CASEKIT

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Buyer's guide

The best Shopify helpdesk depends on one question

Not "which has the most features" but how many channels do you need in one queue. Almost every other difference follows from the answer, including whether you need a helpdesk at all.

Short answer
  • Multi-channel DTC brand: Gorgias or Richpanel. Model both at your peak-month ticket volume, not the entry price.
  • Support with headcount and targets: Zendesk.
  • Small team, email only, mostly order questions: you don't need a helpdesk. You need the order next to the message. That is CaseKit, free plan, in your Shopify admin.
  • Pre-purchase chat only: Shopify Inbox, free.

Pick by situation

Multi-channel DTC brand

Gorgias or Richpanel

Ecommerce-native, deep Shopify actions, chat and social in one queue. Gorgias meters on tickets; Richpanel is usage-based with a one-click Gorgias import. Model both at peak volume.

Support as a function

Zendesk

Routing, SLAs, workforce management and reporting the business runs on. Per agent, per month, and worth it once support has headcount and targets.

Small team, wants chat

Re:amaze

Shared inbox plus live chat, social and chatbots at a lower per-user price than Suite-tier platforms. Multi-brand on higher plans.

Small team, email only

Help Scout — or no helpdesk

Help Scout if you want assignment and a proper shared inbox. If it is one or two people in Gmail and mostly order questions, the missing piece is order context, not a ticket queue.

Marketplace seller

eDesk

Built around Amazon and eBay alongside Shopify. The right answer if marketplaces are a real share of your volume.

Pre-purchase chat only

Shopify Inbox

Free, native, storefront chat with customer and cart context. Not an email support inbox, so most stores pair it with something else.

Compare the meter, not the sticker

Per agent

Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, Re:amaze. Predictable monthly, but adding a part-time helper for peak season carries a full seat cost.

Per ticket

Gorgias. Seats are effectively free, so growing the team is cheap — but your busiest month is your most expensive, and AI resolutions are usually charged on top.

Flat workspace

CaseKit: $19/month per store regardless of volume. Much narrower product — no queue, no channels, no order actions.

Model your peak, not your average. A ticket-metered plan that looks cheap in February can double in November. A per-seat plan that looks expensive stays flat. Which is better depends entirely on the shape of your year.

The option missing from most buyer's guides

Every guide assumes you are buying a helpdesk. For a lot of Shopify stores the actual problem is narrower.

What people think they need
  1. A ticket queue
  2. Assignment and SLAs
  3. Omnichannel routing
  4. Support reporting
  5. Order data in the ticket

Five things, priced as a platform.

What a two-person store actually uses
  1. Order data next to the message
  2. Consistent replies

Two things, and neither needs a migration.

CaseKit showing order #10611 out for delivery today with DPD, and the matching reply

Common questions

What is the best helpdesk for Shopify?
For most DTC brands with multiple channels, Gorgias and Richpanel are the strongest ecommerce-native options. For larger support organisations, Zendesk. For small teams answering email only, the honest answer is often no helpdesk at all.
Does a small Shopify store need a helpdesk?
Not usually. Below roughly five agents on a single channel, the queue, routing and SLA features that justify helpdesk pricing mostly go unused. What is genuinely needed is order context next to the message.
What should I look at first when comparing?
The pricing meter, not the entry price. Per-agent scales with headcount, per-ticket scales with your busiest month. Model both against your real peak volume before comparing feature lists.
Is Shopify Inbox enough?
For storefront chat, often yes, and it is free. It is not designed to be your email support inbox, so most stores use it alongside something else rather than instead of it.

Before you migrate, try not migrating

CaseKit puts the Shopify order next to the Gmail conversation you already have open. Free plan, no card, about a minute to set up: unlimited order lookups and 25 replies a month.

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