# Gorgias vs Zendesk: which is right for a small business?

Gorgias suits Shopify and ecommerce stores: it prices by tickets, not agents, and Starter with its AI Agent is $40 a month for 50 tickets, with AI that handles returns and order tracking. Zendesk suits support beyond ecommerce, or with phone: Support Team is $19 an agent billed yearly, and Suite Team, with chat and telephony, $55.

Updated 7 November 2026. Every fact is linked to Gorgias's or Zendesk's own site, with the date we checked it

## How do Gorgias and Zendesk compare, side by side?

Gorgias: Helpdesk and AI Agent for ecommerce and Shopify stores: one inbox for email, chat, voice, SMS and social, with AI that answers customers and runs actions such as returns and order tracking. Zendesk: Customer service software: a ticketing system with email, messaging, live chat and phone support, plus AI agents that answer customers.

| What matters | Gorgias | Zendesk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| How the price is counted | Pricing is by tickets per month, never per agent; helpdesk scales from 50 to 5,000 tickets a month[1] | $55 per agent per month, billed annually; $69 billed monthly[2] |
| Entry plan includes | 50 tickets per month included, then $0.40 per extra ticket; 3 user seats; Helpdesk + AI Agent bundle: $40/mo (AI Agent $30/mo, 30 automated interactions included)[3] | Email and ticketing system; Ticket routing; Prebuilt analytics dashboards; Automations and triggers; 5 automated AI-agent resolutions per agent per month included[4] |
| Plan for a growing team | 300 tickets per month included, then $0.40 per extra ticket; 500 user seats; Helpdesk + AI Agent bundle: $77/mo billed annually ($924 a year) or $90/mo monthly; 30 automated interactions included[5] | Support Team features, plus AI Agents, Knowledge Base, Action Builder; Omnichannel routing; Messaging and live chat; Telephony; 5 automated AI-agent resolutions per agent per month included[6] |
| Channels | Email, chat, social and help center on every plan; Shopify / Shopify Plus on every plan[7] | Messaging and live chat, and phone support (telephony) from Suite Team[8] |
| Phone | Voice and SMS as add-ons[9] | Skills-based routing and IVR phone tree from Suite Professional[10] |
| AI agent | AI Agent pre-trained on 18+ verticals, answers support questions, converts shoppers with personalized chat and automates actions like returns and order tracking[11] | AI agents (messaging, email, voice) are included in every Suite and Support plan; billed per automated resolution, meaning a request resolved with no escalation to a human. Included resolutions: 5 per agent per month (Support Team, Suite Team), 10 (Suite Professional); extra at $1.50 committed or $2.00 pay-as-you-go.[12] |
| AI included each month | Included automated interactions per month: 30 (Starter, Basic), 190 (Pro), 530 (Advanced)[13] | $1.50 each if committed in advance, $2.00 each pay-as-you-go[14] |
| Actions and workflows | AI Agent actions (cancel, discount, apply) and brand voice and guardrails are not on Starter per the comparison table[15] | Action Builder: multi-step workflows across Zendesk and third-party systems, with action credits included per plan[16] |
| Store platforms and connectors | Ecommerce platforms: Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop[17] | Action flow connectors for third-party systems are available on the Zendesk Marketplace[18] |
| Free trial | Free trial offered; no credit card required. The separately sourced signup-page trial fact gives its duration.[19] | 14 days, on the Suite Professional plan by default (a specific plan can be trialled by contacting Zendesk)[20] |
| MCP | Gorgias MCP: connect Claude (connector directory), ChatGPT (plugin directory) or another MCP client (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot) to read and analyze tickets, audit the account, configure AI Agent and update settings; works on any Helpdesk plan, AI Agent not required; actions follow the user's Gorgias role[21] | MCP client generally available from 10 Aug 2026: admins connect Zendesk to public or private MCP servers (e.g. Asana, Stripe, GitHub) and use their tools in action flows, auto assist and AI agents[22] |

Prices are in US dollars a month, before tax, as each company lists them.

## Which should you choose, Gorgias or Zendesk?

### Choose Gorgias if

- You run a Shopify store, or another ecommerce platform, and most questions are about orders.
- You'd rather pay by ticket volume than per agent, because many people help out.
- You want an AI agent that can handle returns and order tracking, not just answer questions.
- You want to see the revenue your support team drives (Pro and above).

### Choose Zendesk if

- Your business isn't an online store, or support covers far more than orders.
- Phone matters, and you want telephony, an IVR phone tree and skills-based routing in the plan.
- You have a few agents and a high ticket volume, where per-agent pricing works out cheaper.
- You want quality assurance and workforce management tools as you grow.

## How do Gorgias and Zendesk differ in approach?

Gorgias is a help desk built for online stores, and Zendesk is a help desk built for every kind of business. Gorgias connects to Shopify on every plan, and its AI Agent answers support questions, converts shoppers with personalised chat and runs actions such as returns and order tracking. It also works with BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce and PrestaShop.

Zendesk is broader: ticketing, messaging, live chat and phone in one place, with routing, SLAs, AI agents and Action Builder workflows that reach into other systems. A store whose questions are mostly "where is my order?" will usually find Gorgias quicker to set up. A business whose support spans products, services and phone tends to fit Zendesk.

## How much do Gorgias and Zendesk cost?

Gorgias counts tickets, and Zendesk counts agents. Gorgias's plans include a monthly number of tickets (50 on Starter, 300 on Basic, 2,000 on Pro, 5,000 on Advanced) and charge from $0.36 to $0.40 for each extra ticket, with up to 500 user seats on Basic and above. With its AI Agent, Starter is $40 a month and Basic $77 a month billed yearly.

Zendesk charges each agent: Support Team is $19 a month billed yearly, Suite Team $55 and Suite Professional $115. A store with many part-time helpers and modest volume pays less on Gorgias; a store with two or three full-time agents and thousands of tickets should price both, because Zendesk's seat price doesn't rise with ticket volume.

## How does the AI compare?

Both include some AI each month and charge for more. Gorgias includes 30 automated interactions a month on Starter and Basic, 190 on Pro and 530 on Advanced, with extras at $1.50 each; its AI Agent is pre-trained on 18+ verticals, and its order actions, brand voice and guardrails come on plans above Starter. Zendesk includes 5 automated resolutions per agent a month on its Team plans and 10 on Suite Professional, with extras at $1.50 committed or $2.00 pay as you go, and sells AI quality scoring of every interaction as an add-on.

## Which handles phone and other channels better?

Zendesk has phone in the plan; Gorgias sells it on top. Gorgias includes email, chat, social and a help center on every plan, with voice and SMS as add-ons priced by volume. Zendesk includes messaging, live chat and telephony from Suite Team, and adds an IVR phone tree and skills-based routing on Suite Professional.

## Where does Mojobase fit?

Mojobase is a third option for small stores where support is one of several jobs, built for 1 to 25 people, and it works well for teams up to 100. Its support Inbox sits next to email, tasks and Numbers, which reads your Shopify and Amazon sales and ad spend each morning, and the AI drafts answers from your Handbook. Numbers reads Shopify but never edits orders or issues refunds, and Mojobase has no phone or SMS channel, so stores that want the AI to act on orders are better served by Gorgias. It costs $39 a month for the first person and $25 for each after, with every app and the AI included.

## Questions people ask

### Is Gorgias or Zendesk cheaper for a small store?

It depends on tickets and agents. Gorgias charges by tickets, not agents: Starter with its AI Agent is $40 a month for 50 tickets and 3 seats; Basic with the AI Agent is $77 a month billed yearly for 300 tickets. Zendesk charges per agent: $19 billed yearly on Support Team, $55 on Suite Team.

### How do Gorgias and Zendesk charge for AI?

Gorgias includes automated interactions each month (30 on Starter and Basic, 190 on Pro, 530 on Advanced) and charges $1.50 for each extra one. Zendesk includes 5 automated resolutions per agent a month on its Team plans and 10 on Suite Professional, then $1.50 each committed or $2.00 pay as you go.

### Can the AI process returns or cancel orders?

Gorgias's AI Agent automates actions such as returns and order tracking, and its comparison table lists cancel, discount and apply actions, plus brand voice and guardrails, on plans above Starter. Zendesk's Action Builder runs multi-step workflows across Zendesk and other systems, with action credits per plan.

### Does Gorgias support phone calls?

Yes, as add-ons. Gorgias sells voice and SMS for any plan, priced by call and text volume. Zendesk includes telephony from Suite Team, at $55 an agent billed yearly, and adds an IVR phone tree and skills-based routing on Suite Professional.

### Can Claude or ChatGPT work in Gorgias or Zendesk?

Gorgias MCP connects Claude, ChatGPT and other MCP clients to read and analyse tickets, audit the account and configure the AI Agent, on any Helpdesk plan; some tools can message customers, so Gorgias flags them for care. Zendesk's MCP client lets admins plug outside MCP servers into its action flows and AI agents.

## Related

- [Mojobase vs Gorgias](https://mojobase.ai/compare/mojobase-vs-gorgias)
- [The best Gorgias alternatives for a small business (2026)](https://mojobase.ai/alternatives/gorgias)
- [Mojobase vs Zendesk](https://mojobase.ai/compare/mojobase-vs-zendesk)
- [The best Zendesk alternatives for a small business (2026)](https://mojobase.ai/alternatives/zendesk)
- [Support](https://mojobase.ai/support)
- [Mojobase and Shopify](https://mojobase.ai/integrations/shopify)
- [Mojobase for ecommerce brands](https://mojobase.ai/for/ecommerce)
- [Intercom vs Zendesk: which is right for a small business?](https://mojobase.ai/compare/intercom-vs-zendesk)

## Sources

1. Gorgias: Feature. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
2. Zendesk: Suite Team. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
3. Gorgias: Starter (helpdesk only) includes. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
4. Zendesk: Support Team includes. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
5. Gorgias: Basic (helpdesk only) includes. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
6. Zendesk: Suite Team includes. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
7. Gorgias: Feature. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
8. Zendesk: Feature. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
9. Gorgias: Feature. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
10. Zendesk: Feature. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
11. Gorgias: AI. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
12. Zendesk: AI. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
13. Gorgias: AI. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
14. Zendesk: Extra AI-agent automated resolutions. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
15. Gorgias: AI. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
16. Zendesk: Feature. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
17. Gorgias: Integrations. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
18. Zendesk: Integrations. [support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/11072724952474-Announcing-action-flow-connectors-are-now-available-on-the-Zendesk-Marketplace](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/11072724952474-Announcing-action-flow-connectors-are-now-available-on-the-Zendesk-Marketplace), checked 7 Nov 2026.
19. Gorgias: Free trial. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
20. Zendesk: Free trial. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.
21. Gorgias: Agents and MCP. [docs.gorgias.com/en-US/connect-your-ai-assistant-to-the-gorgias-mcp-6310546](https://docs.gorgias.com/en-US/connect-your-ai-assistant-to-the-gorgias-mcp-6310546), checked 7 Nov 2026.
22. Zendesk: Agents and MCP. [support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/11105393853210-Announcing-the-general-availability-of-the-MCP-client](https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/11105393853210-Announcing-the-general-availability-of-the-MCP-client), checked 7 Nov 2026.
23. Gorgias: Pro (helpdesk only) includes. [gorgias.com/pricing](https://www.gorgias.com/pricing), checked 7 Nov 2026.
24. Zendesk: Suite Professional. [zendesk.com/pricing/](https://www.zendesk.com/pricing/), checked 7 Nov 2026.

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Source: https://mojobase.ai/compare/gorgias-vs-zendesk · Updated 7 November 2026