Gorgias vs Zendesk
Gorgias and Zendesk, side by side across AI, pricing, channels, security, and seven more categories. We pull every figure from public sources and don’t pick a winner.
Last updated:
Compare a different pair
vs
Gorgias
Helpdesk and AI agent aimed at driving sales. Ecommerce-native (Shopify).
Best for Ecommerce brands, especially Shopify.
2015 · Paris, France (plus San Francisco).
Zendesk
AI-first resolution platform with autonomous AI agents that resolve tickets across all channels.
Best for Mid-market to enterprise support teams wanting an all-in-one omnichannel helpdesk with built-in AI agents. Also SMBs via self-serve.
2007 (Copenhagen, Denmark) · San Francisco, CA, USA.
Claimed: from the vendor, not independently verified.
3rd-party: sourced elsewhere, not on the vendor's site.
Everything else: from the vendor's own pages and verifiable.
Pricing
List prices, seat rules, trials, and pricing transparency.
- Pricing model
- GorgiasTicket-volume-based (not per-seat) plus AI per resolution.
- ZendeskPer agent/mo, annual or monthly. Suite is omnichannel, Support is email/ticketing only. AI billed separately.
- Free plan
- GorgiasNo
- ZendeskNo
- Free trial / guarantee
- Gorgias7 days, no payment.
- Zendesk14 days (Suite Professional + Copilot).
- Price
- GorgiasStarter $10/mo (50 tickets, 3 seats); Basic $60/mo (300 tickets). · Pro $360/mo (2,000 tickets); Advanced $900/mo (5,000). · Enterprise custom (5,000+ tickets).
- Zendesk$19/agent/mo (Support Team, annual, email only). $55 (Suite Team, omnichannel). · $115/agent/mo (Suite Professional, annual). · Custom (Suite Enterprise + Copilot).
- Seat minimum
- GorgiasNone. Starter 3 seats; others up to 500.
- ZendeskNot disclosed (none for self-serve).
- Unlimited agents
- GorgiasNo. Starter 3; others up to 500.
- ZendeskNo. Priced per agent.
- Implementation fee
- GorgiasNot disclosed (enterprise includes implementation).
- ZendeskNot disclosed (Launch/Optimization Services extra).
- Transparency
- GorgiasStarter to Advanced public; Enterprise custom.
- ZendeskModerate. Base prices public; per-resolution AI and Enterprise pricing not.
- Pricing last verified
- Gorgias2026-06-02
- Zendesk2026-06-02
Channels
Where each tool can talk to customers.
- GorgiasNative
- ZendeskNative
- Live chat
- GorgiasNative
- ZendeskNative
- In-app messenger
- GorgiasNative (Shopify widget, no code).
- ZendeskNative (Web Widget and mobile SDK).
- Voice
- GorgiasNative (add-on, $0.40–1.20/ticket).
- ZendeskNative (Zendesk Talk, usage billed separately).
- SMS
- GorgiasNative (add-on, $0.41–0.80/ticket).
- ZendeskNative (Zendesk Text).
- GorgiasNative (free to add; billable tickets).
- ZendeskNative (all Suite plans).
- Social
- GorgiasNative (Instagram, Facebook).
- ZendeskNative (FB Messenger, Instagram; X, LINE, WeChat available).
- Unified inbox
- GorgiasNative
- ZendeskNative. Agent Workspace.
Voice & Telephony
Native voice vs telephony integrations.
- Native vs via integration
- GorgiasNative. Gorgias Voice add-on; IVR, queues, call flows.
- ZendeskNative. Zendesk Talk, included in Suite.
- Voice AI / transcription
- GorgiasYes. Voicemails and recorded calls; transcripts on tickets.
- ZendeskYes. Live $0.027/min, post-call $0.01/min. Voice AI Agents in EAP.
- Telephony billed separately
- GorgiasYes. $0.40–1.20/ticket, not in base plan.
- ZendeskYes. Numbers $1–2/mo, inbound $0.016/min, recording $0.003/min.
AI & Automation
Autonomous resolution, agentic actions, models, and how AI is priced.
- Autonomous AI agent
- GorgiasYes. AI Agent (Support Agent and Shopping Assistant).
- ZendeskYes. AI Agents resolve multi-step, multi-intent requests end to end across email, messaging, and voice.
- Copilot / Assist mode
- GorgiasAI Coaching (real-time tips). No separate Copilot product.
- ZendeskYes. Copilot handles next-best-action, auto-assist, triage, and call transcription. Add-on $50/agent/mo or in Suite Enterprise + Copilot.
- Claimed automation rate
- Gorgias60% resolved instantly; enterprise '50% in 50 days' guarantee.(claimed)source
- ZendeskUp to 80% (homepage). Customers: Hello Sugar 66%, TeamSystem 80% email, Best Egg 80% messaging.(claimed)source
- AI channel coverage
- GorgiasEmail, live chat, SMS. WhatsApp and social via rules (AI not confirmed).
- ZendeskEmail, messaging (web, mobile, social), voice (Voice AI Agents in EAP), and ticketing.
- Agentic actions (API) vs answer-only
- GorgiasActions-capable. Cancels, returns, subscriptions, refunds and discounts via connected apps.
- ZendeskActions via API. Orchestrates refunds, cancellations, and legacy-system integrations. Agentic multi-step from May 2026.
- Knowledge sources
- GorgiasShopify order and customer data, store content, Help Center, custom URLs and docs, Guidance.
- ZendeskHelp center, external sources (Google Drive, PDFs), and Confluence, via a unified knowledge graph.
- Underlying model
- GorgiasOpenAI, Anthropic, internally fine-tuned.
- ZendeskOpenAI (zero-retention) on Azure. Also Azure, Amazon Bedrock, and GCP options, plus proprietary intent models.
- Trains on past tickets
- GorgiasNo. Ticket data does not train LLMs; per-ticket feedback coaching.
- ZendeskYes. Resolution Learning Loop. Forethought acquisition adds self-improving agents.
- Pre-deploy simulation / sandbox
- GorgiasYes. Test conversations (new vs. returning) across channels.
- ZendeskNot disclosed on AI pages. Enterprise plans include a general sandbox.
- Multilingual
- GorgiasYes. Any LLM-supported language, auto-detect.
- ZendeskYes. 80 languages at native fluency with auto-switch. KB in 40+ languages.
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- GorgiasNative only.
- ZendeskNative to Zendesk (some deployment beyond Zendesk noted).
- AI pricing model
- GorgiasOutcome-based. Per resolved automated conversation; handoffs not billed.
- ZendeskOutcome-based per successful resolution, with an allowance included. Packaging consolidated May 2026.
- AI unit price
- Gorgias$1.00/resolved (monthly); $0.90 (annual); overage $1.50.
- ZendeskNot disclosed (per-resolution price not published).
- Copilot / Assist price
- GorgiasNo separate price (coaching included).
- Zendesk$50/agent/mo (annual). Suite Enterprise + Copilot custom.
How Open.cx compares
Open.cx runs on top of Gorgias or Zendeskas an AI layer, or works as its own helpdesk. Here's where it lands on the same questions.
- Runs on your existing helpdesk vs native-only
- Both. Add it on top of the helpdesk you already run, or use it as your own inbox. Works with Zendesk, Intercom, Front, Freshdesk, Gorgias, Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365, Twilio Flex, and Creatio.
- Autonomous AI agent
- Yes. Autopilot resolves tickets end to end on its own, across every channel.
- AI pricing model
- Per resolution, so you pay for outcomes. Escalations to a human are free.
- Claimed automation rate
- 77% average automation; up to 80% (Trunkrs)(claimed)source
Security & Compliance
Certifications, data residency, and access controls.
- SOC 2 Type II
- GorgiasSOC 2 Type II (since 2020).
- ZendeskSOC 2 Type II (report under NDA).
- GDPR
- GorgiasYes. DPA; EU data on EU GCP servers.
- ZendeskYes. EU BCRs, ISO 27701, published DPA.
- HIPAA / PCI
- GorgiasSupported (enterprise compliance feature).
- ZendeskYes. Advanced Compliance add-on with BAA.
- SSO / SAML
- GorgiasSSO (Google, MS365); SAML enterprise; 2FA.
- ZendeskYes. SAML and OIDC, social SSO, 2FA.
- Data residency
- GorgiasEU data on EU GCP; broader options not disclosed.
- ZendeskYes. US, AU, JP, EEA (Data Center Location add-on).
Integrations
Marketplace breadth, APIs, and developer tooling.
- Marketplace / integrations (approx.)
- Gorgias100+ marketplace; 300+ on features page (incl. Recharge, Klaviyo, Yotpo).
- Zendesk1,800+ apps and integrations.
- Shopify depth
- GorgiasDeep native. Order history, profiles, catalogs, tags; Shopify and Plus; AI reads live data and actions orders.
- ZendeskDeep native (built with Shopify). Order details, refunds, and cancellations in-context. Shopify and Plus, free.
- Open / public API
- GorgiasYes. REST API on all Helpdesk plans; Basic Auth; Postman.
- ZendeskYes. REST APIs across Support, AI Agents, Talk, Custom Objects, and more.
- Developer SDK / MCP
- GorgiasNo official SDK; developers.gorgias.com API reference.
- ZendeskYes. Android, iOS, and Unity messaging SDKs, plus Apps Core API.
Automation & Workflows
Builders, triggers, routing, and SLAs.
- Workflow builder
- GorgiasYes. Rules engine (auto-assign, tag, close, respond).
- ZendeskYes. No-code builder. App Builder (Pro+), Action Builder (Team+).
- Triggers / automations
- GorgiasYes. Event-based Rules (creation, reply, tags, channel, keywords).
- ZendeskYes. Triggers and automations, with conditional logic across external integrations.
- Routing
- GorgiasYes. Auto-assign plus AI-assisted routing.
- ZendeskOmnichannel (all plans). Skills-based and IVR (Pro+), intelligent triage (Enterprise+).
- Macros / canned responses
- GorgiasYes. Macros (AI-sorted), all plans.
- ZendeskYes. Macros plus AI macro suggestions.
- SLA management
- GorgiasYes. All plans, per channel; SLA report; business-hours pause.
- ZendeskYes. Growth/Professional+.
Collaboration
How support teams work a queue together.
- Internal notes
- GorgiasYes. @-mentions, permanent.
- ZendeskYes
- Collision detection
- GorgiasYes. Banner when another agent is viewing or editing.
- ZendeskNot disclosed on reviewed pages.
- Side conversations
- GorgiasNot disclosed
- ZendeskYes. In Agent Workspace.
- Shared inbox
- GorgiasYes. Unified inbox.
- ZendeskYes. Unified Agent Workspace.
Self-Service & Knowledge
Knowledge base, help center, and deflection.
- Knowledge base
- GorgiasYes. Help Center on all plans, Shopify-embeddable.
- ZendeskYes. Guide, with branded help centers in 40+ languages.
- Help center
- GorgiasYes. External and internal KB.
- ZendeskYes. Multiple help centers per brand.
- Community forum
- GorgiasGorgias Community is product updates, not a peer-support forum.
- ZendeskYes. Zendesk Gather.
- AI answers from knowledge base
- GorgiasYes. AI Agent uses Help Center; Article Recommendations (Automation add-on).
- ZendeskYes. Generative AI search, semantic search, AI article generation, and gap detection.
Reporting & Analytics
Dashboards, custom reports, and CSAT.
- Dashboards
- GorgiasYes. 70+ metrics, up to 10 dashboards x 20 charts.
- ZendeskYes. Explore. Prebuilt on all Suite plans, real-time on Pro+.
- Custom reports
- GorgiasYes. Filterable, revenue attribution, AI analytics.
- ZendeskYes. Suite Professional+ (Explore Pro). Not on Team.
- Included in lowest tier
- GorgiasReporting on all plans; Pro adds live monitoring plus revenue stats.
- ZendeskTeam: prebuilt only. Professional+: custom plus real-time.
- CSAT surveys
- GorgiasYes. CSAT 2.0; Simplesat and Surveywell integrations.
- ZendeskYes. Native CSAT. Explore CSAT reporting on Pro+.
Onboarding & Support
Implementation, CSM tiers, and partners.
- Onboarding
- GorgiasSelf-serve (Starter, Basic); guided implementation (Enterprise); '50% in 50 days' guarantee.
- ZendeskLaunch, Optimization, and AI Services. Zendesk Assist, Academy, and Help Center.
- Support channels
- GorgiasEmail and chat; tiered by revenue (Standard up to $3M, Specialist $3–20M, Dedicated $20M+).
- ZendeskWeb and help form on all plans. Premier adds phone and 24/7.
- Dedicated CSM
- GorgiasYes. Dedicated CSM at $20M+ tier.
- ZendeskPremier Plus: PSE plus TAM, monthly reviews. Enterprise: weekly.
- Implementation partners
- GorgiasYes. App Partner program plus agencies.
- ZendeskYes. 1,800+ Marketplace partners plus Professional Services.