Every growing business hits that customer service crossroads: your inbox is overflowing, response times are slipping, and your team is stretched thin. 

That’s probably how you landed here, comparing Gorgias and Intercom – two platforms that promise to solve these headaches, but in very different ways.

  • Gorgias is the darling of Shopify stores, built specifically for e-commerce support. It’s great at turning customer service into a revenue engine, with deep integrations into your store and order data. 

But outside the ‘e-commerce’ box, things start to get tricky. Think basic chatbot capabilities and limited options for teams that need more than just store support [*].

  • Intercom, on the other hand, takes the all-in-one approach to customer communication. It offers chat support, marketing automation, customer engagement — you name it. 

Here’s the catch though: It can be overwhelming for simple ecommerce stores, and you end up paying for a bunch of features you’ll never use [*]. 

However, choosing between these two isn’t just about features or price. 

It’s about understanding where your customer service needs to go. 

  • Are you purely focused on e-commerce support? 
  • Do you need broader customer engagement capabilities? 
  • Or are you looking for something that bridges both worlds?

In this comparison, we’ll break down exactly how these platforms stack up – from core features to hidden limitations – and throw in some alternatives that might be a better fit for your specific needs. 

Gorgias vs Intercom: General Overview

Gorgias Overview

Gorgias is a customer service platform designed specifically for eCommerce businesses, integrating with major online stores like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. 

It centralizes customer interactions from email, live chat, social media, and SMS into a unified dashboard. This allows customer service representatives to access order details, shipping information, and customer history without switching between different systems. 

Gorgias also features a rule engine that can automatically categorize tickets, route them to appropriate team members, and even respond to common queries using pre-approved templates and macros. 

Also, its intent detection system can understand customer needs from natural language inputs, while its sentiment analysis helps prioritize urgent or negative interactions.

In addition, through its social media integration, businesses can extend their customer support to platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, enabling them to respond to comments, direct messages, and ad inquiries from within Gorgias. 

Recommended → Top 17 Gorgias Alternatives & Competitors (+User Feedback)

Intercom Overview

Intercom is a customer communications platform that combines live chat, automation, and AI-powered messaging to help businesses engage with their customers across multiple channels. 

It functions as an all-in-one solution for customer support, marketing, and sales, enabling businesses to manage conversations through email, chat, social media, and in-app messaging. 

Unlike traditional ticketing systems, Intercom is built around a ‘messenger-first’ approach, providing real-time, conversational support that feels more personal and efficient. 

One of Intercom’s main features is ‘Fin’ — an AI chatbot that provides accurate, context-aware responses to customer questions. It also features workflow automation tools that allow businesses to design self-serve experiences, such as automated onboarding sequences, proactive chat prompts, and guided troubleshooting. 

Intercom also offers a customer data platform (CDP), allowing businesses to segment users based on attributes like purchase history, product usage, or support history, enabling targeted messaging and engagement. 

Recommended → 20 Best Intercom Alternatives & Competitors Right Now

Key Differences Between Gorgias and Intercom

Gorgias

  • Faster Order Management for eCommerce. Gorgias allows support agents to modify orders, process refunds, and apply discounts directly from the help desk. This reduces the time spent switching between platforms, increasing efficiency for online stores. 
  • Revenue-Focused Features. Gorgias is designed to turn customer support into a sales channel by enabling agents to upsell and cross-sell during interactions. It tracks conversions from support conversations, helping brands measure the revenue impact of their customer service efforts. 
  • Deeper Integration with eCommerce Platforms. Unlike Intercom, which focuses on broad customer engagement, Gorgias integrates natively with Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento, pulling in real-time customer and order data to personalize responses without additional steps. 

Intercom

  • Proactive Engagement to Reduce Support Load. Instead of just responding to queries, Intercom proactively reaches out to users through targeted messaging, guiding them through onboarding, feature adoption, or issue resolution before they need support. 
  • Scalability for High-Growth Companies. Intercom’s automation, workflows, and omnichannel messaging capabilities make it ideal for SaaS businesses looking to scale customer support and sales while maintaining a high level of personalization without needing large support teams. 
  • Stronger AI-Powered Customer Conversations. Intercom’s AI chatbot, Fin, delivers highly contextual and human-like responses by learning from a company’s help center and past interactions. This makes it a better fit for businesses looking to automate complex support queries. 

Why Kustomer is a Better Option

Unified Customer View Across Every Interaction

Unlike Gorgias and Intercom, which primarily focus on chat-based or ticket-based support, Kustomer operates as a full-fledged CRM for customer service. 

It unifies every customer interaction—across email, phone, chat, social media, and messaging apps—into a single timeline, providing agents with complete context without needing to toggle between multiple platforms. This results in faster resolutions and a more personalized customer experience. 

True Omnichannel Support, Not Just Multi-Channel

Gorgias primarily focuses on eCommerce-related channels (email, chat, and social), while Intercom is built for website and in-app messaging. 

Kustomer, on the other hand, offers seamless omnichannel support across email, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and live chat—ensuring businesses can engage with customers on their preferred platforms without losing conversation history. 

Native CRM Capabilities for Deeper Customer Relationships

Neither Gorgias nor Intercom function as full CRMs. Kustomer, however, provides built-in CRM functionalities, allowing businesses to store, manage, and retrieve customer data effortlessly. 

This eliminates the need for additional CRM integrations and helps companies maintain a single source of truth for all customer interactions. 

Better Flexibility and Customization

Kustomer is highly customizable, allowing businesses to tailor workflows, automation, and reporting to match their specific needs. 

Unlike Gorgias, which is tightly integrated with Shopify and other eCommerce platforms, or Intercom, which focuses on SaaS engagement, Kustomer is flexible and can be adapted for eCommerce, SaaS, fintech, healthcare, and other industries. 

“With Kustomer, Shopify and Klaviyo working seamlessly together, we’ve transformed our customer service into a proactive, revenue-generating function”

— YuJin Yong, VP of Digital, Daily Harvest

Read Case Study →

Gorgias: Features, Use Cases, Pricing, Pros & Cons

Key Features

  • AI Macros for Instant Responses. Enables businesses to create pre-set responses that dynamically pull customer and order data. 
  • Self-Service Portal for Order Tracking & Modifications. Customers can track orders, request cancellations, and modify details through a self-service widget—without needing agent intervention.
  • Live Chat with Product Recommendations. Gorgias’ live chat feature integrates with Shopify to recommend products in real-time. For example, if a customer asks, “Which size should I get?” the AI can suggest the best fit based on past purchases.
  • Shopify & eCommerce Integration. Connects directly with Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, enabling agents to view order history, process refunds, cancel orders, and apply discounts without leaving the helpdesk.
  • Multi-Agent Collaboration. Supports internal notes and mentions, allowing multiple agents to collaborate on complex customer issues. Team members can communicate within tickets without the customer seeing internal discussions. 
  • Rule-Based Ticket Automation. Businesses can set custom automation rules that tag, assign, or respond to tickets based on specific triggers, such as keywords, customer status, or order details. 

Main Use Cases

  • Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brands. Automating common customer inquiries about order status and shipping updates while focusing human agents on high-value customer interactions and sales opportunities.
  • SaaS Companies. Managing recurring billing inquiries, subscription changes, and product feedback while tracking customer retention metrics and support impact.
  • High-Growth Online Retailers. Managing thousands of daily inquiries about pricing, availability, and returns across multiple social channels while maintaining consistent response times and quality. 

Pricing Plans

  • Starter. Starts at $10 per month for 50 tickets.
  • Basic. Starts at $60 per month for 300 tickets.
  • Pro. Starts at $360 per month for 2,000 tickets
  • Advanced. Starts at $900 per month for 5,000 tickets
  • Enterprise. Custom pricing with tailored ticket volume and features.

Gorgias also provides add-ons for enhanced functionality:

  • Voice Support. Starts at $2.40 per ticket.
  • SMS Support. Starts at $1.60 per ticket.

Pros of Gorgias

  • Community and Support. Gorgias offers robust support options and an active community where users can engage with peers for assistance and tips [*]. 
  • User-Friendly Implementation. Gorgias provides a user-friendly design, which facilitates quick onboarding of new agents and easy integration with existing business processes [*]. 
  • Multi-Channel Data Integration. Offers extensive data sharing capabilities across integrated channels, with features like status tracking and widget functionality for customer self-service [*]. 

Cons of Gorgias

  • Cost Concerns. The pricing structure of Gorgias can be a barrier for startups and smaller businesses with limited budgets [*]. 
  • Customer Data Management Limitations. Lacks efficient customer deletion process, requiring manual scrolling through the entire customer list without sorting capabilities [*]. 
  • Poor Notification System. The lack of comprehensive notifications for new tickets is a notable drawback. Users have expressed a need for better notification features to ensure they are promptly alerted to all types of new customer interactions [*]. 

💡Best Alternative to Gorgias: Kustomer

While Gorgias integrates well with Shopify and social media channels, its support is primarily centered around eCommerce needs. 

Kustomer, on the other hand, allows businesses to create advanced, cross-departmental processes. It can automate complex business processes that span multiple teams (sales, support, operations) while maintaining context and continuity. 

This broader automation scope helps organizations streamline operations across their entire customer service ecosystem. 

“I love how customizable Kustomer is! It fits all my team needs. I love the flexibility and functionality, and we are constantly tweaking things to improve the CX team experience.” 

— Michelle McCombs, Director, Community Experience, HopSkipDrive. 

Read Case Study →

Save up to 25% when you switch from Gorgias → 

Intercom: Features, Use Cases, Pricing, Pros & Cons

Key Features

  • Help Center Articles. Allows businesses to create, organize, and deliver self-service content. The AI-powered search suggests relevant articles based on customer queries, reducing reliance on live support while improving resolution rates. 
  • AI-Powered Agent Assist. Provides real-time smart suggestions, ticket summaries, and knowledge base lookups for agents. This helps reduce response time and improves accuracy.
  • Live Chat. Intercom’s customizable messenger widget allows businesses to embed AI-powered live chat on websites and apps. It integrates with chatbots to respond instantly and escalate when needed. 
  • Product Tours. Guides users through in-app onboarding and feature adoption using interactive step-by-step walkthroughs. They trigger based on user behavior and provide contextual assistance, reducing friction in learning new features. 
  • Inbox Workflows. Automates conversation routing, tagging, and prioritization within the Intercom Inbox. It ensures that messages reach the right support agent by applying custom rules based on factors like customer attributes, message content, or urgency.
  • Series. This is an automation builder for creating customer engagement workflows. It enables businesses to design multi-step messaging campaigns using triggers, delays, and conditions. 

Main Use Cases

  • Marketplace Platforms. Managing both buyer and seller communications through automated workflows while maintaining separate support queues and metrics. 
  • Enterprise Businesses. Supporting multiple teams and departments with different permission levels and workflows while maintaining unified customer communication records.
  • Ed-TechProviders. Delivering targeted learning content and support based on user progress and engagement levels while tracking course completion and satisfaction rates. 

Pricing

  • Essential. Starts at $39 per month per seat. 
  • Advanced. Starts at $99 per month per seat, including 20 lite seats. 
  • Expert. Starts at $139 per month per seat, including 50 lite seats.

Add-ons and additional features:

  • Fin AI Agent. $0.99 per resolution. 
  • Proactive Support Plus. $99 per month (includes 500 Messages Sent/month). 
  • Fin AI Copilot. $35 per month. 
  • Channels:
    • Email campaigns. From $0.00025 to $0.045 per email sent
    • SMS. From $0.01 to $0.09 per SMS sent/received
    • WhatsApp. From $0.03 to $0.10 per conversation
    • Phone. Billed by phone numbers and minutes

Note → If you’re confused about Intercom’s pricing structure— well, you’re not alone. Based on our research we’ve attributed this to three key reasons: 

  • Multiple Variables. Pricing is influenced by the number of seats, types of seats (full or lite), add-ons, and usage-based charges, making it challenging to predict total costs. 
  • Usage-Based Charges. Features like messaging channels (SMS, phone, product tours) incur additional costs based on usage, adding another layer of complexity. 
  • Plan Structures. The inclusion of lite seats in higher-tier plans and the necessity to purchase certain add-ons for full functionality can be overwhelming for users trying to determine the most cost-effective plan. 

Pros of Intercom

  • Streamlined Communication. The tool simplifies daily customer interactions through easy creation of emails and chats, improving communication clarity and customer support quality [*]. 
  • Effective Outbound Tooling. Intercom’s context-aware communication tools and omni-support channels provide a seamless and effective customer experience, enhancing customer satisfaction [*].
  • Comprehensive Support Integration. Provides a unified workflow system connecting help center documentation, live support, and dev team software, with advanced AI capabilities built on existing content [*]. 

Cons of Intercom

  • Lacking Basic Functionality. Lacks essential features like BCC capability, comprehensive ticket exports, sub-bullet points, and internal checklists, with limited ticketing system functionality [*]. 
  • Complex Property Management. Setting up and managing custom properties and workflows in Intercom can be time-consuming [*]. 
  • Automation and Ticketing Conflicts. Users experience issues with duplicate chats and emails requiring manual integration. This impacts the ability to gain accurate performance insights [*]. 
  • Challenging for Small Multi-product Companies. The platform’s structure and pricing model pose challenges for small companies managing multiple products, forcing them to operate separate workspaces, which can be costly and inefficient [*]. 

💡Best Alternative to Intercom: Kustomer

Intercom is primarily designed for chat-based interactions and in-app messaging, but it treats each conversation as a separate event. 

Meanwhile, Kustomer takes a CRM-centric approach, bringing every interaction into a single, continuous customer history. 

This means agents always have full context, enabling them to deliver proactive, hyper-personalized service without switching between systems. 

Now, instead of just responding to support tickets, businesses using Kustomer build stronger, long-term customer relationships that drive loyalty and lifetime value. 

“Kustomer is a platform that offers so much more than just a ticketing system — it’s optimizing our entire customer experience workflow at Away.”

Jayne Flynn, Data & Analytics, AWAY. 

Read Case Study →

Find out why brands choose Kustomer over Intercom → 

How to Choose the Right Helpdesk Platform for Your Business

1. Define Your Business Needs and Support Goals

Before you pick a helpdesk solution, take a step back and assess your business needs. 

Are you a startup looking for simple ticketing software, or a fast-growing company needing omnichannel support? The answer will guide your selection. 

Start by defining your support goals:

  • How many customer queries do you receive daily?
  • What channels do you use for support (email, live chat, phone, social media)?
  • Do you need automation for repetitive tasks?
  • Will your customer service team grow in the next 1-2 years?

For a small business, an intuitive platform with essential ticketing features might be enough. A scaling business, however, might need automation, AI-powered chatbots, and analytics to optimize workflows. 

💡Kustomer Desk → Make a list of your must-have vs. nice-to-have features before exploring platforms. This helps avoid getting swayed by flashy features that won’t impact your operations. 

2. Evaluate User Experience and Interface

A helpdesk platform might have all the right features, but if it’s difficult to use, it can quickly become a frustrating bottleneck instead of a productivity booster. 

Your customer support team interacts with the helpdesk every single day, so an intuitive interface and smooth user experience (UX) are just as important as automation, integrations, or AI-powered tools.

Here’s what to look out for: 

  • Easy to Navigate. Agents should be able to quickly find, track, and resolve tickets without digging through complex menus. 
  • Minimal Learning Curve. New team members should be able to learn the system in a few hours, not weeks.
  • Customizable for Workflows. The interface should allow admins to personalize dashboards, ticket views, and automation to match their unique support process.

It’s also important to test the mobile experience if your team provides support on the go. 

Many helpdesk providers offer mobile apps, but not all of them deliver a smooth, responsive experience. 

If your agents need to respond to tickets outside of office hours, a poorly designed mobile interface could delay resolutions.  

💡Kustomer Desk → If you manage a large team, choose a helpdesk with role-based UI customization, so different users (agents, supervisors, admins) see only the tools and data relevant to their roles. This reduces screen clutter and improves efficiency. 

3. Ensure Strong Omnichannel Support

Customers expect to reach you on their preferred channel, whether it’s email, phone, live chat, or social media. 

For example, imagine a customer first emails support, then follows up via Instagram DMs. Without an integrated helpdesk, agents may have no idea these two conversations are linked, leading to repetitive responses and frustration. 

Your preferred omnichannel helpdesk solution should:

  • Unify customer interactions across multiple channels.
  • Provide a single view of customer history, preventing repeated information.
  • Allow agents to switch between channels without losing context. 

💡Kustomer Desk → Avoid helpdesk solutions that treat each channel separately—they create communication silos and confuse both customers and agents. 

4. Look for Automation & AI Capabilities

Automating basic tasks will save you time and improve efficiency. Ensure your helpdesk platform offer:

  • Automated Ticket Routing. Assigns tickets to the right agent based on skills or workload.
  • AI-powered Responses. Uses machine learning to suggest replies and detect sentiment.
  • Workflow Automation. Auto-closes resolved tickets, sends reminders, and triggers alerts for urgent cases. 

💡Kustomer Desk → Look for a helpdesk with customizable automation workflows. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work if your processes are unique. 

5. Consider Integration with Existing Tools

Your helpdesk solution should fit seamlessly into your existing tech stack to create a smooth workflow for your support reps. 

This ensures that all customer data, interactions, and transactions are accessible from a single dashboard — leading to faster response times while also reducing the load on agents. 

Another key factor to consider is bidirectional data flow. A good integration doesn’t just let your helpdesk pull data from other tools—it should also push updates back. 

For example, if an issue is resolved in the helpdesk, the CRM should automatically update the customer profile. 

What should your helpdesk integrate with?

  • CRM Systems, e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM (for tracking customer interactions and history). 
  • Communication Platforms, e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams (for internal collaboration and instant notifications).
  • E-commerce Platforms, e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento (for retrieving customer orders and transaction details). 
  • Billing & Payments, e.g., Stripe, PayPal, QuickBooks (for resolving payment-related inquiries faster). 
  • Project Management Tools, e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira (for tracking bug reports, escalations, and internal workflows). 

💡Kustomer Desk → Check for native integrations first, then see if the platform supports API access or third-party connectors (Zapier, Make). Alternatively, if your tech stack is complex, test integrations with a free trial before committing. Some platforms claim compatibility but require costly custom development.

6. Analyze Scalability & Pricing

Many businesses make the mistake of selecting a helpdesk based on their immediate support volume, only to find themselves outgrowing the platform within a year. 

This leads to expensive migrations, disrupted workflows, and frustrated teams.

At the same time, pricing structures can be deceptive. Some platforms lure businesses in with a low entry cost, only to reveal hidden fees for critical features like automation, analytics, and integrations. 

That’s why it’s crucial to look beyond the surface-level pricing and calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) over time.

Here’s what to look for: 

  • User Limits. Does the platform allow you to add more agents without huge cost jumps?
  • Feature Expansion. Are core features (like automation and reporting) locked behind premium tiers?
  • Customizability. Can the platform adapt to more complex workflows as your team grows?
  • Upgrade Costs. How does the pricing scale if you need more advanced capabilities in the future? 

💡Kustomer Desk → Avoid platforms that charge extra for basic features like analytics, reporting, or automation. These hidden costs can add up significantly over time, making what seemed like an affordable option far more expensive in the long run. 

7. Prioritize Security and Compliance

Depending on your location and industry, your business may be required to follow strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, and SOC 2. 

Also, beyond compliance, security is also important. Your customer support system stores sensitive customer information, payment details, personal data, and internal communications, making it a potential target for cyberattacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access. 

Key security features to look for:

  • End-to-End Encryption. Protects data during transmission (TLS 1.2 or higher).
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) – Ensures employees only access data relevant to their role.
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Adds an extra layer of security against unauthorized logins.
  • Audit Logs & Monitoring. Tracks user activity for compliance and security audits.

While many helpdesks claim to be secure, not all offer industry-grade compliance. Be sure to request a security whitepaper or compliance certification from the vendor to verify their claims before committing.

💡Kustomer Desk → If your business operates in a regulated industry, ensure the helpdesk provides granular access controls so that only authorized agents can view or modify sensitive customer data.  

Why Choose Between Good and Okay When You Can Have Great?

So here’s what we’ve learned: Gorgias excels at e-commerce but falls short everywhere else. Intercom does everything but charges you for features you’ll never use. 

It’s like having to pick between a tool that’s too basic or one that’s trying to do too much.

But what if you didn’t have to make that choice?

The Choice You Didn’t Know You Had: Meet Kustomer

Think about what you really need: powerful e-commerce support that doesn’t box you in, automation that actually makes sense, and pricing that doesn’t make you choose between features you need and ones you don’t. 

Speaking of pricing, we did something different: you pay only for what you use. 

This is exactly why we need to talk about Kustomer. It’s not just another helpdesk or another bloated all-in-one platform. 

Instead, it gives you:

  • The deep e-commerce capabilities of Gorgias without the limitations
  • The powerful automation of Intercom without the complexity
  • Plus something neither offers: a true 360° view of your customer journey

We know your customer needs aren’t one-size-fits-all. And they shouldn’t be treated that way. With Kustomer, you don’t have to compromise. 

Think Outside the Gorgias-Intercom Box — Try Kustomer →

FAQs: Gorgias vs Intercom (+ Alternatives)

What are the top alternatives to Gorgias and Intercom?

If neither Gorgias nor Intercom fits your needs, consider these top alternatives:

  • Kustomer. Great for AI-driven support and CRM integration.
  • Zendesk. Best for enterprise-grade ticketing and omnichannel support.
  • Freshdesk. Budget-friendly alternative with strong automation.
  • Help Scout. Simple, email-focused helpdesk for small teams.
  • LiveChat. Ideal for real-time engagement and sales chat.

Which platform is better for eCommerce: Gorgias or Intercom?

Gorgias is the better choice for eCommerce businesses since it provides Shopify-native automation, direct order edits, and revenue attribution tracking. 

While Intercom can still be used for eCommerce, it lacks the deep store integrations and sales-focused automation that Gorgias offers.

Which platform has better integrations: Gorgias or Intercom?

Gorgias integrates deeply with eCommerce platforms (Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce), while Intercom has strong SaaS integrations, including CRM tools, marketing automation, and chatbots. 

Your choice depends on whether you need store-based automations (Gorgias) or business-wide customer engagement tools (Intercom).