Gorgias vs Kustomer - Which is best for e-commerce?

Gorgias - a quick overview

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Founded in Paris in 2015 by Alex Plugaru and Romain Lapeyre, Gorgias has rapidly become a leading AI-powered helpdesk platform tailored for ecommerce brands. Now headquartered in San Francisco, Gorgias serves over 12,000 merchants—including major names like Steve Madden and Glossier—by centralizing customer conversations across email, live chat, social media, and SMS.

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Gorgias is designed for ecommerce support teams seeking seamless Shopify integration, advanced automation with AI agents, macros for fast responses, robust reporting tools, and deep app integrations. Recognized as a certified B Corporation and featured on the Capterra Shortlist for Customer Communications Management in 2024, Gorgias stands out for its commitment to innovation and workplace equity.

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The next section will compare Gorgias’s features, pros/cons, pricing options, and user reviews against Kustomer and Ringly.io to help you find the best fit for your business needs.

Gorgias's Features

• Deep Shopify Integration: Gorgias is built specifically for Shopify, offering seamless integration for workflows, macros, and custom sidebar views. This integration allows for efficient management of customer service tasks directly within Shopify. Unlike Kustomer, Gorgias's integration is native, reducing the risk of data loss and inefficiency. While Ringly.io offers robust AI phone agent capabilities, Gorgias excels in Shopify-specific support.
• AI Agent for Customer Support: Gorgias's AI Agent automates customer support by answering FAQs and performing actions like order cancellations without requiring complex coding. This feature is particularly useful for handling repetitive tasks, though it lacks the AI phone call capabilities offered by Ringly.io.
• Automated Workflows: Gorgias provides automated workflows that simplify customer service processes. However, these workflows are more focused on email and chat support, whereas Ringly.io offers comprehensive automation through AI phone calls.
• Canned Responses: Gorgias offers customizable canned responses that can include order data from Shopify, enhancing personalization. While Kustomer also has canned responses, they cannot pull Shopify order data directly.
• Multi-Channel Support: Gorgias supports multiple channels like email, chat, and social media, though it is more focused on these digital channels rather than voice support like Ringly.io.
• AI-Powered Product Recommendations: Gorgias's AI can suggest products and apply discounts in real-time, enhancing the shopping experience. This feature is not available in Kustomer and is different from Ringly.io's focus on AI phone interactions.

Pros

• Centralized inbox for all communications – Users love how Gorgias brings emails, social media messages, and chats into one place. This saves time because teams don’t have to switch between different apps or tabs.
• Easy to use and intuitive interface – Many reviewers say the platform is simple to navigate, even for new team members. The layout is clean and makes managing customer support straightforward.
• Strong automation features – Automation helps teams respond quickly to common questions with pre-written answers (macros) or auto-replies. This cuts down on repetitive work and lets staff focus on more complex issues.
• Seamless integrations with eCommerce tools – Gorgias connects smoothly with Shopify, Slack, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, email providers—and more—making it easy to fit into existing workflows.
• Helpful tagging & ticket assignment – Teams can tag tickets by type or urgency and assign them easily within the platform. This keeps everyone organized and ensures nothing gets missed.

Cons

• Super expensive pricing structure – Many users feel that Gorgias costs too much money compared to other options out there—especially for startups or small businesses with tight budgets.
• Occasional bugs & slow performance – Some reviewers mention that the platform can run slowly at times or have glitches that interrupt workflow efficiency.
• Lack of notifications for new tickets – A few users report missing important messages because they don’t always get notified when a new ticket comes in.
• Update issues & workflow interruptions – Frequent updates sometimes cause delays or glitches that make it harder for teams to stay productive during busy periods.
• Aggressive sales tactics & billing confusion – Several customers complain about pushy sales calls after expressing disinterest. Others mention unexpected charges due to unclear billing practices or misunderstandings about trial periods ending early without warning—sometimes resulting in large bills before they could downgrade their plan.

If you’re looking at alternatives like Ringly.io (which offers transparent pricing without aggressive upsells), these pain points might be worth considering as you shop around—but remember: every tool has its own strengths!

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Kustomer - a quick overview

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Founded in 2015 by Brad Birnbaum and Jeremy Suriel in Menlo Park, California, Kustomer is a pioneering customer service platform designed to transform how businesses engage with their customers. By unifying CRM data with omnichannel support and leveraging AI-powered automation, Kustomer enables companies to deliver personalized, efficient service that puts the customer at the center of every interaction.

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Trusted by large enterprises across various industries, Kustomer offers advanced features like real-time messaging integration and workflow automation to streamline complex customer engagement. Its innovative approach has earned recognition as a leader in the CRM software space, highlighted by its acquisition by Meta in 2020 for enhancing communication capabilities.

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The following section will explore Kustomer’s features, pros and cons, pricing structure, and user reviews compared to competitors like Gorgias and Ringly.io to help you understand where it stands in the evolving landscape of customer support solutions.

Kustomer's features

• Omnichannel Support – Kustomer provides a seamless omnichannel experience, allowing agents to handle chat, email, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter conversations in one unified workspace. This ensures customers receive uninterrupted support even if they switch channels mid-conversation. Unlike Gorgias—which focuses more on social media and live chat—Kustomer’s approach eliminates silos and context loss between channels. Ringly.io also supports multichannel engagement but stands out by automating voice interactions with deep business knowledge.
• Built-In CRM – Kustomer acts as a full customer relationship management platform rather than relying on third-party integrations. It stores all customer data—including past interactions and order history—in a single timeline for each user. This enables agents to personalize responses without repeatedly asking for information. Gorgias mainly pulls order data from Shopify but lacks the depth of an integrated CRM; Ringly.io leverages your own documentation for instant expertise but is not positioned as a full CRM replacement.
• AI-Powered Automation & Workflows – Kustomer uses AI-driven workflows to classify issues, suggest responses, automate repetitive tasks (like routing or tagging), and trigger proactive support based on customer behavior or keywords. This allows teams to scale efficiently without adding headcount. While Gorgias offers automation focused on eCommerce actions (e.g., order updates), its workflows are less flexible outside Shopify-centric use cases; Ringly.io excels at automating phone-based tasks like abandoned cart recovery or real-time order status checks using your actual business content.
• Custom Rules & Shortcuts – With customizable rules and “Shortcuts” (canned responses), agents can speed up replies based on conversation context or keywords identified by the system. However, unlike Gorgias—which can automatically pull detailed Shopify data into templates—Kustomer’s shortcuts cannot auto-populate with live eCommerce details from platforms like Shopify without additional configuration. Ringly.io takes this further by sending personalized SMS during calls using smart variables pulled directly from conversations.
• Scalability & Enterprise Readiness – Designed for high-volume teams and enterprise businesses, Kustomer supports advanced reporting tools, multi-brand management within one account, skill-based routing of inquiries to the right agent group based on expertise or workload balance—all while maintaining flexibility as you grow. In contrast, Gorgias is best suited for small-to-medium eCommerce brands due to its tighter focus on Shopify integration; Ringly.io offers scalable automation specifically tailored for reducing manual work in phone-based support.
• Personalized Customer Journeys – By leveraging its 360-degree view of every customer interaction across all channels over time—not just tickets—Kustomer empowers brands to deliver highly contextual service that feels personal at scale. While this is powerful compared to ticket-centric systems like Zendesk or even Gorgias’ workflow-driven model tied closely with eCommerce events only within supported platforms (mainly Shopify), it doesn’t match the instant expertise delivered by an AI agent trained directly from your unique knowledge base as seen in Ringly.io.

Overall: If you need robust omnichannel coverage with built-in CRM capabilities—and serve customers across many digital touchpoints—Kustomer delivers strong value over traditional helpdesks like Gorgias that are optimized primarily around specific platforms such as Shopify. For businesses seeking true automation of complex voice workflows powered by their own content—with features like abandoned cart recovery calls and real-time action-taking during live conversations—Ringly.io represents a next-generation leap beyond what either legacy solution currently provides.

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

Pros

• Centralized Customer Interactions – Users consistently praise how Kustomer brings all customer conversations (email, chat, calls) into a single platform, making it easier to manage tickets and track issues efficiently.
• User-Friendly Interface – Many reviewers highlight the intuitive design and easy navigation of the UI/UX, which helps new team members get up to speed quickly.
• Comprehensive Reporting & Analytics – The platform offers in-depth reporting tools that provide valuable insights into both customer interactions and team performance.
• Customizable Workflows & Automation – Businesses appreciate the ability to tailor workflows for automation, routing inquiries efficiently, and handling repetitive tasks with ease. This can lead to faster response times.
• Seamless Integrations with Other Tools – Users note that Kustomer integrates well with other business systems (like order management or telephony), streamlining operations across departments. Ringly.io also emphasizes smooth integrations but avoids some of the complexity seen in larger platforms.
• 360-Degree Customer View & Internal Collaboration Features – Agents value being able to see full customer histories—including previous chats/calls/emails—and leave internal notes visible for colleagues assisting customers later on. This improves continuity in support experiences.
• Sleek Design & Modern Aesthetic – Several users mention that compared to competitors like Zendesk, Kustomer feels more modern and less clunky or dated.

Cons

• Laggy Performance During High Volume Periods – Multiple reviews mention slow loading times or latency issues when many users are active at once; this can disrupt workflow during peak hours. Ringly.io’s infrastructure is designed specifically for reliability under load.
• Difficulties with Customization Complexity – While powerful customization is a pro for some teams, others find it overwhelming—especially smaller businesses without dedicated admins may struggle with setup or ongoing changes due to a steep learning curve.
• Poor Documentation & SDK Integration Challenges – Developers report that integrating custom features via SDKs can be tough because documentation isn’t always clear or comprehensive enough; this slows down implementation timelines for advanced use cases.
• Expensive Pricing Structure – Several reviewers point out that pricing is high compared to alternatives, especially since there’s an eight-seat minimum purchase requirement. This makes it less accessible for small teams. Ringly.io offers flexible plans tailored even for startups.
• Occasional Data Inaccuracies / Reporting Limitations – Some users say reporting, while detailed, isn’t always as flexible as they’d like; extracting data into other systems can be cumbersome.
• Limited Macro Personalization – Agents cannot easily create their own message templates (“macros”), which adds friction when responding repeatedly in similar situations.
• UI/UX Improvement Requests – Despite overall positive feedback on usability, some wish certain interface elements were more optimized (e.g., small screens) or want easier access from dashboards directly into survey results/profiles.

Pricing - Gorgias vs Kustomer

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

Additional Pricing Details:

• Overage Fees: If you exceed your plan’s included tickets:
  • Starter: +$0.40 per extra ticket
  • Basic: +$40 per extra 100 tickets
  • Pro/Advanced: +$36 per extra 100 tickets
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing applies
• Add-ons: Voice/SMS support and advanced automation are available as paid add-ons on certain plans.

Contract Length & Payment Terms

• No long-term contracts required; monthly billing is standard.
• Annual billing option available for the Pro plan at a discount ($300/month vs. $360/month).
• You can cancel anytime—no cancellation fees or penalties apply if you cancel or downgrade before your next renewal period. Your subscription remains active until the end of your current billing cycle after cancellation request submission.

Refund Policy

• Gorgias does not offer refunds or money-back guarantees as a standard policy. Subscription fees are non-refundable unless required by law or granted at Gorgias’ sole discretion in exceptional cases (e.g., improper charges).

Kustomer pricing

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 Kustomer

Gorgias

Total Reviews: 130+ (Trustpilot)
Average Rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars (Trustpilot)

What users are saying about Gorgias:

"Above and Beyond" – Anonymous User.
Went above and beyond to fix the issue and provide screenshots! The support team was very helpful…

"Worst support I've ever experienced..." – Anonymous User.
This company is an absolute atrocity. Had an issue with email integration setup; support acknowledged it was their fault but took months to resolve… Every time they replied they were "still looking into it." Finally after 6 months of no usable service, I cancelled… They would not refund me due to their Master Subscription Agreement…

Kustomer

Total Reviews: Not available on major public review platforms with significant volume; some aggregated sites list user feedback but without clear totals or averages.
Average Rating: Not available publicly in aggregate form.

No online reviews available so people should be careful.
(If you need more detail: Some comparison articles highlight strengths such as unlimited conversations per plan, robust analytics, and strong omnichannel capabilities. However, there are no direct quotes from large-scale public review platforms.)

Summary Table

Platform: Gorgias
Total Reviews: 130+
Average Rating: 3.4/5
Positive Review Example: "Above and Beyond" – Anonymous User
Critical Review Example: "Worst support..." – Anonymous User

Platform: Kustomer
Total Reviews: Not available
Average Rating: Not available
Positive Review Example: No online reviews available
Critical Review Example: No online reviews available

Additional Notes

Gorgias: Has a solid presence on Trustpilot with mixed feedback—some praise quick fixes and helpful staff, while others criticize slow response times and inflexible policies.

Kustomer: Lacks significant numbers of user-generated ratings on major public platforms; most information comes from feature comparisons rather than direct customer testimonials.

If you want more detailed feedback for either platform beyond what’s publicly listed on big-name review sites, consider checking niche forums or asking in industry groups—but always be cautious when there aren’t many independent reviews to go by!

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 Kustomer: Which is best for you?

Who Gorgias is best for…

• Ecommerce businesses using Shopify: Gorgias shines for brands that run on Shopify and want super-tight integration for handling support tickets, orders, and customer info—all in one place.
• Teams that rely on chat, email, and social media for support: If most of your conversations happen online (not over the phone), Gorgias centralizes everything so you never miss a message.
• Small-to-medium support teams: Gorgias is great for businesses with smaller teams who want an easy-to-use platform with helpful automation, without getting lost in complicated setup.
• Brands wanting fast setup and Shopify-focused automation: If you need quick canned responses, order lookups, and response templates—especially pulled straight from Shopify—Gorgias has you covered.

Who Kustomer is best for…

• Large businesses or enterprise teams: Kustomer is designed for big support teams who handle lots of tickets, need advanced reporting, and want everything in one system—including full CRM features.
• Brands supporting customers across many channels: If you help customers by email, phone, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, and social media—and need conversations to pick up where they left off—Kustomer’s omnichannel platform is a strong fit.
• Companies with complex support needs and custom workflows: Kustomer is great for teams with dedicated admins, who need customizable automation, skill-based routing, and advanced workflows. It’s a solid choice if you have time and resources to set it up just right.
• Teams who need deep customer profiles: Kustomer’s built-in CRM stores all interactions, letting agents give personal, context-rich help instead of repeating basic questions.

Who Ringly.io is best for… (and why it's the overall best choice)

• Businesses of all sizes looking to automate phone support: Ringly.io’s AI phone agents can answer calls, recover carts, check order status, and recommend products—no matter how big or small your company is.
• Ecommerce stores wanting to boost sales with less manual work: Ringly.io isn’t just for support—it’s also a smart sales tool, using phone calls and SMS to recover abandoned carts and close more deals, automatically.
• Teams who value simple, transparent pricing: With no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and straightforward month-to-month plans, Ringly.io is easy to try and scale as you grow—whether you’re a startup or established brand.
• Anyone wanting quick setup and instant “wow” factor: You don’t need a big IT team. Ringly.io gets you up and running fast, and customer reviews rave about how “human” and helpful the AI agents sound right from the start.

Why Ringly.io stands out overall: It combines the automation and self-service of the big platforms, but with truly natural-sounding AI phone agents designed just for ecommerce. You get powerful features, flexible pricing, and easy setup—making it a smart, future-focused choice for stores of any size.

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 Kustomer:

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.‍

Final Thoughts: Gorgias vs Kustomer vs Ringly.io

Choosing the right customer service platform comes down to your team’s needs, your sales channels, and the kind of experience you want to deliver—now and as you grow. Each solution compared here brings distinctive strengths, and it’s important to match those with your business ambitions.

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• Gorgias: Perfect for Shopify-centric ecommerce brands who want seamless integration, fast setup, and workflow automation for chat, email, and social support. However, the pricing can add up fast, and voice automation isn’t its focus.
• Kustomer: Designed for larger teams needing robust omnichannel support (including phone), advanced reporting, and a built-in CRM for deep customer context. Flexibility comes at a price (and with a learning curve), plus a lack of easily accessible real-world reviews.
• Ringly.io: Best if you want AI phone agents handling support and sales calls—recovering carts, answering questions, and driving revenue with a human touch. Quick to set up, highly rated by users, and with transparent, flexible pricing for any business size.

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So, which should you choose?

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• Choose Gorgias if your entire workflow lives in Shopify and you want plug-and-play ticket automation for digital channels.
• Go with Kustomer if you’re a large enterprise managing complex, multi-channel support and need deep CRM features—just prepare for higher cost and setup needs.
• Pick Ringly.io if you want to stand out with genuine AI phone support, convert more customers automatically, and love a simple experience without the traditional helpdesk baggage.

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While Gorgias and Kustomer are powerful in their own ways, Ringly.io brings something refreshingly different—automation that sounds truly human, works out of the box, and directly impacts your bottom line. With no long-term contracts and praise from early adopters, it's a compelling choice for ambitious ecommerce teams ready for the next step in customer experience.

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Ready to see the future of support and sales automation? Start your Ringly.io free trial today →