Ecommerce support is different. When a customer emails about "my order," you need to see what they bought, when it shipped, and their order history instantly. Switching between your helpdesk and Shopify admin costs time and creates errors.
These 7 helpdesk options handle ecommerce best, with deep integrations that show order data where you actually need it.
Quick Picks
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Ecommerce Integration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgias | Shopify stores | $10/month | Deepest order actions |
| Tidio | Chat-focused stores | $29/month flat | Cart abandonment, product cards |
| Zendesk | High-volume stores | $19/agent | Robust, reliable sync |
| Freshdesk | Budget-conscious | $0-$15/agent | Good Shopify/WooCommerce plugin |
| Intercom | Product companies | $74/month | In-app messaging + support |
| HubSpot | B2B ecommerce | Free-$45/agent | CRM + support unified |
| LiveChat | Sales-focused | $20/agent | Conversion optimization |
1. Gorgias ā Best for Shopify Stores
Gorgias built exclusively for ecommerce, and it shows. The Shopify integration lets agents process refunds, cancel orders, and duplicate orders directly from the ticket view.
When a customer emails about a problem, agents see full order history, tracking numbers, and can take action without leaving the helpdesk. No more "I'll pass this to fulfillment."
Pricing: Starts at $10/month for 50 tickets. Perfect for small stores starting with organized support.
What works: The deepest ecommerce integration available. Instagram and Facebook DMs become tickets automatically.
The catch: Ticket-based pricing means costs scale with volume, not headcount. High-volume stores pay more.
Pick Gorgias if: You run Shopify and want order actions inside your helpdesk.
2. Tidio ā Best for Chat-Focused Ecommerce
Tidio excels at turning browsers into buyers. The chat widget shows product cards, tracks cart abandonment, and lets agents see what customers were browsing before they started chatting.
Support becomes proactive: "I see you're looking at the blue widget. Questions about sizing?"
Flat pricing ($29/month) means costs stay predictable as you add agents.
What works: Beautiful chat interface, cart recovery, and proactive messaging that converts.
The catch: Email ticketing is basic compared to dedicated helpdesk tools.
Pick Tidio if: You want chat-first support with ecommerce context and predictable pricing.
3. Zendesk ā Best for High-Volume Ecommerce
Zendesk's Shopify and WooCommerce integrations are rock-solid. Order data appears in tickets automatically. Agents see what customers bought without switching tools.
For stores doing 100+ orders daily, this reliability matters. The infrastructure handles high ticket volumes without breaking.
What works: Enterprise reliability, extensive integrations, and a platform that scales to thousands of agents.
The catch: Per-agent pricing gets expensive as you grow. Ecommerce features are lighter than Gorgias.
Pick Zendesk if: You're doing serious volume and need bulletproof reliability.
4. Freshdesk ā Best Budget Option for Ecommerce
Freshdesk's free plan includes ecommerce integration. Small stores can run support entirely on the free tier, with order data synced to tickets.
The paid tiers add automations, custom fields, and SLA management at prices lower than competitors.
What works: Free tier actually works with ecommerce. Upgrade path is clear and affordable.
The catch: Order sync is read-only ā agents can't process refunds or cancellations from Freshdesk.
Pick Freshdesk if: You're budget-conscious but need solid ecommerce integration.
5. Intercom ā Best for Product Companies
Intercom combines proactive messaging with support. Product tours, in-app messages, and behavior-based triggers help you reach customers before they contact you.
For ecommerce stores with complex products (software, courses, subscriptions), this proactive approach reduces support volume.
What works: The messenger is beautiful and customizable. Product tours onboard users without human intervention.
The catch: Expensive ($74/month to start) and overkill for simple retail stores.
Pick Intercom if: You sell complex products and want proactive user engagement.
6. HubSpot ā Best for B2B Ecommerce
B2B ecommerce has longer sales cycles and higher order values. HubSpot connects support tickets to deal pipelines, showing support agents the customer's lifetime value and open opportunities.
When a high-value B2B customer emails about an issue, agents know to prioritize based on contract size.
What works: Unified CRM and support context. Support agents see full customer history.
The catch: More complex than pure helpdesk tools. Overkill for simple B2C retail.
Pick HubSpot if: You do B2B ecommerce with complex sales cycles and high-value customers.
7. LiveChat ā Best for Sales-Focused Ecommerce
Try LiveChat if you want to optimize for conversion. Features like chat sneak peek (see what customers type before they send), targeted messages, and product carousels turn support into sales.
If your "support" is mostly pre-sales questions, LiveChat's conversion-focused features pay for themselves.
What works: The smoothest chat experience with features designed specifically to convert browsers to buyers.
The catch: No native helpdesk ā just chat. You'll need another tool for email support.
Pick LiveChat if: Support is primarily pre-sales chat and conversion is your top priority.
Ecommerce Helpdeck Feature Comparison
| Feature | Gorgias | Tidio | Zendesk | Freshdesk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order sync | ā | ā | ā | ā |
| Process refunds | ā | ā | ā | ā |
| Cancel orders | ā | ā | ā | ā |
| Cart abandonment | ā | ā | ā | ā |
| Product cards | ā | ā | ā | ā |
| Flat pricing | ā | ā | ā | ā |
| Free plan | ā | ā | ā | ā |
What Real Users Say About Gorgias
Overall sentiment: Gorgias receives mixed reviews for its ecommerce-focused helpdesk with ticket-based pricing starting at $10/month, praised for Shopify integration but criticized for aggressive sales tactics and unpredictable costs at scale.
What users consistently praise:
PCMag and Hiver reviews emphasize Gorgias's deep Shopify integration as its primary differentiator, enabling agents to view order details, process refunds, and trigger upsell emails directly from tickets. The centralized inbox combining email, chat, SMS, and social media receives consistent praise from ecommerce store owners. Research.com notes the Advanced plan at $750/month for 5,000 tickets includes dedicated account management that enterprise users value. Mobile app functionality allows store owners to manage customer inquiries on-the-go during high-traffic sales periods.
Recurring complaints:
Trustpilot reviews (May 2025) document aggressive sales outreach that multiple users describe as "harassment," with one reviewer noting they "told them multiple times we're not interested" yet outreach continued. The ticket-based pricing model creates unpredictability ā Hiver notes "ticket-based pricing can be unpredictable" with volume spikes causing unexpected billing. Analytics receive criticism for being "too technical for frontline teams" according to Hiver reviews. Performance reportedly slows at high volumes during flash sales and holiday periods.
The non-obvious takeaway:
Trustpilot data reveals a correlation between negative reviews and Gorgias's expansion beyond Shopify ā users who adopted the platform for its Shopify-native features express frustration when support quality declined as the company pursued broader ecommerce platform support, suggesting growing pains from platform expansion that affected core customer experience.
Sources: PCMag, Hiver, Research.com, Trustpilot, Featurebase. Data aggregated February 2026.
What Real Users Say About Tidio
Overall sentiment: Tidio receives positive reviews for its user-friendly interface and AI chatbot Lyro at competitive pricing, though users criticize automatic plan upgrades and limited widget customization.
What users consistently praise:
Capterra and SoftwareAdvice reviews highlight Tidio's intuitive dashboard that new agents learn quickly, with one user noting "options of free plans as well, AI chatbot automation, real time visitor monitoring." SoftwareReviews validates praise for reliability and unique features. The Lyro AI bot receives specific mention for automating responses, though users note its learning remains limited to websites and FAQs rather than broader knowledge bases. Ecommerce store owners on Reddit report setup taking "minutes" with easy backend navigation.
Recurring complaints:
Trustpilot reviews document concerns with unresponsiveness from support teams and lack of clear explanations for account issues. Voiceflow notes add-ons and branding removal "can be expensive for AI agencies and small businesses." Reddit r/WordpressPlugins users criticize limited widget customization ā "you can only change simple things like fonts and background color" ā and mobile app logout issues requiring frequent re-authentication. The separation between Lyro AI and rule-based chatbots creates confusion about which automation to use.
The non-obvious takeaway:
Trustpilot data reveals a pattern where long-term Tidio users ("from the very beginning") express disappointment with recent changes, describing the company as evolving from "a promising new startup with smooth, user-friendly, and reliable software" to a more corporate entity with support quality decline ā suggesting growth-stage struggles that affected core user experience for early adopters.
Sources: Capterra, SoftwareAdvice, SoftwareReviews, Trustpilot, Voiceflow, Reddit. Data aggregated February 2026.
What Real Users Say About Zendesk
Overall sentiment: Zendesk maintains a 4.2/5 rating on G2 but only 3.8/5 on Trustpilot, with enterprise users praising scalability while small teams criticize hidden costs and complexity starting at $19/agent/month.
What users consistently praise:
TechRadar and Hiver reviews emphasize multi-channel support capabilities and robust ticketing management as primary strengths. Enterprise users on Reddit (midsized software companies) specifically value the employee service portal for IT requests and incident management features. The automation tools and omnichannel integration receive consistent positive mentions across review platforms for handling complex support workflows at scale.
Recurring complaints:
Trustpilot reviews (December 2025) reveal frustration with Zendesk's own customer support responsiveness, creating irony given the platform's purpose. Multiple users cite "hidden costs" and complex setup as barriers, with pricing concerns particularly acute for teams under 10 agents. Reddit discussions in r/Zendesk highlight limitations as an ITSM tool, with users noting restricted views and poor CSV export functionality for technical support use cases.
The non-obvious takeaway:
A pattern emerging across Reddit and Trustpilot shows that Zendesk's enterprise-focused pricing (plans exceeding $100/agent with add-ons) creates a "mid-market gap" ā growing companies between 15-50 agents frequently seek alternatives not for missing features, but because they're paying enterprise prices without receiving enterprise-grade support responsiveness from Zendesk itself.
Sources: TechRadar, Hiver, Trustpilot, Reddit, G2. Data aggregated February 2026.
What Real Users Say About Freshdesk
Overall sentiment: Freshdesk averages 4.1/5 on G2 with an 89 Net Emotional Footprint score on SoftwareReviews, with users praising value at $19-$69/agent while criticizing support responsiveness and recent UX changes.
What users consistently praise:
PCMag and Research.com reviews highlight real-time analytics and CRM integration as standout features, with managers specifically citing live call monitoring and performance metrics for coaching. The Pro plan at $69/agent (annually) unlocks capabilities like custom fields and round-robin assignment that users compare favorably to Zendesk's higher pricing. Freddy AI's automated ticket summarization receives consistent praise for handling long conversation threads efficiently, saving agents from reading "novel-length" tickets.
Recurring complaints:
Trustpilot reviews (1-2 star ratings from December 2025) express frustration with customer service responsiveness and recent interface updates removing functionality like WhatsApp reply capabilities without warning. Reddit users in r/CRM and r/msp report steep learning curves and continuous "challenges" during implementation. Enterprise users note the $79-$119/agent Enterprise plan pricing creates sticker shock despite competitive positioning against Zendesk.
The non-obvious takeaway:
Trustpilot data reveals a correlation between negative reviews and recent pricing changes, with multiple users citing refund policy disputes and billing surprises ā suggesting Freshdesk's transition from startup-friendly pricing to enterprise tiers created a cohort of disillusioned early adopters who feel abandoned as the platform matured and moved upmarket.
Sources: PCMag, Research.com, SoftwareReviews, Trustpilot, Reddit, G2. Data aggregated February 2026.
What Real Users Say About Intercom
Overall sentiment: Intercom receives mixed reviews with praise for AI capabilities but criticism for pricing exceeding $100/agent/month and slow support response times, particularly following the shift to AI-first positioning.
What users consistently praise:
Headwestguide and Sparrowdesk reviews highlight Intercom's comprehensive customer interaction platform, with the Messenger serving as a centralized hub for personalized communication. The Fin AI chatbot receives specific praise for resolving up to 50% of support queries autonomously. Integration capabilities with major CRMs and the visual workflow builder satisfy teams wanting sophisticated automation. Enterprise users value the omnichannel approach combining in-app messaging, email, and chat into unified customer profiles.
Recurring complaints:
Trustpilot reviews document frustration with slow support response times ā ironic given Intercom's positioning as a support platform. Pricing criticism dominates recent reviews: Featurebase notes costs often exceed $100/seat/month with hidden AI resolution fees ($0.99 per AI resolution adds ~$1,000/month at 1,000 automated inquiries). Chameleon and Reddit r/SaaS users report aggressive pricing hikes and complex seat-based licensing that forces "awkward access patterns" where teams limit logins despite needing broader visibility. Recent updates prioritizing AI over traditional support features alienated some long-term users.
The non-obvious takeaway:
Reddit r/ProductManagement discussions reveal a pattern where Intercom's AI-first pivot created a bifurcated user base ā companies wanting advanced automation praise the direction while those needing reliable traditional support express betrayal, suggesting Intercom's strategic shift satisfied one market segment while abandoning another without clear communication.
Sources: Headwestguide, Sparrowdesk, Trustpilot, Featurebase, Chameleon, Reddit. Data aggregated February 2026.
What Real Users Say About HubSpot Service Hub
Overall sentiment: HubSpot Service Hub holds a 4.3/5 rating on G2 with 313 mentions praising ease of use, but faces criticism for pricing starting at $90/agent/month and slow customer support response times.
What users consistently praise:
G2 reviews emphasize the platform's user-friendly interface with "exceptional" ease of use streamlining customer support workflows. The all-in-one CRM integration ā connecting marketing, sales, and service data ā receives consistent praise from teams wanting unified customer views. Lagrowthmachine notes the free CRM tier includes unlimited users, providing genuine value for startups testing the platform. Automation capabilities and comprehensive reporting tools satisfy teams needing sophisticated workflow management without technical complexity.
Recurring complaints:
Trustpilot reviews (January 2026) document significant customer service issues, with one user describing "unprofessional, disrespectful" support interactions when trying to resolve plan issues. Pricing escalates quickly ā Tldv.io and Featurebase note the steep costs when scaling, with Marketing + Service Hub Professional reaching $3,500-$4,500/month compared to best-of-breed alternatives at $900-$1,400. The learning curve for beginners remains substantial despite the intuitive interface. Integration troubleshooting with third-party tools creates frustration according to SmartBugMedia reviews.
The non-obvious takeaway:
Reddit r/hubspot discussions reveal a common pattern where companies adopt Service Hub for its CRM integration but later face "suite lock-in" ā the convenience of unified data makes migrating individual components (service, marketing, sales) prohibitively expensive and complex, effectively trapping growing companies in pricing tiers that outpace their budget.
Sources: G2, Lagrowthmachine, Trustpilot, Tldv.io, Featurebase, Reddit. Data aggregated February 2026.
What Real Users Say About LiveChat
Overall sentiment: LiveChat holds a 4.5/5 rating on Capterra and 8/10 likeliness to recommend on SoftwareReviews, with users praising AI automation features while criticizing reliability issues and $24-$59/agent pricing.
What users consistently praise:
Capterra and SoftwareReviews users consistently highlight LiveChat's AI-powered features, specifically the AI copilot for drafting replies and AI triage for ticket routing. Ecommerce store owners on Reddit running 5+ agent teams report streamlined workflows and efficient customer engagement. The omnichannel support capabilities and chatbot automation receive specific praise for reducing response times across multiple platforms.
Recurring complaints:
Trustpilot reviews (2-3 star ratings) cite reliability problems, with users reporting inconsistent performance between browser and mobile interfaces. Multiple reviewers note the platform behaves differently across devices, creating workflow disruptions. Capterra users specifically criticize the outdated interface logic and limited customization options compared to newer competitors. Pricing starting at $24/agent/month draws complaints as teams scale, with costs escalating quickly in the $41-$59/agent range.
The non-obvious takeaway:
While pricing complaints appear frequently, a recurring pattern on Reddit reveals that teams switching from LiveChat to alternatives often cite not cost but "support response times" from LiveChat's own customer service as the breaking point ā creating irony that a customer service tool struggles with its own customer service responsiveness.
Sources: Capterra, SoftwareReviews, Trustpilot, Reddit. Data aggregated February 2026.
The Bottom Line
Choose Gorgias for the deepest Shopify integration. Pick Tidio for chat-first stores with flat pricing. Go with Zendesk for high-volume reliability. Use Freshdesk for budget-conscious stores. Try Intercom for complex products. Select HubSpot for B2B ecommerce. Use LiveChat for sales-focused chat.
The right choice depends on your platform (Shopify vs WooCommerce), ticket volume, and whether support is primarily reactive or proactive.
Related Articles
- How to Choose Helpdesk Software ā Selection framework
- Best Helpdesk for Small Business ā Top picks
Frequently Asked Questions
Which helpdesk has the best Shopify integration?
Gorgias. Deep order actions (refunds, cancellations) inside tickets. But Tidio and Zendesk also have solid integrations.
Do I need helpdesk software for my ecommerce store?
At 10+ orders weekly, yes. Managing order issues in email becomes chaotic quickly. The time saved justifies the cost.
What's the best free helpdesk for ecommerce?
Freshdesk. The free plan includes Shopify/WooCommerce integration. Unlimited agents, basic order sync, zero cost.
Should I choose chat or email for ecommerce support?
Most stores need both. Chat handles pre-sales; email handles order issues. Tidio and Zendesk offer both.
How much should I spend on ecommerce helpdesk software?
Budget $15-50 per agent monthly. For a 3-person team, that's $45-150/month. The time saved on order lookups usually pays for itself.
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Bob B.
Senior SaaS AnalystBob covers helpdesk tools, CRM platforms, and live chat software at AgentWhispers. He focuses on in-depth reviews, industry-specific recommendations, and feature analysis to help teams find the right support stack.