Gorgias vs HelpScout

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-08-14
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At a glance

DimensionGorgiasHelpScout
PricingPaid from $10/mo (Legacy), new plans start at contact sales (AI Agent costs $0.90-1.50/resolved conversation)Freemium; Free plan (up to 25 tickets), Standard from $25/user/mo (includes AI Answers usage-based)
Best ForShopify brands with 500+ monthly tickets wanting >50% AI automation and revenue attributionGrowing ecommerce/SaaS teams wanting a simple, affordable AI help desk with proactive messaging
AI AutomationAI Agent pre-trained on 1B+ ecommerce conversations, automates up to 60% of tickets, includes AI coaching and guardrailsAI Answers autonomously resolves 73% of interactions, AI drafts, summarization, and knowledge base builder
Shopify IntegrationNative Shopify order management (view, cancel, discount, upsell), deep context, proactive triggersBasic Shopify integration via app, no native order actions
Unified InboxEmail, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, voiceEmail, chat, social (via integrations), proactive messages
Latest NewsNo recent news2026 events: AI support adoption guide, AI Answers usage billing explained, tips from 1M+ resolutions

For Shopify-focused ecommerce brands seeking deep order integration and high automation rates, Gorgias is the clear winner — its AI Agent is purpose-built for ecommerce and can upsell within conversations. Help Scout offers a more versatile, affordable AI help desk for teams that want simplicity, a free plan, and strong AI drafting tools, but lacks native Shopify order actions. Choose based on your platform and automation depth needs.

Gorgias
Gorgias

The ecommerce helpdesk with a built-in AI Agent that turns support into revenue.

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HelpScout
HelpScout

Help Scout: AI-powered customer support platform that resolves 73% of interactions on average, unifying email, chat, and social in one inbox.

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Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans
$40/mo
$90/mo (or $77/mo billed annually)
$550/mo (or $471/mo billed annually)
$1,430/mo (or $1,227/mo billed annually)
Custom
$0/mo
$25/user/mo (billed annually; $29 monthly)
$45/user/mo (billed annually; $49 monthly)
$75/user/mo (billed annually; $79 monthly)
$0.75/resolution
Popularity
4.6k views
3.3k views
Skill Level
Beginner-friendly
Beginner-friendly
API Available
Platforms
Web
WebMobileAPI
Categories
💬 Customer Support🛒 Ecommerce & Retail
💬 Customer Support
Features
Unified omnichannel inbox (email, live chat, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok Shop)
AI Agent pre-trained on 1B+ ecommerce conversations and 18+ verticals
Automate up to 60% of support tickets with AI
Native Shopify integration with live order, customer, and product data
In-conversation order actions: cancel, discount, refund, upsell
Proactive chat campaigns based on shopper behavior
AI coaching with real-time agent tips
Revenue attribution reporting
Customizable AI guardrails (tone, policies, SOPs)
Gorgias MCP (open beta) to query data from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor
Flows with AI Agent for automated workflows
Help Center / FAQ with up to 10 help centers
Macros, rules, intent & sentiment detection
Voice support (add-on)
API with rate limits (2 requests/sec standard, 4/sec on Enterprise)
Unified shared inbox for email, live chat, social, and messaging
AI Answers autonomous agent (73% average resolution rate)
AI Drafts for reply generation, summarization, and translation
AI-powered knowledge base builder (Docs) with article creation
Beacon embeddable help widget with AI chat and human handoff
Proactive messaging for surveys, NPS, onboarding, and announcements
Workflows for automated routing and task management
Saved replies for quick response to common questions
Multiple inboxes per department or product
Collision detection to prevent duplicate replies
Snooze and send-later scheduling for conversations
Company management for full-account context
Round robin and load-balanced routing
Custom views and tags for queue management
Mobile app for iOS and Android
Integrations
Shopify
BigCommerce
Magento
WooCommerce
Klaviyo
Recharge
Yotpo
Smile
Instagram
Facebook
WhatsApp
TikTok Shop
Twilio
Slack
Salesforce
HubSpot
Zapier
Jira
Mailchimp
WordPress
Stripe
Segment
Calendly
Outlook
Gmail
Aircall

Who should pick which

  • Shopify brand with 500+ monthly tickets wanting >50% automation
    Pick: Gorgias

    Gorgias's AI Agent is pre-trained on ecommerce data, can automate up to 60% of tickets, and handles Shopify order actions natively, directly tying support to revenue.

  • Growing ecommerce or SaaS team needing a simple, affordable AI help desk
    Pick: HelpScout

    Help Scout's free plan and flat user pricing with AI per-resolution billing make it accessible. Its AI drafts and knowledge base improve team efficiency without deep ecommerce requirements.

  • Enterprise Shopify Plus brand during BFCM
    Pick: Gorgias

    Gorgias promises zero-downtime during surges, native order management, and proactive triggers, ideal for high-stakes holiday traffic.

  • Non-ecommerce business (SaaS, B2B, services)
    Pick: HelpScout

    Help Scout works across industries, offers multiple inboxes per department, and has no dependency on Shopify workflows.

  • Budget-limited solo operator under 25 tickets/mo
    Pick: HelpScout

    Help Scout's free plan covers basic needs, while Gorgias has no free tier and escalates in cost quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Gorgias vs HelpScout: which should you choose?

For Shopify-focused ecommerce brands seeking deep order integration and high automation rates, Gorgias is the clear winner — its AI Agent is purpose-built for ecommerce and can upsell within conversations. Help Scout offers a more versatile, affordable AI help desk for teams that want simplicity, a free plan, and strong AI drafting tools, but lacks native Shopify order actions. Choose based on your platform and automation depth needs.

Which platform has better Shopify integration?

Gorgias offers native Shopify order management (cancel, discount, upsell) directly in the inbox. Help Scout has a basic integration via app, limited to order lookup.

Can I automate more than 60% of tickets with Gorgias?

Gorgias claims up to 60% automation using its AI Agent pre-trained on ecommerce data. Help Scout claims AI Answers resolves 73% on average per its service level, but that includes partial resolutions.

Which one is more affordable for a small team?

Help Scout is more affordable with a free plan and user-based pricing from $25/user/mo. Gorgias has legacy plans from $10/mo but new plans require a sales call and per-resolution AI costs.

Do both support SMS and social channels?

Gorgias includes SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook out-of-the-box. Help Scout integrates social via email forwarding or third-party integrations; native SMS is less direct.

Which is better for non-ecommerce businesses?

Help Scout is more versatile for SaaS, B2B, services, and healthcare. Gorgias is purpose-built for ecommerce with Shopify-centric workflows.

How does AI billing work?

Gorgias charges $0.90–$1.50 per resolved conversation. Help Scout charges per AI resolution on top of user subscription; details in their 2026 event on AI Answers usage.

Can I test before buying?

Help Scout has a free plan (up to 25 tickets, 2 users). Gorgias offers a demo; no public free tier.

Which has stronger AI coaching features?

Gorgias includes AI coaching with real-time agent tips. Help Scout focuses on AI drafting and summarization, not agent coaching.

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Last reviewed: May 12, 2026