Tools and providers
Part of Marketplace seller customer service software: Zendesk vs Gorgias
Marketplace seller customer service software: Zendesk vs Gorgias
Zendesk and Gorgias compared for UK marketplace sellers: inbox routing, Amazon and eBay message handling, GDPR duties and the costs that sit outside the meter.
What to take away
- Zendesk fits a support team running several channels, where routing rules and service-level timers do the work.
- Gorgias fits a smaller team that answers from the order list and wants storefront and marketplace messages in one view.
- Neither ships a native Amazon or eBay message pipeline, so budget for a connector or forwarding rule that writes replies back to the marketplace.
- Both process customer records on your instructions, so a written processing agreement and a retention rule come before the first import.
What separates the two platforms
Zendesk was built as a general ticketing helpdesk, with brands, groups, macros and service-level timers as its core objects, a history set out in the Wikipedia entry on Zendesk. Gorgias began as a storefront helpdesk and keeps the order beside the conversation, which suits sellers who answer from an order list rather than a shared queue.
The deciding question is which channels a tool treats as first class. UK sellers often run a storefront and two or three marketplaces at once, and each surface exposes buyer messages differently; the Wikipedia list of online marketplaces shows how wide that spread is. Amazon and eBay messaging are connected routes, not native inboxes.
Where a seller already answers storefront email in one of the two, extending it to marketplace messages normally costs less than running a second helpdesk. Routing rules, agent permissions and reports stay in one place, and training effort is not repeated.
Zendesk and Gorgias compared on the deciding points
| Decision point | Zendesk | Gorgias |
|---|---|---|
| Core object | Tickets and queues | Conversations tied to orders |
| Marketplace messages | Connector app or forwarded email | Connector app or storefront integration |
| Routing | Brands, groups, macros, service-level timers | Rules, tags, automations |
| Reporting | Agent workload and timers | Volume with order and revenue context |
| Pricing unit | Per agent seat, tiered by features | Contact or ticket volume bands |
| Data role | Processor under a processing agreement | Processor under a processing agreement |
Four steps before you approve either tool
- Map each marketplace message route and its reply deadline, then write down which queue owns it.
- Test the connector in a sandbox account and confirm that replies land in the buyer's existing thread.
- Set a retention rule that closes and deletes old conversations on a fixed schedule.
- Record the exit route: how tickets are exported and how the connector is revoked.
- Price twelve months of seats, contact bands and connector fees before the trial ends.
What sits outside the seat price
Seats are only the visible cost. Contact-based bands, the marketplace connector, implementation days and extra reporting sit outside them. A contact band that resets each month can move the bill further than an extra seat does. Fix the payable event before you compare quotes, using the method in these notes on marketplace software pricing models.
Subscriptions are standard-rated for VAT, and the registration threshold has stood at £90,000 since 1 April 2024 (GOV.UK), so check the rules on registering for VAT before signing a twelve-month term.
Customer records and UK data protection
Both platforms process personal data on the seller's instructions rather than deciding what happens to it, so the seller keeps the UK GDPR duties: lawful basis, retention, subject access and breach reporting. Ask for the data processing agreement, the current sub-processor list and the retention settings in writing. Check whether chat transcripts and marketplace buyer emails are handled under the same rule.
Judging fit before you commit
Run one queue, not all of them, for thirty days. Compare first-response time and reopened tickets against the current route, and keep the raw exports. Score the results with the evidence discipline in this marketplace software quality checklist. If the connector cannot write replies back to the marketplace thread, the tool is a reporting screen rather than a support system, whatever the demonstration showed.
Common questions
Do Zendesk and Gorgias read Amazon buyer messages natively?
No. Both rely on an integration or a forwarded email address, and Amazon's own messaging rules still govern what you may send. Test the write-back before you rely on it for first response.
Which is cheaper for a two-person UK seller?
Gorgias usually costs less at low volume because pricing follows contact bands rather than seats. Zendesk's seat model can win once the team grows or several brands need separate queues. Ask both vendors for a quote at your quiet-month and peak-month volumes.
Do I need a data processing agreement with either vendor?
Yes. Both act as processors, so the agreement is the document that sets retention, sub-processors and deletion. Keep it with the contract and review it when marketplace terms or connectors change.
Can one seller run both tools at once?
Yes, but there is rarely a reason. Splitting queues across two inboxes fragments reporting and doubles the routing work, unless a legacy storefront contract forces it.