Best Gorgias Alternative for Shopify Stores [2026]

Gorgias is powerful. It's also $300-750/month for most Shopify stores—and that cost scales up with your ticket volume, right when you can least afford it (hello, Black Friday).

If you're running a Shopify store and most of your support is email-based, you might be paying for a Swiss Army knife when you need a scalpel.

This guide compares Gorgias to 5 alternatives specifically for Shopify email support. We'll cover real pricing at different volumes, the features that actually matter, and which tool fits your store size.

Why Stores Leave Gorgias

Before we dive into alternatives, let's understand why Shopify store owners look for Gorgias replacements. Based on G2 reviews, Reddit threads, and conversations with store owners:

1. Ticket-Based Pricing Gets Expensive Fast

Gorgias charges based on ticket volume. At 2,000 tickets/month, you're paying $450+. At 5,000 tickets, you're over $900/month.

The painful part? Your costs spike during peak seasons—exactly when your margins are already stretched.

Example: One store owner shared paying $180/month in January, then $650/month during November-December holiday rush. Same features, 3.6x the cost.

2. Overpaying for Features You Don't Use

Gorgias is built for omnichannel support: email, chat, phone, social, SMS. If you primarily use email (like most small-medium Shopify stores), you're paying for capabilities you don't need.

The breakdown: Most Shopify stores get 70-80% of support volume via email. Yet they're paying for live chat widgets, social integrations, and phone features they rarely touch.

3. Complexity for Simple Needs

Gorgias has powerful macros, rules, and automations. But setting them up takes time, and most stores only use 10-20% of the features.

Common feedback: "I spent a week setting up Gorgias. Six months later, I'm basically using it as a shared inbox with some canned responses."

4. AI That Routes, Not Writes

Gorgias has AI features, but they focus on routing and categorization—not actually writing responses. You still need agents typing every reply.

The gap: Modern AI can draft complete, personalized responses. Gorgias's AI feels like it's from 2020.

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Quick Comparison: Gorgias vs Top Alternatives

Feature	Gorgias	Aidly	Re:amaze	Help Scout	Richpanel
Starting price	$50/mo	$166/mo	$29/user	$20/user	$100/mo
Pricing model	Per ticket	Flat rate	Per user	Per user	Per conversation
Shopify integration	Deep	Native	Good	Basic	Deep
AI response drafting	Basic macros	Full AI drafts	Basic	None	Basic
Setup time	Days	Minutes	Hours	Hours	Days
Best for	Large omnichannel	Email-focused AI	Budget multi-channel	Simple shared inbox	Self-service focus

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Top 5 Gorgias Alternatives for Shopify

1. Aidly — Best for AI-Powered Email Support

What it is: AI email support that drafts complete responses instantly. You approve before sending—nothing goes out without your review.

Pricing:

• Free: 5 emails to test
• Pro: $166/month (bring your own API key)
• Plus: $208/month (AI included, 5,000 emails)

Shopify Integration:

• Pulls order data automatically
• Shows customer purchase history
• Links to order details in responses

Why it's a strong Gorgias alternative:

Factor	Gorgias	Aidly
2,000 tickets/month	~$450	$208
5,000 tickets/month	~$900	$208
AI capabilities	Routing + macros	Full response drafting
Setup time	Days	5 minutes
Peak season cost	Spikes with volume	Same flat rate

The key difference: Gorgias gives you a powerful inbox and expects your team to write responses. Aidly writes the responses for you—you just review and approve.

Best for: Shopify stores with 500-5,000 email tickets/month who want to reduce response time and cost without sacrificing quality.

Limitations: Email-focused. If you need live chat, phone, or social in one tool, Aidly isn't the fit.

Try Aidly free →

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2. Re:amaze — Best Budget Multi-Channel Option

What it is: Helpdesk with chat, email, social, and FAQ—similar to Gorgias but simpler and cheaper.

Pricing:

• Basic: $29/user/month
• Pro: $49/user/month
• Plus: $69/user/month

Shopify Integration: Good. Pulls customer and order data, allows order actions from the inbox.

Why consider it:

• Significantly cheaper than Gorgias for small teams
• Includes live chat widget
• Decent Shopify integration
• Simpler setup than Gorgias

Limitations:

• AI is basic (categorization, not response drafting)
• Per-user pricing means costs scale with team size
• Less powerful automations than Gorgias

Best for: Small teams (1-5 people) who need multi-channel support on a budget.

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3. Help Scout — Best for Simplicity

What it is: Clean, simple shared inbox focused on email. No frills, just works.

Pricing:

• Standard: $20/user/month
• Plus: $40/user/month
• Pro: $65/user/month

Shopify Integration: Basic. Shows customer info, but no native order actions.

Why consider it:

• Extremely easy to use
• Great for small teams who want minimal complexity
• Solid email experience
• Good knowledge base features

Limitations:

• No AI drafting
• Limited Shopify integration (need third-party apps)
• Email-focused (chat is add-on, no social)

Best for: Small teams (1-3 people) who want a simple shared inbox without learning curve.

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4. Richpanel — Best Self-Service Focus

What it is: E-commerce helpdesk with strong self-service portal. Customers can track orders, initiate returns, and answer common questions without contacting support.

Pricing:

• Starter: $100/month (1,000 conversations)
• Regular: $400/month (4,000 conversations)
• Pro: $900/month (10,000 conversations)

Shopify Integration: Deep. Native app with order actions, customer history, and self-service flows.

Why consider it:

• Self-service reduces ticket volume by 30-50%
• Similar feature depth to Gorgias
• Good for stores with common, predictable questions

Limitations:

• Still conversation-based pricing (scales with volume)
• Complex setup for self-service flows
• AI is basic

Best for: Stores with very predictable support questions who want to deflect tickets with self-service.

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5. Zendesk — Best for Enterprise

What it is: The enterprise standard for customer support. Every feature imaginable, at enterprise prices.

Pricing:

• Suite Team: $55/agent/month
• Suite Growth: $89/agent/month
• Suite Professional: $115/agent/month
• AI add-ons: $50-100/agent/month extra

Shopify Integration: Available via third-party apps, not native.

Why consider it:

• Scales to any team size
• Every integration you can imagine
• Industry standard, enterprise-ready

Limitations:

• Overkill for most Shopify stores
• Complex setup (often needs consultants)
• Shopify integration is clunky
• Very expensive at scale

Best for: Large e-commerce operations (20+ agents) with complex, enterprise requirements.

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Aidly vs Gorgias: Detailed Comparison

Since Aidly represents a fundamentally different approach (AI-first vs. agent-first), let's go deeper.

Pricing at Different Volumes

Monthly Tickets	Gorgias Cost	Aidly Cost	Annual Savings
500	~$180	$166	$168
1,000	~$300	$166	$1,608
2,000	~$450	$208	$2,904
5,000	~$900	$208	$8,304
10,000	~$1,800	Custom	$15,000+

The pattern: Gorgias costs scale linearly with volume. Aidly is flat. The more tickets you have, the bigger the savings.

Feature Comparison

AI Capabilities:

Capability	Gorgias	Aidly
Auto-categorization	✓	✓
Intent detection	✓	✓
Suggested macros	✓	✓ (but better)
Full response drafting	✗	✓
Learns from your responses	✗	✓
Improves over time	✗	✓

The difference: Gorgias AI helps you find the right macro faster. Aidly AI writes the response for you.

Email Management:

Feature	Gorgias	Aidly
Shared inbox	✓	✓
Conversation threading	✓	✓
Customer history	✓	✓
Order data in sidebar	✓	✓
Canned responses/macros	✓	✓ (AI generates)
Rules and automations	✓ Complex	Simple
Multi-brand support	✓	Coming soon

Channels:

Channel	Gorgias	Aidly
Email	✓	✓
Live chat	✓	✗
Phone	✓	✗
Social (FB, Instagram)	✓	✗
SMS	✓	✗

This is the trade-off: Gorgias does everything. Aidly does email exceptionally well. If email is 80% of your volume, Aidly wins on value.

Day-to-Day Experience

Using Gorgias:

1. Ticket arrives
2. Open ticket, read customer message
3. Check order history in sidebar
4. Search for relevant macro OR write response manually
5. Customize macro with order details
6. Review and send

Time per ticket: 4-8 minutes

Using Aidly:

1. Ticket arrives
2. Open ticket—AI draft is already there
3. Read draft, see order context auto-populated
4. Review (maybe quick edit)
5. Send

Time per ticket: 1-2 minutes

The experience difference: Gorgias is a powerful tool you use. Aidly is an assistant that does the work for you.

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Migration: Switching from Gorgias to Aidly

How Long Does It Take?

Total time: 30-60 minutes for most stores

Step-by-Step Migration

Step 1: Export from Gorgias (15 minutes)

• Export your macros/canned responses
• Export customer data if needed
• Note your current rules and automations

Step 2: Set up Aidly (5 minutes)

• Connect your support email
• Connect Shopify integration
• Import macros as templates (Aidly learns from them)

Step 3: Test (15 minutes)

• Send a few test emails
• See how AI drafts compare to your macros
• Adjust if needed

Step 4: Run parallel (1 week)

• Route some tickets to Aidly, some to Gorgias
• Compare response quality and time
• Make sure nothing falls through cracks

Step 5: Switch fully

• Update email routing to Aidly only
• Cancel Gorgias subscription
• Enjoy lower costs

What You'll Lose (Be Honest)

• Live chat, phone, social integrations
• Complex automation rules
• Deep reporting and analytics
• Native Facebook/Instagram messaging

What You'll Gain

• 50-75% cost reduction
• Faster response times (AI drafts instantly)
• Simpler workflow (less clicking, more approving)
• Predictable pricing (no peak season surprises)

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Who Should Stay with Gorgias

To be fair, Gorgias is the better choice if:

• You need true omnichannel: Phone, chat, email, social in one inbox
• You have complex automations: Advanced rules that route, tag, and assign based on many conditions
• You have a large team (10+ agents): Gorgias's team management features are stronger
• You're already deeply integrated: If your whole workflow depends on Gorgias, switching has friction

Don't switch just to save money if Gorgias genuinely fits your workflow better.

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Making the Decision

Choose Gorgias if:

• You need phone, chat, and social support
• You have 10+ support agents
• Complex automations are core to your workflow
• Budget isn't your primary concern

Choose Aidly if:

• Email is your primary channel (70%+ of volume)
• You want AI to draft responses, not just route
• Predictable pricing matters (especially for seasonal businesses)
• You're a small team (1-10 people) who values simplicity

Choose Re:amaze if:

• You want Gorgias-like features at lower cost
• Multi-channel on a budget is the priority
• You're a very small team (1-5 people)

Choose Help Scout if:

• You want the simplest possible shared inbox
• You don't need Shopify integration
• Email-only is fine

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Try Before You Switch

The best way to know if an alternative works for your store is to try it with real tickets.

Aidly offers:

• 5 free emails to test AI quality
• No credit card required
• Setup in under 5 minutes
• See how AI handles your actual customer questions

Try Aidly free →

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Related Resources

• The True Cost of Email Support: Hiring vs AI vs Outsourcing — Full cost analysis
• Customer Service for Shopify: Complete Setup Guide — Setting up support for your store
• Zendesk vs Aidly Comparison — Enterprise alternative comparison
• AI Email Support for E-Commerce — Implementation guide