Richpanel vs Gorgias: An Honest Comparison for 2026

Let's talk about your options

If you're reading this, you're probably knee-deep in researching customer support platforms. Maybe you're frustrated with your current setup. Maybe your team is scaling and your tools aren't keeping up. Or maybe you're just starting out and want to make the right choice from day one.

Either way, you've likely come across both Richpanel and Gorgias. They're frequently mentioned in the same breath, which makes comparing them important if you want to make an informed decision.

Richpanel (2019) positions itself as “Self-Service First” — E-commerce helpdesk focused on customer self-service.

Gorgias (2015) takes a different approach: “E-commerce Leader” — The most popular e-commerce helpdesk.

We've spent significant time with both platforms. Here's what we honestly think.

Who should actually consider each option?

Before we dive into features and pricing, let's be real about who each platform is actually built for. Not every tool is right for every team, and that's okay.

What each platform does well

Let's start with the positives. Both platforms have been around for years and have real strengths.

What we like about Richpanel

Richpanel has built a solid reputation over the years, and for good reason:

• Industry-leading self-service portal
• Customers can track orders, initiate returns themselves
• Higher ticket deflection rates
• Per-agent pricing is predictable
• Good Shopify integration
• Modern, clean interface

What we like about Gorgias

Gorgias brings its own set of strengths to the table:

• Market leader with proven track record
• Best-in-class automation and macros
• Ticket-based pricing scales well
• Unlimited agents on higher tiers
• Largest e-commerce helpdesk community
• More integrations

Where each platform falls short

No software is perfect. Here's where each platform will likely frustrate you.

Our frustrations with Richpanel

After spending time with Richpanel, these issues stood out:

• Smaller market presence
• Less sophisticated agent-side automation
• Fewer integrations
• Newer company (less proven)
• Per-agent pricing hurts at scale

Our frustrations with Gorgias

Gorgias isn't without its problems either:

• Self-service features are basic
• Ticket pricing can surprise you
• Less focus on deflection
• Phone is add-on
• Basic knowledge base

Feature-by-feature breakdown

If you're the type who wants to see exactly what you get with each platform, here's the detailed breakdown. We've highlighted the features that we think matter most.

Let's talk money

Pricing is often the deciding factor, so let's break down what you'll actually pay. Keep in mind that both platforms love to hide costs in add-ons, so the sticker price rarely tells the whole story.

What Richpanel will cost you

What Gorgias will cost you

So, which one should you choose?

After all this analysis, here's our honest take: Gorgias wins overall due to better automation and scaling economics. But Richpanel is worth considering if self-service deflection is your top priority.

Choose Richpanel if you believe customer self-service is the key to scaling—their portal really is excellent. Choose Gorgias for better agent-side automation and unlimited agent pricing at scale.

Common questions

Here are the questions we hear most often from people comparing these platforms.