If you run an ecommerce store and have been using AnswerHero for phone support, you might be wondering whether there's something better suited to your specific needs.
AnswerHero works well as a general answering service, but ecommerce businesses often need features that go beyond basic call handling.
This guide covers seven AnswerHero alternatives that range from AI-powered phone agents to full helpdesk platforms.
Each one offers something different, so you can find the right fit based on your call volume, budget, and how deeply you need your phone support integrated with your store.
Why ecommerce businesses look for AnswerHero alternatives
AnswerHero is a solid 24/7 bilingual answering service starting at $79/month for 50 minutes.
It handles calls professionally and offers English/Spanish support across all plans.
But ecommerce stores have unique requirements that general answering services weren't designed for.
Your customers call about order status, shipping updates, returns, and product questions.
They expect agents to pull up their order and give specific answers.
Here's what typically drives ecommerce businesses to look elsewhere:
- No native Shopify or WooCommerce integration for real-time order lookup
- Peak season limitations when Black Friday call volume spikes 3-5x
- Per-minute billing adds up fast for high-volume stores
- No AI automation for repetitive "where's my order" calls
- Phone-only service when you need chat and email unified
The alternatives below address these gaps in different ways.
Some go all-in on AI automation, others offer premium human service, and a few provide full omnichannel helpdesk platforms.
How we evaluated these AnswerHero alternatives
To keep this comparison useful for ecommerce specifically, we focused on criteria that matter most for online stores.
Quick comparison: AnswerHero alternatives at a glance
Before diving into each option, here's how they stack up side by side.
The pricing gap between AI solutions and human receptionists is significant even at similar feature levels
The 7 best AnswerHero alternatives for ecommerce
1. Ringly.io
Ringly.io built its AI phone agent, Seth, specifically for Shopify stores. Unlike general answering services, Seth connects directly to your store data and can look up orders, check shipping status, and process returns without human intervention.
The platform reports a 70%+ call resolution rate without escalation, which means most routine calls never need a human agent.
For ecommerce stores drowning in "where's my order" calls, this translates to significant cost savings.
Key features for ecommerce:
- Native Shopify integration with real-time order data access
- Automated returns and exchanges handling
- Support for 40+ languages
- Escalation to human agents when needed
- Call recordings and transcripts for insights
Pricing:
Ringly.io offers a 14-day free trial with a unique guarantee: you pay nothing until Seth resolves at least 60% of calls over your first 100 calls.
Best for: Shopify stores handling high call volumes who want AI automation with genuine ecommerce intelligence, not just generic call answering.
2. Smith.ai
Smith.ai offers both AI receptionists and live human agents, giving you flexibility to mix approaches based on call complexity.
The AI handles straightforward calls at lower cost, while human receptionists step in for situations requiring judgment.
Their per-call pricing model (rather than per-minute) can work well if your calls vary widely in length.
You pay the same whether a call takes 30 seconds or 5 minutes.
Key features for ecommerce:
- AI receptionist with human backup when needed
- Lead qualification and payment collection
- CRM integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Clio)
- 30-day money-back guarantee on human plans
Pricing:
Best for: Businesses that want hybrid AI + human support with strong lead qualification.
Note that ecommerce-specific integrations (Shopify order lookup) are limited compared to purpose-built solutions like Ringly.io.
3. Gorgias
Gorgias takes a different approach entirely. It's not an answering service but a full helpdesk platform built specifically for ecommerce.
If your support needs extend beyond phone to email, chat, and social media, this might be the better fit.
The native Shopify integration is deep. Agents see customer order history, can issue refunds, and track revenue generated from support interactions.
It's ticket-based pricing, so you pay for conversations rather than minutes or agents.
Key features for ecommerce:
- Deep Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce integration
- Unified inbox for email, chat, social, SMS, and voice
- AI Agent for automated responses to common questions
- Revenue tracking tied to support tickets
Pricing:
AI Agent automation costs $0.90-$1.00 per automated interaction beyond what's included.
Best for: Ecommerce brands that need omnichannel support (not just phone) with native store integrations.
Note that you'll need to staff your own agents or use the ticket queue, as Gorgias doesn't provide live answering.
4. Ruby
Ruby positions itself as the premium option for businesses that prioritize customer experience over cost savings.
All receptionists are US-based, highly trained professionals available 24/7/365 including holidays.
The service filters robocalls and spam, so you're not charged for unwanted calls.
They also offer live chat as an add-on with a 20% discount when bundled with phone service.
Key features for ecommerce:
- 24/7 live answering including holidays without surcharges
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) support
- Call screening that filters spam
- No long-term contracts required
Pricing:
Ruby is the most expensive option on this list by a wide margin.
At $245/month for just 50 minutes, it's roughly 2.5x the cost of AnswerHero's entry plan.
Best for: Luxury brands or professional services where a premium human touch justifies the premium price.
The lack of ecommerce-specific integrations makes it less practical for typical online stores.
5. Moneypenny
Moneypenny offers AI-assisted human receptionists, where live agents are supported by AI technology for consistency.
They also have a separate pure AI receptionist option if you want to go fully automated.
The white-glove onboarding includes a dedicated account manager and custom training for your business.
This comes at a cost, both in setup fees and minimum commitments.
Key features for ecommerce:
- 24/7/365 coverage with bilingual agents
- Appointment scheduling directly to your calendar
- Order processing and payment collection
- HIPAA-compliant data handling
Pricing:
Setup fee is approximately $1,000, and there's a 3-month minimum contract.
This makes Moneypenny a significant upfront commitment compared to alternatives.
Best for: Established businesses willing to pay premium for white-glove service and dedicated account management.
The setup fee and contract may be prohibitive for smaller stores.
6. AnswerConnect
AnswerConnect is a 20+ year veteran in the answering service space, recently named "Best Answering Service for 2026" by Forbes.
They take a "people, not bots" approach with no AI automation offered.
The service maintains a 4.9/5.0 rating on Trustpilot from over 1,300 reviews.
They operate in-house call centers (not outsourced), which contributes to quality consistency.
Key features for ecommerce:
- 24/7 call answering with lead qualification
- Free Setmore appointment scheduling included
- Scalable bilingual support
- CRM integration (Salesforce, Zendesk)
Pricing:
Setup fee is $49.99 with no long-term contracts required. Overage runs approximately $2.50/minute.
Best for: Businesses that specifically want human receptionists and reject AI automation.
Like Ruby and Moneypenny, AnswerConnect lacks native ecommerce platform integration.
7. Freshdesk
Freshdesk rounds out this list as the most affordable option for teams that want to build their own support operation.
It's a full omnichannel helpdesk with email, chat, phone, and social media unified in one platform.
The Freddy AI copilot automates ticket classification, suggests responses, and routes issues to the right agents.
A genuinely useful free tier for up to 2 agents makes it accessible for small teams.
Key features for ecommerce:
- Omnichannel ticketing (email, chat, phone, social)
- Freddy AI for automated responses and routing
- Shopify integration available
- Free plan for getting started
Pricing:
Best for: Growing ecommerce businesses that want a full helpdesk platform rather than just phone answering.
Note that you'll need to staff your own agents, as Freshdesk provides the software, not the service.
AI vs human receptionists: which is right for your store?
The choice between AI and human phone support depends on your call types, volume, and budget. Here's a framework to help you decide.
When AI works best:
- High call volume with repetitive questions ("where's my order?")
- Order status and tracking inquiries
- Budget-conscious scaling
- Need for consistent 24/7 coverage without staffing
When human receptionists work best:
- Complex problem-solving required
- Premium customer experience is a brand priority
- Sensitive or emotional customer interactions
- High-touch industries or luxury products
When helpdesk platforms make sense:
- Need unified multi-channel support (email + chat + phone)
- Email and chat volume exceeds phone
- Want ticket tracking and team collaboration
- Need analytics and reporting on support operations
Most ecommerce stores can get AI to handle 70% of them at a fraction of human cost
For most Shopify stores handling typical ecommerce calls, AI solutions like Ringly.io offer the best balance of cost and capability.
The native integration means callers get real answers about their orders, not just message-taking.
If your calls require more judgment or you're in a premium brand category, human services like Ruby or AnswerConnect deliver that experience at higher cost.
And if phone is just one channel among many, platforms like Gorgias or Freshdesk give you the infrastructure to manage everything from one place.
Start automating your ecommerce phone support
Choosing the right AnswerHero alternative comes down to three factors: how ecommerce-specific your needs are, whether you prefer AI or human agents, and your budget at scale.
For Shopify stores specifically, Ringly.io stands out as the purpose-built option.
Seth connects directly to your store, resolves 70%+ of calls without human intervention, and supports 40+ languages. The pricing starts at $99/month for 250 minutes, with overage at $0.19/minute.
Ringly.io offers a 14-day free trial with a unique guarantee: you don't pay until Seth resolves at least 60% of calls.
That takes the risk out of testing whether AI phone support works for your store.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best AnswerHero alternative for Shopify stores?
For Shopify specifically, Ringly.io is the best AnswerHero alternative because it has native Shopify integration. Its AI agent can look up orders, check shipping status, and process returns directly from your store data.
How much does an AnswerHero alternative cost for ecommerce?
AnswerHero alternatives for ecommerce range from free (Freshdesk) to $1,695/month (Ruby Premium). AI solutions like Ringly.io start at $99/month, while human services like AnswerConnect start around $350/month.
Can an AnswerHero alternative handle order lookups automatically?
Yes, some AnswerHero alternatives offer automatic order lookup. Ringly.io and Gorgias both have native Shopify integration that lets agents (AI or human) access real-time order data during calls.
What's the difference between AI and human AnswerHero alternatives?
AI AnswerHero alternatives like Ringly.io use automated agents that handle calls 24/7 at lower cost but with less flexibility. Human alternatives like Ruby provide personal service but cost 3-5x more per minute.
Which AnswerHero alternative works best for high call volumes?
For high call volume ecommerce stores, Ringly.io is the most cost-effective AnswerHero alternative. Its AI resolves 70%+ of calls without human intervention, and overage is just $0.19/minute compared to $2-5/minute for human services.
Do AnswerHero alternatives offer multilingual support for ecommerce?
Yes, most AnswerHero alternatives offer multilingual support. Ringly.io supports 40+ languages, while human services like Ruby and AnswerConnect offer English/Spanish bilingual agents.
Can I try an AnswerHero alternative before committing?
Most AnswerHero alternatives offer trials. Ringly.io has a 14-day free trial with a guarantee that you pay nothing until it resolves 60% of calls. Smith.ai offers 30-day money-back on human plans, and Freshdesk has a permanent free tier.
