickets, and the paid plans come with a free trial.
Sources
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's own pricing page, re-checked by the Toolradar pricing tracker.
- Re:amaze pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Zendesk pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Freshdesk pricingchecked Sep 2026
- Help Scout pricingchecked Sep 2026
Some offers on this page may be paid placements or contain affiliate links.
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