Gorgias vs Zendesk (2026)
A head-to-head on price, free access, and staying power. Both live and price-verified as of Jul 21, 2026.
The verdict, first
Gorgias
- if it starts cheaper, at $10/mo against $19/mo.
- if you lean toward the more recent build, from 2015.
- if it is built for solo & SMB teams.
Zendesk
- if a longer track record matters to you; it has run since 2007.
- if it is built for SMB & enterprise teams.
What each one is
Gorgias
What sets it apart Pricing scales by monthly ticket volume rather than per agent seat, and the AI Agent is charged only when it fully resolves a conversation, on top of native Shopify order and customer context inside the inbox.
Built specifically for ecommerce, Gorgias is a customer support helpdesk that consolidates email, live chat, SMS, and social messaging into one inbox and surfaces Shopify order and customer data next to each conversation. Its AI Agent resolves routine pre- and post-sale questions and is billed per resolved conversation, matching a subscription that is priced by monthly ticket volume rather than per agent and starts at $10 a month. The fit is clearest for Shopify and other direct-to-consumer brands, from solo operators to larger retailers, that want support tooling wired into store data rather than a general-purpose help desk.
Sources Gorgias homepage · Gorgias pricing page · Gorgias AI Agent pricing (vendor blog) · Gorgias About us
Zendesk
What sets it apart AI agents are metered by outcome ("automated resolutions"): the customer pays only for requests the bot resolves without human escalation, rather than paying a flat per-seat AI fee.
Zendesk is a service platform that consolidates email, chat, phone, messaging, and a help center into one ticketing and routing system, with AI agents that handle customer requests alongside human staff. Its distinguishing feature is billing: AI agents are included across plans but metered by "automated resolutions," so customers pay only for requests the bot closes without escalating to a person. Seat pricing runs from $19 per agent monthly on the Support Team plan up to $115 on Suite Professional, with a 14-day trial and no permanent free tier. It suits support teams from small businesses through enterprises that want multiple channels, automation, and analytics under a single vendor.
Sources Zendesk official pricing page · Zendesk homepage · Richpanel - Zendesk Pricing in 2026
Side by side
| Metric | Gorgias | Zendesk |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $10 | $19 |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Founded | 2015 | 2007 |
| Best for | solo & SMB | SMB & enterprise |
| Status | Live | Live |
ALL FIGURES = LOWEST PAID MONTHLY PLAN · STATUS & PRICE VERIFIED JUL 21, 2026
Where they differ
Price
Gorgias is the cheaper entry at $10/mo, versus $19/mo for Zendesk. Both prices are the lowest paid monthly plan, verified Jul 21, 2026.
Free access
Neither offers a permanent free tier - both are paid after a limited trial. A permanent free tier lowers the risk of committing before you have validated the fit.
Track record
Zendesk has been operating since 2007; Gorgias since 2015. For a tool you build a business process on, a longer survival record matters.
Questions of record
Gorgias or Zendesk - which is better in 2026?
Is Gorgias cheaper than Zendesk?
Does Gorgias or Zendesk have a free tier?
Are Gorgias and Zendesk still maintained?
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