The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The best Shopify chatbot depends on what you want it to do. Shopify Inbox is the free starting point for storefront chat, quick answers, and cart-aware conversations. Other options cover help-desk workflows, AI-assisted support, usage-based resolutions, or social messaging. This comparison focuses on the six options for which Shopify’s 2026 guides provide useful details; it does not treat every tool as the same kind of chatbot.
Prices and plan limits below are figures Shopify published in its 2026 guides, not guaranteed current quotes. A “chatbot” can mean anything from a live-chat widget with suggested replies to an AI agent that takes support actions, so compare the job each product does and the unit it charges for—not just its starting price.
Shopify chatbot options at a glance
The table distinguishes storefront chat, help-desk software, and social automation. Shopify’s comparison guides do not provide a standardized feature matrix for every app, so “not stated” means the cited Shopify guide does not establish that detail.
| Tool | Best fit | What it does | Shopify guide price or plan detail | Channels and limits established by the guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Inbox | Stores starting with free native chat | Live chat, cart visibility, discount sharing, automated messages, suggested answers and sales insights | Free | Storefront chat; email continuity if the shopper leaves the site. Other channel coverage not stated. |
| Gorgias | Teams choosing chatbot features within a help desk | Help-desk software with an AI shopping assistant and AI agent | $10/month for 50 tickets and three support agents; Shopify says stores exceeding 300 tickets/month would need the cited $360/month Pro tier | Pricing is tied to ticket volume; other channel and AI-use limits not stated. |
| Gladly | Teams comparing resolution-based AI charges | AI interactions and resolutions, with a lower cited rate when AI assists a human | Free plan with 100 AI interactions; additional resolutions listed at $1.50 each, or $0.25 when AI assists a human | Channel coverage and other plan limits not stated. |
| Reamaze | Stores wanting chatbots alongside email inboxes | Chatbots and email inboxes, with a small stated AI-agent resolution allowance | $29/month; listed with unlimited chatbots and email inboxes and five AI-agent resolutions per user/month | Other channel coverage and ticket limits not stated. |
| Rep AI | Stores seeking a branded bot that can approach visitors | Bot training for brand voice and proactive visitor contact | Free to install; Starter listed at $99/month | Channel coverage and plan usage limits not stated. |
| Chatfuel | Businesses automating social DMs | No-code chatbot builder with Shopify integration | Free plan; paid plans listed from $69/month | WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger are cited; current channel availability and integration behavior should be confirmed with the vendor. |
Price figures and product summaries are from Shopify’s 2026 customer-service guide and its July 22, 2026 chatbot comparison. Shopify says the comparison reflects a mid-2026 snapshot and that AI pricing changes often. Rates, allowances, and plan names can change.
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What “chatbot” means for a Shopify store
Shopify merchants may use “chatbot” to describe distinct products and functions:
- Live chat: A person answers shoppers in a storefront widget. Shopify Inbox is the free native baseline.
- Suggested or instant answers: The system offers prepared replies or FAQ answers for a team member to review and send.
- Automated FAQ flows: Rules route shoppers through predefined answers and actions.
- Generative AI support: An AI produces responses based on available store information.
- Task-capable AI: An agent may perform supported actions, such as handling an order request, within configured rules.
- Help-desk or social automation: The product may primarily organize support tickets or automate social messages, rather than act as a standalone storefront chatbot.
Those categories are not interchangeable. Before choosing, decide whether your main problem is unanswered shopping questions, repetitive post-purchase requests, a fragmented support inbox, or a high volume of social DMs.
1. Shopify Inbox: the free native starting point
Shopify Inbox is the clearest first choice for a merchant who wants to try live chat without adding a paid third-party service. Shopify describes it as a free app for real-time shopper conversations, accessible from the Shopify admin.
What it does
- Shows a shopper’s cart contents during a conversation.
- Lets merchants share discounts and create automated messages.
- Offers suggested instant answers and replies based on catalog and FAQ content; a team member can review, edit, or send them.
- Can send automated order-status messages and continue a conversation by email if a shopper leaves the site.
- Provides sales insights related to chats.
Shopify reports that 70% of Inbox conversations happen while shoppers are actively making a purchasing decision. That is Shopify’s 2026 reported figure, not evidence that Inbox causes purchases or raises conversion.
Price and trade-offs
Shopify lists Inbox as free. It is a practical baseline for storefront live chat and suggested answers, but the cited descriptions do not establish a broad social-messaging suite or a customer-facing AI agent that can complete a range of order actions. Stores needing deeper automation, multichannel support, or CRM integration may need a third-party app.
Who it suits
Choose Inbox if you want a low-friction way to answer pre-purchase questions, see relevant cart context, and test whether shoppers use chat before investing in more complex automation. Shopify’s examples of shopper questions include “Where’s my order?”, “Do you have this in a medium?”, and “Does [brand] ship to Canada?” These illustrate order, availability, and shipping-policy questions; they are not a measured ranking of what customers ask most.
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2. Gorgias: a help-desk-centered choice
Gorgias is presented by Shopify as help-desk software with an AI shopping assistant and AI agent. Its relevance is that chat and AI sit within a broader support-desk workflow, rather than being the entire product.
Price and included volume
Shopify’s guide lists an entry plan at $10 per month for 50 tickets and three customer-support agents. It says stores processing more than 300 tickets per month would need the cited $360-per-month Pro tier. These are dated guide figures, not a current vendor quote. Ticket count and agent allowance matter more here than comparing the entry price alone.
Who it suits—and what the cited detail does not establish
Gorgias is worth considering when you are evaluating AI chat as part of a help desk and ticket workflow. Shopify’s summary does not specify which channels are included in each plan, how AI usage is metered, or what actions the agent can perform on Shopify orders. Those details should not be inferred from the “AI agent” label.
3. Gladly: pricing tied to AI resolutions
Gladly’s distinct comparison point is its resolution-based pricing. Shopify lists a free plan with 100 AI interactions, then additional AI resolutions at $1.50 each, or $0.25 when AI assists a human team member.
How to interpret the pricing
An interaction allowance and a resolution charge are not automatically equivalent to a flat monthly chatbot fee. The total depends on what counts as an interaction or resolution and whether AI is handling a case itself or assisting a person. Shopify’s guide does not establish channel coverage, plan restrictions, or how these definitions are applied in every case.
Who it suits
Gladly may fit a team comparing AI spend by resolved support work rather than by seats or a simple monthly subscription. The cited figures are Shopify’s guide snapshot; confirm current definitions and rates before budgeting.
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4. Reamaze: chatbots paired with email inboxes
Shopify lists Reamaze at $29 per month with unlimited chatbots and email inboxes, plus five AI-agent resolutions per user per month. The combination points to a support setup where email inboxes matter alongside automated chat.
Who it suits—and the allowance to notice
Reamaze is a candidate for a store that wants chatbot capacity and shared email handling in one product. “Unlimited chatbots” does not mean unlimited AI resolutions: Shopify’s cited summary separately lists five AI-agent resolutions per user each month. It does not specify other channel support, ticket volume limits, or what happens after that AI allowance is used.
5. Rep AI: brand-voice training and proactive outreach
Shopify describes Rep AI as a bot that can be trained to match a brand’s voice and proactively contact visitors. The guide lists it as free to install and gives a $99-per-month Starter plan.
Who it suits—and what to check in the offer
This positioning may suit a merchant whose priority is an on-brand storefront bot that can initiate a conversation, rather than only waiting for a shopper to open chat. The Shopify summary does not state channel coverage, included usage, or the specific visitor-trigger rules, so those capabilities cannot be compared precisely from the published guide figures.
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6. Chatfuel: social-channel automation
Shopify’s mid-2026 comparison describes Chatfuel as a no-code chatbot builder aimed at automating messaging on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger, with Shopify integration. Its focus is social DMs, not necessarily a direct substitute for a native storefront support chat or a full help desk.
Price and best fit
The comparison lists a free plan and paid plans from $69 per month. Chatfuel is most relevant if customers contact your business through social messaging and you want to build automated responses there. Shopify advises confirming present channel availability, integration behavior, and pricing with the vendor; the guide does not establish how the integration handles orders or which plan includes each channel.
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How to choose the right option
Start from the support job and the consequences of an incorrect answer. A bot answering a general shipping-policy question has different requirements from one changing an order.
Match the tool to the work
- Try storefront chat first: Start with Shopify Inbox if a person can handle requests and you want cart context, quick answers, and automated messages.
- Organize support tickets: Consider Gorgias if you want chatbot features inside a help-desk workflow; account for ticket and agent limits in the cited plans.
- Budget by resolved work: Compare Gladly’s interaction and resolution charges with your actual support process, including cases where AI assists a person.
- Combine chatbots and email: Reamaze’s Shopify-listed offer pairs chatbots and email inboxes, with a separately limited AI resolution allowance.
- Initiate storefront conversations: Rep AI is the option in this group described as able to proactively contact visitors and train to brand voice.
- Automate social DMs: Chatfuel is the option explicitly associated in Shopify’s guide with WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
Compare the actual pricing unit
Before comparing monthly totals, identify whether a plan is limited by agents, tickets, conversations, interactions, resolutions, channels, or some combination. A low entry price may cover little volume; a free tier may have a distinct allowance for AI. Shopify notes that AI pricing changes often, and its mid-2026 figures should be treated as a snapshot.
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- Confirm which product, cart, customer, and order details the tool can use. Do not assume an AI label means it can see or change order data.
- Find out what the bot is permitted to do, especially for cancellations, refunds, or edits, and what shopper confirmation or staff review is required.
- Keep product information and store policies current wherever the bot draws answers from; outdated shipping or return terms can create avoidable support problems.
- Set a clear path to a person for questions outside the bot’s scope, sensitive cases, and unresolved requests. Define what happens outside staffed hours and what wait time shoppers should expect.
- Check which channels are actually included in the plan and whether a conversation can move between channels without losing context.
Shopify’s guide recommends configuring human handoff rules and notes that AI cannot replace human support for every customer or issue. It also cites a 2025 SurveyMonkey statistic that 89% of consumers believe companies should always offer an option to speak to a human if required; this is a figure Shopify reports, not an independently verified result here.
Set up Shopify Inbox on a store
Shopify’s setup guidance for Inbox is specific to the native app; third-party onboarding steps differ. The basic setup is to install and configure Inbox, enable its storefront widget, prepare answers for common questions, and decide when a person takes over.
- Install Shopify Inbox. Add the free Inbox app to the Shopify store and open it from the Shopify admin to configure the channel.
- Enable the storefront chat widget. In the Shopify theme editor, enable the Inbox app block or app embed for the active theme, then save. Check the live storefront to confirm the widget appears where shoppers can use it.
- Create instant answers. Add concise answers for common requests such as shipping destinations, return policies, sizing, and order status. Check that each answer matches current store policies and product information.
- Configure automated messages and order-status replies. Set the messages shoppers will see and ensure they accurately describe what the store can do and when a human will respond.
- Define handoff rules and wait-time expectations. Decide which questions require a person, when chats are staffed, and what the shopper sees if no one is available.
- Test the full shopper path. Open the live storefront as a shopper, ask a known FAQ, verify the cart context and message behavior, then test the human handoff and email continuity when leaving the site.
Shopify says Sidekick can suggest Inbox answers from store policies and customer history. Sidekick is an AI assistant inside the Shopify admin for store owners; it is not the customer-facing storefront chat tool.
What the available comparisons can—and cannot—tell you
Shopify’s guides and app summaries establish product positioning and selected plan figures, but they do not provide hands-on head-to-head tests, standardized answer-accuracy results, or comparative conversion outcomes. They therefore support a fit-based shortlist, not a universal performance winner. Shopify also reproduces merchants’ testimonials about Inbox and automated support; individual testimonials are not controlled studies and should not be treated as proof of sales lift or improved support quality.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shopify Inbox a chatbot or live chat?
It is primarily a native live-chat option with automated messages, suggested instant answers, and other shortcuts. A team member can review, edit, or send suggested answers; that is different from assuming every conversation is handled autonomously by an AI agent.
Which option is best for social media messages?
Chatfuel is the option Shopify’s 2026 comparison specifically positions for social messaging on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. The cited guide does not establish that every channel is available on every plan.
Can Shopify chatbots answer “Where’s my order?”
Shopify Inbox is described as able to send automated order-status messages. For other tools, the cited summaries do not establish the exact order data they can access or actions they can take, so capability depends on the product’s current integration and configuration.
Does Shopify Inbox prove that chat increases sales?
No. Shopify reports that 70% of Inbox conversations take place while shoppers are actively making a purchase decision, but that figure does not establish that Inbox caused a purchase or improved conversion.
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Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
