Shopify powers millions of online stores. But out of the box, Shopify's customer support tools are basic. As your store grows, you need helpdesk software that integrates deeply with Shopify ā showing order data, processing refunds, and syncing customer information.
These 5 options handle Shopify integration best, from basic order lookup to full order management inside your helpdesk.
Quick Picks
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Shopify Integration Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgias | Deep Shopify actions | $10/month | Process refunds, cancel orders |
| Tidio | Chat + flat pricing | $29/month flat | Cart recovery, product cards |
| Zendesk | High-volume stores | $19/agent | Reliable order sync |
| Freshdesk | Budget Shopify stores | $0-$15/agent | Good basic integration |
| HubSpot | B2B Shopify | Free-$45/agent | CRM + Shopify unified |
1. Gorgias ā Best for Deep Shopify Actions
Gorgias is purpose-built for Shopify. The integration goes far beyond data display ā agents can actually process refunds, cancel orders, duplicate orders for exchanges, and issue store credit directly from tickets.
When a customer emails about a problem, agents see full order history, tracking numbers, and inventory status. Then they solve it immediately without switching to Shopify admin.
Pricing: Starts at $10/month for 50 tickets. Perfect for stores just starting with organized support.
What works: The deepest Shopify integration available. Instagram DMs, Facebook messages, and emails all become tickets in one place.
The catch: Costs scale with ticket volume. High-volume stores pay more than flat-rate alternatives.
Pick Gorgias if: You want to handle order actions (refunds, cancellations) inside your helpdesk.
2. Tidio ā Best Chat + Flat Pricing
Tidio combines live chat with helpdesk features at flat pricing. The Shopify integration shows product cards in chat, tracks cart abandonment, and lets agents see what customers were browsing.
The cart abandonment feature alone justifies the cost for many stores. Automatically message customers who left items in their cart ā recovering 10-15% of abandoned carts.
What works: Beautiful chat widget, flat pricing, and cart recovery that drives revenue.
The catch: Email ticketing is basic compared to dedicated helpdesk tools.
Pick Tidio if: You want chat-first support with cart recovery and predictable pricing.
3. Zendesk ā Best for High-Volume Shopify Stores
Zendesk's Shopify integration is rock-solid. Order data appears reliably in tickets, even at high volumes. When you're processing 500+ orders daily, this reliability matters.
The platform scales from 1 to 1,000+ agents. Enterprise infrastructure that won't break as you grow.
What works: Bulletproof reliability, extensive customization, and a platform that grows with you.
The catch: Per-agent pricing gets expensive. Ecommerce features aren't as deep as Gorgias.
Pick Zendesk if: You're doing serious Shopify volume and need enterprise reliability.
4. Freshdesk ā Best Budget Option
Freshdesk's free plan includes Shopify integration. Small stores can run entirely on the free tier, with order data appearing in tickets at zero cost.
The Shopify app pulls order information automatically. Agents see what customers bought without switching tools.
What works: Free tier actually works with Shopify. Upgrade path is affordable.
The catch: Order sync is read-only. Can't process refunds or cancellations from Freshdesk.
Pick Freshdesk if: You're budget-conscious but need solid Shopify integration.
5. HubSpot ā Best for B2B Shopify
B2B Shopify stores (wholesale, B2B portals) benefit from HubSpot's CRM integration. Support tickets link to deal records, showing agents contract values and sales history.
When a wholesale customer emails about an issue, agents see their annual contract value and prioritize accordingly.
What works: Unified CRM and support. Complete customer context in every ticket.
The catch: More complex than pure helpdesk tools. Overkill for simple B2C stores.
Pick HubSpot if: You run B2B Shopify and need CRM-connected support.
Shopify Integration 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 |
| Instagram DMs | ā | ā ļø | 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 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.
The Bottom Line
Choose Gorgias for the deepest Shopify integration with order actions. Pick Tidio for chat features and flat pricing. Go with Zendesk for high-volume reliability. Use Freshdesk for budget-conscious stores. Select HubSpot for B2B Shopify.
The right choice depends on whether you need to process orders in your helpdesk (Gorgias), optimize for chat conversion (Tidio), or scale to high volume (Zendesk).
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- Best Helpdesk for Small Business ā Top picks
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best helpdesk for Shopify?
Gorgias for deep integration, Tidio for chat features, Zendesk for reliability. Depends on your specific needs.
Do I need helpdesk software for my Shopify store?
At 10+ customer inquiries weekly, yes. Shopify's basic email becomes chaotic. Proper helpdesk software pays for itself in time saved.
Can I process refunds from my helpdesk?
Only with Gorgias. Other tools show order data but require switching to Shopify admin for actions.
What's the best free helpdesk for Shopify?
Freshdesk. The free plan includes Shopify integration. Unlimited agents, basic order sync, zero cost.
How much should I spend on Shopify helpdesk software?
Budget $15-50 per agent monthly. For a 3-person team, that's $45-150/month. Time saved on order lookups justifies the cost.
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.