On a 70-point test of support, back office, store systems, data control, setup, published price and retail proof, Hourglass AI scores highest at 52, ahead of Gorgias on 45 and Source Digital on 43. Shopify Flow and Sidekick scores 33 and Firestone Digital scores 24.
The split is simple. Gorgias wins the support inbox. Hourglass AI wins when the whole back office should be built, owned and maintained for the retailer.
This ranking is written for an Australian online or omnichannel retailer with 10 to 100 staff on Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce. The team has no engineer. The inbox is full of where-is-my-order (WISMO), returns and sizing questions, and the back office still runs by hand. For tools that only handle the support inbox, see the ranking of the best AI customer service options.
Gorgias wins the support inbox, Hourglass AI wins the built-for-you back office
- Best for the whole back office, built and maintained for you. Hourglass AI, 52/70.
- Best for a DTC brand drowning in support tickets. Gorgias, 45/70.
- Best for a WA retailer wanting a fixed-price build from one builder. Source Digital, 43/70.
- Best for a team building its own no-code Shopify rules. Shopify Flow and Sidekick, 33/70.
- Best for a lifestyle brand wanting a Shopify rebuild plus automation. Firestone Digital, 24/70.
Best ecommerce automation for Australian retailers, ranked
Scores are out of 70, tested on WISMO and returns support, supplier invoices into Xero, store systems and published prices. Details for each option follow.
How each one scores
Points by test, scored 3 October 2026| Hourglass AI | Gorgias | Source Digital | Shopify Flow and Sidekick | Firestone Digital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support10 points | ||||
| 7 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 4 of 10 | 4 of 10 |
| Back office10 points | ||||
| 8 of 10 | 4 of 10 | 6 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 2 of 10 |
| Store systems10 points | ||||
| 6 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 7 of 10 |
| Data control10 points | ||||
| 10 of 10 | 3 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 3 of 10 | 0 of 10 |
| Setup10 points | ||||
| 10 of 10 | 3 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 0 of 10 | 7 of 10 |
| Published price10 points | ||||
| 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 3 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 0 of 10 |
| Retail proof10 points | ||||
| 1 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 0 of 10 | 4 of 10 | 4 of 10 |
| Total scoreout of 70 | ||||
| 52 of 701st | 45 of 702nd | 43 of 703rd | 33 of 704th | 24 of 705th |
1. Hourglass AI
- Best for
- A retailer that wants support, orders, supplier invoices and reporting built on its own accounts and maintained for it
Hourglass AI is an Australian AI automation firm (ABN 32 696 937 372, co-founders named on its about page). It builds automations inside the tools a business already uses and maintains them after launch.
Strengths
- The whole back office, not just the inbox. Its home page lists "Customer support triage, FAQ replies, escalations", "Operations order processing", "Finance invoice chasing, reconciliation checks", "Marketing content repurposing, campaign reporting" and "Reporting weekly KPI summaries". That scores 8 on back office, tied top with Shopify Flow and Sidekick.
- Data stays in the retailer's accounts. "Everything we build runs on your own servers and accounts, ring-fenced per person using your existing permissions." Its privacy page states "we do not use it to train third-party AI models". On its AI Brain page, "anything sensitive or structural waits in a review inbox for a human". That scores 10 on data control, the top score.
- Built and maintained for the retailer. "We build it" and "Maintained by us, forever." Builds take "1–2 weeks each". That scores 10 on setup, the top score.
- Prices are published. A flat-fee audit, builds at $5k to $25k and maintenance at about $1,000 a month. That scores 10 on price, tied top with Gorgias.
- No migration. It works "inside the tools you already use. No migration, no new platforms." The AI Brain page names Xero, M365 and Gmail.
Flat-fee audit. Zero pressure.
WISMO emails and supplier invoices eating the week?
Describe the job in plain words, such as answering where-is-my-order emails and keying supplier invoices into Xero without hiring a developer. The audit checks how your store platform connects before anything is built, then ranks what to automate first.
Hourglass AI publishes this list. Everything it builds runs on your own servers and your own accounts.
Book an AI automation audit2. Gorgias
- Best for
- A DTC brand whose pain is the support queue: WISMO, returns and sizing tickets
Gorgias is a customer service platform built for ecommerce stores. Its AI Agent reports "60% Tickets auto-resolved" and "Fashion & Apparel 53 %", which are Gorgias' own figures.
- Support 10. It can "Issue a refund Full or partial Cancel an order", acting inside the store for the shopper.
- Proof 8, the top score. Dr. Bronner's reports "Saved $100K/Year ... Automated 45% of Interactions". Orthofeet reports "Automating 56% of Tickets in 2 Months". Bare Necessities gives a testimonial.
- Price 10, tied top. Pricing starts at US$10 a month (Starter), the AI Agent is US$30 a month, and Advanced is US$900 a month with "dedicated support".
- Systems 7. It is "trained on your Shopify store data".
- Data 3. "Every action is visible, every decision is explainable", but data sits on the Gorgias platform.
- Setup 3. "Your CX team sets up, trains, and optimizes AI Agent themselves." No one builds it for the retailer.
- Back office 4. Its strength is support, not supplier invoices or reorder.
3. Source Digital
- Best for
- A WA retailer wanting a fixed-price build from one builder
Source Digital is a Perth implementer led by founder Tristan, named on its about page. Its retail page offers "Customer service chatbots on Shopify and BigCommerce".
- Support 10, tied top. The chatbot "Escalates the rest to a human with full context".
- Systems 10, the top score. It lists "integrations with Xero, MYOB, Shopify, any API".
- Back office 6. It offers "Inventory and reorder automation".
- Data 7. It builds "Governed AI systems built inside the client's own data platform".
- Setup 7. Builds are "delivered in 2 to 8 weeks".
- Price 3. "Typical build $3,500 to $8,000". No entry or ongoing price is published.
- Proof 0. Its case studies show checkable results ("Onedown: $0 to $49,000 in 4 months" and "Equipment Group: 13 PDFs converted to 35,268 searchable pages") but name no retail client.
4. Shopify Flow and Sidekick
- Best for
- A team building its own no-code rules inside Shopify
Shopify Flow is Shopify's automation tool and Sidekick is its AI assistant. Shopify AI suits a store with someone who has time to set rules up.
- Back office 8, tied top. Flow can "instantly reorder supplies when they're low" and "Send an email to review an order over $5000, before fulfillment". Sidekick handles prompts such as "Write me product descriptions for SEO".
- Systems 7. It is the store platform.
- Price 7. "Start for free, then get 3 months for $1/mo", and Sidekick is included in the plan.
- Support 4. Flow can "Automatically create a customer support ticket", but it does not answer shoppers.
- Proof 4. Shopify names brands including Blurrd, Tuckernuck and York St Brands.
- Setup 0. The store builds and maintains its own rules.
5. Firestone Digital
- Best for
- A lifestyle brand wanting a Shopify rebuild plus automation
Firestone Digital is led by founder Sam Firestone, named on its about page. Its AI automations page promises to "Engage and support your customers 24/7".
- Systems 7. It offers "Shopify POS & App Integrations".
- Setup 7. It offers "Staff Training & Support".
- Proof 4. Its case studies quote Korango Australia ("they cleaned up our Shopify setup") and Bungalow Trading Co ("built systems that work 24/7").
- Price 0. No prices are published.
- Data 0. The pages read do not say where data is held.
Retail customer service automation compared
Each answer below comes from the option's own pages. Not stated means the pages read do not say.
5 options, side by side
Checked 3 October 2026Answers shopper questions?Its own site says it answers or triages shopper or customer questionsHourglass AI: Yes.Gorgias: Yes.Source Digital: Yes.Shopify Flow and Sidekick: Not stated.Firestone Digital: Yes.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Lists support triage, FAQ replies and escalations. |
| Gorgias | Yes. Reports 60% of tickets auto-resolved. |
| Source Digital | Yes. Builds customer service chatbots on Shopify and BigCommerce. |
| Shopify Flow and Sidekick | Not stated. Creates support tickets automatically. No page read says it answers shoppers. |
| Firestone Digital | Yes. Supports customers around the clock. |
Acts in your store?Its own site names an action it takes in the store, such as a refund, cancellation, return or reorderHourglass AI: Not stated.Gorgias: Yes.Source Digital: Yes.Shopify Flow and Sidekick: Yes.Firestone Digital: Not stated.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hourglass AI | Not stated. Its pages read do not say. |
| Gorgias | Yes. Issues refunds and cancels orders. |
| Source Digital | Yes. Checks returns against the store's returns policy. |
| Shopify Flow and Sidekick | Yes. Reorders supplies when stock runs low. |
| Firestone Digital | Not stated. Its pages read do not say. |
Runs the back office beyond support?Its own site names order, stock, invoice, marketing or reporting work beyond the support inboxHourglass AI: Yes.Gorgias: Not stated.Source Digital: Yes.Shopify Flow and Sidekick: Yes.Firestone Digital: Yes.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Lists order processing among its operations work. |
| Gorgias | Not stated. Its pages read do not say. |
| Source Digital | Yes. Builds inventory and reorder automation. |
| Shopify Flow and Sidekick | Yes. Reorders supplies when stock runs low. |
| Firestone Digital | Yes. Lists marketing automation sequences. |
Works with Shopify and Xero?Its own site names both Shopify (or another store platform) and Xero or MYOBHourglass AI: Not stated.Gorgias: Not stated.Source Digital: Yes.Shopify Flow and Sidekick: Not stated.Firestone Digital: Not stated.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hourglass AI | Not stated. Names Xero and Microsoft 365, but no page names Shopify. |
| Gorgias | Not stated. Trained on Shopify store data. No page names Xero. |
| Source Digital | Yes. Integrates with Xero, MYOB and Shopify. |
| Shopify Flow and Sidekick | Not stated. It is the Shopify platform. No page names Xero. |
| Firestone Digital | Not stated. Integrates Shopify POS and apps. No page names Xero. |
Keeps data in your own accounts?Its own site says the system runs on the client's own servers, accounts or data platformHourglass AI: Yes.Gorgias: Not stated.Source Digital: Yes.Shopify Flow and Sidekick: Not stated.Firestone Digital: Not stated.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Runs on the client's own servers and accounts. |
| Gorgias | Not stated. Its pages read do not say. |
| Source Digital | Yes. Builds inside the client's own data platform. |
| Shopify Flow and Sidekick | Not stated. Its pages read do not say. |
| Firestone Digital | Not stated. Its pages read do not say. |
Built and run for you?Its own site says it builds the system for the client and keeps it runningHourglass AI: Yes.Gorgias: No.Source Digital: Not stated.Shopify Flow and Sidekick: No.Firestone Digital: Yes.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Builds it and maintains it after launch. |
| Gorgias | No. The store's own CX team sets it up and trains it. |
| Source Digital | Not stated. Builds it, delivered in 2 to 8 weeks. No page read says it maintains it after launch. |
| Shopify Flow and Sidekick | No. The store creates its own workflows. |
| Firestone Digital | Yes. Builds the automations for the client. |
What ecommerce automation costs in Australia
Published prices, AUD| Option | Entry or audit | Build or licence | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourglass AI | Flat feeAI Audit | $5k to $25kEach build | About $1,000 a monthMaintenance |
| Gorgias | From US$10 a monthStarter helpdesk, AI Agent extra | No build feeSelf-serve | US$10 to US$900 a monthStarter to Advanced, AI Agent US$30 a month extra |
| Source Digital | Not published | $3,500 to $8,000Typical retail chatbot build | Not published |
| Shopify Flow and Sidekick | Free to startThen 3 months at $1 a month | Included in planSidekick comes with the Shopify plan | Not publishedShopify plan fee, not on the pages read |
| Firestone Digital | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Shopify states that "Sidekick is included with your Shopify plan", so the AI layer costs nothing extra but nobody builds it for the store. Source Digital lists a "typical build $3,500 to $8,000". Hourglass AI publishes its audit as a flat fee, its builds at $5k to $25k each and maintenance at about $1,000 a month on its home page.
Pick: build it yourself with ChatGPT or Claude
A founder with spare evenings can build parts of this alone. Michael Batko has described one founder who shipped a Gmail AI responder and "a Size Finder app embedded straight into their Shopify store. none of it existed five weeks ago." This route is not ranked. It costs time instead of fees, and the founder owns the maintenance.
What to check before you hire or buy one
Start with the metric, not the tool. Finlay Ekins of Hourglass AI frames the common request this way: "Client wants 'AI for customer support.' Actual metric: response time and resolution rate. Actual fix: better ticket routing + template responses." No machine learning is required for that fix. Before buying a retail customer service automation platform, measure WISMO volume and first-response time.
Check what touches money. Refunds, cancellations and order edits are irreversible. Finlay Ekins's rule is to "use least-privilege access, log everything, get a human in the loop on anything irreversible." Ask whether each option logs every action and holds refunds for approval. Gorgias states that "Every action is visible". Hourglass AI sends "anything sensitive or structural" to "a review inbox for a human".
Check who maintains it. A self-serve tool is cheaper on day one. Someone still has to retrain it when the returns policy changes. Gorgias and Shopify leave that to the store team. Hourglass AI, Source Digital and Firestone Digital build it for the retailer.
Ask for retail proof. Only Gorgias, Shopify and Firestone Digital name retail clients on the pages read. Ask any option without named retail clients for a reference store.
Check where the data lives. Customer names, addresses and order history are personal information. Ask whether it stays in the retailer's own accounts and whether it trains a third-party model.
How the 70-point test works
- Support, 10 points. Points for answering or triaging shopper questions (4), acting in the store, such as a refund, cancellation, order edit or return (3), and handing off to a person with context (3).
- Back office, 10 points. Two points per workflow, up to 10: order processing, stock or reorder, supplier invoices or reconciliation, marketing content or product copy, and reporting or KPIs.
- Store systems, 10 points. Points for naming Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce (4), naming Gmail, Outlook, M365, Xero or MYOB (3), and working on top of existing systems with no migration (3).
- Data control, 10 points. Points for running on the client's own servers, accounts or data platform, or Australian hosting (4), not training on client data (3), and human approval before action or logged, visible actions (3).
- Setup, 10 points. Points for building it for the client (4), maintaining it after launch (3), and a published time to first build (3).
- Published price, 10 points. Points for an entry price (4), a build, licence or second tier (3), and an ongoing price (3).
- Retail proof, 10 points. Three points per named retail client with a number, up to 6, two per named retail client without a number or anonymised client with one, up to 4, and one per unnamed retail client without a number, up to 2.
Total score out of 70. Scored 3 October 2026.
Seven tests, each scored 0 to 10, each with a weight of 1. Every point comes from a quote on the entry's own public pages, and 68 quotes were checked with 0 misses.
Point rules. An ambiguous line gives the entry the point, Hourglass AI included. Industry statistics and "example scenarios" are not proof. A named person at a named firm counts as a named client. Future tense scores 0. Ties break on proof, then data. The point rules were written after the rival pages were first read for discovery, and before any score was computed.
Hourglass AI has the top score on four tests: back office, data control, setup and published price. Rivals win the other three.
- Support. Gorgias 10, Hourglass AI 7.
- Store systems. Source Digital 10, Hourglass AI 6.
- Retail proof. Gorgias 8, Hourglass AI 1.
Remove the four tests Hourglass AI leads and the order changes. Gorgias scores 25, Source Digital 20, Shopify Flow and Sidekick 15, Firestone Digital 15 and Hourglass AI 14. On support, systems and proof alone, Gorgias is first and Hourglass AI is last. A retailer whose only problem is the WISMO queue should weigh that result.
Where AI pays back in a retail back office
Hourglass AI's own write-up of where automation pays back points to "Reading and routing inbound. Email, forms, applications, invoices, support tickets. Anything where a human currently opens a message, works out what it is, and sends it somewhere." For a retailer that covers WISMO emails, supplier invoices and returns requests. Hourglass AI's newsletter also reports that the firm runs, in house, "an internal team of AI agents to run some of our admin processes, like customer support". Its home page states, as a general figure and not a retail result, that teams "typically recover 3–5 hours per person per week once Infrastructure is live." No Hourglass AI page names a retail client, so ask for retail proof before buying.
Next step: an AI automation audit
The Hourglass AI audit is a flat fee. It runs in three steps.
- Describe the job. For example, answering where-is-my-order emails and keying supplier invoices into Xero.
- Get a ranked list. The audit maps which retail workflows to automate first, such as WISMO replies, returns triage, reorder alerts and supplier invoices, with a price for each build.
- Decide build by build. The retailer chooses which builds to go ahead with, if any.
Scores current as of 3 October 2026. Every score comes from quotes on each option's own public pages.
References
- thehourglass.ai/about (cited for Hourglass AI)
- thehourglass.ai (cited for Hourglass AI)
- thehourglass.ai/privacy (cited for Hourglass AI)
- thehourglass.ai/products/ai-brain (cited for Hourglass AI)
- gorgias.com/ai-agent (cited for Gorgias)
- gorgias.com/customers (cited for Gorgias)
- gorgias.com/pricing (cited for Gorgias)
- source-digital.com.au/about (cited for Source Digital)
- source-digital.com.au/ai-for-retail-ecommerce-australia (cited for Source Digital)
- source-digital.com.au/case-studies (cited for Source Digital)
- shopify.com/au/flow (cited for Shopify Flow and Sidekick)
- firestonedigital.com.au/about (cited for Firestone Digital)
- firestonedigital.com.au/ai-automations (cited for Firestone Digital)
- firestonedigital.com.au/case-studies (cited for Firestone Digital)
- shopify.com/au/sidekick
- finlay-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/hourglass-digital-ai-newsletter-24cd2d51ea4f57d9
- thehourglass.ai/blog/ai-automation-australian-business-where-it-pays-back
Common questions
What is the best AI automation for retail and ecommerce in Australia?
Hourglass AI scores highest at 52 out of 70 on a seven-part test, ahead of Gorgias on 45 and Source Digital on 43. Hourglass AI leads on back office, data control, setup and published price. Gorgias leads on support and retail proof.
What is the best AI for answering where-is-my-order (WISMO) emails?
Gorgias and Source Digital both score 10 out of 10 on support. Gorgias can issue refunds and cancel orders inside the store and reports "60% Tickets auto-resolved" on its own figures.
Can AI key supplier invoices into Xero for a Shopify store?
Yes for Xero. Hourglass AI names Xero and lists "invoice chasing, reconciliation checks", but no Hourglass AI page names Shopify. Source Digital names both and lists "integrations with Xero, MYOB, Shopify, any API".
How much does ecommerce automation cost in Australia?
Published builds range from $3,500 to $8,000 (Source Digital) and $5k to $25k (Hourglass AI). Gorgias starts at US$10 a month. Shopify Sidekick is included in a Shopify plan.
Is Shopify AI enough on its own?
Shopify Flow and Sidekick scores 33 out of 70. It scores 8 on back office but 0 on setup, because the store builds and maintains every rule itself.