Your ticket volume is changing
Model a normal month and a seasonal peak using your actual ticket and AI usage. Compare that with the number of people who need access. Neither billing model is always cheaper.
Buyer’s guide 2026
A Gorgias alternative for your next stage of growth
Compare Text by LiveChat with Gorgias for ecommerce conversations, AI, and sales reporting. Understand ticket-based versus per-user pricing, check the store workflows you need, and explore other Gorgias alternatives before you switch.
Written by Sylwia Kocur Updated 8 tools reviewed
When is it worth looking for a Gorgias alternative?
Gorgias brings ecommerce support and AI shopping assistance together. A move makes sense when another product fits your team, store, or budget better. Start with a measurable reason to switch and protect the workflows that already work.
Your store needs a different setup
List the product, order, return, and subscription actions your team uses. Test them alongside a buying question, a delivery issue, and a human handoff to check the full workflow on your ecommerce platform.
You want to compare sales attribution
Both products report on sales. Compare what counts as an attributed order, which store connection is required, and when the result appears. Different attribution windows can produce different totals.
8 alternatives at a glance
Entry prices don’t line up one to one. Vendors bill per seat, per workspace, or per ticket, and AI usage is often charged separately.
| Platform | Entry price | Live chat | Ticketing | AI and automation | Integrations | Trial or free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text by LiveChat Ecommerce teams that sell through chat Start free trial | $19 /user/mo, billed annually | Included; advanced routing on Growth. | Included; rules and workflows have plan limits. | 10 or 200 monthly resolutions included; extra packages cost $49.50 for 50. | Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom sales tracking. | 14 days, no card. |
| Tidio Small stores using website chat and automation | $24.17 /mo, Starter, billed annually | Live chat and ticketing in Starter. | Email ticketing with plan-specific automation. | Lyro packages by conversation; initial 50 are one-off. | Shopify and WooCommerce product recommendations. | Free plan and 7-day trial. |
| Intercom Conversational and in-app support | $29 /seat/mo, billed annually | Messenger included. | Shared inbox and tickets. | Fin from $0.99/outcome; 10 Copilot conversations per full-seat agent/month included. | Apps and connections; validate your specific stack. | 14 days, no card. |
| Zendesk Teams with established support processes | $55 /agent/mo, Suite Team, billed annually | Messaging and live chat in Suite Team. | Ticketing and omnichannel routing in Suite. | AI agents included in Suite; check automated-resolution allowances and add-ons. | Check the apps and store connections you need. | Free trial available. |
| Help Scout Inbox-centered service teams | Free plan available | Live chat and social messaging from Standard; not in Free. | Shared inbox conversation management. | AI Answers: $0.75/resolution after its trial; requires a paid plan. | Check required apps and included allowances. | Free plan available. |
| Freshdesk Structured ticketing and self-service | $19 /agent/mo, billed annually | Check Freshdesk Omni packaging. | Core shared inbox and ticket workflows. | Freddy AI usage charges; Copilot is a paid add-on on Pro and Enterprise. | Confirm app and channel requirements. | 14-day trial. |
| Crisp Teams that prefer workspace pricing | $45 /workspace/mo, Mini, 4 seats | Website chat on Free; shared email from Mini. | Customer ticketing portal on Plus. | Hugo uses token-based credits; optional pay-as-you-go. | Store connections; validate required order actions. | Free plan; 14-day trial of paid features. |
| tawk.to Free live chat with your own agents | $0 for core live chat | Free core live chat. | Ticketing included. | AI Assist has its own plans and usage limits. | Website widget and integrations. | Free core service. |
Gorgias alternatives reviewed
For each tool: what it does well, what to watch out for, and when Gorgias is still the better pick.
Text by LiveChat
Best for ecommerce teams that sell through chat
Text by LiveChat is a Gorgias alternative for teams that want to handle buying questions, human chat, and email follow-up in one Inbox. Sales reporting connects supported store purchases with conversations. Evaluate it with your catalog and team before replacing established order workflows.
- Entry price
- $19 /user/mo, billed annually
- Essential costs $25/user/month with monthly billing; Growth costs $79/user/month billed annually, or $99/user/month billed monthly. Enterprise is quoted. Essential includes 10 monthly AI resolutions and Growth includes 200. Additional 50-resolution packages cost $49.50 and can be purchased as needed. Unused additional resolutions expire at the end of the billing cycle.
- Trial
- 14 days, no card.
- AI costs
- 10 or 200 monthly resolutions included; extra packages cost $49.50 for 50.
- AI Agent and Copilot included; usage and tool allowances vary.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Key features
- AI answers grounded in your approved knowledge
- Human replies and email follow-up in the Inbox
- Sales tracking for connected stores and custom integrations
Strengths
- Sales reports show orders attributed to chats.
- A teammate can turn a chat into a ticket when follow-up takes longer.
- Live chat, ticketing, and AI are part of the core product.
Keep in mind
- Essential includes 60 days of conversation and file history; Growth offers unlimited history.
- Extra AI resolutions add to the user subscription.
Consider Gorgias instead if
Your team relies on Gorgias store actions, subscription integrations, or ticket workflows that you have not reproduced in Text.
How to test Text in a trial
Test a buying question, a human handoff, and an order after the conversation. Verify the tracking setup and check the sales report the next day. Text documents a 30-day attribution window. Compare the required user plan with your full Gorgias ticket and AI cost.
Tidio
Best for small stores using website chat and automation
Tidio is worth comparing with Gorgias when your main customer touchpoint is an online store. It combines live chat and ticketing with Lyro AI and Flows. Check human-conversation, AI, and visitor allowances separately.
- Entry price
- $24.17 /mo, Starter, billed annually
- Starter includes 100 billable conversations; Growth starts at $49.17/month annually with 250. The first 50 Lyro conversations are one-off; recurring AI and additional Flows capacity are priced separately.
- Trial
- Free plan and 7-day trial.
- AI costs
- Lyro packages by conversation; initial 50 are one-off.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Strengths
- Lyro can recommend products through Shopify and WooCommerce integrations.
- Shopify Lyro Products Analytics reports assisted sales and the conversion funnel.
Keep in mind
- Human conversations, Lyro conversations, and Flows visitors are different allowances.
- Product recommendations require the Shopify or WooCommerce app, active Lyro, and a Lyro AI Agent package or its 7-day trial.
Consider Gorgias instead if
Your agents depend on Gorgias order-management actions and integrations beyond the store-chat journeys you have tested in Tidio.
Read the full Text vs. Tidio comparisonHow to test Tidio in a trial
Test a product question, an email follow-up, and a Flows journey. Check which allowance each interaction consumes and whether the resulting sale appears in reporting.
Intercom
Best for conversational and in-app support
Intercom is a Gorgias alternative for teams evaluating in-app support, Fin, and proactive product journeys. Compare its seat and outcome charges with your full Gorgias ticket and AI bill.
- Entry price
- $29 /seat/mo, billed annually
- Essential costs $29/seat/month billed annually. Advanced is $85 and Expert is $132 per seat/month on annual billing. Product Tours, Surveys, and Series are part of an optional add-on.
- Trial
- 14 days, no card.
- AI costs
- Fin from $0.99/outcome; 10 Copilot conversations per full-seat agent/month included.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Strengths
- Messenger and helpdesk in one platform
- Fin also works with supported external helpdesks; role and feature limits apply.
Keep in mind
- The Workflows builder and multiple team inboxes require Advanced or Expert. Essential includes simple automations.
- SSO and SLAs are listed on Expert; some channels are usage-priced.
Consider Gorgias instead if
Your work revolves around ecommerce orders and your Gorgias setup already handles them well.
Read the full Text vs. Intercom comparisonHow to test Intercom in a trial
Send a common question and an unusual one through Messenger. Watch where Fin stops and a teammate takes over, what the teammate sees, and which of those conversations Intercom counts as a paid outcome.
Zendesk
Best for teams with established support processes
Zendesk is an option when your requirements extend across multiple support teams and channels. Compare Suite plans for live chat and messaging; the lower-priced Support Team plan is a different package. Validate the ecommerce integration your agents will use.
- Entry price
- $55 /agent/mo, Suite Team, billed annually
- Support Team starts at $19/agent/month annually. Suite Team starts at $55 and adds messaging, live chat, telephony, and a knowledge base. Suite Professional costs $115/agent/month billed annually.
- Trial
- Free trial available.
- AI costs
- AI agents included in Suite; check automated-resolution allowances and add-ons.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Strengths
- Suite covers messaging, live chat, and telephony.
- Suite Professional adds skills-based routing and an IVR phone tree.
Keep in mind
- The $19 Support Team price is not the Suite live-chat package.
- Include AI usage, add-ons, and the required routing tier in the quote.
Consider Gorgias instead if
Your store integrations and ticket workflows already meet your needs without the administration of a broader support suite.
Read the full Text vs. Zendesk comparisonHow to test Zendesk in a trial
Recreate one request that crosses chat, email, and another team. Check ownership, routing, history, and the exact plan needed for each step.
Help Scout
Best for inbox-centered service teams
Help Scout is worth considering when shared email, ownership, and saved replies are central to your work. Compare its inbox workflow with Gorgias, and evaluate a paid plan if live chat is required.
- Entry price
- Free plan available
- Free supports up to 5 users and 100 contacts per month. Paid plans use per-user pricing; check the current billing selector for your quote.
- Trial
- Free plan available.
- AI costs
- AI Answers: $0.75/resolution after its trial; requires a paid plan.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Strengths
- Free plan for small teams
- Inbox-focused collaboration with saved replies and tags
Keep in mind
- Standard supports up to 25 users; Plus up to 50.
- Additional inboxes and Docs sites cost extra beyond included allowances.
Consider Gorgias instead if
Order context, store actions, and AI shopping assistance are more important than a primarily email-based workflow.
Read the full LiveChat vs. Help Scout comparisonHow to test Help Scout in a trial
Move one representative request through two teammates and a follow-up email. If live chat is essential, evaluate Standard or above rather than the Free plan.
Freshdesk
Best for structured ticketing and self-service
Freshdesk is an option for email-led support with ticket ownership, a customer portal, and a knowledge base. Compare Freshdesk Omni separately if you need to replace Gorgias live chat as well.
- Entry price
- $19 /agent/mo, billed annually
- Growth costs $19/agent/month, Pro $55/agent/month, and Enterprise $89/agent/month, all billed annually.
- Trial
- 14-day trial.
- AI costs
- Freddy AI usage charges; Copilot is a paid add-on on Pro and Enterprise.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Strengths
- Portal and knowledge base in Growth
- On Pro or Enterprise, paid Copilot licenses can be assigned to selected agents.
Keep in mind
- Custom dashboards and multiple SLA policies require Pro.
- Sandbox, audit logs and skill-based routing require Enterprise.
Consider Gorgias instead if
Your team needs the ecommerce actions it already runs in Gorgias, rather than a change in general ticket management.
How to test Freshdesk in a trial
Run an email request through assignment, an internal note, escalation, and reopening. Then test your required live-chat journey in Freshdesk Omni and price that package separately.
Crisp
Best for teams that prefer workspace pricing
Crisp is an option for teams comparing a shared workspace subscription with Gorgias ticket-based billing. Check the plan required for email, a public knowledge base, and customer-facing ticketing before comparing the base price.
- Entry price
- $45 /workspace/mo, Mini, 4 seats
- Mini costs $45/workspace/month with 4 seats; Essentials is $95 with 10, and Plus is $295 with 20. Additional Plus seats cost $10/month each. Free supports 2 agents.
- Trial
- Free plan; 14-day trial of paid features.
- AI costs
- Hugo uses token-based credits; optional pay-as-you-go.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Strengths
- Workspace plans include multiple seats.
- A public knowledge base is available from Essentials.
Keep in mind
- AI credit usage varies with the conversation and model.
- Gorgias order actions and integrations need a separate migration check.
Consider Gorgias instead if
Your Gorgias integrations handle store operations that you have not validated in Crisp.
Read the full Text vs. Crisp comparisonHow to test Crisp in a trial
Recreate a store question and a follow-up email. Check the required channel plan, Hugo usage, and the customer experience when a person takes over.
tawk.to
Best for free live chat with your own agents
tawk.to is a free Gorgias alternative for teams that mainly need people to answer website chats. Its core service has no published limits on agents, chats, or websites. AI Assist has separate plans and usage limits.
- Entry price
- $0 for core live chat
- Core software is free. AI Assist, branding removal, and staffed services have separate terms.
- Trial
- Free core service.
- AI costs
- AI Assist has its own plans and usage limits.
Full review: features, pros, and trial tips
Strengths
- No per-agent bill for the core chat service.
- Core chat, ticketing, and a knowledge base are free.
Keep in mind
- Free chat does not mean unlimited free AI.
- Price any optional branding removal or staffed service separately.
Consider Gorgias instead if
You need order management and AI shopping assistance beyond free human website chat.
How to test tawk.to in a trial
Test a live conversation, a teammate handoff, and an offline request. Check whether that covers the Gorgias workflows you actually use before adding paid AI or staffed services.
Text or Gorgias: which fits your team?
Choose Text if
- Your chats help shoppers decide what to buy
- You want live chat, AI, and tickets in one inbox
- You want to see which sales came through chat
Stay with Gorgias if
- Your store depends on Gorgias order actions and integrations
- Your ticket and AI subscription fits your actual workload
- A pilot elsewhere does not improve the workflow enough to justify moving
Text by LiveChat vs. Gorgias
Gorgias bases helpdesk pricing on ticket volume; Text charges per user with separate AI allowances. The Gorgias figures below use monthly billing with AI disabled unless stated otherwise. Text lists both billing options. These are different feature bundles, not like-for-like quotes.
Start free trial| Text by LiveChat From $19/user/mo, billed annually | Gorgias Starter: $10/month, 50 tickets; AI extra | |
|---|---|---|
| Key differences | ||
| What drives the subscription? | Users and AI resolutions Budget for each user, the required plan, and additional AI resolution packages. | Tickets and automated interactions A fully AI-resolved ticket can use both allowances. Check whether your account uses legacy billing. |
| How do you compare sales? | Chat-attributed orders Text documents a 30-day chat attribution window with supported sales tracking. Attribution is not proof of incremental sales. | Support revenue reporting Gorgias offers a Shopify Revenue report on Pro and above with a three-day ticket attribution window. AI and campaign reporting have their own definitions. |
| What should your pilot prove? | Your conversation-to-order workflow Test product advice, human handoff, email follow-up, and the resulting sales report. | The store actions you would replace Gorgias supports ecommerce actions and AI product advice. Verify the specific actions and integrations you rely on in any replacement. |
| Pricing | ||
| Entry plan | Essential: $19/user/month billed annually, or $25 monthly. | Starter: $10/month, 50 tickets, 3 user seats. |
| Larger helpdesk plans | Growth: $79/user/month billed annually, or $99 monthly. | Basic: $60 for 300 tickets; Pro: $360 for 2,000; Advanced: $900 for 5,000 per month. |
| AI allowance | 10 monthly resolutions on Essential; 200 on Growth. | With AI enabled, the monthly Starter and Basic cards each add $30 for 30 automated interactions. |
| Additional usage | Additional packages: $49.50 for 50 resolutions, valid for the current billing cycle. | Helpdesk overages: $0.40/ticket on Starter and Basic; $0.36 on Pro and Advanced. The monthly AI cards show $1.50 per extra automated interaction. |
| Custom requirements | Enterprise: custom quote. | Enterprise: custom quote. Include Voice, SMS, and other required products separately. |
| Trial | 14 days, no credit card required. | 30 days according to setup documentation; outbound email limits apply and Help Center creation is unavailable during trial. |
Build a complete cost comparison
Use the same team size and workload for each vendor.
Use billable volume, not every message
Pull your current usage report. Separate helpdesk tickets, automated interactions, and channel add-ons before comparing plans.
Include everyone who needs access
Text charges per user. Compare the full team cost with the seats included in your Gorgias plan, including seasonal hires.
Price a normal month and a peak
Use both workloads to compare subscriptions, overages, and AI packages. Include the plan needed for reports and store actions.
Check your existing contract
Gorgias legacy accounts can follow different billing rules. Use your own contract and billing dashboard as the baseline for switching.
What about a 10-person team?
For ten users, Text Essential costs $190/month with annual billing or $250 with monthly billing, before additional AI packages. Gorgias Basic is $60/month before AI and overages. In a monthly scenario with 500 billable helpdesk tickets and no paid automation, Basic costs $140: $60 + 200 × $0.40. Text is not automatically cheaper. Recalculate with your actual AI usage and required features.
About this comparison
Sylwia Kocur, Content Marketing Specialist at Text. Sylwia writes about Text’s products and updates. Before becoming a Content Marketing Specialist, she worked as a Product Expert.
Who publishes this guide
The company behind Text and LiveChat publishes this guide and has a commercial interest in Text, which appears first. Text is a separate product from legacy LiveChat. The other tools are grouped by use case, not ranked by score.
What we compared
Vendors’ published pricing, product documentation, and help-center articles, covering live chat, ticketing, AI, knowledge, integrations, reporting, and plan requirements. Seat, usage, and add-on charges are listed separately.
What the evidence supports
This is a documentation review, not a hands-on benchmark. Where we couldn’t verify a feature, we say so instead of marking it as missing.
Prices and updates
Product information and prices were checked on the date shown at the top of this guide. Plans change, so confirm the current package before you buy and test your own workflow in a trial.
Spotted an outdated price or product detail? Let us know
Common questions
What is the best Gorgias alternative for ecommerce?
Consider Text for buying conversations and chat-attributed sales, Tidio for store chat and automation, or Crisp for workspace pricing. Zendesk and Intercom offer other support workflows. The best fit depends on your store actions, channels, team, and full bill.
Find the right ecommerce fitIs Text cheaper than Gorgias?
Not always. A small Gorgias ticket allowance can cost less than a Text subscription for several users. Higher ticket volume can change the comparison, as can AI usage and feature requirements. Use the worked example and your own workload rather than assuming per-user pricing is cheaper.
Compare Text and Gorgias plan pricesDoes Gorgias charge per agent or per ticket?
Its helpdesk subscription is based on billable tickets, with included user seats. A reply from a person, AI Agent, or Rule can make a ticket billable. Messages within one ticket are not billed individually, but a reply after a channel-specific inactivity period can create a new billable ticket. AI and channel charges are separate.
See how Gorgias bills ticketsCan a Gorgias AI conversation count as a helpdesk ticket too?
Yes. Under the current billing model, a ticket fully resolved by AI Agent can use both the helpdesk and automation allowances. An interaction qualifies as automated if no human agent is needed within 72 hours. Some legacy accounts follow different rules. Check your billing settings before forecasting savings.
Check Gorgias AI billingDoes Gorgias only work with Shopify?
No. Its helpdesk supports other ecommerce integrations. However, the documented AI Agent setup requires a Shopify connection. Verify the exact feature on your platform rather than treating every integration as equivalent.
Compare platform requirementsCan Gorgias recommend products and report on sales?
Yes. Gorgias AI Agent supports shopping assistance, and its Shopify Revenue report is available on Pro, Advanced, and Enterprise. Text also reports attributed sales. Compare the reporting rules and required plan; a larger attributed total alone does not prove better sales performance.
Compare sales reportingAre there free Gorgias alternatives?
For human website chat, tawk.to offers free core software and Crisp has a free two-seat plan. Help Scout Free supports five users and 100 monthly contacts but does not include live chat. These are narrower options, not proven replacements for every Gorgias ecommerce or AI workflow.
Compare pricing and capabilitiesGorgias vs. Zendesk: which should I consider?
Evaluate Gorgias around your store operations and Zendesk around the support processes you need across teams and channels. Compare Zendesk Suite for live chat and messaging; its lower-priced Support Team package is different. Test the store integration in either case.
Read the Zendesk reviewGorgias vs. Intercom: what should I compare?
Compare ecommerce actions with the in-app and conversational journeys you need. Gorgias uses ticket-based helpdesk billing; Intercom combines seat pricing with Fin outcome charges. Recreate one complete customer request and price every part of it.
Read the Intercom reviewGorgias vs. Tidio: what matters for an online store?
Both offer AI shopping assistance. Check product answers, order actions, and human handoff with your catalog. Tidio separates human-conversation allowances, Lyro conversations, and Flows visitors; compare those with your actual Gorgias usage.
Read the Tidio reviewCan I automatically migrate Gorgias tickets to Text?
This review does not establish a ready-made automatic migration. Gorgias offers exports and Text documents API ticket import, but a successful move still depends on scope and field mapping. Validate a sample containing customer details, messages, notes, and attachments.
Is this a Gorgias vs. LiveChat comparison?
This page compares Gorgias with Text by LiveChat. Text is a separate product from legacy LiveChat; its prices and feature allowances should be evaluated separately.
See the Text by LiveChat profileWhen should I stay with Gorgias?
Stay when its store actions, AI, and ticket workflows already meet your needs at an acceptable cost, and a pilot elsewhere shows no meaningful improvement. A new subscription is only part of the cost of rebuilding a working support setup.
Review reasons to switch from GorgiasAre the features on this page included in my LiveChat plan?
No, your LiveChat plan stays the same. The features and capabilities on this page are part of Text and are available under Text pricing plans. They are not included in LiveChat plans, including legacy LiveChat subscriptions. Availability, limits, and pricing depend on your Text plan. If you’re on a LiveChat plan and want these features, you can move to Text.