When running an ecommerce brand customer support needs to be fast, reliable and scalable.
One of the most popular tools out there that promises to do all of these things, is Gladly. But in some cases brands need more automation, integrations or simple a better price ;).
So if you are looking for Gladly alternatives to find a customer service platform that fits your business, in this guide I will go over the best tools that I've personally found. I'll also show you which features stand out for each platform.
After this introduction you can find the 11 best options I found for Gladly, and hopefully after reading this article you will know exactly which tool fits your customer service needs so you can improve your customer service, speed up customer communication and stand out to your competitors.
Quick note: Gladly is a customer service tool with a conversation first model. Some buyers might want customer service features like deeper Shopify actions, chatbots or AI phone support. I will also reference third party sources in my reviews where relevant.
TLDR
1. Ringly.io: AI-Driven Phone Support for Shopify stores
Best for: Shopify stores looking for the best way to offer 24/7 instant phone support. Ringly resolves at least 60% of all of your support calls without humans.
Did you know: Studies show that 67% of shoppers in the us prefer to call a business before purchasing? These are the people that will never even make it to your cart. Ringly's AI phone agent will scan your product catalog to help customers with product questions too.
- Key Features:
- ai phone support agent answers and resolves an average of 73% of calls without human intervention
- Automated order tracking, returns/exchanges, and more to automate repetitive calls
- Integrates with 7,000+ tools to integrate with your current setup
- 30+ languages supported for global customer interaction
- Results-based pricing - Only pay when at least 60% of your calls are resolved (transparent pricing model)
- Pros:
- Dramatically cuts support labor and improves your support efficiency
- Analyze every call, so you don't need to track CSAT. This gives a way more accurate CX score to keep track of customer satisfaction
- Multilingual and 24/7 available, which is the best for ecommerce phone support
- Scales on demand
- Cons:
- Focused primarily on phone support (less ideal if you need live chat or email help desk ticketing)
Built for Shopify: Ringly is available to download directly from the Shopify app store for free. The integration with Shopify allows the AI agents to find information about your customers before the call even starts.
Ideal for: Shopify stores that want to wow customers (pretty common reaction among people who speak to Ringly agents) on the phone and save money on repetative phone support. Great for lean customers service teams.
Unique edge: Currently the only AI phone support tool for e-commerce, with the best resolution rate percentage (73% average on over 2,100 shopify stores), best results based offer out there. Generally Ringly is the best option for brands that want to offer the best personalized support through voice.
2. Tidio: Multichannel Live Chat
Best for: If you need a tool that combines live chat, chatbots and email support in one. In my testing Tidio was one of the best in ease of use, and had a lot of automation for ecommerce stores.
Key Features:
- Live chat, chatbots and help desk software
- Social messaging (Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS)
- A good no code chatbot builder
- AI powered chatbot with good automation capabilities
Pros:
- Ease of use and good looking tool
- Free plan for small businesses
Cons:
- They don't offer phone support
- Many advanced features require you to upgrades
Shopify integration: It's easy to set up and customer data is synced. I liked how the integration let me automate FAQ's with the knowledge base and it allowed me to route conversations across channels easily.
Ideal for: Medium to large stores that want to automate basic support to improve their customer service and customer experience quickly.
Unique edge: Easy to setup and has collaboration tools for ticket management. Overall a great customer support solution.
3. Help Scout: Human-Focused Ticketing and Collaboration
Best for: Ecommerce brands that need personalized email support and want a simple ticketing system, instead of a complex customer service platform.
Key Features:
- Shared inbox for teams
- Knowledge base and a puclic help center for frequently asked questions
- Automation builder with SLA tracking
Pros:
- Clean interface and fast onboarding
- Strong CX reporting (helpful to monitor agent performance and agent productivity)
Cons:
- Does not offer phone support
- It has limited customization for chatbots
Shopify integration: It connects customer data and orders to tickets which is great. The integration will improve handle time and help to streamline your customer service workflows.
Ideal for: Brands that prioritize email and want a human touch. It's great for teams that like like Gladly but want a cheaper alternative.
Unique edge: Price is a plus here, overall a solid customer service tool when you don’t need deep CRM.
4. Desku: Modern, Affordable E-commerce Support
Best for: Smaller businesses that want good value/pricing and need a all in one helpdesk.
Key Features:
- Live chat, social, and knowledge base
- Custom chatbots for repetitive questions
- Integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, and more
Pros:
- It's cost-effective for growing brands
- All-in-one customer service tool
Cons:
- Fewer third-party integration options available
- Less detailed analytics than a Zendesk/Freshdesk
Shopify integration: It pulls orders and customer data automatically. I liked the straightforward workflow rules for auto-tagging.
Ideal for: Stores on a budget that still want a quality customer service software with basic automation.
Unique edge: Modern UI with transparent pricing and it's an easy path to self-service via the built-in help center.
5. Big Sur AI: Deep Customer Insights
Best for: Brands that need flexible AI and advanced analytics across platforms. The insights i got helped personalize replies in real-time.
Key Features:
- Omnichannel ticketing with NLP-driven AI
- A clear visual dashboard with customer data
- Insight recommendations to deliver personalized responses
Pros:
- Good AI suggestions and insights
- Great for fast-moving teams
Cons:
- No native phone support
- It has a learning curve
Shopify integration: Syncs orders and profiles and has a simple simple connection. I used the integration to surface order context.
Ideal for: Teams looking for data-driven efficiency and good automation and reporting.
Unique edge: Recommendations engine will surface the next best actions to take, useful if you’re comparing gladly alternatives and competitors that go deeper into analytics.
6. Kustomer: CRM-Powered Multi-Channel Support
Best for: Larger brands that need a unified CRM + support workflow across email, chat, socials. It's a full customer service platform that helps to manage complex support.
Key Features:
- A unified timeline with a lot of customer data
- Powerful routing rules and automation
- Omnichannel threads across channels
Pros:
- Best-in-class CRM context
- Very customizable with APIs
Cons:
- Enterprise pricing
- Longer setup
Shopify integration: Supports complex routing and order context. In my experience, this suited teams with a high number of agents and strict workflow needs.
Ideal for: Enterprises with advanced processes, it's a strong alternative to Gladly when you need CRM-grade depth.
Unique edge: Deep CRM + support in one stack, positioned among top Gladly competitors for process-heavy orgs.
7. Freshworks: Scalable Helpdesk
Best for: Stores that want robust ticket management and scalability. When testing Freshdesk, I appreciated the balance of pricing and features.
Key Features:
- Omnichannel ticketing (email, chat, phone, social, SMS)
- AI (Freddy) plus self-service and knowledge base
- Solid analytics and automation and reporting
Pros:
- Scales from startup to enterprise
- Wide integration marketplace
Cons:
- Some features in higher tiers
- Can feel enterprise-heavy
Shopify integration: Prebuilt connectors with order visibility. I used automations to triage customer interactions in real-time.
Ideal for: Teams expanding channels quickly and comparing Freshdesk to Zendesk/Kustomer on value.
Unique edge: Feature-to-pricing value is very good. A frequent pick in “Gladly alternatives” roundups.
8. Zendesk: The Legacy Leader With Deep Integration
Best for: Bigger brands that need enterprise-grade flexibility and governance. In head-to-heads, Zendesk is one platform I use as a benchmark for mature customer support software.
Key Features:
- Email, chat, phone, social (classic Zendesk stack)
- Advanced analytics and automation
- Massive marketplace with tools like Slack, Jira
Pros:
- Reliable and secure
- Scalable customer service platform capabilities
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve
- More expensive at scale (pricing adds up)
Shopify integration: Detailed, well-documented integration.
Ideal for: Enterprises with custom requirements deciding whether to switch from Gladly to something like Zendesk.
Unique edge: Deep ecosystem and customization, a common anchor when you’re evaluating Gladly against enterprise suites.
9. Re:amaze: Chat and Helpdesk Focused on E-commerce
Best for: Brands balancing live chat, chatbots, and help desk on a budget. I like it for DTC teams that need multichannel without enterprise overhead.
Key Features:
- Automated responses and workflows
- SMS, chat, email, social
- Knowledge base and help center
Pros:
- Great ecommerce widgets
- Good price-to-feature ratio
Cons:
- Limited phone support
- Reporting could be deeper
Shopify integration: Real-time order lookup. I used quick macros to streamline your customer service workflows for repeat questions.
Ideal for: DTC brands expanding support and evaluating gladly competitors with leaner stacks.
Unique edge: Storefront widgets that boost engagement while keeping pricing modest.
10. Intercom: Conversational Bots and Self-Service
Best for: Stores wanting conversational AI, onboarding flows, and proactive messaging. In my deployments, Intercom excels at lifecycle messaging plus support.
Key Features:
- AI chatbots and targeted messaging
- Strong knowledge base + help center
- Journeys and product tours
Pros:
- Excellent personalization
- Powerful automation
Cons:
- Premium pricing at scale
- Some features skew SaaS
Shopify integration: Possible but not as native as others, you typically pair Intercom with supplemental apps for deeper integration.
Ideal for: Brands combining marketing with support and customer communication.
Unique edge: Best-in-class conversational AI and engagement, great if you need a customer service platform that can also market.
11. Zoho Desk: Customizable Helpdesk on a Budget
Best for: Merchants that only need core ticketing with decent customization.
Key Features:
- Multi-channel ticketing (email, chat, social)
- Custom automations, SLAs, and workflow rules
- Simple customer portal for self-service setup
Pros:
- Very cost-effective
- Part of the bigger Zoho suite
Cons:
- Less advanced voice/AI
- Older UI
Shopify integration: Via extensions and APIs. I’ve used it to sync basic customer data into tickets.
Ideal for: Stores with a smaller support team that still want automation.
Unique edge: More customizable for less money, it's a solid support solution if you’re looking for gladly alternatives and are on a tighter budget.
What to Look For in a Gladly Alternative:
- Platform integration: Make sure the platform integrates with your software stack.
- Omnichannel support: The more channels you cover the better.
- Automation & AI: Think of how much of your support workload can be taken over by AI, and which tools make that possible.
- Scalability: Make sure the platforms you choose can scale when you grow.
- Pricing: Make sure the pricing aligns with your goals.
- Ecosystem options: Salesforce Service Cloud, HubSpot Service Hub, and Zoho Desk are strong gladly competitors for CRM-centric teams.
Tip: If you need a full-stack enterprise solution, customer service softeware such as Salesforce Service Cloud and combine CRM and support into one platform.
Conclusion: Choose the Right Partner for Growth
Picking the right tool for your business is not just about a cheaper alternative, the focus should always be on improving customer experience. And having a seamless support tool will definitely help with that. I've covered 11 support tools like Gladly, and hopefully the information in this article will help you with making a decision.
Are you ready to bring your support to the next level?
Pick your customer support solution from the top gladly alternatives for 2025. Look at automation capabilities, so you can start to improve your customer service.
