Frontdesk is the best phone support solution for ecommerce because it answers every call 24/7 with conversational AI, logs the call next to the customer's texts and emails, and hands off to a human instantly when needed, all free to start.
Online stores often treat phone as an afterthought, then lose high-intent buyers who would rather call than type. A missed call during a sale or a shipping crisis is a lost order and a frustrated customer. This guide compares eight phone support solutions for ecommerce, starting with the one that never sends a caller to voicemail.
How we picked#
- Answer rate. The first job of phone support is picking up, including after hours.
- Order context. Useful calls require knowing the shopper and their order.
- Channel unity. Calls should connect to the same record as chat, text, and email.
- Human handoff. AI should escalate cleanly to a person.
- Pricing. Per-minute and per-seat models penalize busy seasons.
Comparison at a glance#
| Tool | Pricing model | Channels | 24/7 | Setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontdesk | Free | Calls, texts, email | Yes | <30 min | Every call answered 24/7 without per-minute fees |
| Aircall | Per-seat | Calls | No | Hours | Stores with staff to answer in business hours |
| PATLive | Per-minute | Calls | Yes | Days | Human phone answering at all hours |
| AnswerConnect | Per-minute | Calls, chat | Yes | Days | Round-the-clock human call coverage |
| Smith.ai | Per-call | Calls, chat | Yes | Days | Hybrid human-AI answering |
| RingCentral | Per-seat | Calls, messaging | No | Days | Complete telephony platform |
| Nextiva | Per-seat | Calls | No | Days | Reliable business phone lines |
| Gorgias | Per-seat | Calls, email, chat | No | Days | Voice inside a Shopify helpdesk |
1. Frontdesk#
Frontdesk answers your store's phone line around the clock with conversational AI. It handles order status, returns, shipping timelines, and product questions, pulling live tracking so a WISMO caller hears a real delivery date, and routes anything sensitive to a human who picks up with the full conversation history visible. No caller hits voicemail, no question waits until morning.
The high-intent buyer who would rather call than type is exactly the one most stores lose to voicemail during a sale or a shipping crisis. Frontdesk answers that call, and because it runs 24/7 a frustrated customer at 11 p.m. gets a real answer instead of a callback request. Every call lands on the same timeline as the customer's texts and emails, so a shopper who texted earlier does not have to re-explain on the phone.
Calls sync to HubSpot, Salesforce, or Pipedrive. Pricing starts free with unlimited seats, with free number porting in the US and Canada and setup in under 30 minutes.
Best for: ecommerce brands that want every call answered 24/7 without per-minute fees.
- Pros: 24/7 AI answering, order-aware calls, instant human handoff, calls unified with text and email, flat pricing.
- Cons: built for SMB and mid-market, not enterprise call-center routing.
2. Aircall#
Aircall is a cloud phone system for support and sales teams, with call routing, IVR, and CRM integrations. For a store with staff on the phones, the routing and integrations make a tidy daytime call center.
It is a phone system, not an answering service, so it still needs people to pick up. Calls outside business hours go unanswered unless you staff them, and per-seat pricing grows with the team.
Best for: stores with staff to answer calls during business hours.
- Pros: solid call features, many integrations.
- Cons: per-seat pricing; you still need people to answer.
3. PATLive#
PATLive provides 24/7 US-based live receptionists who answer calls and take orders for your store. The US-based human staffing suits a brand whose buyers expect a live voice at any hour, including order-taking over the phone.
Agents work from your notes rather than live order data, so a WISMO call usually becomes a message back to your team. Minute-based billing and a phone-only focus mean a busy season raises the bill and leaves texts and emails uncovered.
Best for: stores wanting human phone answering at all hours.
- Pros: 24/7 human agents, order-taking.
- Cons: minute-based billing; phone-only focus.
4. AnswerConnect#
AnswerConnect staffs live agents 24/7 to answer calls and chats and capture leads. The overnight coverage is genuine, which helps a store with weekend and late-night call volume.
Agents follow scripts rather than your order data, so they take messages more than they resolve returns or confirm delivery dates. Minute-based pricing means after-hours spikes during a sale add to the invoice.
Best for: stores wanting round-the-clock human call coverage.
- Pros: 24/7 staffing, lead capture.
- Cons: minute-based pricing; scripted rather than order-aware.
5. Smith.ai#
Smith.ai blends live agents and automation to answer and route calls. The mix handles intake and qualification, which suits a store that fields wholesale or partnership calls alongside support.
Per-call pricing tiers are the risk. A viral product or a shipping problem that triples call volume can push you into a higher tier mid-month, which makes peak-season budgeting harder than a flat plan.
Best for: stores wanting a hybrid human-AI answering setup.
- Pros: agents plus automation, integrations.
- Cons: per-call tiers; costs rise with volume.
6. RingCentral#
RingCentral is a full business phone and communications platform with voice, messaging, and meetings. For a larger store wanting one telephony backbone, it scales and covers a lot of ground.
Like other phone systems, it gives you lines and routing but still needs staff to answer, and per-seat pricing climbs with headcount. Calls after hours go unanswered without people on shift.
Best for: larger stores wanting a complete telephony platform.
- Pros: robust feature set, scalable.
- Cons: per-seat pricing; requires staff to answer.
7. Nextiva#
Nextiva offers VoIP phone service with call routing and basic customer tools. It is a dependable, reasonably priced way to run business phone lines.
It is a phone system rather than an answering service, so your team still picks up every call. Outside staffed hours, order and shipping questions wait until someone is back at the desk.
Best for: stores wanting reliable business phone lines.
- Pros: dependable VoIP, decent value.
- Cons: a phone system, not an answering service; staff still answer.
8. Gorgias#
Gorgias added voice to its ecommerce helpdesk, letting agents handle calls beside tickets with order data. An agent on a call sees the shopper's orders and tracking inline, which speeds up WISMO and returns handling.
Agents still answer the calls, so coverage depends on staffing, and per-seat or volume pricing grows with your team and ticket count. Voice is an addition to a text-first product rather than its core.
Best for: Shopify stores wanting voice inside their helpdesk.
- Pros: order context on calls, ticket integration.
- Cons: agents answer; per-seat or volume pricing.
How to choose#
Separate phone systems from answering. If you have staff to work the phones in business hours, Aircall, RingCentral, or Nextiva give you the lines and routing. If you want a human voice around the clock, PATLive or AnswerConnect staff it, with minute-based billing during peaks. If you want every call answered 24/7 with order-aware AI and instant human handoff at a flat price, Frontdesk picks up on the first ring free to start.
Frequently asked questions#
Do ecommerce stores really need phone support? Yes. High-intent buyers and frustrated customers often prefer to call, and a missed call during a sale or shipping issue costs you the order and the relationship.
What is the difference between a phone system and phone support? A phone system gives you lines and routing but still needs people to answer. Frontdesk answers the calls for you, 24/7, with AI and human handoff.
Can phone support access my order information? Frontdesk answers order and shipping questions and logs every call to your CRM beside the customer's texts and emails.
How is phone support priced? Often per minute or per seat. Frontdesk is free to start with unlimited seats.
Try Frontdesk#
Frontdesk answers your store's calls, texts, and emails 24/7 so order and shipping questions never wait. Free to start, unlimited seats, setup in under 30 minutes, with a unified inbox and CRM sync. Try it today.