Comments are a sales channel, not a chore
Most tools treat comments as noise. Paperflower reads every one, spots buying questions like “do you ship to NZ?” and makes sure they get answered before the customer moves on.
The best Freshdesk alternatives for Shopify brands
A general-purpose helpdesk from Freshworks for ticketing across email, chat, phone and social. It suits some stores very well. If you are here, something is not fitting: the price, the setup, or the way it handles comments and DMs. This page explains where Freshdesk is strong, where it is not, and what to look at instead.
Updated 29 September 2026
What Freshdesk does well
A general-purpose helpdesk from Freshworks for ticketing across email, chat, phone and social.
Pricing: Priced per agent per month across several tiers, with Freddy AI features sold as add-ons or on higher tiers.
- Mature ticketing with SLAs, automations and canned responses.
- Covers many channels, including phone.
- Freddy AI can suggest replies and answer common questions.
Why stores look for a Freshdesk alternative
- Per-agent pricing plus AI add-ons adds up for a small brand.
- Built for support teams in any industry, not ecommerce first, so order context needs an app.
- Instagram and Facebook comments are not the centre of the product, and there is no buying-intent scoring.
Freshdesk alternatives compared
| Tool | Best for | Pricing model | Comments and DMs | Shopify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paperflower | Shopify brands in AU and NZ that sell through Instagram, Facebook and email | Per customer interaction, one flat plan | Every comment and DM read, scored and drafted | Order context in every draft |
| Gorgias | Stores with a support team that lives in tickets and wants deep Shopify actions inside each ticket. | Plans are priced by the number of tickets you handle each month, with AI-handled conversations charged on top per automated resolution. | Email, live chat, Facebook and Instagram comments and DMs, WhatsApp, SMS and voice. | Very deep. You can see orders and make changes like refunds without leaving the ticket. |
| Zendesk | Bigger teams that need enterprise features, strict permissions and a help centre, and have someone to run it. | Priced per agent seat per month, with AI agents and add-ons priced separately. | Email, web and mobile messaging, voice, and social messaging through its channel integrations. | Available through the Shopify app for Zendesk, which shows order details in the sidebar. Actions are more limited than an ecommerce-first tool. |
| Tidio | Stores whose customers mostly ask questions through the website chat widget. | A free plan, then paid plans priced by seats and conversation volume, with Lyro AI conversations priced separately. | Website live chat, email, and Instagram and Facebook Messenger DMs. Comments are not the focus. | A Shopify app that shows cart and order information in chat and lets you add product recommendations. |
| Manychat | Creators and brands running growth campaigns like comment a keyword to get a link. | A free plan, then a Pro plan priced by the number of contacts, with AI features as an add-on. | Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, TikTok and SMS. No email inbox. | Basic. It can pass data to Shopify through integrations, but it does not act as a support inbox with order history. |
| Re:amaze | Small support teams that want a simple shared inbox with an FAQ and live chat included. | Priced per team member per month, with feature tiers. | Email, live chat, Facebook and Instagram, SMS and push notifications. | Good. Order details show next to the conversation and you can make basic order changes. |
| Help Scout | Small teams that answer mostly email and want a friendly shared inbox and help centre. | At the time of writing, plans are priced by the number of customers you help each month, with unlimited users. | Email, live chat through its Beacon widget, and social messaging through integrations. | A Shopify integration shows the customer's orders next to the conversation. |
| Front | Operations and account teams that live in email and need to assign, discuss and share conversations. | Priced per seat per month across tiers, with AI features on higher tiers or as add-ons. | Email, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat and social channels including Facebook and Instagram. | A Shopify integration shows order details in a sidebar next to the conversation. |
| Intercom | Software and app companies that support customers inside their product and want a strong AI agent. | Priced per seat per month, plus a fee for every conversation the Fin AI agent resolves. | Web and in-app messenger, email, phone, SMS, WhatsApp, and Facebook and Instagram messaging. | A Shopify app shows customer and order details in the inbox. |
How to choose
Start with where your customers actually talk to you. If most questions land in Instagram comments and DMs, pick a tool that treats those as first-class, not as an add-on channel.
Then look at how you are charged. Per-seat pricing is fine for a team of eight and painful for a founder doing support at night. Per-ticket pricing is fine until a viral post lands.
Finally, check what happens to a buying question at 11pm. Does it get a correct, on-brand answer, or does it sit until morning?
How Paperflower is different
Buying Intent and Opportunity Score
Every conversation gets a score so the people ready to buy come first. You see who to reply to now, and who can wait.
Shopify context in every draft
Order status, shipping and product details are pulled in automatically, so drafts are right the first time and private order details never go out in public.
You stay in control
AI drafts are on and auto-send is off by default. Complaints are escalated to you. Refunds and cancellations always need a human.
Simple pricing
Paperflower starts free with 100 customer interactions a month, no card needed: every message in one list, and you write the replies. AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding come with Standard, which is A$47 a month for 3,000 customer interactions, with a 7-day free trial. Human replies are always free. See all plans.
Built for AU and NZ brands
Local time zones, local shipping questions, and support from people who know the market.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Export your data from Freshdesk first (we have a step-by-step guide linked below), then connect your channels to Paperflower. Old conversations stay in your export and new ones flow into Paperflower from day one.
It depends on your volume. Paperflower starts free with 100 customer interactions a month, no card needed: every message in one list, and you write the replies. AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding come with Standard, which is A$47 a month for 3,000 customer interactions, with a 7-day free trial. Human replies are always free. See all plans. Freshdesk priced per agent per month across several tiers, with Freddy AI features sold as add-ons or on higher tiers. Check their pricing page for current numbers.
Not unless you turn that on. By default it drafts a reply and you approve it. You can switch on auto-send for simple, safe questions once you trust the drafts.
Instagram, Facebook and TikTok comments and DMs, support email through Gmail or Google Workspace, and Shopify for order details.
Yes. The Free plan is the basics: 100 customer interactions a month in one list, no card needed, and you write each reply. Standard adds AI sorting, reply drafts and spam hiding, and comes with a 7-day free trial. You can cancel any time. Compare plans.
Start Paperflower free
Connect Instagram, Facebook, email and Shopify in a few minutes. On Standard, AI sorts every message and drafts every reply, you stay in control, and nothing is sent without your say-so unless you switch that on. Free puts every message in one list for you to answer.