The right customer service platform can transform how businesses interact with their clients, ensuring issues are resolved swiftly and efficiently. This is where tools like Zendesk and Gorgias come into play, offering robust solutions tailored for dynamic, customer-centric teams. 

When comparing Zendesk and Gorgias, diving into their specific features is crucial. Zendesk offers a broad range of functionalities, including an advanced email ticketing system, live chat, phone support, and a knowledge base. Its ability to integrate with various applications adds to its versatility. 

Gorgias, on the other hand, offers a more focused feature set tailored for e-commerce, with its strengths lying in seamless integration with e-commerce platforms, automation of repetitive tasks, and helping teams provide personalized customer interactions. While Zendesk provides a more generalized suite of tools, Gorgias offers specialized features for a specific sector.

Both platforms have carved out a significant presence in the industry, but how do they stack up against each other? Let’s explore their features, performance, and overall value to businesses and get a clear picture for those looking to make an informed choice.

Table of Contents

• Zendesk Overview
• Gorgias Overview
• Zendesk vs Gorgias – what should you choose?
  • Pricing:
  • User Interface and Ease of Use:
  • Customer Service Features
  • Or explore a better alternative – Hiver:
  • Integration and Flexibility
• Choosing the right solution

Zendesk Overview

Zendesk stands out as a well-established player in the customer service software market, known for its comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline client interactions. At its core, Zendesk offers a multifaceted platform that integrates customer support, sales, and marketing communications. 

It’s particularly lauded for its scalability, making it a go-to choice for businesses ranging from startups to large enterprises. The platform excels in providing a centralized system for tracking, prioritizing, and solving customer support tickets, complemented by an extensive range of customization options and third-party integrations.

Gorgias Overview

Gorgias, a newer entrant compared to Zendesk, has quickly gained traction in the B2B SaaS industry for its focus on e-commerce businesses. What sets Gorgias apart is its deep integration with e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, making it a specialized tool for online stores. 

It offers features like real-time customer data viewing and automated responses to common queries, aimed at increasing the efficiency of customer service teams. Gorgias’ strength lies in its ability to provide a streamlined, focused experience for e-commerce entities, offering tools that are specifically designed for the nuances of online retail customer support.

Zendesk vs Gorgias – what should you choose?

Making an informed decision requires introspection into several critical aspects. It’s essential to first understand the unique needs and capabilities of your business, including the specific requirements in customer service, the importance of scalability in line with your growth trajectory, the level of technical expertise within your team, your budget allocation for such tools, and the necessity of integrations with other business systems. 

These considerations lay the groundwork for a comprehensive and tailored comparison between Zendesk and Gorgias, guiding businesses to select a platform that aligns perfectly with their operational demands and future goals. Let’s analyze their suitability based on these considerations:

Pricing:

It’s important to note that pricing can vary based on the specific needs and customizations of each business, but we’ll focus on Zendesk and Gorgias’s standard plans as a baseline for comparison.

Zendesk Pricing and Plans

• Essential Plan: The most basic plan, suitable for small teams, starts at around $5 per agent per month. It includes email and social media support.
• Team Plan: At approximately $19 per agent per month, this plan offers more functionalities like business rules and performance dashboards.
• Professional Plan: Priced at around $49 per agent per month, this plan includes multilingual support and advanced analytics.
• Enterprise Plan: For large businesses, this plan starts at about $99 per agent per month, offering full customization and 24/7 support.

Gorgias Pricing and Plans

• Basic Plan: Aimed at smaller e-commerce businesses, this plan starts at around $10 per month, offering ticketing and live chat support.
• Pro Plan: This middle-tier plan, ideal for growing businesses, is priced at approximately $60 per month. It includes social media integrations and advanced reporting.
• Advanced Plan: Geared towards larger businesses, this plan starts at around $300 per month, providing extensive e-commerce integrations and customization options.

Pricing Comparison of Zendesk and Gorgias

For Small Businesses:

• If you’re an e-commerce startup on a tight budget, Gorgias’s Basic Plan is your cost-effective solution.
• However, if you’re willing to invest a bit more for broader support options, Zendesk’s Essential Plan might be the way to go.

For Medium-Sized Businesses:

• Zendesk’s Team and Professional plans offer comprehensive tools, ideal for growing businesses with diverse needs.
• Gorgias’s Pro Plan maintains its e-commerce focus, making it suitable if that’s your top priority.

For Large Enterprises:

• If you’re a large, diversified enterprise looking for extensive features and customization, Zendesk’s Enterprise Plan is the go-to choice.
• On the other hand, if your focus is high-volume e-commerce support and you’re looking for affordability, Gorgias’s Advanced Plan is worth considering.

A Solution that’s Feature-rich and Economical

Hiver is another key player in the customer support software market, particularly for businesses heavily reliant on email for customer interactions. Unlike Zendesk and Gorgias, Hiver operates directly within Gmail, making it a seamless choice for teams already using Google Workspace. Here’s a brief overview of Hiver’s pricing tiers:

• Lite Plan: This plan is priced at $15 per user per month when billed annually. It is suitable for small teams and offers basic features like email management, team collaboration tools, and limited shared inboxes and labels.

• Pro Plan: For medium-sized businesses, the Pro Plan costs $49 per user per month with annual billing. It includes all features of the Lite Plan, plus additional capabilities such as voice call engagement, automation, and enhanced analytics.

• Elite Plan: The Elite Plan, aimed at large enterprises, is available at $79 per user per month when billed annually. This premium option includes advanced features like HIPAA compliance, advanced automation, and priority support.

Hiver is an excellent choice for teams looking for a simple, effective way to manage customer support via email, especially if they are already using Google Workspace. Its tiered pricing allows businesses of all sizes to find a plan that suits their needs.

Zendesk costs 2x more than Hiver

The choice between Zendesk and Gorgias in terms of pricing and plans should be guided by the size of the business, the specific requirements of customer service operations, and the budget allocated for such tools. Zendesk offers a wide range of features across its plans, suitable for diverse business needs, while Gorgias provides cost-effective, e-commerce-centric solutions.

User Interface and Ease of Use:

When choosing a customer service platform for a B2B SaaS product company, the user interface (UI) and ease of use are crucial factors. Let’s delve into how Zendesk and Gorgias stack up in these areas.

Zendesk User Interface and Ease of Use

• Design and Layout: Zendesk presents a clean and intuitive interface. The design is streamlined, allowing users to navigate effortlessly through various functions like ticketing, reporting, and analytics.
• Setup Process: Setting up Zendesk can be straightforward for basic functionalities. However, leveraging its full range of features often requires a bit of technical know-how, especially for custom integrations.
• Integration: Zendesk boasts a wide range of integration options with popular CRM systems, email platforms, and other business tools. These integrations are generally seamless but might require some initial setup time.
• User Feedback: Users often praise Zendesk for its robust feature set and flexibility. Some, however, note that there can be a learning curve when first using the platform, particularly for more complex operations.
• Premium Support: Vendor support on Zendesk can cost anywhere between $1500 and $2800. Whereas with a platform like Hiver, onboarding assistance and around-the-clock support are available across all pricing plans.

Gorgias User Interface and Ease of Use

• Design and Layout: Gorgias offers an interface that is user-friendly and focused on efficiency, especially for e-commerce platforms. The layout is straightforward, making it easy for new users to adapt.
• Setup Process: Gorgias is known for its simplicity in setup, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. Users can quickly integrate it with e-commerce platforms without needing extensive technical skills.
• Integration: While it has fewer integrations than Zendesk, Gorgias integrates well with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Magento, providing a streamlined experience for e-commerce businesses.
• User Feedback: Users generally find Gorgias simple to use and appreciate its e-commerce centric features. Some users, however, might find its functionalities a bit limited compared to more comprehensive platforms like Zendesk.

Comparative Analysis between Zendesk and Gorgias

• Learning Curve: Zendesk, with its extensive features, might have a steeper learning curve compared to Gorgias. Gorgias offers a more straightforward approach which is easier for beginners or smaller teams.
• Customization and Flexibility: Zendesk offers more customization and flexibility, catering to a wider range of business needs. Gorgias, while more limited in scope, provides a highly efficient experience for e-commerce-focused customer service.
• Ideal Use Case: Larger organizations or those requiring extensive integration and customization may prefer Zendesk. In contrast, Gorgias is ideal for small to medium-sized e-commerce businesses looking for a simple, efficient tool to manage support.

Try the easiest customer support solution

Both Zendesk and Gorgias have their strengths in UI and ease of use. The choice largely depends on the specific needs of the business, the technical expertise of the team, and the focus of their customer service operations.

Customer Service Features

An in-depth understanding of customer service features is essential when comparing platforms like Zendesk and Gorgias. This section delves into the specifics of how each platform approaches key aspects of customer service, such as ticketing, live chat, automation, and self-service options. Additionally, we will highlight the unique selling points of each platform in terms of their customer service functionalities.

Ticketing System

Zendesk: Known for its robust ticketing system, Zendesk allows for efficient tracking, prioritization, and management of customer support tickets. It offers a range of features like ticket tagging, automated ticket routing, and detailed customer history, which enhance the support team’s ability to resolve issues effectively.

Gorgias: Gorgias also provides a strong ticketing system, with a particular focus on e-commerce integrations. It enables seamless tracking of customer queries and orders, making it easier for support teams to access order details and customer data directly within the ticket.

Live Chat

Zendesk: Zendesk’s live chat feature is highly customizable and can be integrated into a company’s website or mobile app. It supports proactive chat invitations and real-time analytics, enhancing customer engagement and support.

Gorgias: Gorgias offers an efficient live chat tool that is particularly effective for e-commerce platforms. It allows support teams to view customer shopping carts and order history in real-time during a chat, enabling more personalized and informed customer interactions.

Automation

Zendesk: Zendesk excels in automation with its AI-powered tools like Answer Bot, which can automatically respond to customer queries based on knowledge base content. It also offers extensive automation rules for ticket routing and response, saving time and improving efficiency.

Gorgias: Gorgias provides automation features tailored for e-commerce, such as automatic ticket tagging based on order data and automated responses to common queries. This focus on e-commerce specific automation helps streamline customer service processes in this sector.

Self-Service Options

Zendesk: Zendesk’s self-service capabilities are comprehensive, featuring a customizable help center, community forums, and a knowledge base. These resources help companies to empower their customers to find answers to questions quickly – without needing to contact support.

Gorgias: Gorgias provides essential self-service options like FAQs and knowledge bases, but these are more basic in comparison to Zendesk’s offerings. While Gorgias covers fundamental needs effectively, it lacks Zendesk’s extensive customization, sophisticated analytics, and broader integration capabilities. This makes Gorgias a more focused but less versatile choice.

Or explore a better alternative – Hiver:

While Zendesk and Gorgias offer robust platforms with a range of features, Hiver distinguishes itself with its Gmail-based approach, offering a more streamlined and familiar environment for those accustomed to Google Workspace. Let’s explore how Hiver stands up in comparison to Zendesk and Gorgias in the key areas we discussed:

Ticketing System

Hiver turns emails into actionable tasks within Gmail. It’s equipped with features like email assignment, tracking, and automation, but stands out by humanizing customer interactions. Unlike typical ticketing systems, Hiver doesn’t reduce customer emails to numbered tickets, allowing support teams to view each request as a personal interaction, fostering meaningful customer relationships and avoiding the perception of customers as faceless tickets.

Live Chat

Hiver stands out with its easy-to-use interface and swift setup process. It integrates seamlessly into your Gmail inbox, so there’s no need to switch to a different platform for customer service. Hiver’s live chat feature is designed to offer immediate assistance, handle usual customer inquiries efficiently, and simplify escalation processes. This tool is a component of Hiver’s comprehensive multi-channel support system, encompassing email, voice support, and a knowledge base.

Automation

Hiver’s automation capabilities are centered around email management, with features like rule-based automations and an AI bot for handling non-actionable responses. For example, using Hiver, you have the ability to define specific criteria that automatically allocate incoming inquiries to designated team members. For example, if your team includes two finance experts, Brian and Steve, you can configure a rule so that any incoming query mentioning terms like ‘refund’, ‘discount’, or ‘payments’ is automatically directed to either Brian or Steve.

Self-Service Options

Hiver offers a knowledge base to empower customers to self-serve. Its ease of setup and user-friendly interface make it ideal for support teams. Highlights include a customizable interface that aligns with your brand, flexible website configurations with unique domains, and seamless integration with other tools and CRMs. Additionally, Hiver features a search bar for easy navigation and is scalable to accommodate your business’s growth.

Discover why Hiver is the right choice for your business

Integration and Flexibility

This section provides an overview of how Zendesk and Gorgias fare in terms of their ability to integrate with other business tools and platforms, as well as their flexibility in terms of customization and scalability. These factors are key in determining how well a platform can adapt to the evolving needs of a business.

Zendesk Integration and Flexibility

• Integration Capabilities: Zendesk stands out for its extensive integration options. It can seamlessly connect with a multitude of CRM systems, marketing tools, and other business applications like Salesforce, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. This wide range of integrations ensures that businesses can maintain a connected ecosystem of tools.
• Customization: Zendesk offers significant customization options. Businesses can tailor the platform to their specific workflows and customer service processes. This includes custom ticket views, automated workflows, and personalized customer portals.
• Scalability: One of Zendesk’s strong suits is its scalability. The platform is designed to grow with a business, accommodating increasing volumes of customer interactions and expanding service teams. Its tiered pricing structure also supports this scalability, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Gorgias Integration and Flexibility

• Integration Capabilities: Gorgias is particularly strong in its integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce. This focus makes it an ideal choice for e-commerce businesses that need a customer service tool seamlessly integrated with their online store.
• Customization: While Gorgias offers customization, it is limited compared to Zendesk. It focuses on streamlining e-commerce workflows, such as automating responses based on purchase history or customer behavior.
• Scalability: Gorgias is scalable within the e-commerce domain. It can handle increasing volumes of customer queries efficiently, but its features are primarily tailored for e-commerce businesses, which might limit its applicability in other sectors..

Comparative Analysis

• Integration Breadth: Zendesk offers broader integration capabilities with a diverse range of business tools. Gorgias, while limited in scope in comparison, provides deep integration with e-commerce platforms.
• Customization and Adaptability: Zendesk leads in terms of customization and adaptability, catering to a wide variety of business needs. Gorgias offers good customization but within the specific context of e-commerce.
• Ideal Business Fit: Zendesk is ideal for businesses looking for a versatile platform that can grow and adapt to diverse needs.

Choosing the right solution

Both platforms offer formidable capabilities in their respective domains. The decision should be guided by a clear understanding of your business’s customer service needs, future growth plans, technical capacity, and budget constraints. By aligning these factors with what Zendesk and Gorgias uniquely offer, businesses can make an informed choice that best supports their customer service objectives and overall business strategy.

However, for businesses seeking a balance between extensive functionality and streamlined efficiency, a third option comes into play: Hiver. Hiver is a unique solution that bridges the gap between comprehensive customer service tools and niche, industry-specific platforms. It offers the simplicity and ease of use that small to medium-sized businesses appreciate, combined with powerful features that are on par with more complex systems.