Gorgias charges per ticket, not per agent: which makes costs unpredictable during peak seasons. Here's every tier, overage fee, and hidden cost for e-commerce teams.
Gorgias pricing in 2026 uses a ticket-based model that is unique in the helpdesk space. Instead of charging per agent, you pay for a set number of billable tickets each month. This sounds appealing until Black Friday hits and your ticket volume triples overnight.
This guide breaks down every Gorgias pricing tier, how ticket-based billing actually works, overage costs, automation add-on fees, and what the platform really costs during peak and off-peak periods. We also compare with Chatsy pricing for equivalent workloads so you can see the full picture.
Disclosure: We built Chatsy, which is used as an example in this guide.
Gorgias publishes plan tiers but obscures real cost during peak periods because of ticket overages and automation add-on fees. This guide is built on three sources we reconcile:
Where Gorgias's listed overage rate diverged from invoiced rates (mostly because the automation add-on adds line items), we used the higher invoiced figure. Where seasonal volume swings doubled monthly bills, we modelled both off-peak and peak scenarios. Verified March 2026.
Gorgias plans are based on the number of billable tickets per month. All plans include unlimited agents, which is the main selling point of the ticket-based model.
| Plan | Monthly Price | Tickets Included | Cost per Ticket | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $10 | 50 | $0.20 | 3 channels, basic integrations, limited macros |
| Basic | $60 | 300 | $0.20 | Unlimited channels, 150+ integrations, basic reporting |
| Pro | $360 | 2,000 | $0.18 | Revenue statistics, live chat, CSAT surveys, advanced rules |
| Advanced | $900 | 5,000 | $0.18 | Custom reporting, dedicated success manager, advanced permissions |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | SLA, custom integrations, dedicated support |
Unlimited agents is the headline feature. Unlike Freshdesk or Zendesk, adding another agent to your team does not increase your bill. But the ticket cap creates a different kind of constraint.
A "billable ticket" is any ticket where an agent or automation sends a response. Tickets closed without a response (spam, duplicates) do not count. However, every real customer interaction does count, and one customer conversation that spans multiple messages is still one ticket.
Understanding what counts as a "billable ticket" is essential for predicting your costs.
What counts as a billable ticket:
What does not count:
The seasonal problem: E-commerce support is inherently seasonal. A store that averages 1,500 tickets/month might handle 4,000-6,000 during November and December. On the Pro plan (2,000 tickets), that means 2,000-4,000 overage tickets at peak rates.
When you exceed your plan's ticket allotment, Gorgias charges per additional ticket:
| Plan | Overage Rate (per ticket) | 1,000 Extra Tickets | 3,000 Extra Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | ~$0.40 | $400 | $1,200 |
| Basic | ~$0.40 | $400 | $1,200 |
| Pro | ~$0.36 | $360 | $1,080 |
| Advanced | ~$0.36 | $360 | $1,080 |
Overage rates are higher than the base cost-per-ticket on your plan. There is no cap on overages, your bill scales linearly with every additional ticket.
BFCM reality check: A mid-size Shopify store on the Pro plan ($360/month for 2,000 tickets) that processes 5,000 tickets in November pays $360 base + $1,080 in overages = $1,440 for a single month. That is four times the normal monthly cost.
Gorgias offers an automation add-on for AI-powered responses and self-service. This is separate from the base plan.
| Automation Feature | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Automation add-on | Starting at ~$25/mo | Automated responses to common questions |
| Per automated interaction | ~$0.02-$0.05 | Varies by volume and contract |
| Rules-based automation | Included in Pro+ | Basic auto-tagging and routing |
| AI-powered responses | Add-on required | Natural language responses to customers |
The automation add-on is designed to reduce your ticket count by handling common questions (order status, shipping, returns) without creating a billable ticket. In theory, this saves money. In practice, you are paying for the automation add-on plus base plan fees, and the savings only materialize if automation successfully deflects a meaningful percentage of tickets.
Here is what Gorgias actually costs for three common e-commerce scenarios. We include steady-state months and peak season estimates.
| Cost Component | Normal Month | Peak Month (Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic plan (300 tickets) | $60 | $60 |
| Overage tickets (0 / 400 extra) | $0 | $160 |
| Automation add-on | $25 | $25 |
| Total | $85/mo | $245/mo |
| Cost Component | Normal Month | Peak Month (Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Pro plan (2,000 tickets) | $360 | $360 |
| Overage tickets (0 / 3,000 extra) | $0 | $1,080 |
| Automation add-on | $75 | $75 |
| Total | $435/mo | $1,515/mo |
| Cost Component | Normal Month | Peak Month (Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced plan (5,000 tickets) | $900 | $900 |
| Overage tickets (0 / 5,000 extra) | $0 | $1,800 |
| Automation add-on | $150 | $150 |
| Total | $1,050/mo | $2,850/mo |
The pattern is clear: Gorgias is predictable during steady-state months but punishes you financially during the exact periods when your revenue is highest.
Chatsy uses conversation-based pricing with message credits, you pay for usage, not tickets. AI is included. Here is the comparison:
| Scenario | Gorgias (Annual Avg) | Chatsy (Equivalent) | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 tickets/mo | ~$115/mo ($1,380/yr) | Standard $150/mo ($1,800/yr) | Gorgias cheaper at low volume |
| 1,800 tickets/mo | ~$580/mo ($6,960/yr) | Pro $500/mo ($6,000/yr) | ~$960 |
| 4,500 tickets/mo | ~$1,300/mo ($15,600/yr) | Enterprise (custom) | Typically 40-60% less |
At low ticket volumes, Gorgias can be cheaper than Chatsy. But as volumes grow, especially with seasonal spikes: Chatsy's predictable pricing becomes significantly more cost-effective. No overage fees, no per-ticket charges, and AI is included in every plan.
Chatsy's Standard plan includes 3,500 message credits, 3 team seats, live chat, AI chatbot, knowledge base, and ticketing. The Pro plan includes 12,000 credits and 5 seats.
For a detailed comparison, see Chatsy vs Gorgias.
The single biggest hidden cost. E-commerce stores cannot control when customers need help. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday returns, and product launches all drive ticket spikes that blow through plan limits.
A customer who emails and then follows up on live chat creates two billable tickets. Multi-channel support, which Gorgias encourages, inherently inflates your ticket count.
The automation add-on reduces but does not eliminate billable tickets. You still pay for the add-on subscription plus tickets that automation cannot handle. The net savings depend heavily on how well automation matches your support patterns.
Starter and Basic plans have limited integrations. Teams that need Shopify Plus, Magento, or custom API integrations often need Pro or Advanced, which is a significant jump from the entry-level pricing.
Unlike per-agent tools where annual contracts lock in your rate, Gorgias ticket overages are charged monthly regardless of contract type. An annual plan does not protect you from overage charges during peak months.
Gorgias uses a fundamentally different pricing model than most helpdesk tools. Here is how the models compare for the same workload.
Scenario: 10 agents handling 3,000 tickets per month.
| Platform | Pricing Model | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgias (Pro + overages) | Per ticket | $720/mo | $8,640/yr |
| Freshdesk (Pro + Freddy) | Per agent | $780/mo | $9,360/yr |
| Zendesk (Suite Growth) | Per agent | $890/mo | $10,680/yr |
| Intercom (Advanced + Fin) | Per agent + per resolution | $1,840/mo | $22,080/yr |
| Chatsy (Pro) | Per conversation | $500/mo | $6,000/yr |
Gorgias is competitive at steady-state volume. The problem is variance. A per-agent tool costs the same whether your team handles 1,000 or 10,000 tickets in a month. Gorgias costs more with every additional ticket.
For e-commerce businesses with highly seasonal traffic, this variance is not hypothetical, it is the defining characteristic of the business model.
Here is what a mid-size Shopify store on the Pro plan actually pays across a full year, accounting for seasonal variation.
| Month | Estimated Tickets | Base Cost | Overages | Automation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,200 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| February | 1,100 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| March | 1,400 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| April | 1,300 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| May | 1,500 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| June | 1,200 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| July | 1,600 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| August | 1,800 | $360 | $0 | $75 | $435 |
| September | 2,200 | $360 | $72 | $75 | $507 |
| October | 2,800 | $360 | $288 | $75 | $723 |
| November | 5,500 | $360 | $1,260 | $75 | $1,695 |
| December | 4,200 | $360 | $792 | $75 | $1,227 |
| Annual Total | 27,800 | $4,320 | $2,412 | $900 | $7,632 |
The annual average is $636/month, but November alone costs $1,695, nearly four times the quiet-month rate. Teams that budget based on average months get surprised when Q4 bills arrive.
For e-commerce-specific use cases, here is how Gorgias compares to the alternatives.
| Feature | Gorgias | Freshdesk | Zendesk | Chatsy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify integration | Native, deep | App-based | App-based | Integration |
| Order management in chat | Yes | Via app | Via app | Via integration |
| Revenue tracking | Built-in | No | No | No |
| Unlimited agents | Yes | No (per agent) | No (per agent) | Plan-based seats |
| AI automation | Add-on | Add-on (Freddy) | Add-on | Included |
| Predictable pricing | No (ticket-based) | Yes (per agent) | Yes (per agent) | Yes (conversation-based) |
Gorgias wins on e-commerce-specific features, particularly the native Shopify integration that lets agents view orders, process refunds, and update shipping directly from the helpdesk. This integration depth is why many Shopify stores tolerate the unpredictable pricing.
However, teams that prioritize budget predictability over e-commerce-specific features often find that general-purpose tools with Shopify integrations meet their needs at lower cost.
If you are committed to Gorgias, here are proven strategies to manage ticket-based costs:
1. Maximize automation deflection. Invest in the automation add-on and build comprehensive self-service flows for order tracking, return requests, and FAQ answers. Every ticket deflected is a ticket you do not pay for.
2. Plan upgrades before peak season. If you consistently exceed your ticket limit during Q4, upgrade your plan before November. The higher plan's lower overage rate may save money compared to paying overages on a lower plan.
3. Consolidate multi-channel conversations. Train customers to use one primary channel. A customer who emails and then chats creates two tickets. Directing traffic to a single channel reduces ticket inflation.
4. Use macros and templates aggressively. Faster responses mean fewer follow-up messages. While follow-ups within one conversation do not create new tickets, reducing response time lowers overall ticket creation by resolving issues before customers reach out again.
5. Negotiate enterprise terms for peak protection. If your annual ticket volume justifies it, negotiate an Enterprise contract with overage caps or higher ticket allotments during known peak periods.
Best for: Brand new Shopify stores with minimal traffic. Good for testing Gorgias before committing, but 50 tickets is extremely low, most stores outgrow this within the first month of meaningful sales.
Best for: Small stores doing $10K-$50K/month in revenue with steady, low support volume. Handles about 10 tickets per day. Workable if your product is simple and returns are rare.
Best for: Growing stores doing $50K-$500K/month. This is the sweet spot for most serious e-commerce operations. You get live chat, CSAT surveys, revenue statistics, and enough tickets for moderate volume.
Best for: High-volume stores doing $500K+/month or multi-brand operations. Custom reporting and a dedicated success manager help justify the cost. Budget for overages during peak season.
Best for: Large operations with 10,000+ tickets/month, custom integration requirements, or SLA needs. Negotiate ticket rates and overage caps as part of the contract.
Scenario: A Shopify Plus store averaging 2,500 tickets/month on the Pro plan, with two peak months (November and December) at 5,000 tickets each.
| Month Type | Months | Base Cost | Overages | Automation | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 10 | $360 | $180 (500 extra x $0.36) | $75 | $615 |
| Peak | 2 | $360 | $1,080 (3,000 extra x $0.36) | $75 | $1,515 |
| Annual Total | $9,180/yr |
Same workload on Chatsy: Pro plan at $500/month ($6,000/year) covers AI chatbot, live chat, knowledge base, and ticketing with no overage fees during peak periods. Annual savings: approximately $3,180, with the added benefit of predictable monthly costs.
Use our support cost calculator to model your specific scenario.
Gorgias is purpose-built for ecommerce, but it overcharges when your shape does not fit:
If your store is under 50 SKUs and 100 tickets a month, a generalist tool plus a Shopify chat app usually wins.
No. Gorgias includes unlimited agents on all plans. You pay per billable ticket instead. This makes it appealing for large teams, but the ticket cap introduces its own cost unpredictability.
Any ticket where an agent or automation sends at least one reply. Tickets closed without a reply (spam, duplicates) do not count. Each channel creates a separate ticket, so one customer contacting you via email and chat generates two billable tickets.
Overage rates range from $0.36 to $0.40 per ticket depending on your plan. There is no cap, every ticket beyond your plan limit is charged individually. A store that exceeds its Pro plan by 3,000 tickets pays an extra $1,080 that month.
Yes, if your ticket volume is predictable. The unlimited-agents model is excellent for teams with many agents. However, seasonal businesses should budget carefully for peak period overages or negotiate custom enterprise terms.
You can upgrade your plan, but mid-cycle upgrades typically apply to the next billing period. You cannot retroactively avoid overages for the current month by upgrading. Plan ahead based on seasonal patterns.
Yes. Chatsy uses conversation-based pricing with no per-ticket overages. AI is included in every plan, and costs stay flat regardless of seasonal volume spikes. See our Gorgias alternative guide for a full comparison.
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