heysteff vs. Gorgias: which one for your store?
heysteff is an AI platform for customer support and sales across WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Gmail and Shopify; Steff is the AI agent that runs it. Gorgias is a well-established ecommerce helpdesk built around ticketing, email and live chat, with a deep Shopify integration and a large US/EU-focused customer base. This comparison is for Shopify (or WooCommerce/TiendaNube) merchants deciding between a ticketing-centric helpdesk and a messaging-first AI agent that talks to customers where they already are.
Gorgias started from email and web live chat, then extended into social and SMS, with ticketing at its core: conversations become tickets, get tagged, assigned, resolved with macros. That model is genuinely strong for stores whose support volume runs through email and a web widget. heysteff starts from the opposite premise — most conversations in LATAM and other WhatsApp-heavy markets begin and end inside a messaging app, not a support portal — so WhatsApp Business Cloud API and Instagram DM are first-class channels, not an add-on, and the same agent that resolves a support question can recommend a product and close a sale in the same thread.
heysteff vs. Gorgias, feature by feature
| Factor | heysteff | Gorgias |
|---|---|---|
| Channels (base plan) | WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Messenger, Gmail, Shopify | Email, web live chat, social and SMS, with WhatsApp available on their platform |
| Core model | Reasoning AI agent that answers, sells and recovers carts | Ticketing helpdesk with macros, rules and AI-assisted replies |
| Free plan | Free — 50 conversations/mo, 1 channel, no card | See their current pricing |
| Entry price | $149/mo (Starter), USD, transparent | See their current pricing |
| Setup fee | $0 | See their current pricing |
| Official / unofficial WhatsApp | Both — official Cloud API and unofficial number (Baileys) | WhatsApp offered as a channel; verify current setup requirements |
| Cart recovery | Native Shopify abandoned-cart recovery via the messaging channel the customer used | Not the platform's core focus — built primarily as a support helpdesk |
| Appointment scheduling | Booking synced to Google Calendar, built into the agent | Not a native feature |
| Copilot mode | Yes — one-click human takeover, bot pauses itself | Human agents work tickets directly; AI drafts/suggests replies within that flow |
| Region / language focus | Built for LATAM, US and EU; Spanish and English natively | Strong US/EU ecommerce base, longer track record there |
| Configurable LLM | Choose the model per workspace (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, OpenRouter) | Uses their own AI stack; not user-configurable |
| MCP server | Yes — your own AI can configure the whole workspace | Not offered |
When Gorgias may be the better choice
- Support volume runs mostly through email and a web widget. Gorgias's ticketing model — assignment, SLAs, macros, tagging — is purpose-built for that workflow, with years of refinement.
- You need the deepest possible Shopify app-ecosystem integration. Gorgias has a longer history in the Shopify App Store and a broader set of third-party integrations built specifically around its ticketing model.
- Your team is US/EU-based and English-first. Gorgias's product and support have a strong track record with that customer base specifically.
- You want a pure helpdesk, not a sales channel. If your support team's job is strictly resolving tickets and never recommending or closing a sale in the same thread, a dedicated helpdesk keeps that scope tight.
When heysteff is the better choice
- WhatsApp and Instagram DM are where your customers actually message you. heysteff was built messaging-first, with both the official WhatsApp Cloud API and unofficial-number support out of the box — no bolt-on integration.
- You're selling in LATAM or another WhatsApp-heavy market. A helpdesk built around email/ticketing wasn't designed for markets where WhatsApp is the primary commerce channel.
- You want support and sales in one agent. The same conversation that resolves "where's my order" can recommend a product with live stock and send a checkout link, with cart recovery built in.
- You want transparent USD pricing with no setup fee. heysteff publishes every plan and limit; there's nothing to negotiate before you can start.
FAQ
Is heysteff a Gorgias alternative?
It depends on what you need most. Gorgias is a mature ecommerce helpdesk with deep ticketing and a large Shopify-ecosystem app catalog, strongest for stores centered on email and web live-chat support. heysteff is messaging-first — native WhatsApp and Instagram DM from day one — and pairs support with an AI agent that also recommends products and recovers abandoned carts, which matters most for stores selling through WhatsApp-heavy markets like LATAM.
Does heysteff support WhatsApp the way Gorgias does?
heysteff was built with WhatsApp as a first-class channel from the start, supporting both the official WhatsApp Business Cloud API and an unofficial number via Baileys for numbers a business already uses. Gorgias supports WhatsApp as one of several channels; check their current channel list and setup requirements for your region.
Which one has a bigger Shopify app ecosystem?
Gorgias has a longer track record and a larger third-party app ecosystem specifically built around Shopify support workflows. heysteff connects natively to Shopify (catalog, stock, checkout, abandoned-cart recovery) and to WooCommerce and TiendaNube, plus any other system through its custom tool builder for HTTP APIs and webhooks.
Is there a setup fee with heysteff?
No — heysteff has a $0 setup fee on every plan, with pricing in USD starting at Free ($0, 50 conversations/month) up to Starter at $149/month. For Gorgias's current pricing and any setup costs, see their pricing page directly.
Also relevant
- All comparisons — heysteff vs. every tool we cover honestly.
- heysteff vs. WATI — another WhatsApp-focused competitor, built around templates and flows.
- heysteff vs. Respond.io — omnichannel routing for larger support teams.
- AI agent for ecommerce — how the agent handles support, sales and cart recovery in one place.
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