Comparison
A Zendesk alternative for small Shopify stores: Gatwyn and Zendesk compared
How Gatwyn and Zendesk differ on price, WhatsApp, Shopify orders and AI, and when Zendesk is the better choice.
Updated 14 October 2026 · 4 min read
The short answer
Zendesk is one of the best-known customer service platforms, used by companies of every size and sector, with telephony, advanced routing, AI agents and hundreds of integrations. Gatwyn is new and in free beta, and does one narrower job: a shared inbox for Shopify stores whose customers write on WhatsApp, Instagram and email.
Both are priced per agent, so the comparison is mostly about what each plan includes and how much of Zendesk a small shop would actually use.
Side by side
What Zendesk offers comes from its own pricing page and help centre, checked on the date at the top of this page. Zendesk shows its prices in US dollars on zendesk.com; features and prices change, so check them at the source before deciding.
| Gatwyn | Zendesk | |
|---|---|---|
| How the price works | Per agent, in euros | Per agent, plus usage-based features and add-ons |
| First plan with WhatsApp | Starter, €15 per agent per month billed annually | Suite Team, $55 per agent per month billed annually |
| Shopify orders next to the conversation | Built in, on the Scale plan (€69 per agent per month billed annually) | With the Shopify app from the Zendesk Marketplace |
| AI | Pilot drafts replies or, where you allow it, answers on its own from your articles: in free beta | AI agents in every plan, billed per automated resolution |
| Telephony | No | Yes, from Suite Team |
| Built for | Small Shopify teams | Customer service teams of any size and sector |
How the prices compare
Zendesk's entry plan, Support Team at $19 per agent per month billed annually, covers email and ticketing; messaging channels such as WhatsApp start with the Suite plans, from $55 per agent per month billed annually. Its AI agents are billed for each request they resolve without a person, and some features are billed by usage.
Gatwyn's Starter plan, at €15 per agent per month billed annually, already includes WhatsApp and email in one shared inbox. Pilot comes with Grow, at €35. Scale, at €69, adds the customer's Shopify orders beside every conversation, Pulse reports and more Pilot requests. WhatsApp conversation fees are set by Meta in both cases.
When Zendesk is the better choice
We would point you to Zendesk if:
- you need phone support and call routing in the same tool;
- your team is large, works in shifts or needs skills-based routing;
- you want AI agents with a long track record at high volumes and across many channels;
- you sell outside Shopify too, or need integrations Gatwyn does not have.
When Gatwyn may fit better
Gatwyn is worth a look if:
- you are a small Shopify team and most customers write on WhatsApp and Instagram;
- you want WhatsApp from the first plan, without an add-on;
- you want a tool that is simple to set up rather than a platform to configure;
- you are happy to use a product in beta, free while the beta lasts, and tell us what to improve.
Sources
Zendesk pricing: zendesk.com/pricing. Zendesk WhatsApp channel: support.zendesk.com, "Adding WhatsApp channels to the Zendesk Agent Workspace". Zendesk Shopify app: zendesk.com/marketplace, "Shopify". All checked on 14 October 2026. Zendesk is a trademark of its owner; Gatwyn is not affiliated with it.