Best AI Chatbots for Shopify of 2026
AI chat and support agents for Shopify stores, ranked on what they cost at a real store's ticket volume, what Shopify merchants rate them and whether they can see your orders.
By , research by the BestBots team ยท Updated Oct 19, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Tidio is the best AI chatbot for most Shopify stores: it has the top rating of the AI chat apps here on the Shopify App Store (4.8 from 1,355 reviews), runs live chat and an AI agent in one widget, and starts free. Support heavy brands should pick Gorgias, a Shopify helpdesk whose AI reads order data. Shopify Inbox is the best free option.
Our top picks
We compared eight AI chatbots for Shopify, using pricing pages, Shopify App Store listings and docs as of October 2026. Every price links to its source, and scores follow our rubric.
What a Shopify store needs from a chatbot
Shopify chats split into two jobs, and most tools are better at one.
Before the sale. "Does this come in a medium?" "Will it ship to Canada by Friday?" "Which serum is best for oily skin?" A storefront AI that knows your catalog, inventory and policies turns these into orders. Shopify Inbox, Tidio and Chatbase fit here.
After the sale. "Where is my order?" "Can I change my address?" "How do I return this?" These need order data and a helpdesk with history across email, chat and social. Gorgias, Zendesk and Intercom Fin fit here.
Many stores run one of each: a free or cheap storefront AI and a helpdesk with AI for tickets.
How to choose
- Ticket volume and mix. Under a few hundred chats a month, mostly product questions: Shopify Inbox or Tidio. Hundreds of order tickets across channels: Gorgias.
- Billing unit. Tidio bills per AI conversation; Gorgias, Intercom, Zendesk and ChatBot.com per resolution or automated interaction; Chatbase per message credit; Manychat per active contact.
- Channels. If your questions come through Instagram and TikTok DMs, Manychat or Gorgias. If they come through the store, a chat widget.
- Shopify ratings with counts. Tidio's 4.8 from 1,355 says more than a 4.9 from 39.
Our picks, in detail
- Starting price
- $29 per month
- Price per resolution
- Not per resolution: $0.70 to $0.78 per Lyro conversation on monthly tiers
- Channels
- Website chat widget plus channels connected to Tidio; Lyro Connect for Zendesk, Intercom, Salesforce
- Free plan
- Yes
Tidio is the highest rated AI chat app here on the Shopify App Store, at 4.8 from 1,355 reviews, and it combines live chat, the Lyro AI agent and Flows for cart recovery and product questions. The free plan covers 50 chats a month, and Lyro tiers run from $39 for 50 AI conversations to $700 for 1,000.
Pros
- Free plan and a 7 day trial with no credit card
- Lyro learns from your site and FAQs; setup described as minutes
- 4.8 on the Shopify App Store from 1,357 reviews and 4.6 on G2 from 1,968
- Lyro can also plug into Zendesk, Intercom or Salesforce
Cons
- Billed per Lyro conversation, not per resolution, so failed answers still count
- Prices scale with conversation tiers on two meters, human and AI
- Premium's resolution guarantee is quote only
- Language count is not published on the Lyro page
Skip it if most of your volume is order changes and returns across email and social; a full helpdesk like Gorgias fits better.
- Starting price
- $10 per month
- Price per resolution
- $0.85 to $1.00 per automated interaction, plus a helpdesk ticket
- Channels
- Email, chat, SMS, Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp; voice as an add on
- Free plan
- No
Gorgias is a helpdesk built around Shopify, and its AI Agent answers from your help center, website and Shopify order data across email, chat, SMS, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp in 80+ languages. The Basic plan with AI Agent is $90 a month for 300 tickets, with automated interactions at $0.85 to $1.00 each.
Pros
- AI Agent takes real order actions (cancel, return, address change) on Basic and up
- Priced by ticket, not by seat: Basic and up include 500 seats
- One AI Agent covers support and pre sale shopping assistant work, with product recommendations and discount codes
- SOC 2 Type II since 2020, HIPAA report available, and no training of third party LLMs on your data
Cons
- A resolved ticket is billed twice, once as a ticket and once as an automated interaction
- Starter has no AI actions, no BigCommerce and only 3 seats
- Requires a connected Shopify store for AI Agent setup
- Trustpilot score is 2.0 from 153 reviews, with complaints about support and billing
Skip it if you only need a pre sale chat widget; an AI resolved ticket counts as both a helpdesk ticket and an automated interaction.
- Starting price
- $0
- Price per resolution
- Free
- Channels
- Online store chat; merchants reply from Shopify admin
- Free plan
- Yes
Shopify Inbox is Shopify's own free chat app with an AI sales associate that reads your catalog, inventory and policies automatically, in 21 languages. It has 4.6 stars from 5,810 reviews on the Shopify App Store and needs no setup beyond setting tone and rules.
Pros
- Free and built by Shopify
- AI connects to catalog, inventory and policies with no import
- 4.6 from 5,810 reviews on the Shopify App Store
- Set tone, style and rules for the agent
Cons
- Online store chat only; no email, Instagram or WhatsApp helpdesk
- Not built for returns, refunds or order changes
- Some reviewers report wrong answers and turned it off
Skip it if you need post purchase support; it is built for product questions on the storefront, and some merchants report wrong answers.
- Starting price
- $40 per month
- Price per resolution
- Not published; billed by message credits ($40 per 1,000 extra)
- Channels
- Website widget, WhatsApp, Slack, Meta apps, email, voice
- Free plan
- No
Chatbase's Shopify app holds 4.9 from 39 reviews, and its $40 Hobby plan includes 700 message credits, enough for a few hundred short AI chats on a basic model. You train it on your site and documents, and it also answers on WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.
Pros
- Train on docs and sites without code
- Multiple model choices, per its site
- SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and HIPAA listed; does not train on customer data
- 4.8 on G2 from 46 reviews
Cons
- Credit use varies from 1 to 5 per request by model and multiplies when actions run
- One agent per plan, $300 per year for each extra
- Removing Chatbase branding costs $1,188 per year
- Voice and the helpdesk inbox are not on Hobby
Skip it if you want a free plan or white label; it has a 7 day trial and charges $1,188 a year to remove branding.
- Starting price
- $17 per month
- Price per resolution
- Not per resolution; plan price plus $0.004 to $0.10 per extra Active Contact
- Channels
- Instagram, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Telegram; WhatsApp, SMS and email from Pro
- Free plan
- Yes
Manychat automates Instagram, TikTok, Messenger and Telegram conversations, which is where many DTC brands get product questions from ads and posts. Pro at $39 a month adds AI replies, WhatsApp, SMS and email for 2,500 active contacts, and its app holds 4.3 from 2,144 App Store ratings.
Pros
- Free plan plus a 14 day trial of Essential and Pro
- Comment to DM, follow to DM, story and Live replies, and ad triggered DMs on Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and WhatsApp
- Manychat AI on Pro and up: AI replies, AI comment replies, goals and intent recognition, with ChatGPT, Claude and DeepSeek integrations
- Official Meta Business Partner and TikTok partner; 4.3 on the App Store from 2,144 ratings
Cons
- Billed by Active Contact, so cost rises as your audience engages
- WhatsApp, SMS, email and AI all require Pro
- Trustpilot score is 2.1 from 306 reviews, citing billing surprises and slow support
- Annual plans cannot be downgraded or switched to monthly until the term ends
Skip it if you need a chat widget on the store itself; Manychat lives in social DMs.
- Starting price
- $0.99 per outcome
- Price per resolution
- $0.99 per outcome
- Channels
- Chat, email, WhatsApp, SMS, Slack, Instagram, Facebook Messenger; voice at $1.99 per outcome
- Free plan
- No
Fin charges $0.99 per outcome and does not bill handoffs to a human, so a high volume store pays for solved chats only. It runs standalone on top of Gorgias, Zendesk and other helpdesks with no seat fees and a 50 outcome monthly minimum, and answers in 60+ languages.
Pros
- Billed per outcome at $0.99, and requests for a human are not charged
- Runs standalone on Salesforce, HubSpot, Freshworks, Front, Zoho, Gorgias and others with no seat fees
- 14 day trial with unlimited outcomes and no credit card
- Largest review base in this list: 4.5 on G2 from 3,925 reviews
Cons
- Assumed resolutions count: a customer who leaves without replying after Fin answers is billed
- Monthly seat prices are $10 to $14 higher than annual
- Voice costs double at $1.99 per outcome and is sold through sales
- Qualification outcomes cost $9.99 each
Skip it if shopify reviews matter to you; the Intercom Shopify app has 3.7 from 18 reviews.
- Starting price
- $25 per agent per month
- Price per resolution
- $1.50 committed, $2.00 pay as you go
- Channels
- Web and in-app messaging, social, email, voice
- Free plan
- No
Zendesk's AI agents answer in 80 languages across messaging, social, email and voice, and only LLM verified resolutions are billed on new accounts, at $1.50 committed or $2.00 pay as you go. Suite Team starts at $69 per agent a month.
Pros
- AI agents included on every Suite plan, with a resolution allowance
- 80 languages, according to Zendesk
- Mature ticketing, QA and workforce add-ons in one platform
- A resolution is only billed if the request is never escalated to a human
Cons
- $2.00 pay as you go per resolution is about twice Fin's $0.99
- Seat fees run $25 to $149 per agent per month before AI usage
- Copilot for human agents is a separate $50 per agent add-on
- Resolution billing rules changed on May 18, 2026; older accounts stay on the previous platform until they move
Skip it if you are a small store; its Shopify app has 3.2 from 94 reviews and per resolution rates are the highest here.
- Starting price
- $25 per user per month
- Price per resolution
- $0.99
- Channels
- Website chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS, Shopify
- Free plan
- No
ChatBot.com lists Shopify among its channels, with Essential at $25 per user a month for 10 AI resolutions and Growth at $99 for 200, then $0.99 each. It hands off into LiveChat's live chat.
Pros
- $0.99 per resolution, only when the AI solves the question
- Live chat, inbox and ticketing included
- 14 day trial without a card
Cons
- Only 10 resolutions included on Essential
- Per user pricing adds up for larger teams
- 28 G2 reviews, a thin rating base
Skip it if several people answer chats, since pricing is per user.
What it costs
Take a store with 300 support chats a month, half of them handled by AI (150) and half by a person. Cheapest published setup, monthly billing.
| Tool | 300 chats, 150 automated | How it bills |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Inbox | $0 | Free |
| Manychat | $39 | Pro, up to 2,500 active contacts |
| Chatbase | about $40 | Hobby, 700 credits, if AI chats average up to 4 replies on a 1 credit model |
| ChatBot.com | $99 | Growth, 200 resolutions, 1 user |
| Intercom Fin (standalone) | about $148.50 plus your helpdesk | $0.99 per outcome |
| Tidio | $169 | Lyro 150 for $110 plus Growth $59 for human chats |
| Gorgias | $198 | Basic with AI Agent $90 (300 tickets, 30 automated) plus 120 at $0.90 |
| Zendesk AI agents | about $359 | Suite Team $69 plus 145 resolutions at $2.00 |
The lowest number is not always the cheapest outcome. Shopify Inbox and Chatbase do not run a full helpdesk, so order tickets still need somewhere to go. Gorgias' price includes the helpdesk for all 300 tickets. Compare more tools in the AI Price Index.
Shopify App Store ratings
| App | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Tidio | 4.8 | 1,355 |
| Chatbase | 4.9 | 39 |
| Shopify Inbox | 4.6 | 5,810 |
| Gorgias | 4.3 | 706 |
| Intercom (Fin) | 3.7 | 18 |
| Zendesk | 3.2 | 94 |
Figures from each app's Shopify App Store listing in October 2026. Manychat and ChatBot.com did not have a listing we could open, so they are not in the table.
What to set up first
- Policies in plain words. Shipping times by region, return window, exchange rules. The AI will quote them.
- Product data. Sizes, materials and compatibility in product descriptions, not just images.
- Order lookups. If the tool supports Shopify order data, test "where is my order" with a real order number before going live.
- Handoff rules. Refund disputes, damaged items and chargebacks go to a person.
- Discount rules. Tell the AI never to invent a discount code.
Recommended setups by store size
- New store, under 100 chats a month. Shopify Inbox for free product answers, and reply to the rest yourself from the Shopify admin. Add Tidio's free plan if you want a live chat inbox with Flows.
- Growing store, 100 to 500 chats a month. Tidio with a Lyro tier sized to your AI volume (150 conversations is $110), or Chatbase on Hobby if most chats are short product questions.
- Established brand with order tickets on several channels. Gorgias with AI Agent, sized by ticket count, plus Manychat if Instagram and TikTok DMs drive sales.
- High volume brand on an existing helpdesk. Keep the helpdesk and add Intercom Fin standalone at $0.99 per solved outcome.
Red flags
- Double billing on helpdesks. At Gorgias an AI resolved ticket counts as a ticket and an automated interaction.
- Bots that promise delivery dates. Keep shipping answers tied to your policy page.
- Branding fees. Chatbase charges $1,188 a year to remove branding.
- Low review counts. Intercom's Shopify app has 18 reviews. Weigh the G2 record (4.5 from 3,925) alongside it.
- Wrong answers from catalog bots. Shopify Inbox reviewers report mistakes; rate chats and tighten rules early.
How we picked
We started from the chat and AI support apps Shopify merchants search for, kept those with an AI agent, a published price and a Shopify connection, and recorded only what their pricing pages and Shopify App Store listings say. We did not install them on a live store. Factors and weights are on how we score. For non Shopify sites, see best AI chatbot for websites.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI chatbot for Shopify?
Tidio is the best fit for most Shopify stores: 4.8 stars from 1,355 Shopify App Store reviews, live chat plus an AI agent in one app, and a free plan. Support heavy brands that handle order questions across email and social should pick Gorgias.
Is there a free AI chatbot for Shopify?
Yes. Shopify Inbox is free and adds an AI sales associate that answers product questions from your catalog, inventory and policies, with 4.6 stars from 5,810 reviews. Tidio's free plan also covers 50 chats a month plus 50 lifetime AI conversations.
Can an AI chatbot answer where is my order questions on Shopify?
Helpdesk tools with Shopify order data can. Gorgias' AI Agent lists Shopify order data among its knowledge sources. Storefront tools like Shopify Inbox focus on product questions, so check the order tracking feature before you buy.
How much does a Shopify AI chatbot cost?
From free (Shopify Inbox) to about $40 to $200 a month for a store with a few hundred support chats. Per resolution pricing runs $0.85 to $1.00 at Gorgias, $0.99 at Intercom and ChatBot.com, and $1.50 to $2.00 at Zendesk.
Does Shopify have its own AI chatbot?
Yes. Shopify Inbox is Shopify's free chat app, and its listing describes an AI sales associate that helps buyers find products from your catalog. You set the tone, style and rules, and you can rate chats to improve it.
Gorgias or Tidio for Shopify?
Tidio for stores that mainly need pre sale chat and an AI agent on the storefront, at a lower price and higher Shopify rating. Gorgias for stores where support tickets about orders, returns and shipping arrive across email, chat and social and need one helpdesk.
Can a Shopify chatbot help with sales, not just support?
Yes. Shopify Inbox is built as a sales associate, Tidio's Flows run cart and product prompts, and Manychat turns Instagram and TikTok comments and DMs into product conversations.
Will an AI chatbot slow down my Shopify store?
Any chat widget adds a script to your storefront. Load it after the main content, and remove widgets you do not use. Our picks do not publish load time figures, so check your store speed before and after installing.