Which Gorgias alternative fits your store?
Choose Tidio to compare a helpdesk with live chat and AI, Zipchat to focus on AI sales and support, or Shopify Inbox for a simpler Shopify store-chat setup. The right choice depends on which part of Gorgias you want to replace: the team's shared workspace, automated conversations, or the chat widget on your storefront.
Start with the work that prompted your search. If messages are getting lost between teammates, evaluate assignment and follow-up. If repetitive product questions are taking up the day, evaluate AI answers and escalation. If you mainly need to answer shoppers yourself, start with store chat.
| Option | Start here when | Compare before deciding |
|---|---|---|
| Tidio + Lyro | You want live support, tickets and AI in one platform | Required channels, Shopify order actions and separate human/AI usage allowances |
| Zipchat | You want AI to handle product questions and support conversations | Reply allowance, escalation rules and the workspace staff use afterward |
| Shopify Inbox | Your main need is conversation with shoppers on your Shopify store | Staff coverage, available AI options and where other channels are handled |
| Keep Gorgias | Your team relies on its shared inbox and connected workflows | Whether adjusting your existing setup solves the original problem |
These are editorial selection criteria based on the official product pages linked below, checked September 25, 2026. Use them to choose a trial workflow rather than treating the table as a performance ranking.
Tidio: for a helpdesk with live chat and AI
Tidio is the first option on this shortlist to evaluate when you want both a team support workspace and AI. Its Shopify integration describes live chat, ticketing, customer order history and actions such as refunds, order cancellation and shipping-address changes. Lyro handles automated conversations. Tidio's Shopify integration (checked September 25, 2026).
For a useful trial, take an order-status question from chat through to a teammate. Then try a refund request that needs approval. Check whether the customer record, notes and next action are clear when a second person takes over. Verify the permissions and plan requirements for the specific order actions your staff need.
Budget human support and AI separately. Tidio's calculator distinguishes billable conversations, Lyro AI conversations and visitors reached with Flows; a single headline allowance does not describe all three. Official pricing (checked September 25, 2026). Our Tidio and Gorgias comparison explores the choice in more detail.
Zipchat: for AI product advice and support
Zipchat is worth evaluating when the main job is answering shoppers' questions and helping them choose products. Its product site describes AI sales and support with rules for passing conversations to a person. Official product overview (checked September 25, 2026).
Build a trial around decisions that matter to your store: two similar products, an item that does not meet the shopper's requirements, and a question that needs staff approval. Decide what a correct recommendation should contain before you compare the answers. Then have a teammate pick up the escalated conversation and check that the necessary context is available.
For metered plans, Zipchat's pricing page counts AI replies and separately gives approximate conversation volumes. One customer asking several follow-up questions can consume multiple replies. Use the reply allowance and extra-reply terms in your estimate; do not treat a reply as equivalent to a Gorgias ticket. Official pricing and allowances (checked September 25, 2026).
If you plan to keep another inbox during the trial, define which tool owns each conversation and where staff respond. Our Zipchat and Gorgias comparison helps separate the AI task from the helpdesk task.
Shopify Inbox: for a simpler store-chat setup
Shopify Inbox is the option to consider when store chat covers the main job. Shopify's App Store listing labels the app free and describes an AI sales assistant alongside the option to chat without AI. Check the available settings in your own store before building a workflow around them. Official app listing and Inbox help (checked September 25, 2026).
A free app still needs a staffing plan. Decide who answers during opening hours, what happens afterward and where email or social messages are handled. Try a shopper asking for a person and a conversation that continues after a shift change. If those are the tasks you need, a smaller setup may be enough; if several teams work across channels, include that wider workflow in the comparison.
Compare costs using the same workload
Compare the bill for the same work, not the entry price alone. Gorgias describes ticket-based helpdesk usage and charging for conversations resolved by AI. Tidio separates human conversations, Lyro and Flows, while Zipchat's metered plans count replies. Gorgias pricing (checked September 25, 2026).
Use a normal month and a busy month to complete this worksheet for each candidate:
| Budget item | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Human support | Channels, incoming requests, team access and required order actions |
| AI usage | Expected automated workload translated into the provider's billing unit |
| Extra usage | What happens at the allowance, extra charges and upgrade options |
| Contract | Monthly payment or annual commitment, renewal terms and optional add-ons |
| Switching | Setup time, training, data transfer and any overlap between subscriptions |
Ask each provider to explain how your sample conversations would be counted. Do not convert tickets to replies using an assumed ratio. Record anything that still needs a quote as unconfirmed, and keep the current official pricing pages alongside your estimate.
Check the migration before canceling Gorgias
A replacement should make your next working day easier. Gorgias brings customer conversations into a shared helpdesk; identify the parts your team actually uses before choosing what to move. Gorgias Helpdesk overview (checked September 25, 2026).
- Inventory active work. List channels, saved replies, integrations, open requests and the people responsible for them.
- Check history access. Confirm which records can be exported and imported, including attachments and internal notes, and how staff will find older conversations.
- Run one complete workflow. Receive a question, identify the customer, take the permitted action, hand it to another teammate and close it.
- Plan the switch. Assign someone to monitor both systems during the agreed overlap and check that new messages reach the correct place.
- Set a decision point. Compare the finished workflow and full cost with your existing setup before ending the old subscription.
For example, a team considering Tidio could test an order query and reassignment. A store considering Zipchat could test product advice and escalation. A store considering Inbox could test staff coverage for incoming chat. These are suggested trial tasks, so adapt them to the problem you are trying to solve.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Gorgias alternative for Shopify?
For the three tools covered here, start with Tidio for combined team support and AI, Zipchat for AI sales and support conversations, or Shopify Inbox for store chat. Choose based on the channels, actions and handoff your store needs, then run the same sample workflow in your shortlisted option.
Is there a free alternative to Gorgias?
Shopify lists Inbox as a free app. Compare its store-chat role with the work you currently handle in Gorgias, and budget for the Shopify store subscription and staff time separately. Check the official listing and your store's settings for the features available to you.
Is changing the AI tool the same as replacing the helpdesk?
They are separate decisions. AI handles an automated part of the conversation; the helpdesk also needs to support staff ownership, history and follow-up. Map both jobs before deciding whether to replace one part or the whole setup.
Should I switch if my main concern is cost?
First estimate the same workload under both providers' billing rules, including extra usage and migration. If the existing setup already supports your team, a plan or configuration change may solve the problem. Use the comparison table to choose one candidate and take a concrete workflow into its trial or demo.
