# Gorgias alternative built to sell

One AI agent that answers, sells and supports on every channel, with one memory of each customer.

Gorgias bills tickets plus about $1 per AI resolution. Zipchat is one AI agent that sells and supports on every channel, with one memory.

Zipchat is an AI agent for ecommerce brands: one agent, with one memory of each customer, that sells and supports on every channel.

## Is Zipchat a good Gorgias alternative?

Yes, for ecommerce brands that want one AI agent for sales and support. Zipchat sells before the purchase, supports after it and keeps one memory per customer.

Gorgias adds an AI Agent to a ticket helpdesk.

- Pick Zipchat: one agent that sells and supports everywhere
- The difference: Gorgias adds AI to a helpdesk, Zipchat starts with the agent

## The customer journey, step by step

Gorgias added AI to a helpdesk. Zipchat built the agent first, then put it everywhere the shopper is.

Zipchat covers 8 of 8 steps. Gorgias: 5 covered, 1 partial.

| Step | Zipchat | Gorgias |
|---|---|---|
| Discovers | Answers comments and DMs on social. | Covered: Instagram and Messenger DMs |
| Searches | Answers intent in your site search bar. | Partial: Search assist opens a chat after a search |
| Evaluates | Answers questions on the product page. | Covered: AI FAQs on product pages |
| Decides | Recommends products in chat. | Covered: Chat and Shopping Assistant |
| Leaves | Recovers the cart on WhatsApp. | Not found in Gorgias's public docs (checked October 2026). Partner apps list it. |
| Has bought | Tracks orders. Handles returns and exchanges*. | Covered: Order actions, returns, subscriptions |
| Comes back | Remembers the customer on every channel. | Not found in Gorgias's public docs (checked October 2026) |
| Acts | Acts in your tools. Agentic Skills for any tool with an API. | Covered: Native: returns, subscriptions, order actions |

One agent. One memory. Every channel.

## One agent on every channel

Zipchat covers 6 of 6 channels. Gorgias: 4 covered, 1 partial.

| Channel | Zipchat | Gorgias |
|---|---|---|
| Social | Answers comments and DMs on Instagram and Messenger. | Covered: Instagram and Messenger DMs |
| Website | AI agent in your website chat, search bar and product pages. | Covered: Live chat |
| WhatsApp | Chat and cart recovery on WhatsApp. | Partial: AI Agent on WhatsApp is an open beta that answers messages shoppers start |
| Email | Replies to support email in the same thread. | Covered: Email |
| Support | Tracks orders, answers after-sales, hands over to your team. | Covered: Order actions, returns, subscriptions |
| Memory | One memory per customer on every channel. | Not found in Gorgias's public docs (checked October 2026) |

Channels as listed on the vendor pages we read. "Not listed" or "Not found" does not mean the vendor lacks it.

## What each vendor publishes

| Metric | What Gorgias publishes | What Zipchat publishes |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Claims "Automate 60%" of email and chat conversations | 97%+ handled by the AI, under 3% escalate |
| Sales | Shopping Assistant: about 14% of conversations end in an order (3-day window) | 16.4%+ of AI conversations convert into sales, on average across channels |
| Best case | Not published | Up to 37.8% in chat, one supplement brand |
| WhatsApp cart recovery | Not found in Gorgias's public docs (checked October 2026). Partner apps list it. | 13% to 39% purchase rate |

Sources: vendor pricing and docs, checked October 2026. Links are listed under Sources below.

## Gorgias vs Zipchat: side by side

| Topic | Gorgias | Zipchat |
|---|---|---|
| Designed for | Teams working a ticket queue | Ecommerce brands that want one agent for sales and support |
| How it is built | Helpdesk first, AI added on top | Agent first, deployed on every channel |
| Pricing model | Tickets, plus $0.90 to $1.00 per AI resolution | Per reply, set by the plan. Unlimited at a fixed price |
| Channels with AI | Email, chat, SMS, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp (open beta) | Website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email |
| PDP questions | Yes, AI FAQs on product pages | Yes, where you install it |
| AI Search | Search assist opens a chat after a search. AI answers in the search bar: not found in public docs (checked October 2026) | Yes, in the site search bar |
| WhatsApp cart recovery | Not found in public docs (checked October 2026). Partner apps list it. | Yes, 13% to 39% purchase rate |
| Shared memory across channels | Not found in public docs (checked October 2026) | Yes, one memory per customer |
| Custom actions | Native: returns, subscriptions, order actions | Agentic Skills for any tool with an API |
| Setup | States an average launch of 60 days | Live in under 30 minutes |
| Shopify App Store rating | 4.3/5 | 5.0/5 |

## Gorgias pricing compared with Zipchat

Gorgias adds a charge for each AI resolution. Zipchat prices per reply, set by the plan.

Every AI conversation is counted as one automated resolution in every row.

| AI conversations a month | Gorgias | Zipchat | Zipchat costs less by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $960 | $300 (Pro) | 69% |
| 3,000 | $2,760 | $894 (Scale + 1,500 extra replies) | 68% |
| 5,000 | $4,560 | $1,200 (Scale Plus) | 74% |
| More than that | Grows with every resolution | Unlimited, fixed price from $2,100/month |  |

- Gorgias: Basic plan at $60 a month plus $0.90 for each AI resolution. Every AI conversation counts as resolved.
- Zipchat: about 2.5 replies per conversation, monthly billing, unlimited team members, extra replies at $49 per 250 on Starter, Pro and Scale.
- Prices checked October 2026.

## Zipchat plans

| Plan | Price a month | Billed annually | Replies a month | Extra replies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $80 | $64 a month | 750 | $49 per 250 |
| Pro | $300 | $240 a month | 3,000 | $49 per 250 |
| Scale | $600 | $480 a month | 6,000 | $49 per 250 |
| Scale Plus | $1,200 | $960 a month | 14,000 | $49 per 500 |
| Unlimited | from $2,100 | Fixed price, rate locked for 12 months | Unlimited | No overage |

Every plan includes all channels, all languages and unlimited team members, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Annual billing saves 20%.

## Already on Gorgias? Zipchat works inside it.

Your team keeps the tool it knows, with Zipchat's AI inside.

- Zipchat first, your helpdesk second: Zipchat answers and sells, then escalates to your Gorgias team when a human is needed.
- Zipchat inside your helpdesk: Zipchat joins Gorgias as a team member and works tickets there, handing over to a human when needed.

Set up with a custom Agentic Skill connected to Gorgias. See https://www.zipchat.ai/agentic-skills

## Positioning map

Horizontal axis: Helpdesk first to Agent first. Vertical axis: Support only to Sells and supports. Zipchat's own positioning. Gorgias is a ticket helpdesk with an AI Agent added, and its Shopping Assistant covers part of the sale.

## Notes

* Tracking orders is built in on Shopify. Returns, exchanges and order edits need an Agentic Skill connected to your tools.

- Gorgias has AI FAQs on product pages.
- Gorgias search assist opens a chat after a search.
- Gorgias: memory across channels is not found in its public docs (checked October 2026).
- Gorgias runs returns and subscriptions natively.

## What is the best Gorgias alternative for ecommerce?

For Shopify brands that want one AI agent for sales and support, the best Gorgias alternative is Zipchat. Richpanel, Tidio, Intercom (Fin), Zendesk and Freshdesk follow, with one neutral line each.

1. Zipchat: One AI agent for sales and support on every channel, built only for ecommerce. Best for: Shopify brands that want one agent from search to repeat order
2. [Richpanel](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/richpanel): AI-native helpdesk built around autonomous support agents.
3. [Tidio](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/tidio): Live chat and Flows for every kind of business, with the Lyro AI agent.
4. [Intercom (Fin)](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/intercom): One AI agent for sales, service and ecommerce, in every industry.
5. [Zendesk](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/zendesk): Helpdesk for every industry, with commerce agents launched in September 2026.
6. [Freshdesk](https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/freshdesk): Customer service and IT help desk for every industry, with AI sold in session packs.

## Sources

### Results

- [Gorgias AI Agent skills](https://www.gorgias.com/ai-agent/support-skills)
- [Gorgias Shopping Assistant research](https://www.gorgias.com/research/ai-shopping-assistants-are-now-officially-influencing-sales)
- [Dondy in the Gorgias docs](https://docs.gorgias.com/en-US/dondy-3241366)

### Side by side

- [Gorgias AI pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/blog/ai-agent-pricing)
- [Gorgias plans](https://www.gorgias.com/blog/gorgias-plan)
- [Gorgias AI Agent on WhatsApp](https://helpcenter.gorgias.com/en-US/enable-ai-agent-on-whatsapp-8087873)
- [Gorgias onboarding](https://www.gorgias.com/onboarding)
- [Gorgias on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/helpdesk)
- [Gorgias AI FAQs on product pages](https://helpcenter.gorgias.com/en-US/ai-faqs-proactively-answer-shopper-questions-on-your-website-4662149)
- [Gorgias search assist](https://docs.gorgias.com/en-US/search-assist-and-ask-anything-input-proactively-start-conversations-with-shoppers-1423468)
- [Gorgias AI Agent explained](https://docs.gorgias.com/en-US/ai-agent-explained-497772)

## Frequently asked questions

### Gorgias vs Zipchat: which is better for Shopify brands?

It depends on the job. Gorgias is a ticket helpdesk with an AI Agent, built for teams that work a queue. Zipchat is one AI agent that sells and supports on every channel, with one memory per customer.

### Does Gorgias charge for AI resolutions?

Yes. Gorgias bills its helpdesk by tickets and charges $0.90 for each automated interaction on most plans, $1.00 on Starter. Overage on Support plus Shopping Assistant is $1.50 per interaction, according to Gorgias. Zipchat prices per reply, set by the plan.

### What does Gorgias pricing cost compared with Zipchat?

At 1,000 AI conversations a month, Gorgias Basic with AI resolutions costs $960 and Zipchat Pro costs $300. At 3,000 it is $2,760 against $894. At 5,000 it is $4,560 against $1,200. See Zipchat pricing for every plan.

### What are the best Gorgias alternatives for Shopify?

Zipchat for one AI agent that sells and supports, Richpanel for an AI-native helpdesk, Tidio for small teams, and Zendesk, Intercom (Fin) and Freshdesk for multi-industry support.

### What is the difference between the Gorgias AI Agent and Zipchat?

Gorgias added an AI Agent to a ticket helpdesk, so the AI follows its tickets, channels and meter. Zipchat started as the agent: it has tools and access, and it works in your search bar, on product pages, in chat and on WhatsApp. One memory follows each customer.

### Can Zipchat replace the Gorgias helpdesk?

Partly. Zipchat handles 97%+ of conversations with the AI, and your team takes over any conversation from the Zipchat inbox. You can also run Zipchat in front of Gorgias with an Agentic Skill, so your team keeps Gorgias for escalations.

### Does Zipchat handle returns like Gorgias?

Yes, with an Agentic Skill. Gorgias handles returns natively in its helpdesk. Zipchat connects to your returns platform through an Agentic Skill, then checks eligibility and creates the return in the conversation.

### Does Gorgias have WhatsApp cart recovery?

Not found in Gorgias's public docs. The docs describe AI Agent on WhatsApp as an open beta that answers messages shoppers start. They list partner apps, such as Dondy, that recover abandoned carts on WhatsApp. Zipchat recovers carts on WhatsApp itself on Shopify, with a 13% to 39% purchase rate.

### Is Zipchat free to use?

No. Zipchat has a 7-day free trial. Plans start from $64 a month with annual billing, or $80 billed monthly, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

### How long does it take to switch from Gorgias to Zipchat?

Zipchat is live in under 30 minutes. Sign up, connect your ecommerce platform, and the AI reads your catalog and site. Gorgias states an average launch time of 60 days, even for setups with several online stores.

### Which platforms does Zipchat support?

Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Wix. Automated cart recovery and the standard order lookup are Shopify features. On other platforms, an Agentic Skill connects order data from your ecommerce platform's API.

### Does Zipchat reply in my customers' language?

Yes. The agent replies in the customer's language automatically, with no setup.

### Can my team review or take over the AI's replies?

Yes. Your team takes over any conversation from the Zipchat inbox. With Draft Mode, the AI writes each reply and your team approves it before it is sent.

## More from Zipchat

- [Zipchat pricing](https://www.zipchat.ai/pricing)
- [Agentic Skills](https://www.zipchat.ai/agentic-skills)
- [Agentic AI search](https://www.zipchat.ai/agentic-ai-search)
- [AI product questions](https://www.zipchat.ai/ai-product-questions)
- [WhatsApp AI for ecommerce](https://www.zipchat.ai/channels/whatsapp)
- [Gorgias review](https://www.zipchat.ai/blog/gorgias-review)

Full comparison: https://www.zipchat.ai/alternatives/gorgias