Shopify Inbox is free, and its AI agent can now answer shoppers on its own. For plenty of new stores that's enough. You start shopping around when you need something Inbox doesn't do. Usually that's answering Instagram and Messenger DMs, starting conversations instead of waiting for them, or running a support queue with a team behind it.
The ten apps below fall into two lanes. AI sales assistants and live chat tools work the storefront, where shoppers decide whether to buy. Helpdesks run the support queue after the sale. We checked every price on the vendor's own pricing page or Shopify App Store listing on October 24, 2026.
Shopify Inbox Alternatives at a Glance
| # | App | Best for | How it bills | Free plan | Paid plans from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carti | Selling on the storefront and in DMs | Flat monthly plans sized by AI conversations | 50 AI conversations a month | $49 a month for 250 conversations |
| 2 | Tidio | Live chat with an AI add-on | Per conversation, Lyro AI extra | 50 conversations a month | $29 a month for 100 conversations |
| 3 | LiveChat | Teams that staff live chat | Per user | None | $25 per user a month |
| 4 | Crisp | A low-cost shared inbox | Per workspace, AI on credits | 2 seats, no AI | $45 a month for 4 seats |
| 5 | Gorgias | Shopify support teams | Per ticket, AI per interaction | None | $10 a month for 50 tickets |
| 6 | Re:amaze | Small teams that want flat pricing | Per team member, or flat | None | $29 per member or $59 flat |
| 7 | Richpanel | Self-service for order questions | Per seat, AI per conversation | None | $119 per seat a month |
| 8 | Zendesk | Large or multi-brand teams | Per agent, AI per resolution | None | $25 per agent a month |
| 9 | Intercom | An AI agent across chat and email | Per seat, AI per outcome | None | $29 per seat a month |
| 10 | Help Scout | Email-first support | Per user, AI per resolution | 5 users, 1 inbox | $25 per user a month |
What Shopify Inbox Does Well, and Where Stores Outgrow It
Inbox costs nothing and takes minutes to set up. Its App Store listing now calls it an AI sales associate. It learns your catalog and policies, answers product questions, and when a buyer signs in with Shop it can use their purchase history to tailor the reply. Its automation covers greetings, instant answers and quick replies.
The gaps show up as you grow.
- Instagram and Messenger. Shopify retired Inbox's Messenger and Instagram channel in 2023, so those DMs now live in Meta Business Suite.
- Starting the conversation. Inbox mostly waits for the shopper to open the chat.
- A team queue. Inbox has no ticketing, so once several people answer customers, you'll want a helpdesk behind it.
If you're still deciding whether you need more than Inbox at all, our breakdown of Shopify Inbox vs AI chatbots covers that call.
Lane 1: AI Sales Assistants and Live Chat
These tools work where shoppers browse. Pick from this lane if pre-sale questions are what you're missing.
1. Carti
Carti is an AI sales assistant for Shopify stores that want chat to help close sales.
It starts the conversation. Carti opens the chat when a shopper hesitates or heads for the exit, instead of waiting for them to find the chat bubble.
It answers your DMs. Carti replies to Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger chats with the same catalog knowledge it uses on your store. Those are exactly the messages Inbox stopped handling.
It can sit on the product page. You can add an "Ask about this product" button to product pages by pasting a short snippet into your theme editor, so shoppers ask where they're already reading.
The Free plan covers 50 AI conversations a month. Paid plans are flat monthly prices. Starter is $49 for 250 conversations, Growth $99 for 600 and Scale $249 for 1,750, each with a 14-day free trial. Carti answers in 92 languages and lets shoppers add products to their cart inside the chat.
Carti has no ticketing of its own. When a question needs a person, it goes to your support email or to Zendesk or Gorgias, so if you have a support team, you'd run Carti alongside your helpdesk. Our Carti vs Shopify Inbox comparison goes feature by feature.
Try Carti on the Shopify App Store
2. Tidio
Tidio suits stores that want live chat, simple automations and an AI add-on from one vendor. Unlike Inbox, it connects Instagram and Messenger, and its Flows builder sends automated messages.
The Free plan covers 50 conversations a month plus a one-time 50 Lyro AI conversations. Paid plans start at $29 a month for 100 conversations, and Lyro AI starts at $39 a month, both with a 7-day trial.
Lyro is its own plan, so a store that wants staffed live chat and AI pays for two. We put the two head to head in Tidio vs Shopify Inbox.
3. LiveChat
LiveChat fits stores where people staff the chat and want a polished agent console, canned responses and reporting. AI agents come on top. Essential includes 10 AI resolutions a month and Growth includes 200.
Essential costs $25 per user a month ($19 billed yearly) and Growth $99 ($79 yearly), with a 14-day trial and no free plan. Extra AI resolutions are $49.50 per 50.
Per-seat pricing grows with your team, and the AI allowance on Essential is small, so it suits teams that answer most chats themselves.
4. Crisp
Crisp is the low-cost pick for a shared inbox. Its Free plan gives you 2 seats with a website chat widget, a shared inbox and ecommerce integrations, though no AI.
Mini is $45 a month per workspace for 4 seats with $5 of AI credits. Essentials is $95 for 10 seats with $25 of AI credits and an AI chatbot across channels, and Plus is $295.
AI runs on credits, so check how far they stretch at your volume before you count on the bot.
Lane 2: Helpdesks for Support Teams
These tools run the queue. Pick from this lane if your team is buried in tickets after the sale.
5. Gorgias
Gorgias is the helpdesk many Shopify brands move to when support becomes a team job. It pulls email, chat and social messages into one queue, with Shopify order actions beside each ticket.
There's no free plan. Starter is $10 a month for 50 tickets, Basic $60 for 300 with extra tickets at $0.40 each, Pro $360 and Advanced $900. The AI Agent adds $1.00 per automated interaction on monthly billing, or $0.90 on annual, and there's a 7-day trial.
You pay per ticket and again for each AI interaction, which our Gorgias vs Shopify Inbox breakdown works through with real numbers.
6. Re:amaze
Re:amaze is a helpdesk with live chat, email and social in one inbox, and it gives you a choice of how to pay.
Basic is $29 per team member a month ($26.10 billed yearly), Pro $49 and Plus $69. Starter is $59 flat for 500 responded conversations with unlimited team members. Plans include 5 to 20 AI resolutions per user, then $0.85 each, with a 14-day trial and no free plan.
Compare the flat Starter plan against per-member pricing before you pick, since the cheaper option flips with team size.
7. Richpanel
Richpanel is built for ecommerce support teams that want customers to sort out order questions themselves, with AI agents and a self-service portal.
The helpdesk is $119 per seat a month ($99 billed yearly). AI agents cost about $0.20 per AI-handled conversation, with AI starting at $200 a month. There's no free plan, and returns and exchanges are a paid add-on from $99 a month.
That AI minimum prices it for teams.
8. Zendesk
Zendesk is the heavyweight option for large or multi-brand support teams.
Support Team is $25 per agent a month ($19 billed yearly), Suite Team $69 ($55) and Suite Professional $149 ($115). AI agents include 5 automated resolutions per agent a month on the Team plans and 10 on Professional, then $1.50 each committed or $2.00 pay as you go. There's a 14-day trial.
Per-agent pricing and setup time both run higher than Shopify-first tools. Our roundup of Zendesk alternatives covers lighter options.
9. Intercom
Intercom suits stores that want Fin, its AI agent, answering support questions across chat and email with a full helpdesk behind it.
Essential is $29 per seat a month, with a lower price for new customers, Advanced $85 and Expert $132. Fin costs $0.99 per outcome, and there's a 14-day trial.
The bill combines seats and AI outcomes, so model a busy month before you commit.
10. Help Scout
Help Scout is a calm, email-first helpdesk with a usable free plan. It covers 5 users, 1 inbox, 1 Docs site and 100 contacts a month.
Standard is $25 per user a month, Plus $45 and Pro $75. AI Answers cost $0.75 per resolution, and new accounts get 3 months of AI Answers free.
It shines on email and help docs more than on storefront selling.
How to Choose
Start from the problem you're trying to fix.
- Shoppers ask questions nobody answers in time. Start with an AI sales assistant like Carti, or Tidio if you also want a flow builder.
- Your team answers most chats by hand. A live chat console like LiveChat or Crisp fits better.
- Support is a team with a ticket queue. Pick a helpdesk. Gorgias and Re:amaze are the Shopify-first choices, Richpanel leans into self-service, and Zendesk, Intercom and Help Scout suit larger or email-heavy teams.
You can also run one from each lane, Carti on the storefront for pre-sale questions and a helpdesk for tickets after the sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Shopify Inbox still free?
Yes. Shopify Inbox is free on the Shopify App Store, and its listing now describes it as an AI sales associate. When a buyer signs in with Shop, it can use their purchase history to tailor replies. What it leaves out is Instagram and Messenger, and a ticket queue for a support team.
Q: Can Shopify Inbox answer Instagram DMs?
No. Shopify retired Inbox's Messenger and Instagram channel in 2023, so those messages are answered in Meta Business Suite or the Instagram app. If you want one assistant answering on your store and in DMs, Carti and Tidio both connect Instagram and Messenger.
Q: Can I use Carti alongside a helpdesk?
Yes. Carti answers shoppers on your storefront and, when a question needs a person, routes it to your support email or to a connected helpdesk such as Zendesk or Gorgias. That way Carti handles pre-sale questions and your helpdesk keeps the tickets after the sale.
The Bottom Line
Shopify Inbox is a fine free start. Once DMs, proactive selling or a support team matter, pick the lane that matches your bottleneck, or one app from each.
Written by
Daniel AndersonFounder of Carti. 10+ years building ecommerce brands in apparel and supplements. Still runs a Shopify store and built Carti to help merchants convert more browsers into buyers.