Five alternatives, and the columns that decide it.
The short answer
One decision comes before any vendor: are you replacing the helpdesk, or only adding an AI agent on top of the one you have?
Gorgias if you want the widest ecommerce app marketplace and the strongest peer word of mouth in DTC. Zendesk if you want maximum platform breadth beyond ecommerce and the safest choice for a committee. Intercom Fin if you want the most-deployed AI agent and are happy to keep your current helpdesk.
Decagon if you are an enterprise that wants the deepest agent simulation and QA tooling. Sierra if you want one outcome-priced agent that includes native voice.
Richpanel is the right buy in one specific shape. You want the helpdesk and the AI agents as one product, on one meter, with the AI resolving refunds, tracking, cancellations and subscription changes end to end. And you want that guaranteed in writing. Everywhere else on this page, someone else wins.
Five columns decide it. What it is best for, what it costs to start, what one AI-handled conversation costs, whether the AI resolves or only assists, and whether choosing it means replacing your helpdesk. Each is defined operationally in the next section, so two people scoring the same vendor land in the same place.
The comparison, as of July 2026. Order reflects how often each option is the real cross-shop for a team evaluating Richpanel, not a quality ranking. Every price came from the vendor's own page this month, and each platform name links to it.
| Platform | Best for | Starting price | AI unit cost | Resolves or assists | Replaces your helpdesk? | Where it beats Richpanel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgias | Shopify stores wanting the widest ecom app ecosystem | Ticket-metered plans, 50 to 5,000 tickets a month, never per agent | $0.90 per resolved interaction, $1.00 on Starter, $1.50 overage | Resolves, with deep native Shopify actions | Yes | Marketplace breadth and peer word of mouth |
| Zendesk | Large orgs standardizing one platform across many functions | $19 to $115 per agent per month, annual | Per automated resolution over a plan allowance; neither figure published | Resolves; real-world autonomous rates on unfiltered ecom tickets run well under the marketed ceiling | Yes | 1,800+ app marketplace, governance, committee safety |
| Intercom Fin | Teams that want a proven agent without changing helpdesk | Per-seat plans, or no seat cost in standalone mode | $0.99 per outcome, charged once per conversation | Resolves over knowledge plus structured actions | Optional | Install base, and it runs on your current helpdesk |
| Decagon | Enterprises wanting the deepest agent tooling | Not published, contact sales | Not published | Resolves | No, sits on top | Simulations at scale, always-on QA, self-improving agent |
| Sierra | Enterprises wanting one outcome-priced agent including voice | Not published, outcome-based | Not published | Resolves | No, sits on top | Native voice inside the same agent, pay only for outcomes |
| Richpanel (the baseline) | Teams that want the helpdesk and the AI agents as one product | $99 per seat per month, annual, plus a $200 per month AI minimum | ~$0.20 per AI-resolved conversation, single meter | Resolves end to end; collaborative draft mode optional | Yes, it is the helpdesk | See the two sections below, including where it does not |
AI unit costs are not directly comparable to each other. A Gorgias resolution, a Fin outcome and a Richpanel conversation are three different units with three different definitions. Treat the column as a shape, and model your own monthly volume against each meter before deciding. Prices were verified against each vendor's own pages in July 2026, and vendor pricing moves, so re-check before you sign.
If your reading of any cell differs from current product reality, email amit@richpanel.com and we will correct it. Being wrong in our own favor on a page like this costs more than it earns.
This is the Richpanel-anchored cut of a bigger comparison set. For the category-level view, read the pillar AI customer service agent comparison. For the incumbent-anchored cuts, read Best Gorgias alternatives and Best Zendesk alternatives. For our own numbers in full, Richpanel pricing explained.