Gorgias

Build a small ecommerce support inbox from email and store webhooks

NOT REALLY · consider alternatives
price $60/mosubscription / year $720estimated build time closest consolation build: one sittingreplaced by 0 people

A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Gorgias, build a small ecommerce support inbox from email and store webhooks. The hard boundary is deep commerce integrations, order actions, automation, ai, and high-volume support operations, plus channel integrations and support operations.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • deep commerce integrations, order actions, automation, AI, and high-volume support operations
  • omnichannel integrations
  • large-scale deliverability
  • AI resolution tuning
  • enterprise routing and compliance

Why people still pay

People still pay for Gorgias because support software survives because missing or misrouting one customer message is expensive and every channel behaves differently. The recurring cost buys message delivery, webhooks, threading, identity, permissions, attachments, notifications, spam, search, uptime, and retention, not just the visible interface.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Docker
  • PostgreSQL
  • public HTTPS deployment
  • email or chat channel credentials
01
Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, WebSockets, and Docker Compose.
02
Model workflows, triggers, step executions, retries, and external delivery receipts; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
03
Interface for this help desks, live chat and support knowledge workflow: a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views.
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1, architecture and data

Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, WebSockets, and Docker Compose. Model workflows, triggers, step executions, retries, and external delivery receipts; store source IDs and timestamps for each.

2

Phase 2, implement

Implement one workspace, agents, contacts, inboxes, conversations, messages, labels, and assignment.

3

Phase 3, implement

Create a shared inbox with filters, collision warnings, notes, canned replies, and searchable history.

4

Phase 4, review and output

Add email notifications, browser notifications, and an immutable assignment and status log. Implement spam controls, attachment scanning hooks, retention settings, export, and contact deletion.

5

Phase 5, recovery and acceptance

Ship Docker Compose, backups, health checks, migrations, and a documented admin recovery flow. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: An invalid input or interrupted operation must retain the source and show a recoverable state; exported records must reload with the same IDs. State the practical limit: deep commerce integrations, order actions, automation, AI, and high-volume support operations.

the pro prompt
Build me a focused help desks, live chat and support knowledge workflow for the personal core of Gorgias. Requirements:

- Use Next.js 15, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Drizzle ORM, WebSockets, and Docker Compose. Model workflows, triggers, step executions, retries, and external delivery receipts; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
- Paid product context: Build a small ecommerce support inbox from email and store webhooks. Build only this DIY scope: Receive customer messages from email and store webhooks into a small shared ecommerce support inbox, reply from one place, and retain a searchable conversation history.
- Implement one workspace, agents, contacts, inboxes, conversations, messages, labels, and assignment.
- Create a shared inbox with filters, collision warnings, notes, canned replies, and searchable history.
- Add email notifications, browser notifications, and an immutable assignment and status log. Implement spam controls, attachment scanning hooks, retention settings, export, and contact deletion.
- Use a local web page with input, progress, review, and export views. Required input or access: Docker; public HTTPS deployment.
- Recovery: Ship Docker Compose, backups, health checks, migrations, and a documented admin recovery flow.
- Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: An invalid input or interrupted operation must retain the source and show a recoverable state; exported records must reload with the same IDs.
- Out of scope: deep commerce integrations, order actions, automation, AI, and high-volume support operations; omnichannel integrations. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow.
- Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

ChatwootEmail and Shopify conversations share one inbox; useful ecommerce plumbing, minus Gorgias's deeper store automations.36kaug 2026open source↗tawk.toA free shared inbox with a Shopify order tab; the AI order bot is where the bill starts.$0free↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Gorgias pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
starter$10/workspace—50 billable tickets/month; 3 user seats; email only; 2 API requests/secondMonthly only; annual billing is unavailable on Starter.
basic$60/workspace$50/workspace300 billable tickets/month; up to 500 user seats; 2 API requests/second; unlimited storesA ticket is billable when a human, Rule or AI Agent replies; a renewed thread can become a new ticket after inactivity.
pro$360/workspace$300/workspace2,000 billable tickets/month; up to 500 user seats; 2 API requests/second; unlimited stores
advanced$900/workspace$750/workspace5,000 billable tickets/month; up to 500 user seats; 2 API requests/second; unlimited stores
enterprise——More than 5,000 billable tickets/month; up to 500 user seats; 4 API requests/secondCustom ticket volume and price.

free tierno free tier (7-day trial; no card; all features available during trial)

billingStarter monthly only; Basic, Pro, Advanced and Enterprise monthly + annual (annual billed upfront; about 16% off / 2 months free)

hidden costsTicket overages are $0.40 each on Starter/Basic, $0.36 each on Pro/Advanced, and custom on Enterprise. AI Agent costs $1.00 per resolved interaction monthly or $0.90 annually, and each AI interaction also consumes a helpdesk ticket; AI overage is $1.50. Voice and SMS are paid add-ons, and applicable sales tax is extra.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-12 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Gorgias

Can you build your own Gorgias with AI?

A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Gorgias, build a small ecommerce support inbox from email and store webhooks. The hard boundary is deep commerce integrations, order actions, automation, ai, and high-volume support operations, plus channel integrations and support operations.

What does the Gorgias build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Receive customer messages from email and store webhooks into a small shared ecommerce support inbox, reply from one place, and retain a searchable conversation history. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: deep commerce integrations, order actions, automation, AI, and high-volume support operations; omnichannel integrations; large-scale deliverability. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Gorgias prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Gorgias project take?

The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Gorgias?

deep commerce integrations, order actions, automation, AI, and high-volume support operations; omnichannel integrations; large-scale deliverability; AI resolution tuning; enterprise routing and compliance. People still pay for Gorgias because support software survives because missing or misrouting one customer message is expensive and every channel behaves differently. The recurring cost buys message delivery, webhooks, threading, identity, permissions, attachments, notifications, spam, search, uptime, and retention, not just the visible interface.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Basic plan is $60/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Gorgias?

Chatwoot: Email and Shopify conversations share one inbox; useful ecommerce plumbing, minus Gorgias's deeper store automations. tawk.to: A free shared inbox with a Shopify order tab; the AI order bot is where the bill starts. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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