The quick comparison
Look at Gorgias if your team needs a shared place to manage customer requests. Include Zipchat if you want to try AI on a specific type of conversation, such as product questions. Both cover sales and support in different ways, so the choice isn't simply a sales bot versus a support inbox.
This guide is based on official information checked September 5, 2026. We haven't run a side-by-side trial in a live store. The examples are questions to explore during your own evaluation.
If you're new to Zipchat, its product overview is a useful starting point.
Explore Zipchat's 7-day free trial
What each tool does
| Compare | Zipchat | Gorgias |
|---|---|---|
| Product focus | AI sales and support conversations | Shared helpdesk and AI Agent |
| A useful first test | Product questions followed by a request for a person | AI answers followed by staff follow-up in the team inbox |
| Usage to budget for | AI replies | Helpdesk tickets and automated interactions |
| Check the result | Did the shopper get an answer or reach the right person? | Can staff see the context and tell who should respond? |
Product descriptions follow Zipchat's app listing and Gorgias Helpdesk. The suggested tests are ours.
Gorgias's AI Agent covers shopping and post-purchase support, including configurable actions and transfer to staff. Gorgias AI Agent documentation
When to start with a Zipchat trial
Suppose your support inbox works well, but your team repeatedly answers the same product-selection questions. You could try Zipchat on those conversations while keeping the inbox in place.
Use questions about sizing, availability, and choosing between products. Check that recommendations match what's in stock and that unanswered questions reach someone on your team.
A successful test gives you a reason to try more conversations. It doesn't, by itself, tell you that you can replace the entire helpdesk.
When to start with a Gorgias demo
If customers receive duplicate replies—or nobody replies because responsibility is unclear—look closely at the shared helpdesk.
Ask a teammate to handle an email following a chat, a reassigned request, and a question waiting for stock information. How easily can they find the earlier conversation and see what to do next? That can matter as much as the speed of an AI answer.
Compare costs using the same questions
Gorgias bills for tickets and automated interactions; both can apply to the same case. Voice and SMS are additional options, and older contracts can differ. Official billing guide
Zipchat uses reply-based billing, explained in our pricing guide. One AI reply isn't the same unit as one resolved conversation.
Give both providers the same sample of requests. Include multiple AI replies, staff involvement, and reopened cases, then ask how each would be billed. Add setup, training, and ongoing review time. Without a quote for your store, this comparison can't tell you which will cost less.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add Zipchat while keeping my current helpdesk?
If your inbox works well, you could try Zipchat on repeated product-selection questions while keeping it in place. Check how staff receive transcripts, customer details, order references and notifications before relying on the combined setup.
Is Gorgias only for after-sales support?
Gorgias AI Agent covers shopping and post-purchase support, with configurable actions and transfers to staff. Its shared helpdesk is also worth exploring when your team needs clearer responsibility for replies and easier access to earlier conversations.
Which tool will cost less for my store?
This comparison cannot identify the cheaper option without a quote for your store. Zipchat counts AI replies, while Gorgias bills for tickets and automated interactions. Compare the same requests, staff involvement and reopened cases, plus setup and review time.
Adding a tool or replacing one?
If you keep your helpdesk and add AI, check how conversations move between them. Can staff see the transcript, customer details, and order reference? Do they receive a notification?
If you're replacing the helpdesk, also plan for open tickets, saved replies, permissions, reports, and past conversations.
Before choosing either tool:
- Decide which questions you want it to handle.
- Test an incorrect order reference and a return-policy exception.
- Check which actions need staff approval.
- Compare quotes for the same usage and contract period.
- Make sure someone can review answers and pause automation.
For other options, see Zipchat vs Tidio.
