Gorgias vs Intercom
Side-by-side total cost of ownership: subscription fees, labor, hidden costs, and AI alternatives.
Published pricing
The subscription is only part of the cost.
| Gorgias | Intercom | |
|---|---|---|
| Published rate | $50/seat/mo | $85/seat/mo |
| Team size modeled | 10 | 15 |
| Annual subscription | $6,000/yr | $15,300/yr |
What the invoice doesn't show
Gorgias
Gorgias prices by ticket volume, not seats. The Starter plan ($10/mo, annual only) includes 50 tickets. Basic ($50/mo) includes 300 tickets. Pro ($360/mo) includes 2,000 tickets. Additional tickets cost $0.36–$0.40 each. A mid-size ecommerce brand handling 5,000 tickets/month on Pro pays $1,944/month including overages.
Gorgias AI Agent is billed per automated resolution at $0.90/resolution (annual) or $1.00 (monthly) — and double-billed: you pay both the helpdesk ticket fee AND the AI resolution fee for every conversation the AI handles. A team achieving 30% automation on 2,000 Pro tickets pays $360/mo (helpdesk) plus $540/mo (600 AI resolutions × $0.90) = $900/mo total.
Gorgias is built exclusively for ecommerce and integrates deeply with Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. If your business model expands beyond ecommerce (SaaS, services, marketplace), you'll outgrow Gorgias and face a platform migration.
Users report that Gorgias's reporting and analytics are limited compared to Zendesk or Intercom. Custom report building requires the Advanced plan ($750/mo for 5,000 tickets) or exporting data to external BI tools.
Intercom
Intercom's Fin AI charges $0.99 per resolution on top of seat fees. For a team handling 2,000 AI resolutions/month, the Fin bill alone is $1,980/mo — before SMS, WhatsApp, or Proactive Support fees. One user reported their bill jumping from $4K/mo to $9K/mo.
12-month contract lock-in with aggressive auto-renewal. G2 reviewer: 'Very expensive, has a 12-month contract forcing the customer to pay for 12 months even if they would like to cancel early.' Multiple users report auto-renewal charges of $20K+ without clear warning.
Features constantly migrate to higher-priced tiers. Long-term customers report functionality they originally had access to gets moved to more expensive plans, forcing upgrades. 'Each new feature is more and more expensive.'
Fin AI requires heavy ongoing maintenance. High-performing teams spend 3–5 hours per week reviewing failed resolutions and correcting source documentation. The AI is only as good as your knowledge base, creating a hidden labor cost not reflected in the sticker price.
What teams are switching to
Replacing Gorgias
Tidio + Lyro AI
Free–$749/mo, Lyro add-on from $39/mo
Flat-rate pricing instead of per-ticket billing. Lyro AI chatbot handles up to 70% of routine ecommerce inquiries at a predictable monthly cost. No per-resolution or per-ticket overage fees.
Richpanel
$29–$99/agent/mo
Ecommerce-focused helpdesk with AI self-service portal. Customers resolve order tracking, returns, and exchanges without creating tickets — reducing volume rather than charging per ticket.
Re:amaze
$29–$69/agent/mo, unlimited conversations
Per-agent pricing ($29/agent/mo) with unlimited conversations — no ticket caps or overage charges. Built for ecommerce with Shopify integration. AI-powered suggested replies and FAQ bot included.
Replacing Intercom
Tidio + Lyro AI
Free–$749/mo, Lyro add-on from $39/mo
Offers a visual chatbot builder with no-code automation at a fraction of Intercom's cost. Bundles AI conversations into plan tiers for predictable billing, unlike Intercom's per-resolution metering.
Crisp
Free–€295/mo per workspace
Workspace-based pricing (not per-seat) — Essentials includes 10 seats, Plus includes 20+ seats. The Plus plan offers unlimited AI-powered resolutions with no per-resolution fees.
Help Scout
Free–$75/mo, unlimited agents
Contact-based pricing with unlimited agents on every plan — saves $29–57/user/month vs equivalent Intercom tiers. AI resolution cost is $0.75 vs Intercom's $0.99. Positions as 'humans empowered by AI' rather than 'automate away support.'
StackCut doesn't sell or recommend any of these tools. We show them for context. The decision is yours.
Total Cost of Ownership
Subscription fees plus labor and error costs, modeled at $50/hr loaded rate (BLS ECEC).
| Cost Component | Gorgias | Intercom |
|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription | $6,000 | $15,300 |
| Labor cost | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| Error & rework cost | $2,400 | $2,400 |
| Total Cost of Ownership | $20,400/yr | $29,700/yr |
| Est. AI alternative | $8,488/yr | $8,488/yr |
Labor rate based on BLS ECEC June 2025 ($45.65/hr private industry total compensation, rounded to $50). Team sizes differ because each vendor targets different market segments. Your actual numbers depend on team size, role mix, and usage. Run it with your own data.
Which one fits your team?
Both Gorgias and Intercomcost more than their published pricing suggests. The right choice depends on your team size and how you weigh each tool's trade-offs.
Gorgias starts at $50/seat/mo , but watch for Gorgias prices by ticket volume, not seats. The Starter plan ($10/mo, annual only) includes 50 tickets. Basic ($50/mo) includes 300 tickets. Pro ($360/mo) includes 2,000 tickets. Additional tickets cost $0.36–$0.40 each. A mid-size ecommerce brand handling 5,000 tickets/month on Pro pays $1,944/month including overages.
Intercom starts at $85/seat/mo , but watch for Intercom's Fin AI charges $0.99 per resolution on top of seat fees. For a team handling 2,000 AI resolutions/month, the Fin bill alone is $1,980/mo — before SMS, WhatsApp, or Proactive Support fees. One user reported their bill jumping from $4K/mo to $9K/mo.
An AI-native alternative may replace the workflow at a fraction of the TCO.
Find out what your customer support stack really costs
Upload your QuickBooks export. Get a defensible savings report in under 10 minutes. No signup required.