Gorgias vs Freshworks - Tested and compared

Gorgias - a quick overview

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Founded in Paris in 2015 by Romain Lapeyre and Alex Plugaru, Gorgias is a leading AI-powered helpdesk platform built specifically for ecommerce brands. Now headquartered in San Francisco, Gorgias empowers over 12,000 online merchants—including major names like Steve Madden and Glossier—to automate customer support, centralize conversations across channels, and track the direct impact of service on sales.

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Gorgias offers deep integrations with Shopify and popular ecommerce tools, multi-channel support (email, live chat, social media), intent detection, automated ticketing workflows, advanced reporting tailored to ecommerce metrics like revenue from support interactions—and scales from startups to enterprise retailers. Recognized as a certified B Corporation for its commitment to sustainable business practices and featured on Capterra’s 2024 Shortlist for Customer Communications Management software.

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In the following section, we’ll break down Gorgias’s features, pros/cons, pricing details, and user reviews—comparing them directly with Freshworks (Freshdesk) and Ringly.io to help you find the best fit for your business needs.

Gorgias's features

• Unified Multichannel Helpdesk
  Centralizes all customer conversations—email, chat, SMS, social media—into a single inbox for streamlined support management. This is ideal for ecommerce brands needing to manage high volumes across multiple channels. Unlike Freshworks and Ringly.io, Gorgias’s focus is on written channels; Ringly.io uniquely automates phone support.
• AI Agent for Ecommerce Support
  Automates up to 60% of customer inquiries with AI that understands brand context and policies. It resolves common questions instantly and escalates complex issues to human agents. While Freshworks offers automation too, Gorgias’s AI is deeply integrated with ecommerce platforms like Shopify. However, it lacks the real-time phone call automation found in Ringly.io.
• Live Chat & Proactive Campaigns
  Offers customizable live chat widgets and proactive chat campaigns that engage shoppers before they bounce—boosting conversions by up to 37%. This feature helps reduce cart abandonment but relies on web-based interactions; Ringly.io recovers abandoned carts via automated outbound calls for higher engagement.
• Self-Service Order Management Flows
  Lets customers check order status or manage returns directly through chat widgets without agent intervention. This reduces repetitive tickets but only covers digital channels. In contrast, Ringly.io provides instant order status updates over the phone—a channel often preferred by less tech-savvy customers.
• Automated FAQ & Quick Responses
  Enables businesses to automate answers for common questions within the chat widget using quick response flows. While this improves efficiency on web/chat channels, it doesn’t extend to voice or SMS as seamlessly as solutions like Ringly.io do.
• SMS Marketing Integration
  Integrates with tools like Klaviyo so you can send targeted SMS campaigns based on user behavior or segmentation data from Gorgias attributes. Agents can respond directly via SMS from the helpdesk. However, sending transactional texts during live calls (e.g., checkout links) isn’t native here—it’s a standout capability of Ringly.io.
• Ecommerce Platform Integrations
  Connects natively with Shopify (and other major platforms), pulling in real-time order data and product catalogs so agents have full context during support interactions. Both Freshworks and Gorgias offer strong integrations; however, only Ringly.io leverages this data in fully automated voice workflows without manual setup or coding required.
• Customizable Chat Widgets & UI
  Allows easy customization of appearance/language settings for branded experiences across websites or stores. Setup is straightforward but primarily benefits online visitors—not callers who prefer direct phone interaction as supported by Ringly.io’s AI agent.
• Analytics & Reporting Tools
  Provides analytics dashboards tracking ticket volume, resolution times, revenue impact from support actions (on higher tiers), and more. These insights are valuable but focus mainly on digital/text-based interactions; advanced call analysis—including mood detection—is unique to solutions like ours at Ringly.io.

In summary: Gorgias excels at unifying digital customer service channels with deep ecommerce integrations, making it a top choice if your business prioritizes written communication. For businesses seeking true omnichannel automation—including instant knowledge-driven responses over the phone—Ringly.io fills critical gaps left by both Gorgias and Freshworks.

Gorgias Pros and Cons

• Centralized inbox for all channels – Users love that Gorgias brings together emails, social media messages, live chat, and more into a single dashboard. This saves time and reduces the risk of missing customer inquiries.
• Strong automation features – Automation tools (like tagging, canned responses with dynamic variables, auto-responses) help teams handle repetitive questions efficiently.
• Seamless integrations with e-commerce platforms – Especially praised is its integration with Shopify; it connects easily to various tools used by online stores.
• Customizable workflows – Teams can tailor views, filters, automations, and ticket assignments to fit their specific support processes.
• Improved team collaboration & productivity – The platform makes it easy for multiple agents to work together without overlap or confusion; internal notes help keep everyone aligned.

Cons

• Pricing can be high for small businesses – Many reviewers mention that the cost structure feels expensive or prohibitive for startups or smaller brands. Some have also reported unexpected charges during trial periods due to unclear billing policies.
  Ringly.io’s simple pricing may avoid these surprises.
• Learning curve & complexity in setup – While powerful once configured, some users find initial setup complex—especially when customizing automations or filtered views without prior training.
  Ringly.io emphasizes a “stupid-simple” interface designed for non-tech-savvy users.
• Some basic features missing or unintuitive – For example: inability to save certain default inbox views (like sorting oldest-first), limitations in filtering options compared to expectations given advanced features elsewhere in the product.
  Ringly.io focuses on quick setup with sensible defaults out-of-the-box.
• Auto chat function underwhelms – Several reviewers say the chatbot/autoresponder isn’t as effective as hoped; sometimes not worth setting up due to limited capabilities compared to competitors’ AI bots.
  Ringly.io’s pre-trained AI agent aims specifically at better phone/chat automation.
• Customer support issues & refund policy complaints – While many praise general support responsiveness overall, there are notable reports about rigid no-refund policies after accidental upgrades/billings during trials. Some felt misled about trial periods versus actual billing dates which led to frustration over lost money if they didn’t intend full use of paid plans right away.

These insights reflect what actual customers experience day-to-day using Gorgias—and highlight where alternative solutions like Ringly.io may offer smoother onboarding or more transparent pricing while still delivering robust e-commerce integrations.

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Freshworks - a quick overview

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Freshworks was founded in 2010 by Girish Mathrubootham and Shan Krishnasamy in Chennai, India. The company provides cloud-based software solutions for customer relationship management, IT service management, and e-commerce marketing. Freshworks serves a diverse user base, with a significant presence in mid-market and enterprise businesses. Its key features include CRM tools like Freshsales, which offers contact management, email automation, and AI-powered lead scoring.

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Freshworks has grown significantly, with over 35,000 companies using its customer experience tools. The company's solutions are designed to streamline sales and marketing processes, making it a popular choice for businesses looking to enhance customer engagement. Freshworks has received notable recognition, including becoming the first Indian SaaS company to list on Nasdaq in 2021.

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In the following section, we’ll explore Freshworks' features, pros and cons, pricing, and user reviews, comparing them with Gorgias and Ringly.io. This comparison will help identify where each product stands and why one might be the better choice for your business.

Freshworks's features

• Omnichannel Support
  Freshworks unifies customer conversations across email, phone, chat, social media, and more into a single platform. This allows agents to manage every interaction without switching tools, improving response times and consistency. Compared to Gorgias—which focuses primarily on e-commerce channels like Shopify and lacks broader omnichannel depth—Freshworks is better suited for businesses needing support across multiple industries or communication channels. Ringly.io also offers multichannel capabilities but specializes in AI-powered phone automation for commerce.
• AI-Powered Automation (Freddy AI)
  Freddy AI automates ticket triage, summarizes tickets, suggests next steps for agents in real time, and routes tickets based on sentiment or agent skills. This boosts productivity by reducing manual work. Gorgias provides basic intent detection but lacks advanced AI-driven insights or auto-summarization. While Ringly.io’s automation is focused on voice workflows (like abandoned cart recovery calls), Freshworks excels at automating digital support tasks at scale.
• Knowledge Base & Self-Service Portal
  Freshworks includes a robust multilingual knowledge base with article versioning, approval workflows, community forums, and customizable portals—empowering customers to self-serve 24/7. Gorgias does not have a native knowledge base; users must rely on third-party tools which adds complexity. Ringly.io’s unique approach lets its AI agent instantly learn from your website/docs for phone-based answers—ideal if you want instant expertise over the phone rather than traditional web FAQs.
• Advanced Ticket Management
  Features like parent-child ticketing, collision detection (preventing duplicate responses), linked tickets for related issues, custom fields/templates/workflows—all help teams handle complex cases efficiently. Gorgias simplifies ticketing mainly around order-related queries; it’s less flexible outside e-commerce use cases. For businesses needing granular control over support processes across departments or industries—not just retail—Freshworks stands out here.
• Integrations Ecosystem
  With 1,000+ integrations via the Freshworks Marketplace—including CRM (Salesforce/HubSpot), project management (Jira/Asana), analytics tools—and open API access for custom apps/Freshdesk SDKs: Freshworks adapts easily to most business stacks. Gorgias integrates deeply with Shopify/Klaviyo/ReCharge but has limited reach beyond retail platforms. Ringly.io connects through Zapier/Make.com to CRMs/ticket systems as well—but if you need broad enterprise integration out-of-the-box across many departments/tools beyond commerce-specific needs, Freshworks leads.
• Reporting & Analytics
  Customizable dashboards track KPIs like CSAT scores and response times; pre-built reports highlight trends/bottlenecks so managers can optimize team performance continuously. While Gorgias offers revenue-centric reporting tailored to e-commerce stores only—and Ringly.io delivers deep call analysis including mood tracking—the breadth of analytics in Freshdesk covers all industries with flexibility that scales from SMBs up through enterprise ITSM environments.
• Workflow Automation & Customization
  Automate repetitive tasks: assign/escalate tickets based on rules/SLA triggers/time/events; set up approval flows; customize objects/data fields per business unit—all without coding expertise needed. Compared to the more basic rule-based automations in Gorgias—or even the no-code workflow builders of Ringly.io focused mainly around voice/call actions—Freshdesk enables end-to-end process automation spanning digital channels company-wide.
• Customer Satisfaction Tools & Surveys
  Built-in CSAT/NPS surveys let you measure satisfaction after each interaction directly within the platform—a key feature missing natively from some competitors’ core offerings. These insights feed back into reporting so teams can act quickly when service dips below expectations—a holistic approach that complements both digital-first brands using chat/email as well as those leveraging modern voice solutions like those found in Ringly.io’s stack.

In summary: while both competitors offer strong solutions within their niches (Gorgias excelling at Shopify-centric workflows; Ringly.io redefining automated phone experiences), Freshworks stands apart when your organization needs an all-in-one suite combining omnichannel coverage with deep customization options and robust self-service infrastructure—all powered by advanced AI that helps agents do more with less effort.

Next, let's look at Freshworks's pros and cons. We studied dozens of reviews from real Freshworks users from platforms like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. Then we identified commonalities and summarized the main pros and cons of Freshworks based on real user feedback for you here:

Pros

• User-friendly interface – Many users highlight how easy it is to get started with Freshworks products like Freshdesk or Freshsales, noting a straightforward setup process that helps teams quickly become productive without a steep learning curve.
  This ease-of-use can be especially valuable for teams new to help desk or CRM software.
• Effective automation & workflow tools – Users appreciate the ability to configure workflows, automate repetitive tasks, set up sales sequences, and manage support tickets efficiently across teams.
  These features save time and reduce manual effort.
• Centralized communication & collaboration – Reviewers mention benefits such as centralized email management for customer support (making it easy to track unanswered emails) and seamless collaboration among team members—even when someone is out of office.
  This leads to faster response times and fewer missed communications.
• AI-powered assistance (Freddy AI) – The Freddy AI feature receives praise for helping draft responses quickly, analyze communications data through reports, and inform strategic decisions in customer support operations.
• Pricing competitiveness – Several reviewers note that Freshworks solutions are relatively affordable compared to alternatives like Zendesk or Salesforce. This makes them attractive options for small- to mid-sized businesses seeking robust functionality without breaking the bank.

Cons

• Lackluster customer support experience (direct contracts) – Some users report poor experiences with direct customer service after switching away from resellers: issues remain unresolved; questions go unanswered; overall assistance is lacking.
  For organizations relying on responsive vendor support during onboarding or troubleshooting critical issues, this can be a significant drawback—especially compared with platforms where personalized onboarding/support is prioritized.
• User interface quirks & inefficiencies – While generally user-friendly, certain aspects frustrate users: filtering tickets can be clunky; some actions require multiple browser tabs instead of being managed within one window; text formatting in emails occasionally breaks down.
  These UI limitations may slow down daily workflows for busy teams.
• Difficult license model & hidden costs – The licensing structure is described as complicated by several reviewers—mixing different license levels/day licenses—which sometimes leads to confusion or unexpected expenses over time. For budget-conscious organizations needing predictable pricing models (like charities), this complexity can create headaches.
• Lack of full integration across modules/products – Users point out gaps between different parts of the platform: chat modules don’t always integrate smoothly with CRM/sales modules; some products have been discontinued/replaced abruptly (e.g., “FreshCRM” replaced by “Freshsales”).
  This fragmentation may disrupt unified workflows if your business depends on seamless cross-module integration.
• Difficulties during initial setup/imports for non-technical users – Some less tech-savvy team members find initial configuration challenging—especially around importing data/files—and wish error messages were clearer within the app rather than sent via email. This means extra training/support might be needed at rollout unless you choose a solution designed specifically around simplicity from day one.

If you're considering alternatives like Ringly.io: many modern platforms now focus heavily on streamlined onboarding experiences—with clear error handling—and prioritize unified integrations so all your tools work together seamlessly right out of the box. Plus, transparent pricing models are becoming standard so there are no surprises later.

Pricing - Gorgias vs Freshworks

Note: The pricing information below is accurate at the time of writing and may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date pricing, please visit each company's pricing page.

Gorgias pricing

Automation Pricing:
Each plan’s price increases with higher automation levels. For example:
- Basic: $140/month at ~20% automation; up to $203/month at ~50% automation
- Pro: Ranges from ~$810/month (20%) to ~$1,260/month (50%)
- Advanced: Ranges from ~$1,800/month (20%) to ~$3,000/month (50%)

Contract Length:
Monthly or annual billing available.
Annual contracts offer a discount—typically “2 months free” (~16–17% off) or about 20–25% lower rates.
No long-term contract required for monthly billing.

Cancellation Fees:
No explicit cancellation fees, but you cannot downgrade your plan during an active subscription term; downgrades only take effect at renewal.
If you upgrade mid-term, the new rate applies immediately for the remainder of that term.

Refund Policies:
No standard refunds or money-back guarantees are mentioned in public-facing documentation or terms of service.

Additional Notes

• All plans include access to Gorgias’ core helpdesk platform with multi-channel ticket management and deep ecommerce integrations.
• Add-ons like voice ($2.40/ticket) and SMS ($1.60/ticket) are billed separately.
• Free trial is available on all plans.

This table reflects current public information as of July 2025; always check Gorgias’ official site for the latest details before purchasing.

Freshworks pricing

Contract Length & Billing

• No long-term contracts required: Users can pay monthly or annually.
• Discounts: Annual billing is discounted compared to monthly rates.
• Plans auto-renew unless canceled with advance notice.

Cancellation Fees

• You cannot downgrade or reduce user count mid-term.
• No explicit cancellation fees mentioned for ending after the term.
• If you cancel before your term ends or try to downgrade during your subscription period: You will still owe the full contracted amount for that period.

Refund Policies

• Fees paid are non-refundable.
• No refunds or money-back guarantees on paid plans.

Notes:

• Add-ons like Freddy AI Copilot ($29/user/mo), CPQ licenses ($19/mo), etc., are available separately depending on plan/product.
• Pricing may change periodically. Always check directly with Freshworks before purchasing.

Ringly.io pricing

Ringly.io has simple, usage-based pricing with no hidden fees or long-term commitments. Test drive it risk-free for 14 days, then scale up or down on month-to-month terms—or book a demo for fully tailored enterprise support.

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Online customer reviews: Gorgias vs Freshworks

What users are saying about Gorgias:

Total reviews and average rating:
- G2: Over 1,000 reviews, average rating around 4.6 out of 5.
- Capterra: Over 500 reviews, average rating around 4.6 out of 5.

"Game changer"
Jessie H., Customer Support Manager (G2)
Gorgias has been a game changer for our customer support operations... The centralized inbox saves so much time and eliminates the risk of missing messages... The tagging and automation features are incredibly helpful for prioritizing tasks...

"Awful CS, wrong guidance and scam"
Anonymous Reviewer (Capterra)
I was billed during my trial period without warning... They refused to refund due to their no refund policy. Awful CS, wrong guidance and scam... Be cautious for unexpected/uninformed billings...

What users are saying about Freshworks:

Total reviews and average rating:
- Freshsales on G2: Over 1,900 reviews, average rating 4.5 out of 5.
- Freshsales on Capterra: Over 600 reviews, average rating 4.5 out of 5.

"A Game-Changer for Our Support System"
Sushmit S., Customer Experience Lead (G2)
Freshdesk offers a user-friendly experience that makes customer support much more accessible and efficient... Freddy AI is essential in composing emails and informing strategic decisions with its reports...

"Repeated billing despite cancellation requests"
Anonymous Reviewer (Several.com summary from multiple platforms)
Customers have faced significant challenges when canceling their Freshworks subscriptions—repeated billing despite multiple cancellation requests... Some have even filed formal complaints due to continued charges after cancellation confirmations...

What users are saying about Ringly.io:

Ringly.io is known for its simplicity, and a focus on e-commerce, with features like abandoned cart recovery and order status lookups. It has a 4.8 star rating from 12 reviews on Product Hunt and other platforms.

"it stands out significantly ahead" - Bertrand, Director. We are at the initial stage of testing and have made only a few calls so far. Consequently, I have rated the product with four stars for now. However, I must express that the product has shown significant promise. When compared to competitors, it stands out significantly ahead.

"This is such a great product" - Jim Miranda, Founder. This is such a great product. I have been with you for less than a week and already closed 3 deals with it."

"It really sounds like a human" - Laix, Founder. Tried Ringly.io today and the quality of the phone calls surprises me! It really sounds like a human, and it reacts really fast. Will need to deploy it in action to see the full capabilities.

"How to automate customer service? -> Ringly.io" - Sidra Husnain, Founder.

Gorgias vs Freshworks: Which is best for you?

Who Gorgias is best for…

• Ecommerce brands and online retailers who want deep Shopify (or similar platform) integration and a support inbox for all digital channels—email, chat, SMS, Facebook/Instagram, and more.
• Support teams that are mainly digital-first and want smart automation for repetitive questions, canned responses, and clear metrics about how support impacts sales.
• Companies with growing or larger support teams that need advanced workflows, detailed analytics, and the ability to work together in one place.
• Brands seeking automation across written channels (but who can handle a higher price point and possibly a more complex setup process).

Who Freshworks is best for…

• Mid-sized or larger businesses (not just ecommerce) that need a full support suite covering many channels—email, chat, phone, social media, WhatsApp, and more.
• Companies wanting a lot of customization: powerful ticketing, complex workflows, strong self-help knowledge bases, and tons of integrations with other business tools.
• Teams that rely on automation to speed up ticket triage, routing, and customer communications—with help from advanced AI (Freddy AI) and reporting across channels.
• Organizations looking for scalable support that can be tailored to different teams (support, sales, IT), not just customer service.

Who Ringly.io is best for…

• Any size business—from solo founders to fast-growing brands—who want to make support effortless with smart, AI-powered phone and digital agents (without the need for deep technical know-how).
• Shops and sellers who want to recover more sales and answer questions 24/7—even outside business hours—using both calls and chat. Ringly.io easily automates tasks like order updates, abandoned cart calls, and more.
• Teams that value simple pricing and fast setup—no hidden fees, no tricky contracts, and an interface designed to “just work” for everyone on the team.
• Brands who want true omnichannel automation, including phone, chat, SMS, and web—plus instant learning from product catalogs, knowledge bases, and customer order data without extra setup.

Why Ringly.io is the overall best fit for most businesses:
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use solution that brings advanced features (like automated phone agents, real-time order updates, and cart recovery) to businesses of any size—without complicated pricing or technical headaches—Ringly.io is built for you. It covers all main support channels, fits into your current tools, and learns your business on its own, making top-tier customer experience accessible whether you’re just starting out or already scaling fast.

Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice

Highly Rated: 4.8/5

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Founded in 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by Maurizio Isendoorn and Ruben Boonzaaijer, Ringly.io is revolutionizing e-commerce customer service with AI phone agents. Designed for online businesses, Ringly handles customer calls on autopilot—solving support issues, recovering abandoned carts, and even boosting sales—at just 20% of the cost of human agents.‍

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With 2,300+ customers, Ringly.io is the go-to solution for e-commerce stores looking to scale without scaling their support team. With award-winning technology (BubbleCon 2024's "Most Innovative App"), Ringly.io transforms your phone system into a revenue-driving powerhouse—without the headaches of traditional call centers.‍

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Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Gorgias and Freshworks:

No-code setup, instant results – Ringly.io is ready to go in minutes. Just add your website, docs, or text—no engineering required—and your AI phone agent instantly understands your business. It even updates automatically as your website changes.‍‍‍

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AI-powered sales & support – Ringly.io does both inbound and outbound calls. Recover 35%+ of abandoned carts with automated follow-up calls, provide real-time order tracking from Shopify, and convert more customers with personalized AI-driven conversations—not just reactive support.‍‍

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Advanced analytics for smarter decisions – Ringly.io gives you real-time call data, customer intent tracking, and performance reports—helping you optimize support and sales strategies.‍‍‍

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Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent, scalable pricing—pay for what you use, no locked-in contracts.‍

Conclusion: Gorgias vs Freshworks vs Ringly.io – Which Should You Choose?

Choosing the right platform for your business comes down to what matters most—channels, automation, ease-of-use, or price. Gorgias and Freshworks are both strong contenders, especially for companies with existing processes and specific industry needs. But if you want a next-generation support solution that feels effortless to set up, scales with you, and truly covers every channel—especially phone automation—Ringly.io shines brightest.

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Here’s a quick recap to help you decide:

• Gorgias: Excellent for e-commerce brands using Shopify.
  Best for: Teams prioritizing digital written channels (email, chat, social) and wanting deep order/ticket automations.
  Consider if: You have a mid-to-large support team dedicated to handling order-related queries and need detailed sales support metrics.
• Freshworks: Strong all-around suite for organizations needing classic omnichannel support.
  Best for: Mid-sized/enterprise support or sales teams across industries who want flexible ticketing, robust workflows, and knowledge bases.
  Consider if: You need complex workflow automation and handle lots of customer touchpoints—not just in e-commerce—and value deep customization.
• Ringly.io: The easiest, fastest way to automate support on every channel—especially the phone.
  Best for: Any business wanting a no-hassle, AI-powered phone (and digital) agent that learns from your website, helps recover abandoned carts, answers calls 24/7, and fits your processes.
  Go with Ringly.io if: You want to offer real human-like conversations by phone and chat, with instant setup, clear pricing, and insights that boost both support and revenue—no matter your size or tech skills.

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Ultimately, Ringly.io unlocks true omnichannel automation—combining the best parts of Gorgias and Freshworks, but with a smoother setup, reliable phone AI, and simple pricing that scales as you do. Whether you’re just starting out, scaling fast, or looking to upgrade tired ticket systems, Ringly.io helps you serve more customers, recover more sales, and never miss a call—without more headcount or headaches.

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Try it risk-free and see for yourself what effortless, modern support really feels like.

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