Guide · Helpdesks
Gorgias vs Zendesk: which helpdesk fits your ecommerce brand?
Pick Gorgias if you sell mainly on Shopify and want agents to see orders, edit them and refund from inside the ticket. Pick Zendesk if you sell on several channels (Amazon, wholesale, phone), run more than one brand, or need deep reporting and custom workflows. Gorgias prices by ticket volume; Zendesk prices per agent seat, so busy small teams often pay less on Zendesk and quiet stores with many agents pay less on Gorgias.
The short version
| Gorgias | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Shopify-first DTC brands | Multi-channel brands, larger teams |
| How you pay | By number of tickets a month | Per agent seat a month |
| Shopify orders in the ticket | Built in: view, edit, refund, cancel | Through apps; view is easy, actions vary by app |
| Amazon buyer messages | Through a connector app | Through a connector app |
| Social and chat | Strong: Instagram, Facebook comments and DMs, chat | Good: messaging, social and chat add-ons |
| Phone | Available, simpler | Mature built-in voice |
| Reporting and workflows | Ecommerce focused, easy to set up | Very deep and customizable, needs more setup |
| Setup time | Hours to days | Days to weeks |
Plans and prices change often, so check both pricing pages before you decide. The pricing model is the part that rarely changes and matters most.
Pricing: tickets vs seats
Gorgias charges by how many tickets you handle, with unlimited users. That suits a store with seasonal spikes and many part-time helpers, but a busy month can push you into a higher tier. Zendesk charges for each agent seat, whatever the volume. That suits a small, busy team: two agents handling 3,000 tickets a month pay for two seats.
A quick way to compare: take your average monthly tickets and the number of people who reply. Price both on each tool's current plan page, and add the cost of any connector apps (Amazon, reviews, returns).
When Gorgias is the better choice
- Most of your sales and tickets come from Shopify.
- "Where is my order?", returns and address changes are most of your tickets, and you want agents to fix them without leaving the ticket.
- You get a lot of Instagram and Facebook comments and want them in the same inbox.
- You want something running this week without an admin.
When Zendesk is the better choice
- You sell on Amazon, wholesale or retail as well as Shopify, and need one place for all of it.
- You run several brands or stores and want separate help centers and email addresses.
- Phone support matters to you.
- You want detailed reporting, routing rules and service levels that you can shape yourself.
What about Amazon messages?
Neither tool connects to Amazon buyer messages by itself. Both work with connector apps that pull Amazon messages in as tickets and send your replies back. Amazon expects replies within 24 hours, including weekends, and checks that messages follow its communication rules, so the setup and the people answering matter more than the helpdesk. See Amazon customer support for how we handle it.
Switching later
Both tools can import your past tickets, macros and customers, usually through a migration app. Moving is a few days of work, not months, so do not overthink the first choice. Pick the one that fits how you sell today.
Want agents who already know both?
Our support agents work inside Gorgias, Zendesk, Freshdesk and other helpdesks, in your account, with your macros. Dedicated agents start from $900.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Gorgias or Zendesk cheaper?
It depends on your numbers. Gorgias charges by ticket volume with unlimited users; Zendesk charges per agent. A small team with many tickets usually pays less on Zendesk; a store with few tickets and many people replying usually pays less on Gorgias.
Which is better for Shopify?
Gorgias is built around Shopify, so agents can see, edit, refund and cancel orders from inside the ticket. Zendesk can show Shopify orders through apps, with fewer built-in actions.
Can Gorgias or Zendesk handle Amazon buyer messages?
Yes, through connector apps that bring Amazon messages in as tickets. Amazon's 24-hour reply expectation and messaging rules still apply, so plan weekend cover.
Can I switch from Gorgias to Zendesk or the other way?
Yes. Both import past tickets, customers and macros, usually through a migration app, in a few days.
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