Zendesk Vs Gladly (Which Is Best For Shopify Support)

See how Zendesk and Gladly compare to each other (and to Ringly.io) to help you decide what is the best platform for you.
Last updated on
October 13, 2025
Maurizio Isendoorn, Co-Founder at Ringly.io
Ruben Boonzaaijer
Co-Founder

Are you struggling to choose between Zendesk and Gladly? You’re not the only one.

Both tools promise simple, unified support, but it’s tough to know which fits your team.

In this short guide, we'll cover:

  • Key features
  • Pricing
  • User reviews
  • Integrations

By the end, you will know which tool is best for your Shopify store.

Why Ringly.io is the better choice ; )

Built for e-commerce

With experience in both AI and e-commerce, we set out become the best AI phone agent platform for online stores.

Stupid-simple user interface

Super easy to work with, and you can set it up without being tech savvy. If you create a free account you can see it for yourself though!

Quick and easy setup

Our pre-trained AI phone support agent and will have your online store automated in minutes.
AS SEEN ON
Trust ReefTrust Reef
AND OVER 500 NEWS SITES
Verified by BrandPush.co

Zendesk vs Gladly – TL;DR

Product area Zendesk Gladly Ringly.io
Omnichannel support Robust omnichannel across channels Unified inbox, conversation-centric channels AI phone focus; inbound/outbound
Workflow model Ticketing backbone; advanced routing People-first threads; less tickets No-code flows; self-learning agents
AI and automation Built-in bots; tier-gated features Hero AI, Sidekick included AI sales/support; cart recovery
Setup and onboarding Powerful, but complex onboarding Fast onboarding; friendly UI Minutes to launch; no code
Pricing and contracts Tiered pricing; add-ons escalate Higher per-seat; annual minimums Usage based; monthly, cancel anytime
Reporting and analytics Deep analytics; steeper learning Real-time reporting; basics covered Real-time calls, intents, performance
Integrations and ecommerce Huge marketplace; variable depth Commerce and CRM integrations Best for ecommerce; Shopify integration

Zendesk - a quick overview

Best for: medium to large e-commerce businesses that need reliability.

Features:

  • Multi-channel support (email, chat, phone, social)
  • Good reporting & analytics
  • Custom help center and knowledge base
  • AI-powered automation
  • A lot of third-party integrations

Pros:

  • Very scalable
  • Older and proven platform
  • A big ecosystem

Cons:

  • Can be complex for small teams
  • Per-agent pricing can get expensive fast

Pricing: from $55 per agent/month (Suite Team), higher tiers are available for advanced features.

Shopify integration: a native app that syncs order/customer data into tickets.

Ideal for: e-commerce orgs that need more enterprise functionality.

What's unique about Zendesk: scalable (you will probably never grow out of Zendesk)

Gladly - a quick overview

Best for customer focused ecommerce brands.


Features:

  • One single conversation timeline across channels
  • Email, SMS, chat, and voice in one thread
  • Customer context at every interaction
  • Internal collaboration tools

Pros:

  • A customer-centric model (no tickets)
  • Omnichannel history
  • Very good personalization and retention features

Cons:

  • More expensive cost than typical SMB tools
  • Overkill for smaller teams

Pricing: Custom pricing based on conversation volume

Shopify integration: syncs orders, refunds, and customer details in real time

Ideal for premium DTC and service brands that want to compete on experience.

What's unique about Gladly is that it organizes communication by customer, not ticket.

Pricing - Zendesk vs Gladly

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.

Zendesk pricing

Product Plan Price (annual) Main Features Contract
Zendesk Suite Team $55/agent/mo Ticketing, chat, voice, help center, automation & AI, reports Monthly or annual; renews unless canceled 30 days prior
Growth $89/agent/mo Team + SLAs, CSAT, multilingual support, business hours
Professional $115/agent/mo Growth + live analytics, skills routing, side chats, forums, HIPAA
Enterprise / Plus Custom pricing Pro + sandbox, AI content tools, roles, dynamic workspaces
Zendesk Support Team $19/agent/mo Basic ticketing (email/social), automation, AI, basic reports Monthly or annual; renews unless canceled 30 days prior
Professional $55/agent/mo Team + SLAs, CSAT, multilingual, advanced reporting
Enterprise ~$115/agent/mo Pro + skills routing, roles, workspaces, sandbox
Zendesk Sell (CRM) Team $19/user/mo Basic CRM, email sync, mobile app, single pipeline Monthly or annual; renews unless canceled 30 days prior
Growth / Pro / Enterprise Custom pricing Advanced CRM tools; contact sales for current rates

Gladly pricing

Product / Plan Price (annual) Main Features Notes
Flat Plan (Public) $150/user/mo Omnichannel inbox (voice, chat, email, SMS, social); unified customer view; one timeline; routing; knowledge base; AI tools; reporting; integrations; no ticket limits Flat rate with all features included; no per-ticket fees
Hero $180/user/mo (10-user min) All Flat features + Hero AI & Sidekick; optional $0.60 per assisted conversation; advanced reporting Annual billing; 10-user minimum; listed by SMB Guide & Vendr
Superhero $210/user/mo (45-user min) Hero + scaling tools and deeper context for larger teams Annual billing; designed for large teams; pricing confirmed by SMB Guide
Task-Based (Entry) $38/user/mo Core channels; self-service; usage-based model; intelligent routing Listed on third-party sites; exact features may vary by quote

Ringly.io pricing

At Ringly, you don't pay until we resolve at least 60% of your support calls. Claim the offer here

Plans Price Included Contract Cancellation
Start 99,- /mo ✓ 250 call minutes, then $0.36/min
Monthly Anytime Start 14-day free trial →
Grow (Most popular) 349,- /mo ✓ 1,000 mins, then $0.19/min
✓ Self-learning
✓ AI knows your customers
✓ 30-day onboarding
Monthly Anytime Start 14-day free trial →
Scale 1099,- /mo + setup fee ✓ Custom price/min
✓ Custom agent & integrations
✓ Slack channel
Custom Custom Book your demo →

Online customer reviews: Zendesk vs Gladly

What users are saying about Zendesk

“Centralized and efficient” — Helps us centralize email, live chat, and social in one workspace; automation and macros route tickets and lift team productivity. — Verified G2 reviewer, Customer Support Lead

“Powerful but complex” — Admin settings get complex for advanced workflows; reporting customization often needs Explore or an upgrade. — Verified G2 reviewer, Admin

What users are saying about Gladly

“User friendly and unified” — All member interactions live in one thread, making it faster to find history and respond across channels. — Verified Capterra reviewer, Customer Advisor

“Better than Zendesk for our team” — Reps work easier and faster than on Zendesk; wish chat showed when a member leaves and supported quicker screenshot pasting. — Verified Capterra reviewer, CX Manager

What users are saying about Ringly.io:

"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.

Which is best for your Shopify store?

Ringly.io is best for Shopify stores that want:

  • Fast setup and a free 14-day trial.
  • AI phone help for orders and product questions.
  • Simple, pay-as-you-go pricing.
  • Smart AI that learns and remembers customers.

Zendesk is best for Shopify brands that need:

  • Big team tools for lots of chats, calls, and emails.
  • Custom workflows, reports, and routing.
  • Time and budget for setup and add-ons.

Gladly is best for Shopify stores that value:

  • All customer chats in one easy timeline.
  • A clean, simple interface.
  • Yearly plans with flat per-seat pricing.

Why Ringly.io is a Better Choice

Highly Rated: 4.8/5

Founded in 2024 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by Maurizio Isendoorn and Ruben Boonzaaijer, Ringly.io AI phone support solution built for Shopify. Ringly averages a 73% resolution rate on over 2,100 Shopify stores.

Ringly.io founders: Maurizio and Ruben
Ringly.io founders – Maurizio (left), Ruben (right)

With award-winning technology (BubbleCon 2024's "Most Innovative App"), Ringly.io will turn your support channel into a profit center instead of a cost center.

Features that make Ringly.io the #1 alternative to Zendesk and Gladly:

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.‍‍‍

Ringly.io page of user's AI phone agents

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.‍‍

Ringly.io Call History page

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.‍‍‍

Ringly.io Analytics of AI phone agent page

Scalable pricing without enterprise contracts – Ringly.io offers transparent results based pricing without locked-in contracts.

Conclusion: pick the platform that fits your reality

Pick Zendesk for complex enterprise control.

Pick Gladly for human, unified conversations at scale.

For most ecommerce brands, start with Ringly.io for the fastest path to value, lower risk, and AI that drives both support and sales.

Start your 14-day free trial of Ringly.io →

Like this? Share this post
Book a call to claim it ->

Pay $0 until your AI phone rep resolves 60%+ of support calls

Meet Seth, your AI phone support rep

Seth tracks an order

Seth gives size advice

Seth handles an exchange