If you run a Shopify or ecommerce brand, your customer support has to be fast, scalable and reliable. Kustomer provides a omnichannel customer support platform designed to help brands manage customer support across multiple channels. I've generally seen that Kustomer offer a more complex solution that most people need. Especially when you just want a simple tool that works, that can give you a faster response time, and that offers pricing that fits your business needs.
So if you are looking for alternatives to Kustomer that make it easier to automate customer support, and that will improve customer satisfaction, I have made this guide that will help you find the best Kustomer alternative for your store.
The alternatives available below are tools that I have personally tested. All of the tools listed had a good customer experience, but some had things things like better automation features than what Kustomer users get out of the box.
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)
Shopify integration: 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. Zendesk: The Legacy Leader with lots of Integrations
Best for: Bigger brands that need more enterprise level tools. Zendesk offers one of the best customer service platforms out there, and has advanced automation features and quite a lot of CRM integrations.
Key Features:
- Email, chat, phone, and social communication channels
- A lot of analytics, reporting and AI automation
- It has a huge marketplace for apps and integrations
- Built-in knowledge base to help customers find answers to common questions
Pros:
- Reliable and secure support platform
- Great automation and scalable infrastructure
- Improves agent productivity across teams
Cons:
- It has a steeper learning curve than other alternatives to Kustomer
- It's more expensive per user per month
Shopify integration: A simple but native integration that connects tickets with customer and order data for seamless workflows.
Ideal for: Enterprises that need a customer relationship management tool that helps them manage customer interactions across all multiple channels.
Unique edge: Zendesk support suite is still one of the top Kustomer competitors and often the benchmark for enterprise-grade customer service software.
3. Freshworks: Scalable and Affordable Help Desk
Best for: Smaller to mid size ecommerce stores that just want to automate customer support and manage support tickets. Freshworks has a free plan and has one of the more intuitive dashboards.
Key Features:
- A unified inbox for customer queries
- Knowledge base and self-service portal
- Freddy AI for automation
- A good mobile app for support agents
Pros:
- Easy-to-use cloud-based help desk
- Very good automation features
- Overall great for growing support teams
Cons:
- Some features like advanced analytics are only available on higher tiers
Shopify integration: A pre-built connector that automatically gets order data and enables support agents to handle customer requests faster.
Ideal for: Teams that need a balance between good customer service solution features and affordability.
Unique edge: Freshdesk is in my opinion just one of the best Kustomer alternatives and competitors in 2025, with scalable pricing and smart automation.
4. Gorgias: Ecommerce Support with Revenue Tracking
Best for: Businesses that are looking for a customer service plaftorm designed for inline stores. Gorgias is a customer service leader for shopify stores.
Key Features:
- Tracks ROI of customer interactions
- Connects to Shopify to show order data
- Macros, templates, and automation
- Integrates with social media and live chat
Pros:
- A lot of ecommerce context
- Measures revenue generated from customer engagement
Cons:
- No phone support
- Can get pricey with higher ticket volume
Shopify integration: Native and simple, syncing orders, carts, and customer data directly in the dashboard.
Ideal for: Shopify merchants that want a support platform that ties support to revenue.
Unique edge: The best option for Kustomer users that want data-rich ecommerce tools that improve customer satisfaction.
5. Intercom: Conversational Bots and Onboarding
Best for: Brands that want a mix of automation, personalization, and conversational customer intercom customer communication.
Key Features:
- A platform that offers proactive live chat and messaging
- It has in app tours and a good knowledge base
- There are a lot of AI-driven automation features
Pros:
- Is great for building relationships and customer engagement
- Integrates very well with HubSpot Service Hub
Cons:
- Can become expensive per user per month
Shopify integration: Available via third-party apps that can pull order and customer data into conversations, but it's more difficult to set up.
Ideal for: SaaS and customer support teams that are focused on lifecycle customer support.
Unique edge: It is perfect for brands that are merging marketing automation and customer support into one platform.
6. Zoho Desk: Customizable Helpdesk on a Budget
Best for: Merchants on a budget that still want automation and a overall strong ticketing system.
Key Features:
- A lot of communication channels
- SLAs and custom workflows
- Lots of automation features and detailed analytics
Pros:
- It is cost-effective and flexible
- Integrates with HubSpot Service Hub and other CRMs
Cons:
- It has an older interface compared to other Kustomer alternatives
Shopify integration: It is possible via extensions and APIs to manage customer orders.
Ideal for: Startups or small teams that need help desk system without enterprise pricing.
Unique edge: From all of the alternatives to Kustomer, Zoho is a balance between customization and being affordable.
7. LiveAgent: Feature-Rich Helpdesk with Built-in Call Center
Best for: Smaller ecommerce teams that need live chat and phone support in one tool.
Key Features:
- Unified inbox for all communication channels
- Built-in knowledge base
- Gamified support platform
Pros:
- Great value for customer service software
- Automation options for faster response
- Integrates easily with various channels
Cons:
- Older UI and less AI focused
Shopify integration: Available in their app marketplace for syncing order details and customer queries.
Ideal for: Teams that need voice and chat capabilities in one tool.
Unique edge: One of the few Kustomer competitors on the market right now with built-in phone support, but not automated phone support.
8. Help Scout: Human-Focused Ticketing and Collaboration
Best for: Ecommerce brands that prioritize customer experience and simplicity.
Key Features:
- A shared inbox and knowledge base
- Automation features and reports on agent productivity
- Simple ticket management workflows
Pros:
- User-friendly and intuitive
- Easy onboarding for smaller support teams
Cons:
- Not a lot of AI automation and AI features
Shopify integration: Connects directly to Shopify to show customer history and orders in tickets.
Ideal for: Brands that want a personal customer service solution that is not too complex.
Unique edge: Overall a great Kustomer alternative if you value human-first customer support with collaborative tools.
9. Salesforce Service Cloud: Enterprise Powerhouse
Best for: Larger businesses that need an advanced CRM and automation.
Key Features:
- Einstein AI to automate customer workflows
- Very useful customer relationship management
- Advanced analytics and reporting
Pros:
- Highly customizable for business needs
- Connects customer engagement across all departments
Cons:
- Setup is more difficult and it has a higher price
Shopify integration: Works via custom apps to unify data and manage customer records.
Ideal for: Enterprises that want the most powerful customer service platform available.
Unique edge: A clear enterprise leader compared to Zendesk, built for large-scale customer support teams.
10. Re:amaze: Chat and Helpdesk for DTC
Best for: DTC brands that rely heavily on live chat and automation for Shopify.
Key Features:
- Unified inbox for all customer interactions
- Knowledge base and help center
- Workflow automation features
Pros:
- Cheaper so better for growing teams
- Great ecommerce widget for customer communication
Cons:
- Limited phone support
Shopify integration: Native integration with real-time order lookups.
Ideal for: Ecommerce stores that need a mix of help desk software and conversational support.
Unique edge: One of the better alternatives for small brands looking for fast customer support and automation.
11. Gladly: AI Powered CS
Best for: Brands that want to have one continuous customer interaction across platforms instead of multiple separate support tickets.
Key Features:
- Simple CRM overview
- Voice, SMS, email, and chat in one
- AI-powered automation
Pros:
- Smooth and clear customer experience
- Personalized conversations that will improve customer satisfaction
Cons:
- More expensive
- Not a lot of ecommerce-focused features like automation etc.
Shopify integration: Possible via connectors, but not as integrated as Gorgias or Zendesk
Ideal for: High-end DTC or retail brands that need a premium customer service software
Unique edge: Focuses on long-term relationships instead of just tickets.
What to Look For in a Gorgias Alternative
- Platform integration: Make sure the tool you pick connects to your ecommerce platform.
- Channel diversity: Does the tool offer multiple channels for omnichannel reach?
- Automation: Think of how much of your support can be taken over by ai, and which tool offers those capaliblties.
- Scalability: Can the tool you pick scale on demand without having to hire?
- Pricing: Is the pricing model aligned with your goals?
Conclusion
Finding an alternative to Kustomer is not just about finding a cheaper tool. The focus should always be on giving your customers a more personalized customer experience that will increase customer catisfaction. Of you need a realiable customer portal for live chat, these are the tools that I would recommend.
Each Kustimer altenative that I mentioned above can help you handle customer inquiries, reduce ticket volume and will help you to create a more untuitive support experience. It;s important to pick the customer support platform that is best for your business.
Ready to explore the top 10 and see the most popular alternatives to Kustomer? Test a few of these top Kustomer competitors and find the one that fits your ecommerce growth plan in 2025.
