Find the Best AI Help desks for Your Shopify Store
For every Shopify business, customer service isn’t just a place for answering questions; it’s an opportunity to build trust and loyalty. As a store grows and serves more men’s brand customers in the form of hundreds of emails, chats, comments, and direct messages, it can become completely overwhelming to follow up. This is where AI-driven helpdesk solutions come into play.
Modern-day AI helpdesks automate repetitive tasks, provide quicker response times, and even personalize the support experience to save you time and improve customer satisfaction, but they’re not all created equal. Of all the tools available, two platforms are the standard bearers for Shopify brands: Gorgias and Zendesk.
This guide will give you an in-depth comparison of both platforms, examples of the AI capabilities of both, pricing, and other unique features, so that you can ultimately decide on the right helpdesk for your business needs.
Overview of Gorgias
Gorgias is specifically designed for Shopify and eCommerce stores, allowing for easy integration that allows support agents to manage orders and refunds, and track purchases without leaving the dashboard.
The AI built into Gorgias has features such as intently detecting, automated tagging, and intelligent preset macros to expedite responses. The Gorgias analyzes past customer interactions and suggests an accurate response that becomes better over time.
Gorgias has features that Zendesk does not:
- Deep Shopify integration with in or on tickets, order management.
- Revenue tracking, linking support interaction sales.
- Pre-built eCommerce macros that automate order updates and questions around tracking and refunds.
- A referral incentive program for merchants and partners, where loyal users see a small financial incentive.
Gorgias feels custom-built for Shopify-first brands, fast and easy, and focuses on conversion.
Overview of Zendesk
Zendesk is a robust helpdesk designed for larger businesses, renowned for its true scalability and wide range of automation capabilities. It is suited for large teams with complicated organizational structures across many different channels and brands.
The platform leverages AI to automate, which includes ticket assignment and workflow automation, as well as “Answer Bot” generative AI for speedy client responses. Additionally, its reporting and analytics dashboard can provide extensive visibility into agent performance, time-to-resolution, and customer satisfaction.
What unique features does Zendesk offer to its clients that Gorgias does not:
- Automating responses, including full messages, thanks to generative AI
- Multi-lingual support with AI for clients operating in many different countries
- Advanced reporting and tracking dashboards
- Broader CRM integrations and access to 3rd party applications beyond the Shopify ecosystem
We think that, between all of these features, plus extensions, will allow the sophistication and flexibility larger businesses need for a multi-channel business.
Detailed Comparison of AI Features
When it comes to AI-driven support, both Gorgias and Zendesk deliver automation, but their focus areas differ.
| Feature | Gorgias | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Integration | Deep native sync | Basic integration |
| AI Auto-Tagging | Yes | Yes |
| Generative AI Responses | Limited | Advanced |
| Revenue Tracking | Yes | No |
| Multilingual AI | Limited | Advanced |
| Custom Workflow Automation | Basic | Extensive |
- Gorgias is great at eCommerce-focused automation. Their AI quickly discovers customer intents (e.g., “Where’s my order?”), extracts the relevant order information and suggests the correct macro response.
- Zendesk shines at handling complexity. Their generative AI can compose complete responses and handle multi-language queries, which is superior for global brands.
- Gorgias is faster for Shopify-native queries and tasks, but Zendesk is significantly smarter for large-scale, multi-channel automation.
Pricing and Plans
| Platform | Plan | Price (per month) | Key Features | AI Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgias | Starter | $10 | 50 tickets/mo | Basic ticketing & support |
| Gorgias | Basic | $50 | 300 tickets/mo | Automations, macros, help center |
| Gorgias | Pro | $300 | 2,000 tickets/mo | Omnichannel support, integrations, performance insights |
| Gorgias | Advanced | $750 | 5,000 tickets/mo | Custom workflows, advanced integrations |
| Gorgias | Enterprise | Custom | Custom volume | Fully scalable, AI agent $1 per resolved conversation |
| Zendesk | Support Team | $25 per agent | Email & ticketing, Facebook/X support, pre-written macros, analytics dashboards | AI agent optional via add-on |
| Zendesk | Suite Team | $69 per agent | Support Team features + AI agents (Essential), generative replies, custom AI persona,and automated resolution reporting | AI included |
| Zendesk | Suite Professional | $149 per agent | Suite Team features + up to 5 help centers, customizable reporting, CSAT surveys, skills-based routing, IVR phone menu | AI included |
| Zendesk | Suite Enterprise | $219 per agent | Suite Professional features + up to 300 help centers, approval workflows, sandbox environment, custom agent roles, audit logs | AI included |
Pros and Cons
| Platform | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgias | • Shopify-first design with deep native integration • Tracks revenue directly from support conversations • Affordable and scalable for small to mid-size brands • Offers referral incentives for merchants and partners | • Limited generative AI tools • Fewer integrations beyond eCommerce platforms • Not ideal for large enterprise-level operations |
| Zendesk | • Enterprise-level scalability and customization • Advanced AI with generative response capabilities • Supports multiple languages and channels • Detailed reporting and analytics dashboard | • Higher pricing tiers • Complex setup for small teams • Lacks eCommerce-specific automation |
Which Is Best for Shopify Brands
For brands that are solely on Shopify and want fast, simple automations that directly link support and sales, Gorgias is the more logical option. It is easy to use, purpose-built for e-commerce, and affordable for both small and mid-size businesses.
For brands that operate on multiple platforms or have a global customer reach, Zendesk would have better scalability and enterprise-level AI. They also have a generative AI tool, advanced analytics, and disclaimers that set Zendesk apart for larger organizations.
Ultimately, the choice is up to you and based on your store size, volume of support inquiries, and need for automation.
Choose the Right AI Helpdesk for Your Shopify Store
Each platform provides remarkable, AI-driven support solutions, albeit for different breeds of businesses. Gorgias excels when it comes to automation and visibility into sales on Shopify; Zendesk excels when it comes to customization, analytics, and efficiency for larger scales.
Gorgias even gives Shopify merchants the ability to access referral incentives; a great deal of merchants will willingly adopt this practical and lucrative opportunity for their DTC brand.
In either case, whether you are scaling your first Shopify store or you are the founder of a global eCommerce brand, the right AI helpdesk will not simply deal with and solve problems; it will turn your support team into a generator of growth.
Discover the ultimate comparison of Tidio vs Gorgias vs Zendesk for Shopify brands and see which AI helpdesk can streamline customer support, boost efficiency, and improve sales.
